School funding reform: Next steps towards a fairer system

What’s it all about? In July last year the government proposed a national funding formula for distributing money to local authorities to give to schools, but responses to the consultation showed the model needed refining. Therefore, the government will not implement this until 2015 and instead is proposing a more streamlined funding system for the remainder of the current spending review period.

What are the main points? Under the proposals head teachers and governors will be given more control over how funding is spent. The number of factors that can be used in local formulae to distribute funding will be reduced from 37 to 10 and each local authority will have to publish details of its formula in a simple format.

To strengthen local decision-making the consultation proposes that school forums will have to become more transparent and better reflect the views of providers. The Education Funding Agency will also play a role in monitoring fairness of local decision-making.

Local authorities will continue to be allocated amounts for each pupil through the Dedicated Schools Grant based on previous funding levels, but the grant will be allocated in three different blocks: the schools block, early years block and high needs block. However, these blocks will not be ringfenced. They will be based on planned spend for 2012/13 based on October pupil numbers.

The proposals also set out plans to simplify funding for early years provision and ensure greater transparency, making sure that deprivation funding has more impact on disadvantaged children.

Who can have their say? Local authorities, teacher associations, professional bodies and trade unions are invited to have their say as well as schools, teachers, governors, school forums, early years settings, parents and carers.

When is the deadline? Monday 21 May

When will the findings be published? The results of ?the consultation will be published in June and an announcement on the funding proposals is likely to take place early in the summer.

http://www.education.gov.uk