Agenda item

Report by Vera Njegic and Neil Hardwick.

Recommendation:-  That the report be received and the contents noted.

Consideration was given to the report presented by Vera Njegic, Schools Finance, which provided an update as to the 2021/22 Dedicated Schools Grant funding for Rotherham along with proposals on the formula for allocation of the schools block and the central schools block element of DSG.

The Department for Education issued the final version of the Authority Pro-forma Tool (APT) to local authorities, with the Autumn 2020 pupil census information shortly before Christmas. The Local Authority had until 21^st January 2021 to submit the final version back to the Department for Education.

In October 2020 the Local Authority consulted on the local funding formula decisions as set out in the regulations and the information within the report contained summary information on the impact of those decisions.

On 17^th December 2020, the Department for Education issued the indicative DSG allocations for the 2021/22 financial year.

The final allocation was mainly based on funding rates of £4,525.65 for primary children (£4,186.71 in 2020/21)  and £5,997.26 for secondary children (£5,604.92 in 2020/21) as at the October 2020 pupil census counts plus actual amounts for premises related costs and historic pupil growth.

The October 2020 census count showed that there were a total number of pupils across the borough of 39,695; this was a decrease of 47  (+202 in primary & - 155 in secondary) pupils from the October 2019 census count.

From the census data it was identified that 64 schools/academies have seen overall decreases in pupils, 7 have remained static and 40 have seen an overall increase in the number of pupils on roll.

As noted previously, MFG protection was on a per pupil basis and did not safeguard against overall reductions in the numbers of pupils within a school/academy.

The report detailed how the overall school block funding allocation had increased from £197.068m in 2020/21 to £211.31m in 2021/22. The increased allocation was due to an increase in funding rates and the funding previously allocated through the teachers’ pay and pensions grant now added into the Dedicated Schools Grant.

As agreed at the Schools Forum meeting on the 20th November 2020 a request to transfer 1.5% from the school block to the high needs block was submitted to the Secretary of State on the 23rd November, 2020. If this request did not gain approval 0.5% would be transferred, therefore the Local Authority was required to complete two versions of the Authority Pro-forma Tool (APT).

The report also detailed the Central Services Schools Block and agreed 2021/22 budgets with 2020/21.

Arrangements for pupil premium in 2021 to 2022 were announced on 17^th December 2020 showing:-

·              From April 2021,  pupil premium allocations will be calculated based on the number of eligible pupils recorded by schools in their in October 2020 census.

·              Pupil premium and service rates will remain unchanged for the 2021 to 2022 financial year.

Forum Members welcomed the report and the detail in the spreadsheet which was further explained, but sought clarification on the percentage differences of transferring 0.5% and 1.5% from the school block to the high needs block.

Agreed:-  That the report be received and the contents noted.