To provide an update to the forum on national school funding issues, including the recommendations of the budget working group (BWG) on the Herefordshire schools’ budget 2025/26.

The Senior Finance Business Partner (SFBP) introduced the item the purpose of which was to provide an update to the forum on national school funding issues, including the recommendations of the budget working group (BWG) on the Herefordshire schools’ budget 2025/26.

• The national funding formula (NFF) was yet to be received and communication from the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) received on 3 October suggested this would come after the Budget announcement on 30 October 2024, with the dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to be published in December 2024.
• As this information was not available it posed potential risk in the budgeting process.

·       The forum was asked to consider whether Herefordshire should use the approach to school funding for 2025/26 broadly using the approach used for 2024/25 (as detailed below) and how they thought the best approach was for dealing with consultations with schools.

o   Seek to fund schools at the National Funding Formula values.

o   To fund schools at the maximum permitted Minimum Funding Guarantee (0.5% given in 2024/25)

o   To use the school block transfer process (max 0.5%) towards the SEN Protection Scheme (in line with 2024/25)

o   De-delegations in place as at 2024/25 to remain for 2025/26.

o   To avoid the DSG deficit escalating further – the high needs block strategy is under review in line with DSG Management Plan

In response to forum questions and comments, it was noted;

1.     The SFBP would provide clarity with regards to de-delegations with special schools as they are not subject to the national funding formula.

2.     It was essential that schools are consulted as part of the democratic process and an online form such as Microsoft teams or survey monkey be used to support response rates were recommended and would be actioned by officers.

Resolved that: a) the Schools Forum reviewed the budget approach for setting the schools 2025/26 budget and agreed that it be in line with the approach taken in 2024/25, as outlined in paragraph 4;

b) the Schools Forum unanimously agreed that consultations with schools as outlined in paragraph 5 should still take place. 

Action(s)

The SFBP to provide a response with regards to de-delegations with special schools as they are not subject to the national funding formula.

The SFBP in collaboration with the school effectiveness team to produce web forms for future consultations to aid in improving response rates.