Issue - decisions

That the Executive Councillor:-

(1)  approves the application of the National Funding Formula (NFF) in the development of the County Council's mainstream schools funding formula for 2021/22;

(2)  approves the inclusion of the following in the County Council's mainstream schools funding formula for 2021/22:-

·         Key formula factors will increase by 3% in monetary value.

·         A positive Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) of +0.5% per pupil protection.  The MFG range is between +0.5% and +2.0% per pupil in 2021/22.

·         No gains ceiling cap.

·         The minimum per pupil funding levels will be set at £4,180 for primary schools and £5,415 for secondary schools. 

·         Funding from the teachers' pay grant and teachers' pension employer contribution grant (including supplementary funding) will be incorporated into the NFF for 2021/22 (technical adjustment).

·         Small and remote schools will see an increase in the sparsity factor value.

·         To use the 2021/22 National Funding Formula as the basis for determining the notional Special Educational Needs (SEN) amount per school when identifying whether a school is entitled to targeted funding.

·         The targeted funding criteria will allocate the first £6,000 where a school has been identified as having insufficient notional SEN within its delegated budget due to the number of pupils with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. 

·         To support the principle of increasing the top up rate for EHC plans – the rate of increase will be subject to affordability of the High Needs block following the determination of all SEN related budgets.

·         To apply transitional protection funding for 2021/22 where targeted funding and top up rate changes result in the school funding falling below +0.5% per pupil increase (in accordance with the final MFG value).