Agenda item

Jill Lecznar (?Head of Finance Corporate) presented the report which updated the forum on the Initial Allocation of Early Years Block funding for 2022/23 based on January 2020 census numbers and explained the impact on the participation model for all providers.

Jill Lecznar noted that a review of the current spend on early years indicated a potential underspend of £300k due to unallocated contingency and lower than expected uptake on the Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund.

There was also a £917k brought-forward surplus from 2020/21 following the retrospective funding adjustment for the 2020/21 financial year. It was proposed that

the surplus be used to offset the High Needs Block deficit and support the transformation programme for children with Special Educational Needs.

Satwinder Saraon (Head of SEND Development) said officers wanted a joint conversation with schools at upcoming workshops about how best to meet needs and develop school readiness. Jane Gleasure asked that maintained and PVI (private voluntary and independent nurseries) settings join together for the workshops. Officers said dates for the workstream on special needs would be presented shortly.

Jill Lecznar highlighted table 2, a breakdown of the initial Early Years funding allocations. She noted that the total allocation from the Department for Education was based on a January 2021 headcount. Due to Covid restrictions those numbers were very low compared to what was expected for 2022/23. To give a more accurate picture, officers based the budget on the January 2020 headcount. The figures would be adjusted throughout the year and the final figures would be agreed in July 2023.

Jane Gleasure asked if part of the consultation would include discussing intervention and inclusion officers. Posts had been lost in recent years and hadn’t been replaced. Jill Lecznar said it could be covered in the central spend discussion. Satwinder Saraon added that officers recognised a gap had been left and it was an area the team wanted to address. The workshop on specialist services would help identify gaps in practice, knowledge and skills.

The recommendations were unanimously approved.

RESOLVED

1.    Schools Forum noted the draft 2022/23 Early Year budget for consultation including an increase to the base rate from £6.26 to £6.39 (2.1%) and proposed hourly rates for deprivation detailed in Appendix 1 subject to consultation.

2.    Detailed work will be done with the Maintained Nursery Schools to set up Service Level Agreements in order to commission work to provide training, build networks and disseminate best practice to the early years sector. This will also include work to ensure their ongoing financial sustainability.

3.    Proposed timescale for Budget Consultation to Maintained Nursery Schools, Primary Schools with Nurseries, PVI providers and Childminders and the approval of final budget for Early Years Block is set out in Table 7 below.

Table 7: Budget Consultation Timescales

4.    Schools Forum to note offset of 2020/21 closing Early Years surplus to offset High Needs brought forward deficit.