Haringey Council School Funding from April 2017

The School Funding Formula Covers all publically funded mainstream schools from Reception to Year 11: –Maintained schools (for financial year April to March), –Academies (for financial year September to August), –Free schools (September to August), –University Technical Colleges (September to August).

What is Changing. Currently each Local Authority (LA) sets its own formula (within the rules set out in regulations) after consultation with its schools and schools forum. From April 2017 there will be a national funding formula.

National Funding Formula The details have not yet been released but may either: –Allow no local discretion, each school’s budget share being calculated by the Education Funding Agency (EFA). –Aggregate the budget shares of all schools in a LA and allow the LA in consultation with its schools and forum to determine whether and what local variations to apply.

Factors It is expected that the general formula factors will include: –A basic per pupil allocation (Age Weighted Pupil Unit) with one value for primary and two for secondary age pupils. –A deprivation allowance based on individual pupil characteristics (the recently updated deprivation measures show that London is now relatively less deprived than previously). –A range of other pupil led factors. –A lump sum. –Funding for NNDR and split sites.

Area Cost Adjustments It is also expected that there will be an uplift for schools in high cost areas such as London, but that, particularly for inner London, this will not be a generous as now.

Primary/Secondary Funding Ratio A particular issue for Haringey is the historically high funding for secondary schools relative to primary schools. This arose from planned intakes in multiples of 27 for secondary schools compared with 30 in primary schools. A national funding formula will be based on 30 putting Haringey secondary schools at a funding disadvantage.

National Distribution Currently resources are allocated largely on a historical basis. We expect the national formula to be needs driven and that the recent changes in deprivation indices and a flattening of the area cost adjustment will lead to a movement from London and some other metropolitan areas to non-metropolitan areas.

Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) A change of the magnitude proposed will have transitional arrangements to prevent unmanageable changes between years. We expect the continuation of the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) that guarantees at least 98.5% of the previous year’s per pupil funding.

Communications We are expecting the DfE to issue consultation documents soon. The proposals will be discussed widely within Haringey with: –Briefings to head-teacher meetings. –Briefings for governors. –Reports to the Schools Forum. –Detailed discussions with a working party of the Forum. There will also be formal consultation with schools and the Forum.

Cost Pressures As well as funding changes school face cost pressures on their budgets, including: –Changes in National Insurance contracted out arrangements. –Increases in employers contributions to the Teachers Pension Agency. –Pay awards. The Dedicated Schools Grant funding settlement for did not include any real terms per pupil growth.