Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

In accordance with the DfE’s schools’ revenue funding operational guidance growth fund can be used to: support growth in pre-16 pupil numbers to meet basic need; support additional classes needed to meet the infant class size regulation; and meet the cost of new schools.  In January 2018 the Forum revised the policy for new free schools opened by Staffordshire County Council through its free school presumption process, separate from the “wave” process followed by the DfE to open free schools.  In October 2018 the Forum approved the 2019/20 Growth Fund budget of £95,000 to support compliance with infant class size legislation and £500,000 to support basic needs growth and costs of new schools.

Members received details of growth fund allocations and financial self-declarations as follows:

a)    In accordance with the infant class size criteria, £84,232 would be allocated to five schools based on an agreed number of additional infant teachers;

·         Ashcroft Infant and Nursery School, Tamworth, £3,303 towards the cost of a fifth infant class teacher

·         Baldwin’s Gate CE (VC) Primary School, Newcastle, £21,471 towards the cost of a third infant class teacher

·         Rushton CE (C) Primary School, Staffordshire Moorlands, £13,213 towards the cost of one infant class teacher

·         St. Leonard’s CE (VA) First School, Ipstones, Staffordshire Moorlands, £21,471 towards the cost of one infant class teacher

·         The Meadows Primary School, Newcastle, £24,774 towards the cost of a second infant class teacher

b)    In accordance with the basic need growth criteria, £177,150 would be allocated to five schools that worked with the Local Authority to meet exceptional population growth locally by creating an additional class (in primary schools) or exceeding PAN by at least 5% (by middle and secondary schools);

·         Bishop Lonsdale CE (VC) Primary School, Stafford, £35,430 for one additional infant class teacher

·         Penkridge Middle School, South Staffordshire, £35,430 allocation

·         Walton Priory Middle School, Stone, £35,430 allocation

·         Sir Graham Balfour High School, Stafford, £35,430 allocation

·         Weston Road High School, Stafford, £35,430 allocation

c)    In accordance with the new schools’ criteria, £114,500 would be allocated to two new free schools opening in 2019/20;

·         Streethay Primary School Free School, Lichfield, £57,250 towards post-opening costs

·         Poppyfield Primary Academy, Cannock Chase, £57,250 towards post-opening costs

The allocation of £84,232 for infant class size legislation represented an underspend of £10,768, against the budget of £95,000.  The total allocation of £291,650 for basic need growth and for new schools represented an underspend of £208,350, against the budget of £500,000.  These underspends would be carried forward for use in the Schools Budget 2020/21.

A member queried who decided how money raised via Section 106 Agreements was spent.  Officers confirmed that this funding had to be used to offset the effects of the development concerned.  The special schools’ representatives expressed concern that when planning took place around new developments consideration was only given to mainstream education and not to places for special needs pupils.  Rather than being reactive to demand it would be much better to be able to plan provision.  The Chairman suggested that an item be included on the Work Programme on the possibility of funding for special schools from the Growth Fund.   

Forum requested a more detailed note on the allocations of £57,250 towards the post-opening of two new free schools. 

RESOLVED – That the allocations of Growth Funding listed above, and the schools’ financial self-declarations, be noted.