To note the update on the DSG and 2014/15 Funding Allocations, and approve the DSG Admissions allocation for 2014/15.

 

The Forum considered a report which provided an update on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and 2014/15 Funding Allocations, and to approve the DSG Admissions allocation for 2014/15.  From 2013/14, the DSG would be split into three notional blocks: Early Years, High Needs and Schools. 

 

The School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations defined the local authority education budgets for the 2013/14 financial year only.  The Regulations provided simplified local formulae, greater delegation to schools and new arrangements for funding pupils with high needs.

 

The Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) was set at negative 1.5% per pupil for 2013/14.

 

It was noted that the Chief Finance Officer (CFO), annually signed two statements: the Actual deployment (out-turn) and Budgeted Allocation of the DSG, which confirmed it had been fully deployed in support of the School’s Budget in accordance with the condition of the grant and the School Finance Regulations.

 

DSG Budget Allocation 2013/14

 

The final DSG for 2013/14 is £178.842m.  This is based on:

·           Schools Block: 34,747 (fte number of pupils October 2012) multiplied by £4,144.47 per pupil

·           Early Years Block: 2,241 (fte number of pupils January 2013) multiplied by £2,421 per pupil and will be updated again in April 2014 for 7/12ths of the January 2014 pupil numbers to cover the period September 2013 to March 2014.

·           High Needs Block: This is calculated in Pre 16 and Post 16 (ages 16 to 24).  The post 16 combines three previous budgets, SEN Block Grant, Specialist placements funding and the cost of high needs student in Further Education (FE) with effect from August 2013.

 

The Forum also noted that the floor protection for 3 year olds had been reduced by £48k from the 2012/13 funding and would be completely removed in 2014/15.

 

At the Schools Forum meeting held on 24 January 2013, the Forum noted that the Early Intervention Grant had been merged into the DSG, for the early education places for 2 year olds from lower income households. (minute no. CBSF/12/82 refers)

 

The breakdown of DSG as detailed in the table at paragraph 14 were as follows:

Schools: £144.062k

Early Years: £11,478k

High Needs: £23,302k

 

Direct payments to Academies included Early Years = £267k and High Needs = £2.967k.  As at 31 December 2013 there had been 47 Academy conversions.

 

Paragraph 15 of the report provided a breakdown of the £16.4m centrally retained DSG.

 

Growth Fund 2013/14

 

The Growth Fund is for significant pre 16 growth in schools.  Funds are available to both maintained schools and academies.  Where a school has elected to expand they are not eligible for the Growth Fund.

 

The amount for 2013/14 was set at £800k and has been overspent by £22.6k.  The Growth Fund Panel will be meeting on 21 January 2014 and a breakdown of the expenditure as at 31 December 2013 was detailed in paragraph 18.  The Forum approved an increase to the budget of £200k making the total Fund £1m for 2014/15.  

 

2014/15 Centrally Retained DSG Budget Allocations

 

The Forum noted that the 2014/15 budget for Admissions remains at the 2013/14 level of £260k.  The Admissions Team offers a buy back service to own admission authority schools and Academies, which enables the historic budget level to be maintained whilst funding 6 team members and the recruitment of an additional team member to deal with the schools who have changed their age ranges.

 

School Funding Settlement 2014/15

 

The Forum noted the following information:

·                The distribution of DSG for 2014/15 will continue on the current ‘spend plus’ methodology

·                Underlying schools budget will remain as flat cash per pupil for 2014/15

·                Central Bedfordshire pupil numbers have increased by 401 pupils

·                The EFA have ensured that LAs with falling pupil numbers will not lose more than 2% of its budget in cash terms.  This does not apply to Central Bedfordshire

·                The Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) was set at negative 1.5% per pupil for 2014/15

·                High Needs Block will be adjusted following LA submissions, due December 2013, following a review of places

·                Early Years Block will be updated during 2014/15 for January 2014 and for 7/12 of January 2015 pupil numbers (to cover the September 2014 to March 2015)

·                Early learning places for two year olds from lower income households became a statutory entitlement for 2013 at 20% and from 2014 at 40%.  Funding has been allocated to extend the programme for 2014/15

·                10 December 2012 – DECC announced that all stated funded schools in England to be withdrawn from participating in the CRC Energy Efficient Scheme from April 2014.  The DSG will have a deduction for 2014/15 to compensate the Exchequer for the loss of revenue resulting from this change.  The charge will be on a pro-rata basis by size of block.

·                Paragraph 29 contained a table detailing the DSG revenue allocation for 2014/15 by school block.

·                Central Bedfordshire’s indicative allocation of £181.972m will be reduced to the centralised licences arranged by the DfE for the following agencies to purchase a single national licence for all state-funded schools:

o      Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA)

o      Music Publisher Association (MPA)

o      Newspaper Licensing Authority (NLA)

o      Education Recording Agency (ERA)

o      Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC)

o      Filmbank Distribution Ltd

·                Capital funding to provide extra places needed for the growing population (2015 to 2017) and to implement the universal infant free school meals entitlement, improving school kitchens and dining facilities where needed was announced.

·                Further information will be provided once available to explain the Basic Needs allocations which are based on LA validated planning data.  The DfE reserves the right to abate any overpayment made.

·                Free school lunches from September 2014:

o      Every child in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in state funded schools

o      Disadvantaged students at sixth form colleges and further education colleges

o      Funding will be delivered through LAs for maintained schools, based on the number of infant pupils they have.

o      Academies will receive funding through the Academies Capital maintenance Fund (ACMF), which allows Academies to bid for improvement works.

o      LAs to determine how best to target its share of the funding for expanding and improving facilities at individual schools.

o      Further information to follow

·                Paragraph 34 contained a table which illustrated the capital allocations announced to date.

 

Pupil Premium Grant

 

The Pupil Premium Grant for 2014/15 had been increased:

·                Primary FSM ‘Ever 6’ pupils £1300

·                Secondary FM ‘Ever 6’ pupils £935

·                Service Children £300

 

From April 2014 LAC, children adopted from care or those who left care with a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) or under a Residence Order (RO) £1900.  Further information will follow.

 

Education Services Grant (ESG)

 

The Forum noted the following:

·                The grant will be allocated to local authorities on a per-pupil basis, as in 2014/15.

·                The ESG General Funding Rate is:

o     £113.17 per pupil in mainstreamed schools

o    £424.38 per pupil in PRUS

o    £480.97 per pupil in Special Schools

·                2014/15 General Funding pot will be calculated using the October census pot.

·                2014/15 initial allocation for CBC will be £2.2m, with quarterly adjustments throughout the 2014/15 financial year to account for Academies opening since October 2013

·                A flat rate of £15 per pupil will be allocated to LAs for the statutory duties not transferred to academies. The flat rate is multiplied by the number of pupils aged 3 to 19 for all maintained schools and academies equalling £592k in the Retained Duties funding pot.

·                Mainstream Academies will receive a set minimum of £140 per pupil

·                Alternative Provisions will receive a set minimum of £525 per pupil

·                Special Academies will receive a set minimum of £595 per pupil.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    That the update on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2013/14 be noted.

 

2.    That the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocation for Admissions to be set at £260k for 2014/15, be agreed.

 

The vote was unanimous.

 

3.    That the Education Funding Agency (EFA) funding announcement for 2014/15 be noted.