Agenda item

2018/19 Draft budget

(ii)          Notes the council’s decision to implement the school funding formula contained in this report, in line with option 2 from the consultation on the Barnet School Funding formula – the National Funding Formula with additional protection.

 

(iii)         Approves the proposal for a Minimum Funding Guarantee of 0% and a gap on gains of +0.24% in per pupil funding.

 

(iv)         Approves the proposed allocations of High Needs budgets as set out in Appendix B and the SEN and PRU funding arrangements set out in more detail in the separate paper on High Needs funding.

 

(v)          Approves the proposed central expenditure on early years as set out in Appendix B (S251 line 1.3.1) subject to a further report on early years funding arrangements, once the DSG allocation is confirmed (based on the January 2018) census.

 

(vi)         Approves the proposed other central expenditure allocations as set out in Appendix, including the contributions to combined budgets, school admissions, servicing of schools forum, pupil growth, other items (£2.108m) and former ESG retained duties.

 

(vii)        Notes that the council’s Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 13 February will be asked to approve the draft (gross) Schools budget (DSG) of £327.313m, to note the draft Post-16 budget of £5.417m and to agree that any changes to the budget reasonably required as a result of the final 2018/19 DSG and Post-16 settlement are delegated for decision to the Strategic Director - Children & Young People in consultation with the Director of Resources.

 

Minutes:

IH presented an update on the 2018/19 draft budget. The main change from the December report is the actual allocation of the DSG Block. The Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding committee (CELS) met in January to consider recommendations on the Schools Formula and Barnet’s submission to the DfE.

 

IH stated that the revised allocation of the Schools Block based on October 2017 census data and a review of the 2018/19 growth funding requirements has made it possible to ensure that no school would receive less funding per pupil than received in 2017/18.  This is an improvement from the -0.5% Minimum Funding Guarantee proposed previously. However, in order to implement this, the cap on gains is to be set at +0.24% per pupil.

 

IH mentioned that Barnet has not requested the movement of any funding from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block, unlike many other local authorities.  But IH explained that the High Needs budget will require careful management to prevent it overspending.

 

IH wanted the School Forum to note that the 3p increase per hour per child in Early Years income would not be passed onto providers but would be placed in contingency to cover pupil growth, new providers, discrepancies in census data and any possible ESFA clawback of funding. If this contingency is not sufficient in 2018/19 rates for the following year will need to be reviewed. The hourly rates to providers will remain the same as in 2017/18.

Action:

Jo Djora (JD) requested a breakdown of Section 251 line 1.3.1, Central expenditure on children under 5 for the next meeting.

GK asked the Schools Forum to vote on recommendations (ii to vii)

Recommendations:

 

(ii)          Notes the decision to implement the school funding formula contained in this report, in line with option 2 from the consultation on the Barnet School Funding formula – the National Funding Formula with additional protection.

(iii)         Approves the proposal for a Minimum Funding Guarantee of 0% and a gap on gains of +0.24% in per pupil funding.

(iv)         Approves the proposed allocations of High Needs budgets as set out in Appendix B and the SEN and PRU funding arrangements set out in more detail in the separate paper on High Needs funding.

(v)          Approves the proposed central expenditure on early years as set out in Appendix B (S251 line 1.3.1) subject to a further report on early years funding arrangements, once the DSG allocation is confirmed (based on the January 2018) census.

(vi)         Approves the proposed other central expenditure allocations as set out in Appendix, including the contributions to combined budgets, school admissions, servicing of Schools Forum, pupil growth, other items (£2.108m) and former ESG retained duties.

(vii)        Notes that the council’s Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 13 February will be asked to approve the draft (gross) Schools budget (DSG) of £327.313m, to note the draft Post-16 budget of £5.417m and to agree that any changes to the budget reasonably required as a result of the final 2018/19 DSG and Post-16 settlement are delegated for decision to the Strategic Director - Children & Young People in consultation with the Director of Resources

 

Schools Forum decision: Recommendations (ii) to (vii); agreed unanimously.

 

JD thanked LB Barnet for sharing the school budget information with schools so swiftly.

 

Nigel Taylor (NT) asked if Barnet is in a better position than other local authorities.  IH explained that Barnet has managed High Needs budgets carefully over recent years to avoid an overspend, but several other authorities had not managed to avoid overspending.

 

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