Agenda item

Update on 2016-2017 DFE proposals for National Funding Formula (verbal)

Minutes:

Maggie Waller and John Constable gave an update having attended a Westminster briefing and based on information released by the DfE in the previous days.

 

The DfE has now published a consultation on the proposed National Funding Formula (NFF).

 

It was noted that the initial consultations on the Schools Block and High Needs both opened on 7 March 2016 and close on 17 April.  The consultations can be found at:

 

https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schools-national-funding-formula

 

Some points emerging at this stage include:

 

‘Hard’ school-level national formula being introduced in 2019-20; in 2017-18 and 2018-19 LAs receive funding according to new national formula with distribution to schools using existing local formulae.

 

NFF detail likely to come out after London mayoral election, as London may be a significant loser.

 

It was noted that it is very important that all schools make individual responses to the consultation because all responses, whether individual or collective, are weighted equally. 

 

It was agreed that the Schools Forum Task Groups would meet to draft a response and this would be circulated to all schools as it may be helpful for individual schools in formulating their own responses. It was suggested that copying the response to the local MP would be useful.

 

The government has stated that budgets will be protected in ‘real terms’ which means ‘flat cash’. It was also noted that schools have been predicted to face 8% – 12% cost pressures over the life of the parliament at the same time as budgets remain at flat cash values. 

 

The chart below sets out a summary of the principles set out regarding possible factors and it was noted that this initial consultation is about this level of principle. The real detail of the likely impact will not be known until the next stage when models are developed. 

 

 

Concern was raised that the mobility – ‘churn ‘- of pupils in Slough schools would not be addressed if this was the basis.

 

John Constable mentioned that LAs were likely to have no role in school improvement longer term. Sharon Scott mentioned that the proposed LA responsibilities are set out in the consultation document. It was noted that a new central block is proposed.

 

Helen Huntley referred to the need to consider that Slough is a small authority where vulnerable families are known and there was a need to have cross Directorate conversations e.g. involving Health and Social Care. Krutika Pau agreed and that with the Trust in place this was the right time to do this.