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2003 No. 453

EDUCATION, ENGLAND

The Financing of Maintained Schools (England) Regulations 2003

  Made 27th February 2003 
  Laid before Parliament 28th February 2003 
  Coming into force 21st March 2003 

In exercise of the powers conferred on the Secretary of State by sections 47, 48(1) and (2) and 138(7) of, and paragraph 1(7) of Schedule 14 to, the School Standards and Framework Act 1998[1] the Secretary of State for Education and Skills hereby makes the following Regulations:



PART 1

INTRODUCTION

Citation, commencement, application and interpretation
     1.  - (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Financing of Maintained Schools (England) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 21st March 2003.

    (2) These Regulations shall apply for the purposes of the financing of maintained schools in England in the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003.

    (3) In these Regulations-

    (4) In these Regulations "maintained school" means a community, foundation or voluntary school or a community or foundation special school.

    (5) In these Regulations a reference to proposals for the establishment of a school is a reference to a proposal for the establishment of the school under sections 28 or 31 of, or paragraph 5 of Schedule 7 to, the 1998 Act, section 70 of the 2002 Act or section 113A of and Schedule 7A to the 2000 Act[11].

    (6) In these Regulations, a reference (however framed) to a community, foundation or voluntary school or a community or foundation special school includes a proposed school which on implementation of proposals for the establishment of the school will be such a school and which has a temporary governing body.

    (7) In these Regulations a reference to a governing body includes the temporary governing body of a proposed school falling within paragraph (6).

    (8) In these Regulations a reference to a primary or secondary school means a primary or secondary school which is a community, foundation or voluntary school.

    (9) In these Regulations a reference to the permanent exclusion of a pupil is a reference to his permanent exclusion as defined from time to time for the purposes of section 494 of the 1996 Act[12].

    (10) In these Regulations a reference to a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school is a reference to a school which was such a school within the meaning of the 1996 Act immediately before 1st April 1999.

    (11) In these Regulations a reference to the LSC is a reference to the Learning and Skills Council for England[13].

    (12) In these Regulations, a reference to a local education authority's formula is a reference to a formula as provided in regulation 7.

Revocation of the 2001 Regulations and operation of the 2002 Regulations
     2.  - (1) The 2001 Regulations and the Financing of Maintained Schools (England) (Amendment No 3) Regulations 2002[14] shall be revoked on 1st April 2003.

    (2) A school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 may only be redetermined in the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 in accordance with the provisions of the 2002 Regulations if such redetermination makes provision for



PART 2

SCHOOLS' BUDGET SHARES : MAIN PROVISIONS

Determination of budget shares
     3. This Part and Part 3 apply for the purposes of determining the amount which a local education authority may determine as a maintained school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003.

Allocation of individual schools budget
    
4. A local education authority shall allocate in the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 in accordance with this Part and Part 3 all of their individual schools budget for that financial year as the budget shares of schools which they maintain.

Timing of determination of budget shares
    
5.  - (1) The amount of a school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 shall be initially determined by the local education authority before the beginning of that financial year.

    (2) A local education authority may decide not to initially allocate all of their individual schools budget in accordance with this Part in the form of budget shares at the beginning of the financial year and instead to retain an amount for the purpose of redeterminations or the correction of errors but such amount must be used for that purpose or distributed to schools as required by regulation 21(5) before the end of the financial year.

Consultation
    
6.  - (1) Subject to paragraph (2), a local education authority shall consult the governing body and head teacher of every school which they maintain about any proposed changes in relation to the factors and criteria that were taken into account, or the methods, principles and rules that were adopted, in their formula under the 2002 Regulations in the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 (including any new factors, criteria, methods, principles or rules).

    (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to changes made pursuant to regulation 5(2), 15, 20, 21(5) or 22.

    (3) Consultation under this regulation shall take place in sufficient time to allow the outcome to be taken into account in the determination of the authority's formula and in the initial determination of schools' budget shares before the beginning of the financial year.

    (4) The requirement to consult in paragraph (1) can be satisfied by consultation which takes place during the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 before the coming into force of these Regulations.

    (5) A local education authority shall inform all those who were consulted of the outcome of the consultation.

Formula for determination of budget shares
    
7.  - (1) A local education authority shall determine before the beginning of the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003, and after the consultation referred to in regulation 6, the formula which they will use to determine schools' budget shares in that financial year having regard to the factors, criteria and requirements set out in this Part and in Part 3.

