Agenda item

a) 2016/17 Schools Budget planning

b) 2016/17 Funding Formula & APT submission

c) 2016/17 Dedelegation by maintained schools

The first draft of the 2016/17 schools budget will form the basis of the Authority Proforma Tool (APT) submission due to the EFA at the end of October.  The first draft presents a balanced budget, but only by drawing on the 2014/15 underspends to cover the additional growth funding and also the (reducing) nursery school subsidy.  The income from the Early Years and High Needs blocks are not confirmed until later in the year.

The draft school budget share expenditure has been based on October census pupil numbers at maintained schools, but academy pupil numbers are not yet known and therefore the budget is still on estimated pupil data at this stage.

Other expenditure has been based on the following assumptions:

• 2 year old funding – best estimate on take-up
• 3/ 4 year old funding – 3% increase in pupil numbers/ funding (based on past pupil number trend)
• HN places – place funding and estimated top-up values on current data
• Kisharon converting from a Special free school to Special maintained status
• Oak Hill campus converting to Special Academy status

Officers will provide a further report in December once all pupil data has been factored into the modelling.  They will also provide a summary of any DfE announcements made as a result of the government Comprehensive Spending Review in November.

As stated above, the current school budget modelling has incorporated up-to-date pupil numbers where known and these will be included in the provisional APT submission made to the EFA in October.  As a result of the Schools Forum recommendation on the formula funding consultation (item 7d) and subject to the agreement of the council’s Director of Children’s Services, Option 3 giving a £10 AWPU increase and setting a 15% cap on gains, will be factored into the APT to be submitted in October.  The final APT will be submitted in January, once the EFA have provided Barnet with a full school level data set, so the schools budget will continue to change.  Updates will be provided at the Schools Forum meetings in December and February.

Decision: Members unanimously agreed to recommend that Option 3 should be factored into the APT model for submission to the EFA by 30^th October.

IH advised members that Schools Forum representatives of maintained schools must vote whether to dedelegate the following budgets for provision of some central services in 2016/17. The table below shows the items currently dedelegated in 2015/16 by sector:

LB asked if Special Schools vote on this and whether they can use Behaviour Support (HIST) services.  IH advised that they can use the services, but that could not be funded through dedelegation.  SL asked what the offer is for Behaviour Support.  IH stated that Level 1 is the core service available to primary schools, but Level 2, which provides additional services, can be purchased by schools.  SL asked whether TU representation at school level is covered by the facility time budget.  IH said no, it was only for LA level TU representatives.

The council was asking representatives of maintained schools by sector whether they wish to dedelegate the same budgets in 2016/17, with the following results:

Voting

* Includes St Mary’s & St John’s all-through school