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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