Agenda item

J Lawrence presented a report outlining the DFE’s proposals for 2014/15 and what that means for Leicestershire Formula.  The outcome of the Spending Review next week.

 

A number of things moving forward in 2014/15. 

• Already committed to reviewing the formula.

• Deprivation – need to do some modelling to look whether changes are necessary.

• £150,000 lump sum for all schools.

• Sparcity – need to test out from modelling, how it works.
• Rent – limited to 5% of schools.  Impact for some of those schools could be significant.

 

Will need to come back to Schools’ Forum to reaffirm decisions in 2013/14 process to be set again for 2014/15.   Likely to reconfigure the working group in developing the formula for 2014/15. 

 

Prior Attainment

 

A Green raised a question - level 5 KS1 and 2 – will be removed, therefore need to consider a different factor.  Will there be full representation on that group? 
J Lawrence confirmed there would be.

 

Mr Ould asked for clarification regarding pupils with prior attainment – position of young people who come into the County on a daily basis, and only reflected when we send return in.

 

J Lawrence responded - taken at one point during academic year, one-off measurement any particular moment in time.  Those important pupils will be picked up.

 

H Sewell  – prior attainment – might find also of change for stage 1.  First year, new system.  Bar has changed from previous years. 

 

K Howkins – yes could be a change in this year’s cohort, added on to existing, quarter of the effect, looking at all pupils in the school, this year’s cohort being measured at the moment.  That will be tagged on to existing cohort under the existing cohort.

 

D Thomas – new factor for sparcity – old school protection – significant impact.  Have we got larger primary schools represented?  Would be happy to represent if a shortage.  J Lawrence said there was a number of issues to be considered.  Sparcity factor, £100,000 or tapered, now have data, never intended to replace what used to have with previous small school factor.

 

Sparcity factors restricted inside Leicestershire or across the border.  J Lawrence advised - starts from pupils nearest to that primary school - doesn’t respect County boundaries.

 

D McVean – the Department isn’t struggling to introduce a National Funding formula.  Is trying to recognise in rural areas there are some factors that the lump sum can be blunt in helping to solve.  Sparcity factor “to give smaller hammer to crack a smaller nut”.

 

Age range changes

 

Recommendation is to go back to effectively the old 5/12 7/12 count for pupils of previous census counts.  More meetings planned to work with the EFA.  ESG recruitment for academies will be recouped in the same way as we recalculate it – issue now resolved.

 

Consultation – change affects schools 2014/15 – need to be aware of it happening.  May be difficult to manage locally.

J Lawrence will update on progress. 

T Gelsthorpe asked any indication from this year’s admission likely patterns parental choice and pupil movement?  Looked and identified some trends, initial modelling done is not cost neutral.  Have to have individual conversations with all schools affected by this.  Need some validation process, can’t have inflated numbers in there.

 

K Howkins – application to put in request for transitional arrangements and or some provision to correct estimates if differ, funding still needs to reflect actual numbers, still want to stick with using numbers.

 

A Green – understands Leicestershire situation specific - 3 tier systems rather than 2 tier, around 10+.   Could reduce by quarter – any phased working that can be done for schools.  Decreasing budget is unmanageable.  If EFA, LA and schools consider some sort of strategic support – great benefit.  K Howkins – still got to be funded from your pot, but may be contingency available within DSG.  There are these sorts of changes in other parts of the country.  Needs strategic role around the systems.

 

T Gelsthorpe – 10+ issue.  Small 11-16 schools issue around curriculum KS4 extremely expensive, has to be thought about. 

 

D Thomas – if school expanding itself, it’s a business risk.  Is this going to be ring fenced into areas or are all Leicestershire schools affected as it’s funded through DSG?

 

T Moralee – children going to be in different locations, might be significant moving to one school – manageability.

 

Mr Ould, Chair of National Employers Union – governors fed up one year financial rewards to school (para 25) – another school attracting staff with no money.  Financial viability of schools.  Will have to work together to determine how to take this forward.  If school can’t retain it’s pupil distinguished eventually.  LA have to find from corporate centre any cost of redundancies from remaining schools.  Schools’ Forum going to have to look at this very carefully.

 

B Carson – Diocese – 2 year process for schools – 11-14 and 11-16 age range, conversation about age range widespread amongst groups of schools in local area be shared.

 

J Bassford - not my experience.

 

Consistent education provision across the county.

 

J Bassford – problem faced with Loughborough – concern a lot of short term thinking going on in institutions, potentially smoking ruins not fit to be educating children.  Not possible to run this system without strategic overview.

 

Down to provision for children in Leicestershire. 

 

A Green – question – money should follow the child assailable.  Q – do we have to follow EFA requirements as stated in presentation today?  J Lawrence – operational guidance is clear where age range changes expectation LAs will use pupil numbers to reflect that change.

 

A Green - any opportunity – Forum.

 

D McVean – we haven’t got money to fund the same pupil twice.  If that child is in maintained or academy – dept has funded that child somewhere.  If creating some ability to form partnerships that’s our decision but no pot of money, happy to commit to work.  We are all tied by uncertainty of funding, informed intuitive planning.  Very limited mechanism in EFA, sudden spurge, to fund some money, but utterly exception.  Yes tough but can be planned. 

 

A Green – anything we can do within the school in locality to support schools that might help schools though the transition?

 

K Howkins – as part of any application where schools losing pupils, take account of funding falling rolls to support them through transition.

 

J Lawrence -  £1.9M may give some capacity to deal with that, to find a local solution to this.

 

B Carson – principal upper school pushing for adjusting and making plans for staffing – do we have a date yet, looking forward 2014/15 – schools having a reduction would like to know sooner rather than later.

 

Third point (page 77) - want to look at local solution to minimise impact of age range change, recognising pot of money within Leicestershire to do it.  Also need to know contingency, may be some small adjustments.  We note the requirements and will work on LA solutions. 

 

B Myatt - some partnerships people working together and have a solution already.  Some thinking going on in certain areas.

 

J Lewis – like to look at the very bottom end of numbers – PRU partnership workings – information about numbers coming in at 4+ great variations in places needed throughout Leicestershire.  Better information about children entering.

 

The Chair  – accept 3 recommendations as they stand.

The Forum noted the recommendations, 0 opposed.

Point 4 – Forum will be undertaking to

 

1          Recognise the thinking to minimise the impact of significant changes.

 

2.         Create proposal to manage age range changes and impact across the County.

 

3.         Look at the capacity to predict numbers at all levels in schools and impact that has on planning.