Decision details

16.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Children’s Service which sought approval to make changes to the Schools Funding Formula for the 2016/17 financial year. Written representations were received from the following schools and were considered by the Lead Member.

·        Etchingham Church of England Primary School;

·        Mayfield Church of England Primary School;

·        Catsfield Church of England Primary School;

·        Buxted and Bonners Church of England Primary School;

·        Chailey St Peters Church of England Primary School;

·        Laughton Primary School;

·        Netherfield Church of England Primary School; and

·        Burwash Church of England Primary School.

A written representation from Councillor John Barnes was also considered.

16.2     RESOLVED (1) to approve the changes as set out below to the Schools Funding Formula for the 2016/17 financial year;

i.             The Lump Sum is reduced across all phases by £5,000 with the arising pot to be put back into the per pupil rate for each phase, after the allocation of any Sparsity Funding;

ii.            Sparsity is introduced as a new factor to the East Sussex Formula, with a £5,000 allocation for each qualifying school; and

iii.          To decrease from 3% to 1.5% the Capping percentage applied to the permitted increase in per pupil funding.

                     (2) agree to review as part of the Schools Forum budget setting process for 2017-18 the impact of these changes on the schools affected to ensure they are in line with the direction of travel which the new national funding arrangements might take and that this be taken up in the structure that exists within the School Forum’s Formula Funding Working Group (FFWG) in Spring 2016; and

(3) agree that the outcome of both the above mentioned review and the operational impact of the changes and their affect on schools are taken into account as part of the annual schools funding formula report.

Reasons

16.3     The Schools Forum and schools have been consulted on the proposed formula change and the majority of the respondents agreed with the proposed change.

16.4     The Lead Member asked that the impact of the above changes on schools be reviewed.  The operational impact of these changes can then be considered in the next annual schools funding formula report.