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Formula Review GroupFormula Review Group

Spring 2007

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Membership of the Group

• Chris Price, St Botolph's, Shepshed (resigning- 3 days per week)• David Herd, Thurnby, St Lukes*• Adrienne Holland, Headteacher, The Grove, Melton (retiring)• Jill McLaughlan, Headteacher, Westfield Infants School• Pat Young, Headteacher, Newbridge High (no longer on group)• Noel Melvin, King Edward VII, Coalville• Steve Coneron, Limehurst High• Jenny Lawrence, Education Finance Service• Chris Bristow, SENA• Charlie Palmer, Assistant Head of Pupil Support• Phil D’Mello, Senior Accountant• Frances Craven, Head of Pupil Support

* replacements being sought via LSH/LPH

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Formula Review Group: Terms of Reference

• Seek views of stakeholders on the principles of SEN delegation• Work within national guidance on school funding• Identify improvements to the delegation formula, transition

arrangements and related procedures• Share the work of the group in brief with colleagues via the

Education Bulletin• To make recommendations to the Schools Funding Forum on

changes to LMS arrangements around SEN funding

• Proposal to change terms of reference and report to schools forum

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Arrangements for 2005-06

• The resources for nearly all mainstream statements (including those with 25 hour and above LSA support) have been delegated.

• Only enhanced packages remain centrally funded.

• The major features of SEN delegation for 2005-06 are:

£12.9m delegated to schools

£154K mid year transfer budget held centrally

£140K Top-up budget to be allocated in May-June 2005 (where schools’ statement costs exceed the delegated budget)

45% formula funding (55% historic costs of statements)

Formula factors:

Prior attainment (two thirds)

Disadvantage (one third)

Plan to move to full formula funding by 2007-08 providing losers can be protected

• Statements of special educational need now make clear that grouped arrangements can be used to support pupils, often to their considerable advantage. Discussion of how the arrangements to schools with significant numbers of City Pupils is here.

http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/education/special_education_needs/sen_delegation.htm

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Mainstream Statement Budget

05-06

• Enhanced Packages

• Mid Year Transfer Support (only where total statement costs exceed delegated

budget) • LSA support to children in units

• Band 10 pupils admitted mid year to special schools (to be delegated to special schls)

• Leics statemented pupils in other LA schools

• Music therapy on statements (to be delegated)

• East Midlands LAC protocol

• Income from statemented pupils attending Leics schools

06-07 and 07-08

• Enhanced Packages

• Mid Year Transfer Support (where

total statement costs exceed delegated budget) • LSA support to children in units

• Leics statemented pupils in other LA schools

• East Midlands LAC protocol

• Income from statemented pupils attending Leics schools form other LAs

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Work in 05-06

• All enhanced packages reviewed

• All post-16 statements reviewed

• Mid year transfer rules tightened

• Discussion of need for prudence at statement panel

Mainstream budget deficit reduced from £230K prediction to £129K (at Jan 06)

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Arrangements for 2006-07

• Transitional support budget• Budget of £85,000 agreed by schools forum- will support schools with

statement costs in excess of delegated budgets, paid to schools Feb 07

• Enhanced Packages budget• Propose to run shadow budgets and engage APSPs with decision

making in 06-07 and work on formal agreement to support delegation for 07-08 approved by forum. Consultation indicates panels not ready to take on this, shadow budgets not yet prepared

• 16+ statements in mainstream• Delegation to schools agreed by schools forum

• Balance between historic and formula funding• Schools forum have agreed 67% formula funding for 06-07 and 100%

for 07-08

• Mid year transfer support• Small budget proposed to be held centrally to help small schools with

high cost pupils arriving at non-standard times (£22,592 in 06-07).

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Discussion at Forum Feb 06

• The link between Area Placement and Support Panels (APSPs) and delegation noted

• Primary schools need to be better engaged with APSPs

• Secondaries have some concerns about the frequency of meetings of Area Panels

• APSPs not yet ready to manage delegated responsibility for Enhanced Packages

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Detailed Issues to Consider for 07-08

• Inclusion/dual placement support (Lynne, Tony, Phil & Chris)• Move in support for low flying LAC• Dowry arrangements for LAC and other pupils• Support for schools in budget difficulty• No clawback of delegated funds• Funding for turbulence• Schools close to city boundary• Enhanced Packages shadow budgets• Research on impact of delegation• Formula detail: KS1 PA scores 18% cut off (Shelthorpe)• Delegating capacity and confidence as well as resource

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Rules for Additional Funding (06-07)

Mid Year Transfer Support (Move In)

Aim: Reduce risk to schools from high cost new arrivals

Resource: £ 40KRules:

1. Applies to pupils who have statements specifying 25 hours support or more, and transfer at non-standard times (and years)

2. All costs met when statement costs exceed delegated budget

3. Schools need to contact SENA case work officer

Transitional Support (Shortfall)Aim: Help schools where statements costs exceed

delegated budget

Resource: £85KRules:

1. SENA completes calculations of school budgets in Nov and allocates in December

2. Includes all pupils in the schl with statements

3. Deficits calculated on the basis of 85% of statement costs to allow for shared provision

4. Resource allocated in fixed proportion to maximum of budget

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Rules for Additional Funding (2)

Enhanced PackagesAim: Support schools with high cost

statemented pupilsResource: £793,000Rules:1. Statement panel identify that a special

school placement is appropriate, but family prefer a mainstream placement

2. An out county placement has been agreed but a school has not yet been identified

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Out-catchment SEN admissions

• LAC protocol provides funding for 40 days provision for receiving school

• Schools close to City border have particular concerns

• Other schools find out catchment SEN admissions a sensitive issue for staff and local families

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Transition Arrangements 06-07

• The total of the 41 school deficits is £489 063 (based on 85% of individual statement costs)

• The budget for top up is £85 000• Schools will receive a payment of approx. 17%

of the difference • Across all schools, the overall surplus is

£3,033,900, of which £2.5m is in the primary sector and £0.5m in the secondary sector

• 23 out of 235 primary schools are in deficit• 18 out of 54 secondary schools are in deficit

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All SEN Admissions

• Some evidence of small number of families having some very negative experiences.

• LA is currently gathering data on this issue

• Need to balance support for schools over SEN and challenge to develop inclusive practice, and disability compliant admissions

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Data on School Inclusiveness

Do schools serve all the pupils with SEN in their priority area?– The proportion of SEN pupils in the school

from out of the priority area– The proportion of all SEN pupils in the priority

area actually attending the school

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Disability Discrimination

• Discrimination can occur if:– A pupil receives less favourable treatment

than others– A school fails to make reasonable

adjustments to meet the needs of a disabled pupil

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Arrangements for 2007-08

• Transitional support budget• Budget of £85,000 agreed by schools forum for 06-07. This year

schools protected by minimum funding guarantee and contingency fund*

• Enhanced Packages budget• Propose to run shadow budgets and engage APSPs with decision

making in 06-07 and work on formal agreement to support delegation for 07-08 approved by forum. Consultation indicates panels not ready to take on this, shadow budgets not yet prepared.

• 16+ statements in mainstream• Delegation to schools agreed by schools forum in 06-07

• Balance between historic and formula funding• Gradual move to 100% formula funding over last four years

• Mid year transfer support• Small budget proposed to be held centrally to help small schools with

high cost pupils arriving at non-standard times.

*Contingency funding can only be accessed if the school is in deficit

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Rules for Additional Funding (07-08)

Enhanced PackagesAim: Support schools with high cost

statemented pupilsResource: £710,000Rules:1. Statement panel identify that a special

school placement is appropriate, but family prefer a mainstream placement

2. An out county placement has been agreed but a school has not yet been identified

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Rules for Additional Funding (07-08)

Mid Year Transfer Support (Move In)Aim: Reduce risk to schools from high cost new arrivals

Resource: £ 50KRules:

1. Applies to pupils who have statements specifying 25 hours support or more, and transfer at non-standard times (and years)

2. All costs met when statement costs exceed delegated budget

3. Schools need to contact SENA case work officer