Agenda item

The Forum received the School Budget 2022-23 de-delegation, central expenditure and education functions report. The report sought approval from the Forum for the Local Authority to retain Dedicated School Grant (DSG) funding to deliver services on behalf of schools and Early Years. Members noted that the budget areas proposed for de-delegation in 2022-23 were the same as those in the previous years.  It was also noted that funding for historic commitments had been reduced by a further 20% form 2021-22.

Forum members representing all mainstream maintained schools considered the budget areas listed in the table above and voted to de-delegate these areas for 2022-23.

Funding in the Central Schools Service Block (CSSB) was split into historic commitments and ongoing functions. Funding for historic commitments had been reduced by a further 20% from 2021/22.  The provisional allocation for historic commitments for 2022-23 was £1.633m.

The only heading under which Staffordshire retained funding for historic commitments was prudential borrowing.  The indicative budget for 2022-23 was £924,130.  Any remaining historical  commitment funding would be delegated to schools.

Forum approval was also sought for SEN transport budget of £250,140 which was to be funded from the High Needs Block.

All Forum Members gave consideration to the areas of retained historic commitment funding and ongoing functions within the CSSB be retained centrally for this purpose.  On being put to the vote, this was approved.

Ongoing Education Functions were funded by a combination of council tax and DSG.  There is an annual liability for Teachers Pensions Added Years of c£7.3m which was funded by council tax. The estimated cost for other ongoing education functions for 2022-23 was £3.9m, funded by DSG through the CSSB.  Any underspend on CSSB would be transferred into DSG balances.

It was explained that the above inflationary increase cost for the Strategic Asset Management Team was due to the increased number of academies, correspondingly there is a reduction in costs for maintained schools reflected in Appendix 3.

All Forum Members voted to approve the ongoing functions allocation in the CSSB.

As in previous years it was proposed that the growth funding allocation be used to fund pupil growth in the National Funding Formula (approx. £2m in 2021-22), and allocations as per the Growth Fund and Infant Class Size policies (approx. £600k). Any underspend would contribute to DSG balances.

All Forum Members voted to approve the continuing use of the Growth Funding allocation as set out above.

The LA was asking for £1.9m (4.2%) of Early Years funding to be retained centrally. This expenditure funded the Entrust SDA contract, along with back office administration and overheads, with Members receiving a breakdown of these costs in the report.

There was concern that although this was similar to previous years, it was in a year of increased wage and National insurance contributions.  Support in forming joint working arrangements, as in previous years, was requested as this had helped the early years sector previously.  This was agreed.

All Schools Forum Members agreed to approve the proposed level of central support services for early years provision.

The LA asked for provisional approval of a levy of £50.56 per pupil from maintained schools to fund Education Functions previously funded by the Education Services Grant.

All mainstream maintained Schools Forum Members agreed to approve the levies per pupil (set out in Appendix 3 of the report) to fund the costs of the associated services.

RESOLVED – That:

a)   the outcome of the maintained school vote on de-delegation, as listed in the table above be approved;

b)  the indicative allocations for both historic commitments and ongoing functions within the Central School Services Block be approved and retained centrally for this purpose;

c)   the continued use of the formula driven Growth Funding allocation be approved;

d)  the retention of £1.9m of Early Years funding centrally be approved; and,

e)     the levy per pupil in 2022-23 to fund statutory duties performed by the LA and previously funded by the ESG general duties be approved.