Finance Review Group

Wednesday 21st June 2017

In attendance

Jeff Fair (Chair) (JF) Ruth Bird (RB) Simon Thompson (ST) Leanne Hedden (LH) George Nigel Hookway (NH) Constantinides (GC) Yannick Stupples-Whyley (YSW)

1 Apologies for Absence Apologies received from Pam Langmead, Debbie Rogan and Bruce Tuxford.

2 Minutes of 10 May 2016 Approved with one amendment. Item 3 last sentence changed from ‘for funding to continue in years 4 and 5’ to for funding to continue in year 4. 3 Falling Rolls Fund The Chief Financial and Operations Officer from the Challenger Multi Academy Trust was unable to attend the meeting due to personal reasons

ST had spoken to the headteacher before the meeting and he provided an update on the current and expected roll. The current roll is

Yr 7 – 80 Yr 8 – 101 Yr 9 – 80 Yr 10 – 62 Yr 11 – 110

Total – 433

New year 7 is expected to between 105 to 100 plus mid-year admissions so expecting a total roll of 450.

LA figures show 95 offers have been made and 3 EHCPs, a total of 98. Appeals are still taking place so figures can change.

The Deanes has 442 pupils on the October 2016 census so will need at least 443 at October 2017 to qualify for the final year of funding.

The Trust will be asked to attend the next meeting on 5th July 2017. 4 Formula Review 2018/19 YSW introduced the paper which showed the effects on schools of reducing the lump sum by £10,000 and introducing the sparsity factor.

Small primary schools with the exception of those that gain from sparsity funding, lose funding as schools with fewer than 297 pupils will not gain sufficient funding from the increase in AWPU funding to offset the £10,000 reduction in the lump sum.

The modelling shows the significant impact on schools of a slight movement towards the proposed national funding formula.

Recommendation to Schools Forum is to not make any changes to the Essex Formula for Funding Schools in 2018/19 unless directed to do so by the Secretary of State.

5 Special Schools – Split Site Gary Smith has asked that special schools Funding receive split site funding as primary, secondary and PRUs do where eligible.

A proposal of £139 per pupil which is then trebled to reflect special school funding is approximately 3 times higher for the increased roll has been put forward.

FRG do not accept the trebling of the per pupil rate as the funding is for the additional costs of operating split sites.

Special schools have been asked to put a proposal together setting out the rationale of why split site funding is required for the next meeting on 5th July.

In light of multi academy trusts the definition of split sites needs to be revised.

6. Any Other Business NH raised the issue of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) that will significantly impact on primary schools, especially small schools who will have staffing implications in meeting the requirements of GDPR.

Lauri Almond to be asked to attend the September meeting of Schools Forum to inform Forum of the financial implications for schools.

7. Chair’s Closing Comments Date of next meeting 5th July 2017 at 11am

 Falling Rolls Fund – The Deanes  Special Schools Split Site Funding  Update on Formula Review

Venue to be confirmed.