Agenda item

To be submitted late to take into account the discussions at the joint meeting of the Schools Funding Working Group and the SEN working group on 4th January 2017.

As stated by the Chairman in his announcements most of the decisions to be made where deferred until the end of the meeting to be heard in this section.

An updated Decisions Matrix was presented to Members in the meeting. This outlined all the decisions that needed to be deliberated and approved.

The decisions made by Members, based on consideration of the reports and deliberation in the meeting were as follows.

Central Schools Block proposals

1.    To approve Line by Line summary, appendix 1 to Central DSG Report.  Summarised in Proposed Budget summary.

2.    Propose agree eligible expenditure as per table in Appendix 3 Central DSG Report.

3.    To be confirmed - SFWG/SEN Group recommendation to consider impact on moving to high needs block to support top up rates and capacity for change.

4.    Propose Budget for central copyright licences set at £0.346m.

5.    Propose budget for retained ESG duties set at £1.005m as per funding settlement and analysis of costs.

6.    No top slice proposed in initial reports.

RESOLVED:

1.    Budgets for Admissions, Schools Forum Support, and Infant Class Size payments agreed as per Appendix 1 to the Central Schools Block Report. Budget for Basic Need Element of Growth fund set at £0.9m and agreed virement between basic need and infant class size elements of growth fund if required during the year. Confirmed previous decision not to implement a Falling Rolls Fund in Wiltshire.

2.    After considering eligibility and the evidence presented funding was agreed for the following historic commitments: Support for Personal Education Plans for Looked After Children (£0.233m). Funding for Child Protection Adviser in Schools (£0.041m). Funding for Prudential Borrowing (£0.3m). Funding for ineligible commitments of £1.7m released for reallocation

3.    Agreed to release £1.7m from central schools block for allocation across other funding blocks

4.    Noted LA decision to set budget at £0.346m for central copyright licences to reflect cost of licence notified by the Department for Education

5.    Agreed budget for centrally retained duties to be set at £1.005m

6.    Agreed no funding to be retained centrally from maintained schools to cover former ESG spend

Delegated Schools Block Proposals

1.    Propose retain quantum as per 16-17 for pupil led factors

2.    No proposal brought to Schools forum to dedelegate funding for additional school improvement.

RESOLVED:

1.    Confirmed Lump Sum to remain £85,000 for Primary Schools and £175,000 for secondary schools. Agreed to retain the quantum for pupil led factors (Deprivation, EAL and Prior Attainment) at 2016-17 levels.  Impact will be small change in funding rates per pupil It was confirmed that the cost of the minimum funding guarantee would continue to be met through the capping of any gains. Agreed to de-delegate the budget for maternity costs, as in previous years all other de-delegation decisions made at the October meeting confirming delegation of contingency and licences but all others to remain as in previous years.

2.    No further de-delegation for additional school improvement costs

High Needs Block Proposals

1.    No change proposed to top up rates however other decisions may change this.

2.    Separate paper on exceptional numbers of statements refers. Proposal to leave formula unchanged for 2016-17 but cap at £100k.

3.    Recommend High Needs Block to fund cost of speech & language service.

4.    Initial proposal no change from 2016-17 values.

5.    Propose additional £100k to support addition of University Technical College (UTC) to list of participating schools

6.    Proposal for £100k to support development of funding mechanism to support children at key transition points.

7.    Propose to move funding of Inclusion Support Fund to Early Years Block.

RESOLVED:

1.    Central spend on high needs provision to be increased with funding reallocated from central schools block. From this: £0.5m to be added to top up budget for mainstream schools. £0.357m to be utilised to continue to fund Inclusion support fund from High Needs Block. For remainder proposals to be brought to March meeting based on SEN strategy for consideration and approval.

2.    Agreed to leave formula for exceptional number of statements unchanged for 2016-17 and to cap expenditure at £100,000.

3.    Agreed Therapies budget to be met from High Needs Block.

4.    Agreed that £0.5m be added to the top up budget (from the £1.7m reallocation) to increase top up values for mainstream schools by 11% compared with 2016-17.

5.    Agreed £0.100m to be added to the alternative provision budget.

6.    Not agreed - proposals to be considered at March meeting.

7.    Proposal to fund base budget for Inclusion support fund from Early Years Block not agreed.

Early Years Block Proposals

1.    Proposed formula as per EY Block report with supplements for Rurality and Deprivation.  Proposed Basic Hourly rate £4.06

2.    Proposed ISF £467,300, fully funded from Early Years Block

3.    Proposal in Early Years report for 98% pass through to providers.

RESOLVED:

1.    Wiltshire Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) agreed. The agreed base rate of funding to providers was set at £4.14 per hour.

2.    It was agreed that the increase of £110,000 to the Inclusion Support Fund be funded from the Early Years Block and that the base budget continue to be funded from High Needs Block

3.    It was agreed that 98% of 3 & 4 year- old funding would be passed through to providers.

4.      It was agreed that the funding rate for two year olds would be set at £5.32 per hour