4 2011/12 Budget Letter 7 February 2011

- 4 - 2011/12 budget letter 7 february 2011 ___________________________________________________________________ children’s services

- 4 -
2011/12 Budget Letter 7 February 2011
___________________________________________________________________
Children’s Services
Business and Compliance
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
Norfolk NR1 2DL
Tel: 0344 800 8001
Fax: 01603 223838
Minicom: 0344 800 8011
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://efs.norfolk.gov.uk
Your ref:
Please ask for:
Paul Fisher
My ref:
PF/MAH/4342
Contact Number:
01603 223464
Date:
7 February 2011
Email:
[email protected]
To: Chairman of Governors
Dear Chairman of Governors
2011/12 Budget Letter
This letter sets out the significant issues relating to the budget
setting process for 2011/12.
Five areas are covered in this letter:-
*
The Spending Review 2010 setting out the national approach to
school funding during the 2011/15 period.
*
Norfolk school funding level 2011/12
*
Post 16 funding allocation
*
Pupil premium
*
Budget guidance for setting 2012/13 and 2013/14 indicative budgets
Spending Review 2010
The Spending Review 2010 clarified the national approach to school
funding during the 2011/15 funding period as,
*
School funding to remain “cash flat” per pupil during the period;
*
Additional funding of 0.1% per annum provided to fund increased
pupils and the pupil premium;
*
Pupil premium to be introduced as a specific grant to schools from
April 2011. The grant level to reach £2.5 billion per annum by
2014/15; School specific grants to be consolidated within the
Dedicated Schools Grant;
*
£1 billion of efficiency from procurement and back office charges
to be achieved during the period – approximately 1% per annum;
*
Capital funding to be reduced by 60% - details to be announced
after James Review reports, and
*
Local authority funding allocations will only be for 2011/12.
Beyond 2011/12 a fundamental review of school funding to be
undertaken.
The Government has confirmed it will be consulting during 2011 on the
desirability and timing of introducing a national schools funding
formula.
Norfolk School Funding Level 2011/12
The Government has announced that Norfolk will be funded at £4,785.73
per pupil in 2011/12.
In 2010/11 Norfolk received a basic funding allocation of £4,110.85
per pupil. It also received £674.88 per pupil through other specific
grant streams which have now been consolidated into the Dedicated
Schools Grant.
The specific grants which have been consolidated into the Dedicated
Schools Grant in 2011/12 are:-
*
Funds allocated for one to one tuition
*
Extended schools - Sustainability
*
Extended schools - Subsidy
*
School Lunch Grant
*
Schools Standards Grant
*
Schools Standards Grant (Personalisation)
*
School Development Grant
*
Specialist Schools Grant
*
Ethnic Minority Achievement grant
*
Targeted Support for the Primary National Strategy allocated to
schools
*
Targeted Support for the Secondary National Strategy allocated to
schools
*
Diploma Formula Grant
*
London Pay Addition Grant
In total terms Norfolk will receive £512.8 million based on an
estimated 107,146 pupils. This compares to £514.7 million in 2010/11.
This represents a grant reduction of £1.9 million.
Details of how the specific grant have been allocated and now within
the budget share for 2011/12 are set out in the attached appendix.
Schools will therefore see an increase in the budget share allocated
by the local authority on day one. However, in setting budgets it must
be remembered that most funding is now issued on day one and schools
will not be receiving in year grant allocations in the same way as in
previous years.
Pupil Premium
The Government has announced that the pupil premium will be introduced
from April 2011. The premium will be paid in the form of a new
specific grant. The premium will be based on known eligibility to free
school meals in January 2011. The level of premium in 2011/12 has been
announced as £430 per pupil. In addition a pupil premium of £200 per
pupil will be allocated for each pupil from a service family. The
budget share statement includes the local authority’s estimate of the
likely level of Government funding based on these factors.
Post 16 Funding
The YPLA, the Government agency responsible for funding post 16
learners, has yet to issue cash allocation for the 2011/12 financial
year. YPLA wrote to all 16-19 providers last week providing
provisional allocations of learner numbers for 2011/12. The letter was
headed 16-19 Learner Responsive Statement – 2011/12. The explanatory
note attached to the note provided details of the funding policy. The
school specific statement provided a learner number for 2011/12 and an
indication that cash allocation would be issued by 31 March 2011.
To enable schools to produce financial budgets for 2011/12 the local
authority has interpreted the information provided by the YPLA to
produce guideline cash allocations for post 16 funding for the 2011/12
financial year.
The local authority budget allocation statement thus contains a local
authority estimated post 16 funding figure.
Budget Guidance 2012/13 and 2013/14
The Government has announced the total level of funding for schools
nationally, however it has not produced detailed local authority
allocation for beyond 2011/12. At a national level the Government has
announced that pupil funding will be “cash flat” for 2011/12 this has
been reflected in the minus 1½% per pupil funding guarantee. The
additional risk for schools is that inflation might result in spending
power being reduced further.
For this reason all schools are being instructed to construct 2012/13
and 2013/14 budgets on the assumption of a 2% funding reduction in
2012/13 and a 4% reduction in 2013/14. This approach has again been
discussed and endorsed by the Schools Forum.
If you have any questions about matters set out within this letter
please contact your Finance Support Officer in the first instance.
Yours sincerely

Paul Fisher
Assistant Director
Business and Compliance
cc Headteacher
continued…………….