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Stay updated on the latest finance information for schools, including school budgets, high needs funding, financial controls, and external funding.
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Finance Update Finance Information Groups Siobhan Cheeseman Head of Schools Financial Services
Update topics • School Budgets • High Needs funding from 1 April • Financial Controls • Closedown • Update from External Funding
Background and context • Government are introducing a soft NFF from 1 April 2018 with some additional funding +3% • Local Funding Formula for 2018-19 and 2019-20 • Current arrangements date back to 2005-06 so NFF is long overdue • Government intends to introduce a Hard NFF in the future - requires a change to Primary Legislation – so may not be for many years
How much more are we going to get? • A significant proportion of the additional funding relates to secondary phase • Above figures are before growth in pupil numbers
Consultation • We ran a consultation from 30 October to 26 November – just over 4 weeks • All maintained schools, academies and free schools were invited to respond • Received 177 responses in total (31%) • Some schools & individuals submitted more than one response • A big thank you to all schools who found the time to respond – it’s appreciated
The approval process 2). Forum consider & make recommendations 1). Schools’ views captured via consultation 3). KCC Members consider Forum recommendations 4). Cabinet Member makes decision Cabinet Member, Roger Gough, involved with all four stages
What happened . . . • Forum made their recommendations • No changes were made by KCC Members • Cabinet Member took decision on 19 December • Details of that decision were the main item of the Kelsi e-bulletin 14 December 2017
What next . . . • We have submitted details of our local formula funding to the ESFA … we await their approval • We are now working on budget templates • We aim to publish at the end of February (as normal) • 2019-20 will be based on increasing rates as we take further steps towards NFF
Three year plan methodology • 2018-19 will be final • 2019-20 will reflect increased Low Prior Attainment, Ever6FSM and Minimum Funding Level rates • No info for 2020-21 so we will use 2019-20 rates with a 0% MFG • Schools will still be able to reflect their latest pupil projections for years 2 and 3
Background • The overall High Needs budget is under sustained pressure • Mainstream High Needs demand has been the greatest • We introduced, with Forum support, some temporary measures to reduce the costs • 30% reduction to all new claims from 1 Sept 17 • No payments until December 2017 • These temporary measures come to an end on 31 March 2018
What is happening for 2018-19? • We still have a budget of £23m for Mainstream High Needs • From 1 April 2018 the LA is introducing Need Specific Top Up funding rates • These rates are graduated to reflect the severity of need • The rates were shared with all schools via ebulletin on 6 December 2017 • Schools have been written to for all existing children with their new rate
Beyond 2018-19? • The outlook for all (not just mainstream) High Needs funding looks very challenging • The High Needs Block is set to receive tiny increases for the next 3 to 4 years • Demand is still very high • We are now looking at what we can do to manage demand for some of our higher cost placements
Finance Scheme • Governs the financial relationship between the Local Authority and its maintained schools • We are currently reviewing our Finance Scheme in two areas of financial controls • 1. Reviewing the process around schools in deficit • 2. Looking at the Balance Control Mechanism (BCM)
Closedown – 23rd March 2018 • All schools to close accounts by 23rd March • Closedown pack will be emailed by 1st February to all maintained schools • Requested bank statements 16th March • Slight changes to year end analysis form • you MUSTNOT process additional transactions in the OLD year once you have completed and submitted your year end accounts