SOLIHULL METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL Report to: Information report to Cabinet Member for Resources and Delivering Value Meeting date: 21st May 2015 Subject/Report Title: LICENSED DEFICITS FOR ST PETERS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SPECIALIST SCIENCE COLLEGE AND DAYLESFORD INFANT SCHOOL Report from: Director of Resources Report Author/Lead Contact Officer: Linda Sheridan [email protected] 0121 704 6617 All Wards Wards affected: Bickenhill Blythe Castle Bromwich Chelmsley Wood Dorridge/Hockley Heath Elmdon Kingshurst/Fordbridge Knowle Lyndon Meriden Olton Shirley East Shirley South Shirley West Silhill Smith's Wood St Alphege Public/Private report: Public Exempt by virtue of Paragraph: N/A 1. Purpose of Report 1.1 To inform the Cabinet Member of Licensed Deficits which have been approved for St Peters Catholic school and Specialist Science College and Daylesford Infant school. 2. Decision(s) Recommended 2.1 For information 3. Background 3.1 The financial controls within which delegation of funding to schools works are set out in the Solihull Scheme for the Financing of Schools made by Solihull MBC in accordance with s.48 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Section 4.9 of the Solihull Scheme details the regulations for Licensed Deficits, an extract is shown in Appendix A. In the event that recovery cannot be achieved within the Licensed Deficit framework, the Director for Children’s Services and Skills will work through the protocol of the Statutory Guidance on Schools Causing Concern, which incorporates formal escalation and intervention procedures. Whilst the Council would normally expect to consider a request for a Licensed Deficit in advance of a school experiencing financial difficulties, there are two schools which forecast substantial losses for 2014/15 only towards the end of the financial year. These schools are St Peters Catholic School and Specialist Science College, and Daylesford Infant school. It is five years since we last had a request for a Licensed Deficit, and this is therefore the first request since the regulations changed in April 2014. 3.2 ST PETERS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SPECIALIST SCIENCE COLLEGE St Peter’s is an Ofsted rated outstanding secondary school with a sixth form which serves Solihull’s catholic community. A new Head teacher was appointed for the start of the 2014/15 academic year. At that stage the Senior Leadership team (SLT) and Governing body were aware that the school faced financial difficulties for the financial year commencing April 2015 and in future years. However, in February 2015 it became clear that the school would end the financial year 2014-15 in a significant deficit position. 3.3 An application for a Licensed Deficit has been received from St Peter’s school. This includes a detailed recovery plan, which has formed the basis of this report. The confirmed deficit for St Peters at 2014/15 financial year end is £208,433. 3.4 The school’s Published Admission Number (PAN) had been reduced in 2011 in order to facilitate an expansion to the sixth form while still meeting demand for catholic places at the time. However, the 6th form subsequently experienced a period of surplus capacity. Changes in the national formula for 6th form funding also resulted in a significant reduction in 6th form funding. Consequently, with 6th form funding falling, surplus capacity in 6th form, and school oversubscribed because demand for places had risen, the PAN was increased to 205 in 2013. As school admissions increase to the revised PAN, funding will increase over the next 5 year period, which will contribute to financial recovery. 3.5 The school have also undertaken an exhaustive review of their staffing structure in order to achieve a return to financial sustainability. In addition to addressing the current deficit position, this review has also sought to address the significant known financial cost pressures which schools are facing as pay, superannuation and National Insurance rise in a climate of ‘cash flat’ budgets for schools. Much of the change required for the new structure has already been achieved through turnover, with the remainder to be implemented through a planned staff reduction exercise before the end of this academic year. 3.6 In undertaking this staffing review, the priority has been to work towards financial sustainability in a way which ensures that the current high educational standards are maintained. All non staffing budget areas have also been subjected to a rigorous challenge, and reduced where appropriate, to ensure all areas of the school budget are contributing to financial recovery. 3.7 The forward financial plan (Appendix B) indicates that , if achieved, these savings will accomplish a reduction in the required deficit to £ 76,000 by 2015/16 financial year end, with a return to a surplus budget position by the end of 2016/17. Future financial viability for 2018/19 and beyond may necessitate further reductions, depending on both further staffing and formula funding changes in the interim. 3.8 The financial position at St Peters is vulnerable to: a) Delayed achievement of staffing reductions b) Additional costs of any redundancies being charged to the school. c) Pupil numbers failing to increase as anticipated d) Delay in restoring catering sustainability e) Sixth form provision failing to maintain financial viability 3.9 However, the leadership team are committed to doing whatever becomes necessary to ensure financial stability is maintained, although any future such measures have not at this stage been incorporated into the forward plans. 