Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Education introduced the report and highlighted the increased amount of money that schools would receive in 2023/24.

Schools would be receiving the highest investment in education in history with Local Authorities getting an extra £400million for high needs budgets and there would be a 5% increase per head of school age population compared to the current year. Worcestershire schools were also getting an additional £4.68 million to help with energy costs.

Various comments were made:

·         More money had been promised for education in the Autumn Statement and the Government was fulfilling its promise with the additional funding for schools. Schools were still facing inflationary, wage and energy price pressures but per pupil funding was increasing year on year.

·         Schools were better off than they were last year. Cabinet were pleased to see money being given to schools for energy efficiency and West Mercia Energy had seen a decrease in energy usage by schools but more energy efficiency measures could be taken. Many schools were still buying energy through West Mercia Energy which had a price cap in place.

·         It was noted that Recommendation e mentioned details given in paragraph 34 when it should state paragraph 35.

·         A Member from outside the Cabinet queried why the Education Policy Institute were stating that the current funding formula had led to national cuts of around £40,000 for the average Primary School and as much as £210,000 for the average secondary school and schools were concerned about potential staffing cuts. It was replied that the Government were rebalancing funding so at national level the best funded schools were seeing reductions in their funding. Levelling up in funding was taking place. Some other authorities were also having to spend more on energy costs than they did in Worcestershire.

·         The Chairman felt that Government Policy on education was spot on as it involved the future of the Country.

The Cabinet Member thanked colleagues in the Education department for their work on the successful Pershore bid and re-iterated that the funding for next year was the largest real term investment education had ever had.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

(a)  noted the Department for Education policy for school and Local Authority funding for 2023-24 detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)  noted the involvement of the Worcestershire Schools Forum members and schools during the engagement process;

(c)  noted the views of the Worcestershire Schools Forum on the Local Schools Funding Formula issues for 2023-24 and other matters which are outlined in Appendix 2;

(d)  approved the Local Schools Funding Formula for Worcestershire mainstream schools from April 2023 to apply for 2023-24 and other matters as detailed in paragraphs 34 to 44, to include the DfE Minimum Funding Levels (MFL’s) for Primary £4,405; Key Stage 3 £5,503; Key Stage 4 £6,033; Secondary £5,715   having regard to feedback from schools and the views of the Worcestershire Schools Forum in Appendix 2, to be based as far as is practicable and affordable upon the Department for Education (DfE) National Funding Formula (NFF) parameters; and

(e)  authorised the Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education to make the required submission to the national executive body, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) by 20 January 2023 for the approved Local Schools Funding Formula for 2023-24 taking account of any impact and change on the approved units of resource, Minimum Funding Guarantee and capping arrangements in paragraph 35 as a consequence of the October 2022 census and other 2022 data changes and the final 2023-24 Dedicated School Grant (DSG).