Frequently Asked Questions – Mainstream Schools

Sections

A Consultationspreadsheet & data

B Formula factors (including new and any changes)

COther consultation issues (de-delegation, restricting of funds)

DHigh Needs and Early Years

EGeneral queries

FAcronyms

Any FAQ’s not in this document can be emailed to

Consultation spreadsheet & data

A.1Why is all the pupil data expressed to 2 decimal places?

The data set to be used is supplied to Hampshire County Council by the Department for Education. It is due to the method the DfE have used to calculate the number of pupils eligible. For many factors a school level weighting or percentage is calculated and this is then mapped onto the relevant October census hence then causing decimal places.

A.2Will funding be adjusted during the year to reflect any increase in pupils as at a later census date in the year?

No, funding is not adjusted. It will be based on the October 2013 census.

A.3Can I use the data provided in the spreadsheet to start planning 14/15 budget?

No, figures are illustrative and are an indication only of school budgets based on the new formula.

A.4A different number has been removed for my resource provision from my total number on roll compared to 2013/14. Why is this?

In 2013/14 the number of pupils in the resource provision were removed from the school number on roll. In 2014/15 the DfE have stipulated this must be based on the number of places in the provision.

Formula factors (including new and any changes)

B.1How is the sparsity factor calculated?

This factor measures the distance that pupils live from their second nearest school, including those across county borders. This has been calculated using pupil and school postcode coordinates from the October Pupil level and School level Census. For each school the DfE have identified the pupils that live nearest to it (although this is not necessarily the school they attend) and have then calculated the distance they live from their second nearest school.

They have then calculated the mean distance for these pupils, and this is the school’s sparsity distance. Examples are provided below:

  • School A is a primary school with a sparsity distance of 1.8 miles. As this distance is less than the primary distance threshold of 2 miles school A is not eligible for sparsity funding
  • School B is a primary school with a sparsity distance of 2.2 miles and 200 pupils. This distance is greater than the primary distance threshold, but the number of pupils is greater than the size cap and so school B is not eligible for sparsity funding.
  • School C is a primary school with a sparsity distance of 2.2 miles and 130 pupils. The school is eligible for sparsity funding. School C is allocated £15,000.

The link below is a useful tool to calculate distances between postcodes :

B.2 How has pupil mobility been calculated?

This has been calculated by using the school start date for each pupil from the October school census. It includes pupils who started in the last three academic years, but did not start in August or September (or January for Year 1).

Only schools with over 10% mobility will receive funding in 14/15.

B.3Why is the lump sum reducing from £190,000 to £175,000?

In 2013/14 the DfE set a maximum allowance for lump sums of £200,000 per school. After extensive modelling a lump sum of £190,000 provided the most protection for Hampshire’s smaller schools. For 2014/15 the DfE have lowered the maximum allowable lump sum to £175,000. We have therefore applied the maximum possible as this was again deemed most appropriate to protect our smaller smalls.

B.4Do you have any further details on the changes to the KS2 assessment?

In 2012 the KS2 English assessment methodology was changed and now includes a reading test, a new grammar, punctuation and spelling test and teacher assessed writing. For those assessed at Key Stage 2 up to 2011, the English element of the KS2 measure will identify those pupils who fail to achieve a level 4 in English.

For pupils assessed at Key Stage 2 from 2012 onwards and who have been part of these new arrangements, the English element of the KS2 measure will identify those who do not achieve a level 4 in either the reading or teacher assessed writing elements

B.5Do you have any further details on the changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile?

A new EYFSP was published in March 2012. The new Profile was introduced in September 2012 and the first assessments using the new Profile took place in the summer of 2013. This means that for pupils in October 2013, pupils in year 1 will have been assessed using the new Profile and pupils in other years will have been assessed using the old Profile.

For pupils assessed using the old Profile, local authorities will continue to be able to choose between two EYFSP scores. Funding is targeted to all pupils who achieved fewer than 73 points on the EYFSP.

For pupils assessed using the new Profile, funding will be targeted at all pupils who did not achieve the expected level of development. This means that we will provide two indicators at school level:

  • Low Prior Attainment Primary (73) which will be derived from the number of pupils in years 2 to 5 who achieved fewer than 73 points

and

  • pupils in year 1 who did not achieve a good level of development (one of the 12 prime areas of learning of the EYSFP).

The DfE have said they will continue to monitor this indicator, but anticipate that as pupils on the new indicator work through the system, they will move to a new indicator.
Other Consultation issues (including de-delegation and restriction of funds)

C.1What is de-delegation?

This is when a service has been listed as delegated but can then be de-delegated if there is agreement between phases to allow the service to continue to be provided centrally.

C.2Can my school individually choose to delegate or de-delegate?