    (2) A local education authority shall have regard to the desirability of such a formula being simple, objective, measurable and predictable in effect, and clearly expressed.

    (3) A local education authority may not use factors or criteria in their formula under this Part which make an allowance, in whole or in part, for-

    (4) Subject to regulation 28 (additional arrangements approved by the Secretary of State), a local education authority shall use the formula determined under paragraph (1) in all determinations and redeterminations of budget shares in respect of the financial year.

Pupil numbers
    
8.  - (1) In determining budget shares for primary and secondary schools, a local education authority shall take into account in their formula the number of registered pupils at those schools on such date or dates as may be determined by the authority in accordance with regulation 9, weighted if the authority consider it appropriate in accordance with paragraph (5).

    (2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the number of registered pupils does not include - 

    (3)

    (4) If the authority estimate the number of registered pupils at a school they must consult the head teacher of the school.

    (5) A local education authority may weight pupil numbers according to any or all of the following factors-

    (6) A local education authority may adjust the number of registered pupils used to determine or re-determine a school's budget share where it is appropriate to do so in order to take into account, wholly or partly, the permanent exclusion of a pupil from the school or the admission of a pupil following his permanent exclusion from another school maintained by a local education authority.

Dates for ascertaining pupil numbers
    
9.  - (1) Where the authority determine only one date for the purposes of regulation 8(1) that must be a date which falls - 

    (2) Where the authority determine more than one date for the purposes of regulation 8(1) then - 

    (3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) (restrictions on choice of dates for the purposes of regulation 8(1)) shall not apply in relation to pupils in nursery or reception classes whom the authority take into account under regulation 8(1) (pupils in nursery classes not occupying places which the authority recognise as reserved for such pupils or any pupils in reception classes).

Pupil numbers: Dual registration
    
10. Where a pupil is, in accordance with regulations made under section 434 of the 1996 Act([15]) a registered pupil at more than one school then that pupil shall be treated as being a full-time pupil at each such school unless the authority expressly provide otherwise in their formula.

Places
     11. In determining budget shares for-

the local education authority may take into account in their formula the number of places which they wish to fund at those special schools, the number of places of the kind described above at those primary or secondary schools or the amount of boarding accommodation which they wish to fund and in the case of sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) above may take account of the special educational needs in question.

Infant Class Funding
    
12.  - (1) In determining budget shares for schools, a local education authority may take into account in their formula the limitation on infant class sizes under regulations made pursuant to section 1 of the 1998 Act[16] in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4).

    (2) In determining budget shares for schools, a local education authority may, in respect of the period from 1 April 2003 to 31 August 2003, allocate additional funding for infant classes by the same method as used in the financial year beginning 1 April 2002 to distribute grant paid to the authority under section 3 of the 1998 Act in respect of expenditure incurred to secure compliance with regulations referred to under paragraph (1).

    (3) Where, as a result of the regulations referred to in paragraph (1) there are fewer than thirty children in any infant class at any school, a local education authority, in making provision under paragraph (1), may include in that school's budget share an amount of money in respect of each place in any infant class which is not funded as a result of other provisions in these Regulations, provided that this amount of money shall be the same in respect of each such place at any one school.

    (4) In determining the budget share of any school, a local education authority may include an amount of money in respect of any infant class at that school.

    (5) For the purposes of this regulation, the number of classes required at any school to fulfil the requirements imposed by the statutory provisions referred to in paragraph (1) shall be determined by the local education authority.

Differential funding
     13.  - (1) A local education authority shall use factors or criteria which differentiate between different categories or descriptions of schools in so far as the functions of the governing bodies of those schools justify such differentiation but may not otherwise do so except as required or expressly permitted by these Regulations.

    (2) A local education authority shall use factors or criteria which differentiate between a school and other schools of the same category or description if such differentiation is justified by reference to the choice that that school's governing body have made as to the inclusion in their school's budget share of funding in respect of expenditure of the kinds referred to in paragraphs 15(a) and (b), 25 or 27 of Schedule 2 to the Budget Regulations.

    (3) A local education authority are not required to use factors or criteria in their formula which differentiate between-

but they may do so.

    (4) If a local education authority choose to use a particular factor or criteria to delegate funding to all or some of the schools which they maintain, and a school which it is proposed to discontinue during the financial year did not receive funding in accordance with that factor or criteria in the financial year beginning on 1 April 2002, then this regulation shall not require the local education authority to delegate such funding to that school in accordance with that factor or criteria but they may do so.

