Report for decision attached

The Board considered a report from the Senior Finance Business Partner providing an update on DSG budget planning for 2022/23, following the Department for Education (DfE) July 2021 school funding announcements, and an update on the latest DSG budget for 2021/22, following the applied annual DfE July 2021 funding update changes.

The Board discussed the report and noted the positive funding announcements and the healthy position of the DSG budget.

Resolved:

1. That with regard to individual school’s budget (ISB) planning for 2022/23, to continue on the trajectory of adopting the principles of the National Funding Formulae (NFF) )a s referenced in paragraph 5.1 to 5.5 of the submitted report) and therefore:

1.1 Any mainstream school that attracts their core NFF pupil led funding factors (i.e. with no MFG or funding floor protections applied), to benefit from the full NFF applied circa 3% increase to those core funding factors per pupil.

1.2 All remaining mainstream schools whose per 2021/22 per pupil led funding rates are either above the revised NFF mandatory 2022/23 minimum funding amounts per pupil or core NFF funding rate per pupil as referenced in 2.1.1, will receive the same NFF maximum allowable 2% uplift per pupil.

2. That the approach of recommended minimum balances held in DSG reserves and the approach of one-off use of reserve balances where they are above those minimum levels (As referenced in 11.7 and 11.8), be approved.

Report for decision attached