As Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, I agree to:
a) Transfer 0.5% of the Schools Block (which equates to approximately £4.3m) into the High Needs Block for 2018-19.
b) Transfer £2m into the Growth Budget in 2018-19 to help meet the anticipated additional revenue costs associated with basic need growth within the County.
c) In relation to the Kent local funding formula for schools;
i. Increase in the basic entitlement factor to the NFF rates from 1 April 2018 for Primary, Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils. This equates to increases of +£7 per pupil for Primary Schools, +£60 per pupil for Key Stage 3 and +£213 per pupil for Key Stage 4.
ii. Increase in the Free School Meal factor to the NFF rates from 1 April 2018. This equates to increases of +£81 per eligible Primary pupil and +£106 per eligible Secondary pupil.
iii. Adjust (a mixture of reductions and increases) the various IDACI band rates so that they are in line with the published NFF rates from 1 April 2018.
iv. Remove the Looked After Child factor from 1 April 2018 (a loss of £525 per eligible pupil) on the basis that the Pupil Premium Plus funding rate is being increased by £400 from the same date.
v. Reduce the funding rate for eligible pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL) from 1 April 2018. This equates to a reduction of -£370 per eligible Primary pupil and -£1,959 per eligible Secondary pupil.
vi. Retain the lump sum at £120,000 per annum for 2018-19 and 2019-10, thereby offering some stability to our smallest primary schools that would be adversely affected by a reduction to this rate. For information, the NFF lump sum rate is £110,000.
vii. Introduce the Sparsity factor from 1 April 2018. Eligibility for this factor is determined by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
viii. Set the local Minimum Funding Guarantee percentage at -1.5% for 2018-19 and 2019-20 and this applies to all primary, secondary and special schools.
ix. Introduce the Minimum Funding Level for Primary and Secondary schools. It is recommended that the per pupil rates are set at the following values:
|
|
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
|
Primary |
£3,200 |
£3,400 |
|
Secondary |
£4,500 |
£4,700 |
x. Introduce the Ever 6 Free School Meal factor from 1 April 2018 and set the rates for 2018-19 and 2019-20 as per the value in the table below:
|
|
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
|
Primary |
£232 43% of NFF |
£324 60% of NFF |
|
Secondary |
£373 43% of NFF |
£471 60% of NFF |
xi. Increase the Low Prior Attainment factor rates from 1 April 2018 for 2018-19 and 2019-20 as per the value in the table below:
|
|
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
|
Primary |
£651 62% of NFF |
£733 70% of NFF |
|
Secondary |
£1,058 68% of NFF |
£1,193 77% of NFF |
These rates represent progress towards fully implementing the NFF but also reflect that the funding provided to the LA has been capped at 3% for some schools, leaving a balance of £12.2m still to be received beyond 2019-20.
These changes to our local funding formula are based on an assessment of affordability using the latest school level data provided by the Department for Education. The total quantum available for distribution may be slightly different once the October 2017 census data has been provided and used to calculate the 2018-19 school budgets.
d) Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education to make any necessary changes to these funding rates once final affordability is known in January 2018 after provisional school budgets have been calculated.