The Director for People submitted a written report indicating that –

(a)   the local authority determined the local schools formula to ensure equitable distribution of the Dedicated Schools Grant across all schools, in consultation with the Schools Forum;

(b)  the Department for Education had published its third consultation on the future of school funding titled Next Steps Towards a Fairer System.  The national funding reform required local authorities to simplify the formula used and proposed significant change to the funding of high need pupils in both mainstream and special schools;   

(c)   the report set out the recommendations of the Schools Forum following consultation with all schools;

(d)  a number of local authority school related functions were currently funded by the central element of the Dedicated Schools Grant.  From April 2013, £4.3m of the grant supporting those services would be delegated to schools.  For some services, maintained schools had opted to return the resources for the authority to run the services on their behalf.  For other services, the authority would either replace the funding by charging or refocus services in line with the reducing requirement to deliver services on behalf of schools;    

(e)  as part of the funding reform, local authorities must submit a pro-forma to the Education Funding Agency by 31 October 2012 setting out how schools and early years settings in Plymouth would be funded from April 2013.  

Cabinet Members were advised that further work was being undertaken on the implications for high need pupils including those with very complex needs.  Officers were also seeking agreement with other local authorities with regard to payments for children receiving education in neighbouring areas.

Alternative options and reason for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed that the recommendations from the Schools Forum are accepted as follows –

(1)  the current funding formula will be reallocated across the factors permitted within the simplified approach as set out in the Plymouth schools funding pro-forma. The pro-forma to be submitted to the Education Funding Agency before 31 October 2012 detailing the formula which will be used to fund Plymouth schools from April 2013;

(2)  early years funding from April 2013 will be allocated in accordance with the early years pro-forma which to be submitted to the Education Funding Agency before 31 October 2012;

(3)  a fund of £0.350m will be retained in 2013/14 to support the coordinated approach to pupil number growth related to basic need;

(4)  the future delivery of central services as set out in paragraph 2.5 of the written report; 

(5)  of the funding released from transferring high needs pupils to top-up funding, £0.750m will be retained within the high needs block to support schools with exceptionally high cohorts levels of SEN pupils.

(6)  a Single Banding Framework will be introduced for funded specialist provision from April 2013.