No. De-delegation relates to budgets for specific services. The decision will be made by primary and secondary school representatives on Schools Forum. Each phase will vote separately. This is reviewed annually.

C.3Why are only primary and secondary mainstream schools allowed to vote on de-delegation?

This is a DfE requirement. De-delegation is not an option for special schools and academies because funding for these services has to be delegated to them.

C.4What will the impact be for my school if the number on roll is falling?

There is no more Real Term Protection for schools. This was a local factor applied by Hampshire to put protection in place to stop funding falling in real terms due to falling numbers on roll. This is not one of the 12 specified factors from the DfE so is no longer an allowed as a formula factor.

However from 14/15 the DfE have allowed Local Authorities to include a central fund from DSG to support schools and academies with falling rolls in exceptional circumstances. See consultation document paragraph 51 for further information regarding this.

C.5What is the difference between a CAP and a Scale Factor?

A cap works in a similar way to MFG and would mean the maximum gain a school could receive per pupil in the new formula.

A scale factor applies a percentage reduction to any increase in the pupil value. This means that all gainers receive a fixed proportion without any maximum threshold figure.

Whichever option is chosen we have to calculate the figures to ensure that the overall value is affordable.

C.6How long will we get MFG for?

MFG will apply in 2014/15. The DfE have said some form of protection will exist in future years but they have not yet released details on the method or at what level the protection is offered.

C.7My 2013/14 original budget is less than the new formula funding in 2014/15 but the indicative budget spreadsheet says that I have gained?

To calculate the MFG/ gains position for a school the 2013/14 original budget has the following excluded factors that are deducted to calculate the adjusted budget:

  • Rates
  • Lump Sum (14/15 lump sum value – proposed £175,000)
  • Sparsity (14/15 fixed sum value – proposed £15,000)

For 2014/15 the samefactors are excluded. The MFG/gains calculation will break this down for more information.

High Needs and Early Years

D.1Will we still receive a notional SEN budget?

Yes, when the final budget shares are published they will include a notional SEN budget, which will be made up of elements of AWPU, low attainment funding and deprivation funding.

D.2Will there be a separate budget share for resourced provision?

Yes.

D.3How much additional funding would I receive for high cost needs?

From financial year 2013/14 onwards, the distinction between high and low incidence statements was replaced by a distinction between low and high cost SEN. Schools will fund the first £6,000 of additional support for each pupil in their school with a statement of SEN from their delegated budgets. The SEN Service will allocate top-ups for Hampshire pupils who are assessed as requiring more than £6,000 of additional support. Funding for non Hampshire pupils will need to be reclaimed directly from the relevant local authority.

D.4Will there be any change to Early Years funding?

Yes, there is a separate consultation being held with Early Years providers during October 2013.

D.5Will the £15,000 flat rate for primary schools with nursery units remain the same?

Yes, this will continue to be paid annually.

General

E.1When will we find out our final 2014/2015 budget share allocation?

These will be published by 28th February 2014.

E.2How many consultation response forms can my school fill out?

There is no limit on how many but we would prefer to have only one per school. Schools may submit more than one but we will need to take account of multiple forms from individual schools when analysing and summarising the responses. It is obviously administratively easier if we receive only one per school.

E.3Will funding for Infant Class Size Funding and Growing Schoolsstill be funded outside of the funding formula?

Yes, these elements will remain outside of the budget share and allocated to schools separately.

E.4Where can I find the full documents from the DfE?

Please click on the link below:

School Funding Reform: Arrangements for 2014-15

E.5I have a question that is not answered by the consultation document or this FAQ document. Who should I ask?

Either email or attend the briefing session mentioned in paragraph 12 of the consultation document.

Acronyms

•AP – Alternative Provision

•AST – Advanced Skills Teachers

•AWPU – Age Weighted Pupil Unit

•DCLG – Department for Communities and Local Government

•DfE – Department for Education

•DSG – Dedicated Schools Grant

•EAL – English as an Additional Language

•EFA – Education Funding Agency

•EYFSP – Early Years Foundation Stage Profile

•EYSFF – Early Years Single Funding Formula (known as SEYFF locally)

•EMTAS - Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service

•FSM – Free School Meals

•HCC – Hampshire County Council

•IDACI – Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index

•IMD – Index of Multiple Deprivation

•KS 3/4 – Key Stage 3/4

•LA – Local Authority

•LAC/ CiC – Looked after Children/ Children in Care

•LACSEG – Local Authority Central Spend Equivalent Grant

•LDD – Learning Difficulties & Disabilities

•MFG – Minimum Funding Guarantee

•NQT – Newly Qualified Teachers

•PRU – Pupil Referral Unit (Education Centre)

•PVI – Private, Voluntary or Independent

•SEN – Special Educational Needs

•SOA – Super Output Area

•SLA – Service Level Agreement (SLA)

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