Agenda item 3
BOROUGH OF POOLE
POOLE SCHOOLS’ FORUM
15 OCTOBER 2014
The Meeting commenced at 4.30pm and concluded at 5.28pm.
Present:
Headteacher Representatives:
Val Arbon, Ad Astra Infant
Andy Baker, Poole Grammar
Pola Bevan, St Edwards
Gary Clark, Corfe Hills
Sam Davidson, Carter Community
Tracy Harris, Parkstone Grammar
Governor Representatives:
Quenten Walker, Sylvan Infant
Lynne Young, Poole High
Steven Andrew, Haymoor
Early Years Representative:
Linda Duly, Cuddles Day Nursery
Fiona Garvey, Puss n Boots
Diocesan Representative:
Keith Newman
Also in Attendance:
Vicky Wales, Head of Children, Young People and Learning
Nicola Webb, Head of Accountancy, Financial Services
Jane Osburn, Children, Young People and Learning
Amanda Gridley, Children, Young People and Learning
Nick Maguire, Legal & Democratic Services
Members of the public in attendance: 0
PSF44.14 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN
Resolved that Tracy Harris be elected Chairman of the Forum for the 2014/15 academic year.
PSF45.14 ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIRMAN
Resolved that Quenten Walker be elected Vice-Chairman of the Forum for the 2014/15 academic year.
PSF46.14 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Toby Evans, Berni Catling, Karen Davies, Jo Perry, Leon Yeates and Councillor Janet Walton.
PSF47.14 MINUTES
RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Poole Schools’ Forum held on 25th June 2014, having previously been circulated, be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.
PSF48.14 MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS’ FUNDING FORMULA 2015/16 - CONSULTATION
Nicola Webb submitted a report on the results of the consultation on the draft Mainstream Schools’ Funding Formula and unit values for 2015/16.
The report reminded the Forum that the funding reforms introduced from 2013-14 had been designed to start the process of moving towards national consistency in funding schools as those with similar characteristics were receiving significantly different funding, dependent on the Local Authority (LA) area. It was expected that funding would be redistributed between LA areas and schools as an outcome of these changes.
The first step over 2013-14 and 2014-15 had been to establish a high level of consistency in local funding formulae. The DfE had taken the second step for 2015-16 by changing funding levels for LA areas, with the least fairly funded receiving an increase.
Poole has received a significant boost in funding from the revised approach with an additional £3.2 million (4.7%) estimated for 2015-16 compared with 2014-15. The Poole LMS formula had been reviewed in the light of the national funding values and proposals developed for consultation with all mainstream schools. The Consultation Document issued to all Poole mainstream schools on 19 September as appended to the report.
Two consultation evenings had been held on 24 and 25 September to give schools an opportunity to seek clarification and consider proposals. The consultation closed on 5 October and responses had been considered by the LMS working party on 8 October.
The draft formula was required to be sent to the Education Funding Agency by 31 October 2014 and finalised in January 2015.
The report set out in detail the level of responses from school on the various aspects of the proposed formula. The results showed that during the consultation period replies and comments were received from 8 primary schools (29%) and 3 secondary schools (33%). However since the consultation closed one further secondary school had responded with support for the proposals.
The LMS Group had taken the view that the schools which did not respond were comfortable with the proposals.
Nicola Webb reminded the Forum that Poole had historically received a low level of funding and had recently received considerable additional funding to bring it up to the national level. The DfE had confirmed that no LA would lose funding as a result of the new formula, however individual schools would be affected in different ways as some might have a reduced level of funding.
Val Arbon reported that the Poole Schools’ Association had received comments from headteachers that some of them had found the consultation details difficult to understand which might also be a reason for a lack of response from some schools. She requested that more detailed information and explanations be contained in future consultations. Nicola Webb confirmed that this would be borne in mind in future consultations.
Nicola Webb advised the Forum that the draft formula would be put before elected members in December and the views of this Forum would form part of the report.
Steve Andrews stated that the formula provided fairer funding across the board with the same unit funding for all schools. It was recognised that schools with higher MFG allocations in 2014/15 would see the least benefit but this meant they were already benefitting from higher funding and now other schools were catching up. A number of members agreed with this view.
Tracy Harris welcomed the additional funding for Poole schools although some smaller schools might have reduced funding which might be difficult to manage.
Val Arbon suggested that some schools with large balances might receive extra resources which did not seem fair. Nicola Webb confirmed that unfortunately nothing can be included in the draft formula to address this issue
A PIECE TO BE ADDED ABOUT MINIMUM FUNDING GUARANTEE
RESOLVED that
(i) the report and appendices be received; and
(ii) the draft mainstream school formula 2015-16, as detailed in paragraph 4 and Appendix 1 of the report be approved be approved.
Voting For: 10 Against: 0 Abstentions: 1 (School members only: Headteachers, Governors and Early Years Providers)
PSF49.14 EARLY YEARS SINGLE FUNDING FORMULA – 3 4 YEAR OLDS 2015/16
Jane Osburn and Amanda Gridley submitted a report on changes to the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) for 2015/16 prior to consultation with providers.
The EYSFF was funded from the Early Years Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and had been in operation since April 2011. It was introduced to facilitate raising quality in early education as well as to provide consistent and transparent funding across the sector.
The formula was developed following extensive work with providers to understand costs in the sector.
Funding rates wee based on a typical cost model for each type of provider. These took into account the different staff ratios for the direct costs of provision, plus an allowance for management, premises and administration costs with an expected level of annual occupancy.
