Agenda item

To consider a report from Assistant Director, Finance and Director of Education with regard to funding requests outside of the approved growth criteria and in relation to the Contingency Fund.

Consideration was given to a report of the Assistant Director of Finance and the Director of Education, which was put forward on behalf of 2 schools, which had asked Schools Forum to consider funding requests outside of the approved growth criteria and a further request for contingency funding.

An outline of Schools’ Forum decisions and policies, which had previously been agreed in relation to growth funding, was provided.

It was explained to Members that St Paul’s RC Primary School, Hyde was one of the schools in the borough in receipt of bulge class funding under the growth policies previously agreed, and one of the 2 schools subject to specific consultation and decisions under the change approved on 25 June 2019. 

Members were informed that St Paul’s has made a request that Schools Forum consider providing some further growth funding to be awarded to them for taking a bulge class in September 2014.  The School received funding of £37,975 for 7/12ths of the year and they requested that Schools Forum fund a further 5/12ths allocation in 2021/22 as the bulge class passes through its final year of School.  It was stated that this would equate to £13,600.

The relevant seven financial years for the bulge class at St Paul’s were 2014/15 to 2020/21.  These were outlined for Members, who were also informed that growth funding had been allocated in line with the policies agreed by Schools Forum at the time.  Members were also made aware that St Paul’s school balance at 31 March 2021 was a surplus of £54,530.

It was explained that Schools Funding Group (SFG) had supported this request and made this recommendation to Schools’ Forum.  Members were also made aware that, if Schools’ Forum agreed to this request, the allocation would need to be met from the Growth Funding set aside for 2021/22.  It was also noted that Schools’ Forum had earmarked any un-utilised growth in 2021/22 to contribute to the High Needs Deficit Recovery. 

In addition, Schools’ Forum were asked to consider a further request from Milton St John’s Primary School, Mossley, who had also been in receipt of bulge class funding and allocated funds over a 7 year period.  This funding was outlined and, as was the case with St Paul’s, Schools’ Forum were asked to consider a further 5/12ths funding during the final financial year, where the bulge class would be in Year 6.

Members were made aware that Milton St John’s balance was a surplus of £159,478 at 31 March 2021 and that School Funding group (SFG) had also supported this request.

Members were then made aware of a second formal request for funding from Buckton Vale Primary School, Stalybridge.  This request was in relation to the school having a Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 45 and pupil numbers being consistently below PAN, which had caused financial staffing resource allocation difficulties for the school.

It was explained that the access team had submitted a request to the Office of Schools Adjudicator on behalf of the school to reduce the PAN to 30 in response to a decline in demand in the area in line with the birth rate.

Members were made aware that the school had also requested that a Falling Rolls policy be established and a paper would be presented to Schools funding Group (SFG) and School’s Forum in the Autumn term in relation to this.

It was highlighted that Buckton Vale felt that, at the time the decision to increase the PAN was taken, this should have triggered a growth funding payment and Schools Forum should have met allocated funding from the growth funding.  However, Members were reminded that growth funding was only allocated for schools with bulge classes.  As the change at Buckton Vale was a permanent change to PAN, which was agreed by the School, it was explained that this did not fall under the bulge fund criteria.  

The amount requested was £125,476.18 and this was outlined at Appendix A.  Members were informed that, should this be approved, this would need to be funded from the 2021-22 Growth Fund.

In the event that Schools’ Forum did not approve this request, it was explained that Buckton Vale had alternatively requested that Schools’ Forum provide a one-off payment from the centrally held Dedicated School Grant (DSG) to address the shortfall outlined in Appendix A for £122,376.  This would help the school to address the shortfall in school funding, which had  occurred as a result of the school being under PAN numbers and a reducing PAN going forwards.

Members were made aware that this request was made on the same basis as the allocation of £337k in 2014 for a shortfall in de-delegated services.  Schools Forum, at the time, took this decision in line with the Operational Guidance and rules surrounding de-delegation due to loss of trade with schools converting to Academy and Buckton Vale stated that this situation had parallels with their situation and the reduction in pupil demand. 

It was noted that, whilst Schools’ Forum could consider this request, the only funding pot that could be considered to fund this would be the primary school contingency fund due to no funding regulations that would allow an allocation from  DSG. 

Members were informed that Buckton Vale held a surplus balance of £74,836 as at 31 March 2021 and that Schools’ Funding Group (SFG) did not support either of these requests.

RESOLVED

(i)   That an additional growth payment for St Paul’s RC Primary School, Hyde of £13,600 be approved

(ii)  That an additional growth payment for Milton St John’s Primary School of £13,600 be approved

(iii)  That the funding request from Buckton Vale Primary School from the Growth Fund be  rejected

(iv)  That the funding request from Buckton Vale Primary School from the Contingency Fund be rejected