3.10 In recognition of the existing deficit position, a Licenced Deficit for St Peters school has been approved subject to the following conditions: a) The School continues close and co-operative working with the School Finance team to ensure on-going monitoring and support. Management information will be submitted on a monthly basis using the Council’s standard templates for financial management reporting for schools b) The school will have a formal monthly financial review meeting with the Schools Finance team Manager to track progress against the financial recovery plan c) If financial stability cannot be achieved through the proposals outlined in the recovery plan, the Governing body will achieve the proposed level of financial recovery through other means within a similar time period d) The school will undertake an analysis of it’s sixth form provision to ensure financial viability e) Further reductions will be made as necessary to ensure longer term viability f) The school will provide a summary update report in November, to track progress against the recovery plan. This should include: A forecast out-turn position for 2015/16 A revised forward plan 3.11 DAYLESFORD INFANT SCHOOL 3.12 Daylesford is an Ofsted rated outstanding Infant school with a current Pupil Admission number (PAN) of 75 pupils. Pupils are split into three classes per year group with one mixed years 1 and 2 group in the afternoons. The school have historically had low reserve balances because they have maintained these small class sizes. 3.13 The school’s funding for 2014/15 was slightly reduced in comparison to the previous year because of a combination of lower pupil numbers and funding formula changes. The school budget planned for a small surplus balance at 2014/15 financial year end, after a positive contribution from the wraparound club based at the school. 3.14 However, a number of late changes during the financial year have resulted in a confirmed deficit of £29,887 at financial year end. An application for a Licensed Deficit has now been received from Daylesford school ( Appendix C). Much of this deficit (approximately £20,000) relates to the use of teaching posts to temporarily replace teaching support assistants on maternity leave, in order to maintain standards. A fall in nursery pupil numbers through the year is the other key contributor to the deficit. 3.15 The authority has requested that the school increase its PAN to 90 with effect from September 2015. This will provide a significant increase in funding as the school fills up to its new PAN, with only a small increase in staff costs required, because most of the structure for three classes per year group is already in place. The pupil funding increase will amount to approximately £40,000 each year for the next three years ( if full) resulting in an overall increase in funding of £120,000 by 2018/19 which will restore financial viability. 3.16 Alongside these changes, the school’s wraparound club made a lower than planned financial contribution in 2014/15 as a result of capital works which had to be undertaken as a result of increasing numbers utilising this provision. It is anticipated that in 2015/16 and future years, the club will contribute a significantly higher sum to the school budget. 3.17 The Forward Financial (Appendix D) plan indicates that this will achieve a reduction in the deficit to £4,000 by 2015/16 financial year end, with a return to a budget surplus position by 2016/17 financial year end. 3.18 The financial position at Daylesford is vulnerable to: a) Pupil numbers failing to increase as anticipated However, the school place planning team have confidence the demand is sufficient to fill the increased places. 3.19 In recognition of the existing deficit position, a Licenced Deficit for Daylesford school has been approved subject to the following conditions: a) The School continues close and co-operative working with the School Finance team to ensure on-going monitoring and support. Management information will be submitted on a monthly basis using the Council’s standard templates for financial management reporting for schools b) The school will have a formal termly financial review meeting with the Schools Finance team Manager to track progress against the financial recovery plan c) If financial stability cannot be achieved through the proposals outlined in the recovery plan, the Governing body will achieve the proposed level of financial recovery through other means within a similar time period d) The school will provide a summary report in November, to track progress against the recovery plan. This should include: A forecast out-turn position for 2015/16 A revised forward plan 4. Evaluation of Alternative Option(s) 4.1 Solihull Council does not hold back funds for schools in deficit, and the Scheme for the Financing of schools explicitly states that ‘the Council cannot write off the deficit balance of any school under any circumstances’. 4.2 Consequently the mechanism of a Licensed Deficit is the only option available when a school is in this position. 5. Reasons for Recommending Preferred Option 5.1 N/A 6. Scrutiny 6.1 N/A 7. Implications 7.1 Delivery of the Council’s Priorities N/A 7.2 Policy/Strategy Implications N/A 7.3 Meeting the duty to involve N/A 7.4 Financial Implication There are no financial implications for other Council budgets 7.5 Legal implications N/A 7.6 Risk Implications There are no ‘red’ risks which need to be reported 7.7 Statutory Equality Duty There are no direct equality analysis implications 7.8 Carbon Management/Environmental N/A 7.9 Partner Organisations N/A 7.10 Safeguarding/Corporate Parenting Implications N/A 7.11 Customer Impact N/A 7.12 Other implications N/A 8. List of Appendices Referred to 8.1 Appendix A - Extract from Scheme for the Financing of Schools 8.2 Appendix B - Forward Financial plan for St Peter’s school 8.3 Appendix C - Application for a Licensed Deficit for Daylesford school 8.4 Appendix D - Forward Financial plan for Daylesford school 9. Background Papers Used to Compile this Report 9.1 N/A 10. List of Other Relevant Documents 10.1 N/A
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