 Update on School Funding Issues – 21
February 2017
Thank you to the schools which have written to their local
Devon County Councillors and MPs to raise awareness of the funding challenges
being faced by Devon schools. Alongside letters written jointly by the Chairs
of DAPH and DASH, this lobbying has triggered a significant level of response from
MPs across all the Devon constituencies resulting in a number of meetings with
school leaders locally and representations being made on behalf of Devon
schools at various opportunities at Westminster.
It is not too late to write to your local MP; indeed, we
would encourage as many schools as possible to do so in order to maintain the
momentum as well as to provide quantified examples to demonstrate the true impact
of the revised funding proposals to your individual school on top of escalating
costs.
In addition to the many meetings taking place across the
county between schools and MPs or councillors and being profiled in numerous
press reports, we have summarised below forthcoming dates which DAPH & DASH
Executive representatives have or are due to attend on behalf of Devon primary
and secondary schools:
6 December | Paul Walker (DAPH Chair) interview with Radio Devon
15 December | Paul Walker (DAPH Chair) interview with ITV News
4
January | Meeting of a group of
Newton Abbot Headteachers with Anne-Marie Morris MP.
27
January | Matthew Shanks (DASH
Co-Ordinator) meeting with Sarah Wollaston MP.
10 February | Matthew Shanks (DASH Co-Ordinator) meeting with
Mel Stride MP who has also visited 5 schools.
16 February | Matthew Shanks (DASH Co-Ordinator) Radio Devon interview in support of re-considering decision £33
AWPU cut.
22 February | Matthew Shanks (DASH Co-Ordinator) & Paul
Walker (DAPH Chair) are meeting with a group Devon MPs at Westminster prior to a
meeting with Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards at the DfE to
discuss funding for Devon schools. This has been set up by Devon MPs who are
lobbying on Devon schools’ behalf.
23 February | Matthew Shanks (DASH Co-Ordinator) &
Lorraine Heath (DASH Executive) are attending a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Education Governance
and Leadership at Westminster for a discussion about fair funding include other
f40 authority representatives.
At all meetings we are putting forward the impact on
children's education of current poor funding in schools, lack of clarity over
calculations of funding formula and the effects of other changes to funding.
There has been significant media coverage both in the local
press, radio and television including interviews with headteachers, DCC Members
and MPs across the county.
Finally, many schools have written to parents to raise their
awareness of the funding challenges and encouraging them to also write to MPs
and councillors.
Schools National Funding Formula
(NFF) Consultation
DAPH & DASH representatives on Schools’ Finance Group
have met with officers from the Local Authority to consider the detail of the National
Funding Formula proposals contained within Stage 2 of the Consultation which
runs until 22 March 2017. Visit this LINK to the Consultation page.
Whilst indicative figures suggest that there are both
winners and losers, it is imperative as an education community that we consider
the bigger picture and impact these proposals could have on Devon’s children as
a whole. With this in mind, the Local Authority is currently preparing a
template Devon response which schools can use to help inform their own
responses to the consultation and this will be available and circulated shortly.
 Meanwhile the f40 group, which represents a group of the lowest funded education authorities in England and of which Devon is a member, continues its national campaign for fairer funding. A copy of the f40 response to the consultation will also be circulated shortly.
Local Decisions Affecting School Budgets 2017/18
Following a meeting of Devon Education Forum (DEF) on 16 January, schools should be aware of the following points which affect local school budgets from 2017/18:
Transfer of £33 AWPU to High Needs Block
You will recall that in October, school headteacher and governor representatives unanimously voted against the proposal to transfer up to £55 from the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) to cover the predicted deficit in the High Needs Block. Notwithstanding the decision and strong representations made by schools at DEF, DCC Cabinet subsequently voted to support the proposal and, following an increase of funding into the HNB from the government, approved the transfer of £2.22million which translates to a final figure of £33 per pupil deductible from AWPU and implemented from 2017/18.
Education Services Grant (ESG) – Proposed Top Slice of £15 per pupil (LA Maintained and Academy schools)
From 2017/18, funding previously allocated for ESG retained duties (equivalent to £15 per pupil) will be included within the schools block. It was proposed that the LA top-slice the sum of £15 per pupil to cover the statutory duties undertaken. In view of concerns regarding the detail of information, transparency, processes and impact with all the other changes forced upon Devon Education, school and governor representatives voted unanimously against this proposal. In light of this the Local Authority is seeking adjudication by the Secretary of State.
Accordingly, you will note that two versions of the School Budget Calculator are currently available on the Education Finance website and it is recommended that schools use the version “SBS Calculator 2” as the worse case scenario being the one which takes into account the Cabinet decision to transfer funds from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block (£33 AWPU) and the addition of the £1.46m ESG Retained Funds to the Schools Block allocated to all Schools.
Babcock LDP Contract
Following a question by a member of DEF, the forum was informed that the decision had been taken at DCC Cabinet to extend the contract currently held by Babcock LDP for school improvement services until 2022. Schools were not consulted prior to the LA taking this decision.
For full minutes of the Devon Education Forum meeting on 16 January 2017 click here.
 Finally, the NAHT ‘Breaking Point’ report reveals that schools
are struggling to balance their books and, according to the Department for
Education’s own data, the education system will be running at a £3bn deficit by
2020.
Following on from this report, the NAHT has launched a
national campaign “School
Funding in Crisis” and is asking schools to engage by:
1. Writing
to your MP using a template letter to tell them just how your school budgets
are being squeezed.
2. Send
a tweet using the #SchoolCuts hashtag and the @NAHTnews handle with an example
of how the cuts are biting in your school.
3. Sign
up to the petition on the School Cuts
website where you can also search for data and see the impact on your own
school and initiate a personal email direct to your local MP.
NAHT have also recommended sharing the School Cuts website
with parents and encouraging them to sign up to the petition and email their
MP.
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