The Educational Trust Sub-Committee of Aberdeenshire Council met on Wednesday 24 September 2025 to discuss the Aberdeenshire Educational Trust's finances and consider a request to use the trust as a vehicle to submit a funding application. The sub-committee was also scheduled to review grant funding to schools. Some items, relating to grant funding awards, were scheduled to be discussed with the press and public excluded.

Clore Duffield Foundation Funding Application

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider a request to use the Aberdeenshire Educational Trust (AET) as a vehicle to submit a funding application to the Clore Duffield Foundation for a Clore Learning Space at the new Peterhead Library and Museum of Aberdeenshire.

The report pack noted that the council is ineligible to make a direct application to the Clore Duffield Foundation, which:

will only accept applications from charities or Friends groups; they no longer accept direct local authority applications. There is no Friends group in place for the new project, so a charitable trust is the only route to be explored at present for this funding bid.

The council's legal team advised that the AET could be used to submit an application on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. The report pack stated that the external legal providers reviewed the Trust Purposes and the Trust Powers and confirmed that:

The Trust have fundraising powers at section 5.1.1 of the Scheme. The Trust also has power to accept grants, donations and legacies at 5.1.2 of the Scheme.

Under the Trust Purposes (4.9) The Trust can make grants to clubs, societies and other organisations which include in their activities work of an educational nature .

The report stated that the project team would prepare the application to the Clore Duffield Foundation through the AET, and if successful, the funding would be allocated by the Educational Trust to the Cultural Tides project.

Review of Grant Funding to Schools

The sub-committee was scheduled to review how the Aberdeenshire Educational Trust (AET) allocates grants to schools for pupil excursions, school travel grants and special equipment.

The report pack noted that in recent years, requests for funding from AET have consistently exceeded the Trust's available income. It was noted that to safeguard the Trust's long-term sustainability, the approach to grant allocation should be reviewed.

The report pack stated that there are 141 primary, special, and secondary schools within the AET area and that under current guidance, each school may apply for a Section 30 travel grant of £300. It was noted that if all schools were to apply, this would result in awards totaling £42,300, leaving £61,800 to be allocated on the basis of pupil numbers, equating to approximately £1.79 per pupil.

The report pack presented a table illustrating how adjustments to the fixed grant amount influences per-pupil funding, as well as the resulting impact on both the smallest and largest schools.

The report pack also noted that if the full £104,100 were distributed solely on the basis of pupil numbers, the grant would equate to approximately £3.02 per pupil.

The report pack stated that an alternative approach would be to allocate fixed amounts based on school type, for example:

• £650 for each primary and special school
• £1,300 for each secondary school

The report pack stated that schools would be required to submit an annual return outlining how the grant had been utilised and that to minimise administrative burden, it was proposed that this information be collected through a Microsoft Form.

The report pack noted that prior to the Sub-Committee's decision to review the grant application process, £6,200 in grants had already been awarded for school trips scheduled to take place in 2026/27.

Financial Update

The sub-committee was scheduled to receive an update on the financial position of the Aberdeenshire Educational Trust (AET) for the period to 31 August 2025.

The report pack noted that at the start of the financial year, the balance held within the AET, subject to audit, was £4,045,287.37. These monies are invested in a mixture of external investments and the Council's Loans Fund. The external investments held are valued at the 31 March 2025 £3,519,824.33, an increase of £81,750.83.

The report pack stated that in the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 August 2025 £145,049.43 has provisionally been awarded in grants from the AET.

The report pack included a table showing the breakdown of the grants:

The report pack noted that although the criteria for awarding travel grants and school excursion funding were revised from 1 April 2025, the number of applications continues to rise.

The report pack stated that due to the reduced balance in the Loans Fund and lower interest rates, the interest income for the current year is expected to be lower than 2024/25 and that dividend income remains difficult to forecast, but early indications suggest it will also be lower than last year.

The report pack included a table showing the types of income:

The report pack stated that committed expenditure totals £148,778.18, which is more than the estimated income for the year and that it will be necessary to use funding from previous years' balances to meet the shortfall.

Action Log

The sub-committee was scheduled to review the Aberdeenshire Educational Trust Action Log. The action log included updates on the following actions:

• Officers were instructed to share with members of the Sub-Committee, in due course, a draft funding communication to Robb's Trust.
• Officers were instructed to bring back to the Sub-Committee a report with regards to all school grants distribution.

Public Sector Equality Duty

The sub-committee was asked to consider and adopt a resolution to have due regard to the need to:

• eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
• advance equality of opportunity between those who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and
• foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

The sub-committee was also asked to consider the contents of the Integrated Impact Assessment when reaching a decision.

Exempt Information

The sub-committee was asked to consider excluding the public and media representatives from the meeting for items 8 and 9 of business, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information relating to applicants for, or recipients of, financial assistance from the Council.