NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL
CORPORATE DIRECTOR MEETING WITH EXECUTIVE MEMBERS
3 DECEMBER 2024
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TEACHERS PENSION EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION GRANT (TPECG) AND THE CORE SCHOOL BUDGET GRANT (CSBG) TO SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND ALTERNATIVE PROVISION SCHOOLS FOR THE 2024/25 FINANCIAL YEAR
REPORT OF THE CORPORATE DIRECTOR – CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICE
1.0 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
1.1 This report asks the Corporate Director – Children and Young People’s Service in conjunction with the Executive Members for Children and Young People to agree recommendations in respect of the distribution of the Department for Education (DfE) Teachers Pension Employers Contribution Grant 2024 (TPECG 24) and the Core School Budget Grant (CSBG) for the 2024/25 financial year for Special schools and Alternative Provision (AP) schools.
1.2 The recommendations consider the feedback provided through consultation with Special Schools and Alternative Provision (AP) Schools.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 Teacher’s Pension Employers Contribution Grant 2024 – Special Schools & AP
The DfE announced the provision of £1.1 billion to support schools with the additional costs of the increase in the employer contribution rate of the teacher’s pension scheme by 5% to 28.6% from 1 April 2024. This funding is being split between mainstream schools, special schools, and alternative provision (AP), early years, and 16- to 19-provision. The “TPECG 24” funding allocation for Special Schools and AP (both LA maintained and academies) is paid to local authorities by the DfE. Local authorities have flexibility in how they pass on the funding allocations for special schools and AP schools to individual providers. This flexibility recognises that the teachers’ pay costs faced by special schools and AP schools may vary between individual providers, depending in part on the complexity of the pupil needs that they serve. However, the DfE require local authorities to comply with the following requirements in setting their local methodologies for how they will pass on the additional funding to schools they currently maintain, academies they previously maintained, and free schools located in their area. Local authorities must:
· pass on 100% of “TPECG 24” funding to individual eligible schools;
· ensure that all eligible schools receive a funding allocation through “TPECG 24” in 2024/2025
· have transparent criteria to distribute funding to individual schools, treating academies and mainstream schools the same.
· consult with eligible schools before deciding their methodology for allocating “TPECG 24” funding.
2.2 The DfE “TPECG 24” funding rate for the 2024/25 financial year for special schools and AP schools is £595 per place.
2.3 2024-25 Core School Budget Grant – Special Schools & AP
The DfE have announced the provision of £1.1 billion to support schools with their overall costs in the 2024/25 financial year, in particular following confirmation of the 2024 teacher pay award. This funding is being split between mainstream schools, special schools and alternative provision (AP). The funding is being allocated through the Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG) and covers the seven-month period from September 2024 to March 2025 for the 2024/25 financial year. The CSBG funding allocation for Special Schools and AP (both LA maintained and academies) is paid to local authorities by the DfE. Local authorities have flexibility in how they pass on the funding allocations for special schools and AP schools to individual providers. This flexibility recognises that the teachers’ pay costs faced by special schools and AP schools may vary between individual providers, depending in part on the complexity of the pupil needs that they serve. However, the DfE require local authorities to comply with the following requirements in setting their local methodologies for how they will pass on the additional funding to schools they currently maintain, academies they previously maintained and free schools located in their area. Local authorities must:
· pass on 100% of the CSBG funding allocated in respect of those schools, to those schools;
· ensure that all those schools receive a funding allocation from the CSBG in 2024/2025;
· have transparent criteria to distribute funding to individual schools, treating academies and maintained schools the same;
· consult with those schools before deciding their methodology for allocating CSBG funding.
2.4 The DfE CSBG funding rate for the 2024/25 financial year for special schools and AP schools is £610 per place.
3.0 2024/25 “TPECG 24” AND CSBG DISTRIBUTION TO SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND ALTERNATIVE PROVISION SCHOOL CONSULTATION
3.1 A funding consultation has been undertaken with special schools and AP schools (LA maintained and academies) on the methodology for the local authority distribution of the “TPECG 24” and the CSBG funding to these establishments for the 2024/25 financial year.
3.2 The local authority undertook a consultation with special schools and AP schools between 24 September 2024 and 25 October 2024. A copy of the consultation document can be found at Appendix 1 to this report.
3.3 Six responses were received to the consultation, as shown below.
LA Maintained Special Schools 3
Special School Academies 1
LA Maintained AP 2
AP Academies 0
Total 6
1 anonymous response was received; this has been excluded from the reported consultation results.
(Response rate: 40% of Special Schools & AP Schools)
3.4 Special schools and AP schools were asked to indicate their support for the proposed distribution methodology. The consultation results are detailed in the table below:
|
|
|
No. Responses Received Supporting Option |
|
Proposed Distribution Methodology for the TPECG 24 - £595 Per Place (as per DfE allocation methodology) |
|
|
|
Option 1 |
Supported |
6 |
|
Option 2 |
Not Supported |
0 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
Option |
Proposed Distribution Methodology for the CSBG- £610 Per Place (as per DfE allocation methodology) |
|
|
Option 1 |
Supported |
6 |
|
Option 2 |
Not Supported |
0 |
|
|
|
6 |
Additional comments provided in respect of the consultation proposal were as follows:
|
|
Comments on the Proposed Distribution Methodology of the TPECG 24 |
|
Provider Type |
Comment |
|
PRS - LA |
AP is significantly underfunded given the level of need of the students we are being asked to support and the length of time this support is required for. The placement costs are well below market rate even when the subsidised element from the High Needs Block is factored in. |
|
|
Comments on the Proposed Distribution Methodology of the CSBG |
|
Provider Type |
Comment |
|
PRS - LA |
We are significantly underfunded given the level of need of the students we are being asked to support and the length of time this support is required for. The placement costs are well below market rate even when the subsidised element from the High Needs Block is factored in. |
3.5 Based on the consultation responses received from special schools and AP schools, it is recommended that the “TPECG 24” and the CSBG funding is distributed to local authority maintained Special Schools and Alternative Provision and Special and Alternative Provision Academies based on the Department for Education (DfE) methodology used to distribute the funding to local authorities for the 2024/25 financial year.
4.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
4.1 The required funding for the proposal is provided from the ringfenced “TPECG 24” and the CSBG for Special Schools and AP Schools. There is no direct impact on the Council’s budget from this proposal.
5.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
5.1 No specific legal implications are identified as a result of the recommendation contained within this report.
6.0 EQUALITIES IMPACT ASSESSMENT
6.1 An Equalities Impact Screening Assessment (EIA) has been undertaken in respect of the proposal contained in this report. It is anticipated that there will be no impact on any persons with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The EIA is attached at Appendix 2 of the report.
7.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
7.1 No climate change or environmental implications have been identified, through the completion of Climate Change Impact Assessments (Initial Screening Form), with the proposal outlined in this report.
8.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
8.1 The local authority must determine a distribution methodology for the “TPECG 24” and CSBG using the criteria outlined by DfE. Following a consultation with relevant Special Schools and AP Schools, strong support was provided for the proposed distribution methodology.
9.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
9.1 The Corporate Director – Children and Young People’s Service, in conjunction with Executive Members for Children and Young People, is asked to agree the recommendation for the Teacher’s Pension Employers Contribution Grant (TPECG 24) and the Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG) funding to be distributed to local authority maintained Special Schools and Alternative Provision and Special and Alternative Provision Academies based on the Department for Education (DfE) methodology used to distribute the funding to local authorities for the 2024/25 financial year.
STUART CARLTON
Corporate Director – Children and Young People’s Service
Report prepared by: Howard Emmett, Assistant Director - Resources