March 2017
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Following the publication of the Government’s proposed national funding formula due to be introduced for 2018 to 2019, this conference focused on the reforms to school funding and wider issues for improving financial efficiency in schools.
Delegates discussed next steps for moving towards the finalised national funding formula including implementation issues, whether necessary factors have been taken into account, and the impact of the current variation of funding received by schools. They also considered possible support needs for schools, and their collaboration with local authorities during the two year transition period to the introduction of the ‘hard’ formula.
Sessions assessed reforms to High Needs Funding and the role of local authorities in light of concerns about a lack of resources for wide-ranging implementation. The likely impact of the proposed changes to provide per-pupil funding based on a pupil count on funding for special education units in mainstream schools was also discussed alongside the likely implications for post-16 SEND provision.
The agenda looked at ways forward for schools facing budgetary constraints, rising maintenance costs, and changes to funding, following the publication of the National Audit Office’s December 2016 report Financial Sustainability of Schools, which found that mainstream schools have to make £3 billion in efficiency savings by 2019/20. It also included latest thinking on the effective deployment of School Business Managers to reduce costs, the potential of school clusters and collaborative partnerships between schools to promote efficiency, the effective use of available benchmarking and school improvement methods, as well as how academy freedoms can be used to improve efficiency in academy settings.
