80 likes | 210 Views
DfE - latest consultation “Fairer Schools Funding in 2015-16”. Schools’ Funding Forum, 21 March 2014. Simon Pleace, Revenue Finance Manager. Headlines. Launched on 13 March, closes on 30 April Consultation has been eagerly awaited
E N D
DfE - latest consultation “Fairer Schools Funding in 2015-16” Schools’ Funding Forum, 21 March 2014 Simon Pleace, Revenue Finance Manager
Headlines • Launched on 13 March, closes on 30 April • Consultation has been eagerly awaited • We were expecting full details of a move to a NFF in 2015-16 . . . left disappointed for 2 reasons • Moves to NFF not until next multi year spending review period (stability for schools & LAs) • Additional £350m being distributed in 2015-16 to some LA’s . . . Kent does not benefit from this
Background • Current DSG rates per pupil stem back to 2005/06 when DSG was created. Known as “Spend Plus” • Over the years it has been uplifted for • inflation (in the good old days), • government priorities • grants have been mainstreamed • Ended up with a rate per pupil that is no longer based on the current LA pupil characteristics
Background • In 2013-14 LA’s DSG allocation were split into three 2012-13 DSG GUF £4,885/ pupil Schools GUF £4,367/ school pupil Early Years GUF £4,307/ EY pupil High Needs Business Case • Decision taken back then by LAs affect the latest proposal
Background (based on 2012-13) • Kent was 99th worst funded out of 151 LAs • Our GUF was £4,885 per pupil and OLA’s GUFs ranged from an eye watering £9,373 to £4,429 per pupil • f40 group (40 lowest funded education authorities) have lobbied for many years • Dorset CC slide shows funding link to GCSE attainment
Distribution of the £350m in 2015-16 • Consultation gives clear indication of DfE thinking • Minimum funding levels have been set for 5 factors • AWPU, Deprivation, LAC, Low Attainment & EAL (plus lump sum & sparsity) • Applied the minimum levels to our data and compared to our Schools Block GUF • 62 LA’s have been allocated a share of this funding • Surrey gain £24.8m to Derby get £0.1m
Why does Kent not receive anything? • Our current average funding per pupil is £4,242 (total distributed / total pupil numbers) • Using the new national minimum funding levels this increase slightly to £4,276 • But our 2014-15 schools block GUF is greater than both at £4,367 • DfE compare b) with c) hence we get nothing . . .
The proposal appears unfair because . . . • LAs who chose to put more funding into High Needs or Early Years blocks will benefit from these proposals • 26 LAs who, in 2012-13, were getting higher GUFs than KCC are benefiting • e.g. Bromley, GUF in 2012-13 = £4,944/pupil. Proposal is to give them a £461/pupil or 11.3% increase.