Funding Rates in 2014-15 were:
Funding Per Hour (£) / Childminders / Groups / SchoolsBase Rate / 3.95 / 3.22/3.16 / 3.65
Quality / 0.35 / 0.35 / 0.35
Extended Opening / n/a / 0.03 / n/a
Deprivation – over 30% / n/a / 0.45 / 0.60
Deprivation – 20% to 30% / n/a / 0.20 / 0.20
The base rate for childminders was higher as deprivation funding, a 1:3 ratio and extended opening elements were factored in.
The base rate had not been uplifted for inflation since 2012-13. If uplifts had been applied the cumulative uplift by 2014/15 would equate to 5% over the 2 years as follows:
April 2013 2.7%
April 2014 2.2%
The formula had been adjusted for 2013-14 reflecting the Government’s changing agenda. During that period the supplement for employing an early years professional (EYP) had ceased when government policy changed. The funding for the EYP supplement was reallocated between the quality supplement and a new second level for deprivation. The base rate had also been increased to allow more time for staff to identify and manage provision for pupils with SEN and this had been funded from a reduction in the central DSG SEN budget.
Since the launch of ‘More Great Childcare’ in 2013 the government has been encouraging Local Authorities to review their EYSFF and adapt them to be clearer, simpler and to maximise funding to providers.
The most recent LA statutory guidance states that local authorities are required by legislation to:
· Use a locally-determined, transparent formula – the early year’s single funding formula (EYSFF) – to set the funding rates for all types of provider.
· Construct a formula composed of either a single base rate for all providers or a number of base rates differentiated by type of provider according to unavoidable cost differences.
· The formula must include a deprivation supplement for three- and four-year-olds, but is not required to do so for two-year-olds.
The new Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) will be introduced in April 2015 with the aim to close the gap at ages 3 and 4 between the additional support disadvantaged children get at age 2 through the new free entitlement and the additional support they get in school through the school-age Pupil Premium.
Providers will be paid an additional £300 per year for each eligible child that takes up the full 570 hours with them. This equates to an hourly rate of 53p per child per hour. This funding will follow the child.
Local Authorities have been required to ensure that the whole amount was paid directly to providers in order to maximise effectiveness and positively impact on outcomes for children. The LA plans to create a working party of PVI providers, maintained nurseries and LA staff including the school advisor and Children's Centre teachers to develop guidance materials on how best to use the pupil premium to ensure maximum impact from this additional funding.
The introduction of the Early Years Pupil Premium should also help schools as eligible children would transition into school already in receipt of the premium and schools would receive the funding from the start of year R. It was hoped that the impact of the additional funding would also be reflected in the school’s readiness of children.
It had been announced by the DfE that the DSG funding rate for 3 & 4 years olds in 2015/16 would remain unchanged but an additional £3.2million (4.7%) had been allocated for mainstream schools for children of statutory school age (years R to 11) in Poole.
New pension legislation meant that most private and voluntary settings would be required to start a scheme between June 2015 and April 2017 and contribute a minimum of 1% for staff that chose not to opt out of the scheme. This change would not impact in the maintained sector as pension arrangements had already been taken into account in the funding levels.
Amanda Gridley advised the Forum that providers had reported difficulty in appointing qualified staff due to the low level of pay. The proposed increase in the base rate should help. Linda Duly endorsed this issue, informing the Forum that funding for 3-4 year olds had not risen in line with inflation. Only 12% of LAs had increased funding. It was important to increase staff wages to attract quality staff.
Quenten Walker stated that good early years provision was demonstrated in a positive way by children transferring to mainstream schools. He supported the call for an appropriate level of remuneration for staff in early years.
The report set out details of the quality of rating of providers in Poole, this information was published by Ofsted in April 2014. This showed that those providers rates as good and outstanding for overall effectiveness of settings had increased from 57% in 2010 (England: 71%) to 76% in 2014 (England: 82%). Similar rating for Childminders had increased from 82% (England: 67%) to 84% in 2014 (England 76%).
There had been a steady increase in the quality of group childcare settings since the introduction of the EYSFF in 2011. It was believed that the EYSFF quality supplement had been a contributory factor to this increase and it was proposed that this should continue.
To provide new funding for early years equivalent to a 5% uplift in the base rate required an additional £188,185. This amount could be funded from reserves for 2015/16. To maintain this base rate in the future without the government increasing the Early Years unit of funding would require the Forum agreeing to a transfer from the schools block.
Deprivation funding would be reviewed over the next year with a view to changing the current system. Currently, the supplement was paid according to percentage thresholds of children attending each setting from identified IDACI postcodes. Several possibilities would be explored which would enable funding to follow the child in line with the Early Years Pupil Premium and funding for 2 year olds. This would mean some redistribution of funding between providers.
Poole Providers had responded positively to the need for expansion to enable Poole’s 40% most disadvantaged 2 year olds to receive a free early education. Several settings had increased capacity and improved quality. Currently the Borough is funding approximately 85% of eligible 2 year olds. This figure had been recognised and commended by the DfE. There was a growing concern that both growth in capacity and quality of providers might diminish if funding was not uplifted in the near future.
The report recommended the Forum to:
· agree for a consultation process with early years providers to gather thoughts on proposed changes to the EYSFF for 2015/16;
· agree £188,185 to be funded from DSG reserves to provide a 5% uplift in the Early Years base rate in 2015/16; and