Additional factors or criteria
    
14.  - (1) Subject to regulation 13 (differential funding), a local education authority may, in determining budget shares for schools which they maintain, take into account in their formula, as they consider appropriate, any or all of the factors or criteria set out in Schedule 1.

    (2) A local education authority shall, in determining budget shares for both primary and secondary schools which they maintain, take into account in their formula a factor or factors based on the incidence of social deprivation among pupils registered at all such schools if they have no factor elsewhere in their formula which is based on such incidence.

    (3) A factor included in an authority's formula pursuant to paragraph 17 of Schedule 1 is not, for the purpose of paragraph (2), a factor based on the incidence of social deprivation among pupils registered at a school.

    (4) In determining budget shares for schools, an authority may, in respect of the period from 1 April 2003 to 31 August 2003, allocate additional funding for pupils in key stage 2 by the same method as used in the financial year beginning 1 April 2002 to distribute grant paid to the authority in respect of such pupils under regulations made pursuant to section 484 of the 1996 Act[
17].

Sixth form funding
     15.  - (1) A secondary school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 shall include an amount ("the Amount") equal to any sum notified to the local education authority by the LSC as being the allocation ("the Allocation") in respect of that school's sixth form contained within grant payable to the local education authority under section 7 of the 2000 Act. The Amount shall include, on a net basis:

    (2) A local education authority may, in determining budget shares, use a factor which allocates funding in respect of sixth forms.

    (3) A local education authority may, in determining budget shares for schools with sixth forms, reduce the amount payable to each such school (using factors other than those authorised by regulation 8) under the formula used by the authority to determine that school's budget share by a sum representing that element which is duplicated in the Allocation under paragraph (1).

    (4) In determining budget shares for schools with sixth forms, a local education authority may reduce the Amount referred to in paragraph (1) by an amount not exceeding one-third of the difference between that amount and the Real Terms Guarantee amount for the school as notified by the LSC, where the latter amount is lower than the former amount.

    (5) For the purposes of paragraph (4), the Amount referred to in paragraph (1) does not include any sum representing an amount specifically allocated by the LSC in connection with any increase in amounts paid under the Teachers' Pensions Regulations 1997 in relation to employer contributions to teacher pension costs.

    (6) In this regulation, "academic year" means any period of twelve months beginning on 1 August.

    (7) In this regulation, "Real Terms Guarantee amount" means the amount notified to the local education authority by the LSC as being the finalised real terms guarantee level for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 for the school concerned , incorporating any adjustments to that portion of the real terms guarantee level relating to that part of the academic year beginning on 1st August 2002 which falls within the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003.

     16.  - (1) A secondary school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 shall be re-determined by 31 March 2004 pursuant to written notification from the LSC of a revised allocation in respect of the sum referred to regulation 15(1).

Budget share adjustments in relation to the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002: Pupil numbers
    
17.  - (1) This regulation applies to the extent that a school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 was determined pursuant to regulation 8(1) or (3) of the 2002 Regulations other than in cases where pupil numbers were weighted according to special educational needs.

    (2) Subject to paragraph (3), to the extent that a school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 was - 

the local education authority shall determine that school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 so as to take into account those differences.

    (3) A local education authority may determine a school's budget share so as to make such adjustments which are appropriate to take into account, wholly or partly, any increases in pupil numbers during the course of the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002.

    (4) In so far as a determination under this regulation would require the amount that would otherwise be the budget share of a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school to be reduced, it may not be reduced by an amount greater than the amount by which the school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 determined in accordance with regulation 21 (transitional funding) of the 2002 Regulations could have been reduced.

    (5) In so far as a determination under this regulation would require the amount that would otherwise be the budget share of a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school to be increased, there shall be deducted from that increase any amount for transitional funding determined in respect of the school in the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 under regulation 21 (transitional funding) of the 2002 Regulations.

Budget share adjustments in relation to the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 : Non-pupil number factors
    
18.  - (1) This regulation applies to the extent that a school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 was determined other than pursuant to regulation 8(1) or (3) of the 2002 Regulations or was so determined in accordance with pupil numbers weighted according to special educational needs.

    (2) Where-

the local education authority may determine that school's budget share so as to take into account those changes.

    (3) In so far as a determination under this regulation would require the amount that would otherwise be the budget share of a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school to be reduced, it may not be reduced by an amount greater than the amount by which the school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 determined in accordance with regulation 21 (transitional funding) of the 2002 Regulations could have been reduced.

