Agenda item

Councillor Larry Culhane stated that this report covered the allocation of the funding for all mainstream schools in the borough for the next academic year. This funding was provided by the Government and the Council’s role was to pass on the money to the schools. The Government had promised in 2019 an increase in the education funding but that had not happened so far. This was disappointing considering the severe impact the pandemic was having on schools. The schools had been opened throughout this pandemic and they had to bear most of the cost with very little help from the Government, while also having to tackle the digital divide.

The Leader asked Councillor Culhane to pass his congratulations on to his team, and indeed to everyone working in education, as despite the funding cuts measures were still taken to offer children school meals while the schools were closed, along with offering technology to the most disadvantage children to ensure that all children could continue with their education.

AGREED UNANIMOUSLY BY CABINET:

1.         Schools Block and Central Services Schools Block Budget 2021/22 Financial Year

a.    To approve the Local Authority formula for allocating resources to Hammersmith & Fulham schools for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix 1, the Authority Proforma Tool (APT) for setting school budgets.

b.    To approve the National Funding Formula (NFF) transitional funding factors (as set out in Appendix 1) as the basis for calculating the 2021/22 schools funding formula, together with a 0.5% per pupil Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) protection for individual schools versus 2020/21 pupil led funding levels.

c.    To approve the disapplication request to transfer £0.528m (0.5% of the total schools block allocation) from the schools block to the high needs block in the 2021/22 financial year as confirmed by Schools Forum on 12 January 2021.

d.    To approve the proposal to top-slice the 2021/22 Schools Block to the value of £0.200m or 0.18% of the total for the Falling Rolls protection fund in 2021/22, as confirmed by Schools Forum on 12 January 2021.

e.    To approve de-delegation budgets of £0.696m for maintained mainstream schools only, as confirmed by Schools Forum on 12 January 2021.

f.     To approve the education functions budgets of £0.273m for maintained mainstream schools only, as confirmed by Schools Forum on 12 January 2021.

g.    To approve the proposed budget allocation for Central Services Schools Block DSG totalling £3.313m.

2.    Early Years Block Budget 2020/21 and 2021/22

a.    Agree deployment of the revised 2020/21 Budget for 3 and 4 year olds including additional funding received for the 2019/20 financial year. The increase is £0.412m from 2019/20 and £0.888m for 2020/21 based on the revised allocation received in July 2020.

b.    Agree 2021/22 initial budget allocation of £14.860m for 3 and 4 year olds in line with grant conditions, including an increase in the hourly Base Rate paid to providers from £6.20 to £6.26 and the high level central Early Years budget of £0.743m.

3.    High Needs Block Place Commissioning 2021/22

a.    To delegate authority to the Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children and Education to increase high needs place funding to special provision in Hammersmith & Fulham up to the levels indicated in the report and to a total of 920 FTE places in 2021/22 financial/academic year and following negotiation with specialist providers in Hammersmith & Fulham.