Decision details

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet approve the proposals set out in Annex 3, that:

1.     The Council implement the Department for Education’s (DfE) recommended Minimum Per Pupil Level in full.

2.     The Schools Forum’s formula recommendations for schools and early years funding be approved.

3.      The transfer of £3.6m (0.5%) from the schools block DSG to the High Needs DSG (subject to approval by Schools Forum on 7 December 2021) and carry forward of any unspent amount in to 2023/24 for the same purpose, be approved, subject to any agreement needed from the Department for Education.

4.     Authority be delegated to the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Learning to approve amendments to the funding rates in the schools and early years formulae as appropriate following receipt of the DSG settlement and DfE pupil data in December 2021. This is to ensure that total allocations to schools under this formula remain affordable within the council’s DSG settlement.

5.     The changes to funding arrangements for state maintained special schools proposed by the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, following consultation with and agreed by Surrey’s state maintained special schools, be implemented from September 2022.

Reasons for Decisions:

To comply with DfE regulations requiring formal council approval of the local funding formula for Surrey’s early years settings, primary and secondary schools.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee)