Dedicated Schools Grant Savings Options

In the last three years, the Sutton Schools Forum has received a number of reports from Local Authority officers which consistently highlighted increasing cost pressures within Sutton’s Dedicated Schools Grant. These reports led Schools Forum to instruct the Forum Formula Review Group to work with LA officers to consider ways in which these cost pressures might be managed and addressed.

 

Following meetings between LA officers, Headteacher Representatives and Governor Representatives on the Formula Review Group, a series of 6 options were prepared for Schools Forum to consider further at their meeting on October 10th 2016.

 

As a result the Schools Forum decided that five of the six options should progress to a full consultation with all schools. 

1. To consult on a series of Schools Forum proposals to:

 

(a) Option 1 - reduce the base budget provision to schools through the formula driven part of the Schools Block in the DSG

 

(b) Option 2 - reduce the level of funding for pupil growth 

 

(c) Option 3 - reduce and then cease Central Block funding to Speech and Language Support Services, ASD Support Services and English as an Additional Language Support Services

 

(d) Option 4 - restructure the top up funding rates for pupils with Special Educational Needs to generate an overall reduction in top up rate costs

 

(e) Option 5 – reduce the top up funding rates for Alternative Provision placements

 

2. To support consideration of this proposal, the purpose of this document is to set out the context and rationale for each option and to make relevant information available to all those being consulted.

 

3. The feedback from the consultation will be reported back to schools and subsequently be considered by Schools Forum for final decisions.

 

4. Schools Forum noted in October 2016 that schools would be made aware of the crucial distinction between a ‘consultation’ and a ‘referendum’ on these options. So schools respondents should be aware in any subsequent consideration of responses, and in any subsequent decision-making based on those responses, while the Schools Forum will take significant account of school consultation responses, it does not automatically follow that the majority response on any particular option will determine the Forum’s final decision on whether or not to implement that option.