The Wandsworth Schools' Forum was scheduled to meet on Monday, 14th October 2019, to discuss the financial outlook for schools in the borough. Key agenda items included updates on national funding announcements, detailed discussions on the Schools Block and High Needs Block funding for the financial year 2020-21, and a review of the Growth Fund and Falling Rolls Fund. The meeting also aimed to consider the council's forward plan for future discussions.

Update on National Funding Announcements

The Schools' Forum was scheduled to receive an update on recent Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) funding announcements from the Department for Education (DfE). The report indicated that for the financial year 2020-21, overall funding was expected to increase by £2.6 billion, with further increases in subsequent years. High Needs Block funding was projected to rise by a minimum of 8%, and an additional £66 million was earmarked for Early Years funding in 2020-21. Teachers' Pay and Pension Grants were to continue being paid separately from the DSG. The National Funding Formula (NFF) would be implemented nationally for both the Schools Block and High Needs Blocks, with a minimum per-pupil funding of £3,750 for primary schools and £5,000 for secondary schools. The report also noted the removal of the gains cap on the formula and a protection of -0.5% for Local Authorities (LAs) regarding Growth Funding. The DFE's intention to move towards a Hard NFF at the local authority level was also mentioned.

Schools' Funding Financial Year 2020-21

A report was scheduled to be presented on the Schools Block funding for the financial year 2020-21, focusing on potential changes to the Local Funding Formula (LFF). The DFE guidance indicated a minimum increase of 1.84% per pupil for the Schools Block. A key change discussed was the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG), which would need to be set between +0.5% and +1.84%, ensuring that no school receives less than a 0.5% increase per pupil. The report outlined the six core funding factors within the Wandsworth LFF: Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU), Free School Meals (FSM), Low Prior Attainment, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG), and Lump Sum. Officers recommended adjusting AWPU rates to distribute increased funding more evenly and modelling the impact of setting the MFG at +0.5%, +1%, and +1.84%.

High Needs Funding Update

The Schools' Forum was to receive an update on the High Needs Block (HNB) funding for the financial year 2020-21. The DFE had announced an expected minimum increase of 8% for the HNB nationally, which for Wandsworth translated to approximately £3.465 million in additional funding. This increase would bring the total HNB to an estimated £46.69 million. The report highlighted that unlike many other boroughs, Wandsworth was in a position to allocate a significant portion of this increase to local provision rather than solely covering deficits. Proposals for allocating this additional funding included increases to special school and resource base top-up rates, mainstream school top-up rates, and investments in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) such as Francis Barber and Victoria Drive, as well as the Paddock Special School. An allocation was also proposed for a Special Needs Innovation and Technology Team.

Growth Fund

A report on the Growth Fund for the financial year 2020-21 was scheduled for discussion. The Growth Fund, funded from the Schools Block, supports new and growing schools, as well as Year 11 late arrivals with English as an Additional Language (EAL). Officers proposed an increase in the Growth Fund to £908,890, a rise of £350,000, to accommodate planned expansions at Ark Putney Academy, Chestnut Grove Academy, St Cecilia's Academy, and Brandlehow Primary School. The report detailed the criteria for growth funding, including rates for expanding schools and bulge classes, and noted that expansions in secondary schools would require a minimum of 30 places.

Falling Rolls Fund

The Schools' Forum was to receive recommendations from the Falling Rolls Working Group regarding the establishment of a Falling Rolls Fund for FY 2020-21. The working group had analysed pupil data and indicated that eight schools might experience a loss of more than 5% of their roll between academic years 2019-20 and 2020-21. The indicative cost of such a fund was estimated at £203,000. However, the subgroup's recommendation was not to implement a Falling Rolls Fund. Their reasoning was that the fund was not a sustainable option, and that most of the affected schools had sufficient reserves to manage the transition to smaller class sizes or reduced entry numbers. The subgroup identified only one school with an immediate financial need that might benefit from such a fund.

Financial Transparency Consultancy

A report on the Local Authority's Financial Transparency Consultation was listed on the agenda for the Forum to receive.

Forward Plan

The Schools' Forum was scheduled to receive an update on its forward plan for upcoming meetings. This included a proposed list of core agenda themes for future meetings, such as updates on the High Needs Block recovery plan, de-delegation proposals, the Schools Funding Formula, the Growth Fund, and Early Years Budgets.

Future Meeting Dates

The Schools' Forum was to note the scheduled dates for its remaining meetings in 2019 and into 2020.