    (4) In so far as a determination under this regulation would require the amount that would otherwise be the budget share of a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school to be increased, there shall be deducted from that increase any amount for transitional funding determined in respect of the school in the financial year beginning on 1st April 2002 under regulation 21 (transitional funding) of the 2002 Regulations.

New and reorganised schools
    
19.  - (1) In the case of - 

the local education authority shall include factors or criteria in their formula which enable them to determine the school's budget share so as to take into account the particular needs of the school or proposed school; and in particular may, in any financial year preceding the financial year in which a school first admits pupils, determine the amount of the budget share as zero.

    (2) For the purposes of these Regulations, proposals for the establishment of a school have been fully implemented when the number of pupils admitted to the school in each age group has, in the opinion of the local education authority, reached-

Transitional funding
    
20.  - (1) A local education authority shall determine the budget share of a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school so as to include an amount for transitional funding.

    (2) The amount referred to in paragraph (1) shall not exceed the amount payable to the school under regulation 21(1) of the 2002 Regulations (not taking into account any redetermination made under regulation 22 or regulation 17A[
a] of the 2002 Regulations but taking account of the correction of errors and taking into account any additional arrangement approved under regulation 32 of the 2002 Regulations).

    (3) Subject to paragraph (2), the amount referred to in paragraph (1) is the amount if any by which the school's protected level of funding in respect of the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 determined by the local education authority in accordance with Schedule 2 is greater than the school's adjusted budget share for that financial year.

    (4) For the purposes of this regulation, a school's adjusted budget share is its budget share determined in accordance with this Part and Part 3 but not taking into account the effect of this regulation and regulations 17 (budget share adjustments: pupil numbers), 18 (budget share adjustments: non-pupil number factors), 22 (excluded pupils), 23, 24 and 25 (additional provisions for re-determinations).

    (5) The amount of a school's transitional funding shall not be affected by a net increase during the financial year in that school's adjusted budget share arising out of changes in the numbers of pupils with statements of special educational needs or changes in the needs of such pupils.

Re-determination of budget shares
     21.  - (1) A local education authority shall include factors or criteria in their formula which enable them, if they so wish, to re-determine a school's budget share during the course of the financial year to take account wholly or partly of-

    (2) A local education authority shall redetermine a school's budget share in accordance with paragraph (1)(a) where such a redetermination would result in an increase to the school's budget share, unless the authority, in initially determining the school's budget share, have, for the purposes of regulation 8(1), determined a date or dates under regulation 9(2)(b)(ii).

    (3) This regulation is subject to regulation 20 (transitional funding).

    (4) A local education authority shall set out in their formula the factors or criteria that they will use, in re-determining schools' budget shares in accordance with paragraph (1), to allocate the planned expenditure referred to in paragraph 31 of Schedule 2 to the Budget Regulations.

    (5) Where the local education authority propose to retain part of their individual schools budget pursuant to regulation 5(2) for the purpose of re-determinations or the correction of errors they shall include factors or criteria in their formula which require them to re-determine schools' budget shares before the end of the financial year so as to distribute to schools the unallocated balance of any such retained amount on the basis of pupil numbers in accordance with regulation 8(1) or (3).

    (6) A local education authority shall include factors or criteria in their formula which enable them to adjust the number of registered pupils used to determine or re-determine a school's budget share where it is appropriate to do so in order to take into account, wholly or partly - 

Pupils permanently excluded or admitted following a permanent exclusion
    
22.  - (1) Where a pupil is permanently excluded from a school maintained by a local education authority, the authority shall re-determine the school's budget share for that financial year in accordance with paragraph (2).

    (2) The school's budget share shall be reduced by the amount A x(B/52) where - 

A is the amount, in the financial year in which the permanent exclusion takes effect (as defined from time to time for the purposes of section 494 of the 1996 Act ("the relevant date")), determined by the authority, in accordance with this Part, to be attributable for the full financial year to a registered pupil of the same age and characteristics as the pupil in question at primary or secondary schools maintained by the authority:

B is the number of complete weeks remaining in the financial year calculated from the relevant date:

    (3) Where a pupil is admitted to a school maintained by a local education authority ("the admitting school") who has been permanently excluded from another maintained school in that financial year the authority shall redetermine the admitting school's budget share in accordance with paragraph (4).

