Agenda item

Update on National Funding issues/Local Funding issues (to include 2019-20 School Budget Update)

Minutes:

Nic Barani explained that the Local Authority (LA) had undertaken a baseline exercise early in 2017 which it had been expected the ESFA would act upon.  £500,000 had been incorrectly transferred from Schools Block to High Needs by the ESFA and this amount was now being manually transferred back. The LA had been in contact with the ESFA, requesting they carry out this transfer in the future.

 

The £500,000 was shown under the ‘adjustment’ column on the paper entitled ‘2019-20 School Budget Update’ and would be distributed across schools through the local formula.  The majority of schools would benefit, and it was planned these monies would be distributed before the end of the current Summer term.  The distribution of funds to academy schools would be facilitated by Slough Borough Council (SBC). The schools without any adjustment shown in the paper tended to be those on minimum funding guarantee.

 

The Secretary of State for Education had acknowledged the national pressures on High Needs budgets which could be addressed through the next Government spending review.  Spending Reviews generally occurred every 3 years and Government was currently in the third year of such a cycle.  The ESFA had indicated they were considering indicative 3-year budgets in order to support schools.

 

To date, there was no timeline for the maintained nursery supplement beyond 2020, it was hoped the Teachers’ Pay Award would become an integral part of the Schools Block and there were no further updates on grants for Teachers’ pension contribution increases.

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