Decision details

To decide on the changes required to the School funding formula for the 2020-21 financial year.

The Cabinet Member agrees:

1.  To set the Minimum Funding Guarantee at +1.84% change in pupil funding in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20

2.  That the LA will not set a Cap on Gains for 2020-21

3.  That the LA increase the 2020-21 local formula funding core factor values as close as it can to the 4% (set out in DFE Guidance) except for the free school meals factor which will be increased at inflation (defined by the DFE)

4.  That the LA use the NFF methodology to calculate mobility in the local formula for 2020-21

As in previous years, each local authority will continue to set a local school’s formula in 2020-21, in consultation with schools and academies, in order to calculate the distribution of funding available for mainstream schools. While local authorities will continue to have discretion over the design of the majority of their funding formulae, the DFE intend to make the minimum per-pupil funding (MPPF) levels a mandatory factor in local formulae.

The government has confirmed its intention to move to a single ‘hard’ national funding formula to determine every schools budget and will work closely with local authorities and other stakeholders in making this transition in the future.

Local Authorities must continue to engage in open and transparent consultation with all maintained schools and academies in their area, as well as with the Schools Forum, about any proposed changes to the local funding formula including the principles adopted and any movement of funds between blocks.

The DFE have confirmed that the 2020-21 National Funding Formula (NFF) will continue to have the same funding factors that were used in 2019-20 and that they will continue to implement the NFF formula to address historic underfunding and move to a system where funding is based on the needs of the pupils on roll at a school.

The proposals put forward in a consultation with schools were consistent with the implementation of the National Funding Formula principles set out by the DFE.

Many options are available to distribute the funding to schools through the funding formula. The Local Authority has consulted schools on moving to the national Funding Formula over the past few years and major changes to the local formula have been made in prior years.

These decisions continue to move the local formula towards the National funding Formula and adopt the recommendations of the DFE into our local formula.