    (4) The school's budget share shall be increased by an amount which may not be less than the amount

D×(E/F)
where-

Additional provisions for redeterminations in relation to financial years beginning on or before 1st April 2001: (1) Former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special schools in the period before they became such schools and (2) Schools which were never such schools
    
23.  - (1) A local education authority may in the circumstances described in paragraph (2) redetermine a school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 to take into account changes in that school's non-domestic rates liability or to correct errors in data supplied by the head teacher or governing body of the school, by reference to which the following were determined - 

    (2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are that

Additional provisions for redeterminations in relation to the financial years beginning on 1st April 1999, 1st April 2000 or 1st April 2001: Former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special schools
     24.  - (1) A local education authority may redetermine a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 to take into account changes in that school's non-domestic rates liability or to correct errors in data supplied by the head teacher or governing body of the school, by reference to which the school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 1999, the financial year beginning on 1st April 2000 or the financial year beginning on 1st April 2001 was determined if-

    (2) In so far as a determination under paragraph (1) would require the amount that would otherwise be the budget share of the school to be reduced, it may not be reduced by an amount greater than the amount by which the school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 1999 (or, as the case may be, either the financial year beginning on 1st April 2000 or the financial year beginning on 1st April 2001) determined in accordance with regulation 18 (transitional funding) of the 1999 Regulations (or, as the case may be, regulation 18 (transitional funding) of the 2000 Regulations or regulation 20 (transitional funding) of the 2001 Regulations) could have been reduced.

    (3) In so far as a determination under paragraph (1) would require the amount that would otherwise be the budget share of a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school to be increased, there shall be deducted from that increase any amount for transitional funding determined in respect of the school in the financial year beginning on 1st April 1999 (or, as the case may be, either the financial year beginning on 1st April 2000 or the financial year beginning on 1st April 2001) under regulation 18 (transitional funding) of the 1999 Regulations (or, as the case may be, regulation 18 (transitional funding) of the 2000 Regulations or regulation 20 (transitional funding) of the 2001 Regulations).

Additional provisions for redeterminations in relation to financial years beginning on or before 1st April 1998 : Former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special schools
    
25.  - (1) A local education authority may in the circumstances described in paragraph (2) redetermine a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 to take into account changes in that school's non-domestic rates liability or to correct errors in data supplied by the head teacher or governing body of the school, by reference to which the school's maintenance grant (as a grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school) was determined for any financial year beginning on or before 1st April 1998.

    (2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are that - 

    (3) In so far as a determination under paragraph (1), arising from adjustments relating to the financial year beginning on 1st April 1998, would require the amount that would otherwise be the budget share of the school to be reduced, it may not be reduced by an amount greater than the amount by which the school's maintenance grant for that financial year determined in accordance with regulation 9 (transitional funding) of the 1998 Regulations could have been reduced.

    (4) In so far as a determination under paragraph (1), arising from adjustments relating to the financial year beginning on 1st April 1998, would require the amount that would otherwise be the budget share of a former grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school to be increased, there shall be deducted from that increase any amount for transitional funding determined in respect of the school in the financial year beginning on 1st April 1998 under regulation 9 (transitional funding) of the 1998 Regulations.

Percentage of "pupil-led" funding
    
26.  - (1) In determining and redetermining budget shares for primary and secondary schools a local education authority shall ensure that their formula provides that at least 75 per cent. of the amount which is their individual schools budget, less the amounts referred to in paragraph (2), is allocated in one or more of the following manners-

    (2) For the purposes of this regulation the following amounts are to be excluded from the local education authority's individual schools budget-



PART 3

CORRECTION OF ERRORS AND ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE

Correction of errors
    
27. A local education authority may at any time during the financial year redetermine a school's budget share for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 in order to correct an error in a determination or redetermination under these Regulations, whether arising from a mistake as to the number of registered pupils at the school or otherwise.

Additional arrangements approved by the Secretary of State
    
28.  - (1) The Secretary of State may, where it appears to him to be expedient to do so, authorise a local education authority to determine or redetermine budget shares, to such extent as he may specify, in accordance with arrangements approved by him in place of the arrangements provided for by these Regulations.

    (2) Authorisations given and arrangements approved by the Secretary of State under the 2000 Regulations, the 2001 Regulations or the 2002 Regulations shall, unless the contrary intention appears in such authorisation or arrangements, continue to apply in relation to the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003.



PART 4

SCHEMES

Required content of schemes
    
29. A scheme prepared by a local education authority under section 48(1) of the 1998 Act shall deal with the matters connected with the financing of schools maintained by the authority set out in Schedule 3.

