Agenda item

(To receive a joint report from Michelle Andrews, Children's Services Manager, Early Years and Childcare Support and Mark Popplewell, Head of Finance, Children's Services, this provides the Schools' Forum with a summary of the Early Years National Funding Formula for 2019/20, and seeks agreement relating to the allocation and distribution of the centrally retained budgets)

The Forum gave consideration to a report from Michelle Andrews, Children's Services Manager, Early Years and Childcare Support, which provided the Schools' Forum with a summary of the Early Years National Funding Formula for 2019/20; and sought agreement relating to the allocation and distribution of the centrally retained budgets.

In guiding the Forum through the report, reference was made to: the background relating to the introduction of the government's Early Years Funding Formula; the National Funding to Local Authorities for Early Years Core Funding; Early Years National Funding Formula requirements to Providers and Schools; and Lincolnshire's Early Years Funding Formula including the local universal base rate per pupil.   It was noted that the hourly rate had increased by £0.03 per hour per pupil for 2019/20.  It was noted further that the local universal base rate would fund the direct delivery of early year's entitlement.

Reference was also made to the monthly claim process; which Lincolnshire had successfully implemented in September 2018, following consultation with the sector.  The Forum was advised that initial feedback from providers had been overwhelmingly positive, as providers now had a live system available to update child attendance, which had assisted with more accurate and timely data sharing on a monthly basis.

The report also provided the Forum with information relating to supplements and the deprivation supplement.  It was noted that for 2019/20, the Local Authority would continue to use the same deprivation factor and deprivation monetary values that were currently in place in 2018/19.  It was highlighted that the provider survey undertaken had identified 81% of respondents supported the continued use of the government's Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measure.  Table one provided the Forum with information relating to deprivation scores and associated funding.

Page 53 of the report provided details of the SEN Inclusion Fund, a fund that all Local Authorities were required to have for 3 and 4 year olds with special educational needs who were taking up the free entitlements.  The Forum was advised that in Lincolnshire the SEN Inclusion Fund had been reviewed in line with the national guidance and was available through an application process.

It was reported that there were currently 224 children accessing the Inclusion Fund.  It was therefore essential to maintain funding levels in 2019/20 to take into account any further increase in take-up of the 30 hours.

Pages 54 to 57 provided the Forum with details pertaining to Local Authority Centrally Retained Funding, which in accordance with regulations required Schools' Forum approval.  These were:-

·Early Years Entitlement Team £298,276;

·Securing Sufficient, Sustainable Provision £412,716;

·SEND Local Offer £64,874

·EYFS Quality Improvement, Support, Advice £462,960; and

·Workforce & Training Requirements for the Sector £287,360.

Table 2 on page 57 provided the Forum with details relating to Lincolnshire's Early Years Funding Distribution for 3 and 4 year olds; and Table 3 provided information relating to Early Years Funding Distribution.

The report also made reference to: Disability Access Funding; Early Years Pupil Premium, and 2 Year Old Funding (Fluctuation Contingency Fund; Local Authority Centrally Retained Funding and 2 Year Old Hourly Funded Rate).

During consideration of the report, the Forum raised the following points:

·        That the consultation regarding the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) demonstrated that monies were being successfully targeted;

·        The monthly payment arrangements introduced for providers had made a vast difference to cash flow.  Thanks were extended to Officers for all their help; and

·        Whether the supplement to maintained nursery schools would continue.  Officers confirmed that representations had been made to central government, but as yet no information had been received.

RESOLVED

1.        That the Early Years Funding Formula Report presented be noted.

2.         That the Local Authority's proposal for centrally retained funding as detailed in the report and summarised above be agreed.