Response to Consultation

Response to consultation

School funding reform:

Funding arrangements from 2013/14

Period of Consultation

Ends 12 noon Monday 17th September prior to the September meeting of the Devon Education Forum (DEF).

DEF will make recommendations to Cabinet and the changes will be implemented from the start of the next financial year in April 2013 unless any variation is agreed.

Note that the formula changes are not changing the guaranteed unit of funding rate that Devon receives per pupil.

Please send your response to:

“DFS CYPS Team – Mailbox” (otherwise known as the FINEDUC mailbox –

School name and DfE number / Type of school (primary / secondary) / No. on roll / Please indicate Academy or Maintained school / Respondent’s name / Designation e.g. Head Teacher, Governor

With reference to Section 2.2 of the consultation document – formula factors

Consultation Question 1

Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU)

Do you agree with the proposal to have a single AWPU rate for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4?

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 2

Deprivation

Do you agree with the proposal to use Free School Meals Ever 6 (FSM + 6) as the formula deprivation factor?

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 3

Looked after children 2.2.3

Do you agree with the proposal not to have a looked after children factor in the main formula?

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 4

Prior attainment – for low cost, high incidence SEN 2.2.4 and 2.2.5

Do you agree with the proposal to use the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile 78 points (rather than 73 points) as the prior attainment factor for the primary phase?

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 5

Notional SEN budget 2.2.5

Do you agree that the notional SEN budget should be based on deprivation and low cost, high incidence SEN factors?

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 6

Reception uplift 2.8.8

Do you agree with the recommendation not to apply a reception uplift factor within the main formula?

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 7

Lump sum 2.2.9

Do you agree with the proposal to set the lump sum at £50,000? Note there is no option to set different lump sums for the different phases. The same lump sum must be applied to all schools.

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 8

Split site funding – 2.2.10

Do you agree with the proposal to apply split site funding as per the specific criteria described below:

To qualify for Split site funding all of the following criteria need to apply

a. Separate physical sites

b. Requiring significant travelling between sites

c. Requiring duplicate staffing on site

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 9

Limiting gains (Capping) – 2.7

Do you agree with the principle of setting a capping limit on baseline funding is a reasonable approach to ensure stability?

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Consultation Question 10

New delegation – 2.8.1

Please indicate how you think newly delegated budgets should be treated.

Budget line / Delegate and retain in school budget – schools become fully responsible / De-delegate back to centre for economies of scale, pooled arrangements or shared risk / Not sure
Support for schools in financial difficulties
Allocation of contingencies
Administration of free school meals eligibility
Licences/ subscriptions
Staff costs – supply cover (long term sickness, maternity, trade union and public duties
Behaviour support services
Support for minority ethnic pupils or underachieving groups

Comments

Consultation Question 11

New delegation – 2.8.1

For those budgets covered under Exceptions 2 and 3 as outlined in the consultation document, the Schools Forum has put forward recommendations as below.

Do you agree with these recommendations?

Section 251 ref / Budget line / Schools Funding Group recommendation / Agree / Disagree / Not sure
Contribution to combined budgets / Local Learning Communities / Retain centrally for 2013/14, delegate on AWPU thereafter
Speechlink licences and Thrive funding / Retain centrally for duration of licence, delegate on AWPU thereafter
Schools Broadband / Retain centrally
Admissions / Co-ordinated school admissions scheme / Retain centrally
Miscellaneous / Phase Associations / Retain centrally
Schools Forum / Servicing of schools forum / Retain centrally
School based redundancy / Schools budget centrally funded termination of employment costs / Retain centrally
Carbon reduction commitment / Retain centrally
Capital expenditure funded from revenue / Retain centrally

Comments

Consultation question 12

Significant growth in pupil numbers – 2.9

Which of the options outlined in section 2.9 do you think is the most appropriate for dealing with significant growth in pupil numbers?

Option :

a) Top Slice DSG to create a specific growth fund - Academies and mainstreamed schools would be able to access this funding

b) De-delegate contingency budget, and set aside a sum specifically for significant growth funding – only maintained schools would be able to access this funding

c) Do not create a specific growth fund

Option A Option B Option C Not sure

Comments

Consultation question 13

With reference to Section 3 of the consultation document – High Needs: Alternative Provision

Pupil Referral Units

Do you agree that a personalised programme reflecting different levels of need is appropriate for agreeing the level of top up funding between commissioner (schools and LA’s) and the provider (the Devon Personalised Learning Service?)

Yes No Not sure

Comments

Any other comments

Thank you taking the time to complete this consultation.

Please send your responses to:

“DFS CYPS Team – Mailbox” (otherwise known as the FINEDUC mailbox –

Consultation closes at midday on Monday 17th September 2012