Manner of publication
    
30. For the purposes of paragraph 1(7) of Schedule 14 to the 1998 Act (prescribed manner of publication of schemes) a scheme shall be published by the local education authority concerned on its coming into force and in the circumstances prescribed in regulation 31 by -

Additional occasions when schemes require publication
    
31. For the purposes of paragraph 1(7)(b) of Schedule 14 to the 1998 Act (prescribed occasions on which publication of schemes is required) a scheme shall be published by the local education authority concerned on the coming into force of any revision of it.


David Miliband
Minister of State Department for Education and Skills

27th February 2003



SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 14


ADDITIONAL FACTORS OR CRITERIA WHICH MAY BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN A LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY'S FORMULA UNDER REGULATION 10


Except where otherwise stated the factors or criteria set out below in this Schedule may not be taken into account by a local education authority in their formula on the basis of actual or estimated cost.

Where a local education authority take new factors or criteria into account in their formula or delete factors from their formula or determine a formula substantially or wholly different from the previous year, then they may make such transitional provision as they consider reasonable.

     1. Special educational needs of pupils determined in a manner that the authority consider appropriate as a means of assessing such needs.

     2. Pupils for whom English is not their first language.

     3. Turnover of pupils other than as part of the general admissions process at a school.

     4. Admission arrangements at a school.

     5. The size, condition and characteristics of a school's buildings and grounds relative to those of other schools maintained by the authority.

     6. A school which has a split site: the funding must be in accordance with criteria published by the authority.

     7. Such physical facilities, or organisational facilities for the education of pupils, as are found at some schools only.

     8. Rates payable in respect of the premises of each school (including actual or estimated cost).

     9. Use of energy by schools.

     10. Rent payable in respect of school premises or payments in respect of the use by a school of facilities not exclusively occupied by that school (including actual or estimated cost).

     11. Transport to and from activities outside the school premises which form part of the school's curriculum (including actual or estimated cost).

     12. Hire of facilities outside school premises (including actual or estimated cost).

     13. Insurance: the funding must be equal to the amount which would be spent on insurance for the school in question if amounts were not delegated to the governing body for such insurance or, if the authority do not insure, the appropriate proportion of the amount that would have been spent had they insured, to be determined on a basis decided by the authority.

     14. Payments in relation to a private finance transaction as defined in regulation 16 of the Local Authorities (Capital Finance) Regulations 1997 (including actual or estimated cost).

     15. Amounts payable to a school which is, as the result of the discontinuance of one or more maintained schools, either established or, pursuant to Chapter II of Part II of the 1998 Act, the subject of prescribed alterations, to reflect the extent to which a school which has been discontinued has spent more than or has not spent all of its budget share (within the meaning of the 1996 or the 1998 Act) in any financial year. Any such factor or criteria must provide that any amount deducted shall not exceed the amount which the school receives during the financial year as part of its budget share by virtue of being a new school.

     16. Whether a school is to be discontinued in the financial year.

     17. School milk, meals and other refreshment: the authority may not treat any element of this expenditure as having a negative value.

     18. Salaries at a school (including actual or estimated cost): the funding must be in accordance with a scale published by the authority.

     19. Safeguarding of salaries in accordance with a School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document having effect in accordance with an order under section 2 of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991[
21] or other salaries(including actual or estimated cost).

     20. Social priority allowances paid in accordance with a School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document having effect in accordance with an order under section 2 of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991 (including actual or estimated cost).

     21. The differential in recruitment and retention costs in different areas in which schools are located.

     22. The need for single payments to be allocated to primary, secondary or special schools, or any combination of such schools, regardless of size.

     23. The need for payments to be allocated to schools, of a size and satisfying other conditions, specified by the authority.

     24. Schools whose budget shares would otherwise be reduced year-on-year by a percentage figure of 3 per cent. or more, determined by the authority: the authority must publish that percentage figure and an explanation of how any amounts using such a factor or criteria will be determined including, if applicable, the use to be made of any sliding scale. Such a factor may not take account of the extent to which a school has spent more than or has not spent all of its budget share (within the meaning of the 1996 or 1998 Act) or its maintenance grant (as a grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school) in any financial year.

     25. Contracts to which the governing body of a school are bound by virtue of a provision in the authority's scheme (including actual or estimated cost).

     26. Effect of taxation on schools.

     27. Housing development or armed forces movements leading to a reduction in numbers on roll at a school of at least 20% within one year.

     28. Such items of expenditure in connection with provision for pupils registered at other schools as are prescribed by the School Budget Shares (Prescribed Purposes)(England) Regulations 2002[22].

