Agenda item

School Forum members to note the report.

The Forum received a report which informed members of the funding allocations for the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and the draft school budget information for 2022/23 in accordance with recommendations and decisions which had been voted on at the previous Forum meeting (13^th December 2021).  The budget information could change, subject to approval from the Department of Education (DfE) and / or decisions that would be taken at Cabinet on 12^th January 2022.

The report allowed school governing bodies and academy boards to start their financial planning for 2022/23 and to make appropriate structural and educational adjustments to meet the needs of young people within the constraints of their resource allocations.

DSG Allocations 2022/23

The Department for Education (DfE) had announced the DSG allocations for 2022/23 and the table below detailed the allocations by block: -

A comparison of the funding and the pupils from 2021/22 to 2022/23 was as set out below: -

The DfE had agreements with the following agencies to purchase a single national licence managed by the DfE for all state funded schools in England.

•        Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI)

•        Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA)

•        Education Recording Agency (ERA)

•        Public Video Screening Licence - Filmbank Distributors Ltd. (PVSL)

•        Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS)

•        Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC)

•        Newspaper Licensing Authority (NLA)

•        Performing Rights Society (PRS)

•        Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL)

•        Schools Printed Music Licence (SPML)

The arrangement covered academies as well as maintained schools and the ESFA deducted the charge from the DSG.  The charge for Sandwell for 2022/23 was £0.284m (excluding VAT).

The 2022/23 Early Years Block allocations were indicative, and had been based on Schools, Early Years and Alternative Provision censuses data from January 2021.  The final allocations for each of these funding streams would be based on five-twelfths of the January 2022 census numbers plus seven-twelfths of the January 2023 census numbers.

The High needs block allocations were provisional figures and would be updated in the year.  The import / export adjustment would be updated in the summer term 2022 to reflect the latest data from the January 2022 schools census and the RO6 of the 2021 to 2022 Individual Learner Record (ILR).  The DfE would make further adjustments in April 2022 to the place funding deductions for the academic year 2022 to 2023 to reflect the outcome of the 2022 to 2023 place change notifications process and to reflect further academy conversions.

Schools Budgets 2022/23

The Schools Block funding that had been distributed through the main funding formula was £304,201,538.  This had been calculated as follows: -

The school funding model had been submitted to meet the DfE deadline of 21st January 2022 for review and final confirmation of the budgets.

Proposed Formula

The table below listed the factor rates for the local authority formula to be applied to school’s budgets for 2022/23.  As set out in section 2.1 of the report, the rates could change subject to decisions by the DfE and or the Cabinet meeting to be held on 12 January 2022.

M Jarrett advised that this item had been submitted to Cabinet on 12th January 2022, and the proposals had been agreed.  However, there was also a statutory call in period for scrutiny, 5 clear days, which was due to expire on 18th January.  If this decision had not been called in within this timeframe, the figures would be published accordingly. 

Resolved that: -

1.            the DSG Allocations for 2022/23, and the content of the draft school budgets 2022/23 which is based on the principles as voted for at schools forum, be noted. 

2.            It be noted that these allocations may change, subject to approval by the DfE and / or decisions taken at Cabinet on 12th January 2022.

3.            The final funding model has been submitted to the Department for Education to meet the final deadline date of 21 January 2022 and the authority should receive confirmation of the budgets shortly thereafter.