Agenda item

After the last meeting, officers reviewed the level of the Growth Fund and this had been considered by the Task and Finish group.

Currently, the Growth Fund only supports bulge classes and the first year of permanent expansion. The recommendation to increase the Growth Fund by £1.2 million to £1.5 million will provide funding for each new year group joining the school in a permanent expansion. Currently, when a new year group joins the school there is a lag before funding is triggered at the next census (7 months for maintained schools and 11 months for academies).  It was confirmed that academies would receive the full amount of AWPU funding due so that there is no gap.

It was noted that this would support necessary expansion in primary schools initially and secondary schools in 3 to 4 years’ time.

Maggie Waller mentioned that the DfE does not fund this funding gap so the DSG will be top sliced across all phases to fund the increase. She offered to write to the DfE to take this up and she asked for support from members and officers in this in order to put a good case with evidence of impact of this lack of funding. 

It was noted that the increase can only apply to 2014/15 and that the balance left in this year’s fund was only £100,000 approximately.

Schools Forum agreed to accept the recommendation to increase the Growth Fund of £1.5 million.