     29. Incidence of Newly Qualified Teachers.

     30. Incidence of pupils from ethnic minority groups having below average levels of academic achievement in relation to other pupils in the authority's area, to be determined on a basis decided by the authority.

     31. Incidence of nursery classes and places recognised by the authority as reserved for children with special educational needs.

     32. Prior attainment of pupils entering a school.



SCHEDULE 2
Regulation 20


PROTECTED LEVEL OF FUNDING


     1.  - (1) This Schedule applies for the purpose of determining the protected level of funding for a school, to which regulation 20 (transitional funding) applies, in respect of the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003.

    (2) References in this Schedule to the number of registered pupils at a school on a particular date are references to the full-time equivalent of that number, where - 

     2. Subject to paragraphs 3, 4 and 5, the protected level of funding for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 for each school to which regulation 20 applies shall be calculated according to the

(a-b)×1.136 × d

c
Where

     3.  - (1) In the case of a special school which has places for both day and boarding pupils, the protected level of funding for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 for the school shall be calculated according to the formula

((e ÷ f)×1.136×g)+((h ÷ i)×1.136×j).
    (2) For the purposes of the formula in sub-paragraph (1) above,

     4. The protected level of funding for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2003 for - 

shall be

(a-b) × 1.136 × d

c
Where     

5. Where a school is to close during the financial year, the protected level of funding shall be the amount determined in accordance with paragraph 2, 3 or 4, as the case may be, divided by 365 and multiplied by the number of days in the period beginning on 1st April 2003 and ending on the day on which the school closes.



SCHEDULE 3
Regulation 29


CONTENTS OF SCHEMES


The matters referred to in regulation 29, being matters connected with the financing of schools maintained by a local education authority, required to be dealt with in the local education authority's scheme are as follows:

     1. The carrying forward from one financial year to another of surpluses and deficits arising in relation to schools' budget shares including budget shares as defined in section 101(3)(c) of the 1996 Act.

     2. The carrying forward from one financial year to another of surpluses and deficits arising in relation to any maintenance, special purpose or capital grant within the meaning of Chapter VI of Part III of the 1996 Act paid in respect of the school.

     3. Amounts which may be charged against schools' budget shares.

     4. Amounts received by schools which may be retained by their governing bodies and the purposes for which such amounts may be used.

     5. The imposition, by or under the scheme, of conditions which must be complied with by schools in relation to the management of their delegated budgets and of sums made available to governing bodies by the authority which do not form part of delegated budgets, including conditions prescribing financial controls and procedures.

     6. Terms on which services and facilities are provided by the authority for schools maintained by them.

     7. The payment of interest by or to the authority.

     8. The times at which amounts equal in total to the school's budget share are to be made available to governing bodies and the proportion of the budget share to be made available at each such time.

     9. The virement between budget heads within the delegated budget.

     10. Circumstances in which the authority may delegate to the governing body the power to spend any part of the authority's LEA budget or schools budget in addition to those set out in section 49(4)(a) to (c) of the 1998 Act.

     11. The use of delegated budgets and of sums made available to the governing body by the authority which do not form part of delegated budgets.

     12. Borrowing by governing bodies.

     13. The banking arrangements that may be made by governing bodies.

     14. A statement as to the personal liability of governors in respect of schools' budget shares having regard to section 50(7) of the 1998 Act.

     15. A statement as to the allowances payable to governors of a school which does not have a delegated budget in accordance with the scheme made by the authority for the purposes of section 519 of the 1996 Act.

     16. The keeping of a register of any business interests of the governors and the head teacher.

     17. The provision of information by and to the governing body.

     18. The maintenance of inventories of assets.

     19. Plans of a governing body's expenditure.

     20. A statement as to the taxation of sums paid or received by a governing body.

     21. Insurance.

     22. The use of delegated budgets by governing bodies so as to satisfy the authority's duties imposed by or under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

     23. The repayment to the Secretary of State of loans made to the governing body under section 255 of the 1996 Act.

     24. The provision of legal advice to the governing body.

     25. Funding for child protection issues.

     26. School meals.

     27. To whom in the authority complaints should be made by persons working at the school or by school governors about financial management or financial propriety at the school and how such complaints will be dealt with.

     28. Expenditure incurred by a governing body in the exercise of the power conferred by section 27 of the Education Act 2002.



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


A local education authority's individual schools budget is to be divided between the schools which they maintain in the form of budget shares for each school. These Regulations provide the basis on which, for the financial year beginning 1 April 2003, a local education authority may determine the amount from their individual schools budget to be allocated to each school as its budget share for that financial year.

These Regulations require a local education authority to deal in a scheme prepared by them with specified matters connected with the financing of schools which they maintain.

This year, the provisions which specify the nature of the planned expenditure which an authority may deduct from their schools budget in order to arrive at their individual schools budget for the financial year are contained elsewhere in the LEA Budget, Schools Budget and Individual Schools Budget (England) Regulations 2002. Other than this, the most significant changes from the Financing of Maintained Schools (England) Regulations 2002 ("the 2002 Regulations") are as follows:

Under the 2002 Regulations, the amount allocated per pupil in an authority's formula was subject to an annual increase of 2.5%. This no longer applies.

In determining pupil numbers for the purpose of allocating budget shares, under Regulation 8(5)(h) (pupil numbers), an authority may now choose to weight numbers according to whether a pupil is attending a middle school.

A new regulation (Regulation 12) has been inserted to allow authorities to take into account in their formula the requirement on schools to limit infant class sizes.

The requirement of a factor based on social deprivation in regulation 14(2) (additional factors or criteria) has been amended so that it applies only where social deprivation is not a criterion used elsewhere in the authority's formula.

Under regulation 15(4) (sixth form funding), the maximum deduction which an authority can make from the sixth form allocation by the Learning and Skills Council in determining a school's budget share has been reduced from two-thirds to one-third of any amount above the Real Terms Guarantee for that school.

In Regulation 20(2) (transitional funding), there has been inserted, by reference to the amount of transitional funding receivable in the financial year 2002/3, a cap on the amount which a school may receive in 2003/4.

The Part of the Regulations relating to the allocation of School Standards Grant has been omitted, as this grant is no longer included in schools' budget shares.

Under Regulation 21(2) (re-determination of budget shares), where a re-determination of a school's budget share as a result of a change in the number of registered pupils would result in an increase in that school's budget share, the authority is obliged to make such a re-determination (unless is has made the original calculation using a method specified in Regulation 21(2)).

In Schedule 1 (additional factors or criteria which may be taken into account in an authority's formula), paragraphs have been inserted authorising factors based on the incidence of Newly Qualified Teachers; incidence of ethnic minority pupils with below average levels of academic achievement; incidence of nursery classes and places for pupils with special educational needs; and prior attainment of pupils.


Notes:

[1] 1998 c. 31. By virtue of the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672) the powers conferred by these provisions are exercisable by the Secretary of State only in relation to England. For the meaning of "prescribed" and "regulations" see section 142(1).back

[2] 1996 c. 56.back

[3] 2000 c. 21.back

[4] 2002 c. 32.back

[5] S.I. 1998/799.back

[6] S.I. 1999/101.back

[7] S.I. 2000/478.back

[8] S.I. 2001/475.back

[9] S.I. 2002/377.back

[10] S.I. 2002/3199.back

[11] Section 113A and Schedule 7A were inserted by section 7 of, and Schedule 9 to, the 2002 Act.back

[12] Section 494 was substituted by paragraph 128 of Schedule 30 to the 1998 Act.back

[13] The Learning and Skills Council for England was established under section 1 of the 2000 Act.back

[14] S.I. 2002/2868.back

[15] The relevant Regulations, as at the date that these Regulations are made, are the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/2089) which remain in force by virtue of paragraph 1 of Schedule 39 to the 1996 Act. Amending instruments are S.I. 1997/2624 and S.I. 2001/2802.back

[16] The Education (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1973).back

[17] The Education Standards Fund (England) Regulation 2002 (S.I. 2002/510). Under section 18(2) of the 2002 Act, the power to pay grants under section 484 of the 1996 Act is with effect from 1 April 2003 exercisable only in relation to Wales. Grant in relation to key stage 2 pupils in respect of the financial year beginning 1 April 2003 is paid under section 14 of the 2002 Act, although the Education Standards Fund Regulations 2002 are saved until 1 April 2004.back

[18] S. I. 1997/3001.back

[19] S.I. 2002/2868.back

[20] S.I. 2000/1090.back

[21] 1991 c. 49. As at the date these Regulations are made the relevant document is the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2002 (ISBN 0 11 0 427750). That document was given effect in the Education (School Teachers' Pay and Conditions) (No 2) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/2223).back

[22] S.I. 2002/378.back


[a] Amended by Correction Slip. Page 9 regulation 20(2), third line, after "under regulation 22" insert "or regulation 17A". back

ISBN 0 11 045106 6


  Prepared 10 March 2003


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