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RESOLVED:
1.   
That Cabinet notes and supports the application to
the Secretary of State to transfer 1.0% (which was equivalent to
£8.4m in 2024/25) from the schools’ block DSG to the
High Needs block DSG, as set out in the safety valve agreement with
the Department for Education (DFE).

 
2.   
That the Schools Forum’s formula
recommendations for schools as set out in Annex 3, is approved by
Cabinet; and the decisions in Annex 4 implemented, subject to any
changes required to comply with the DfE provisional schools funding
settlement announced on 28 November 20243          
The proposals agreed by the Schools Forum for additional funding
for mainstream schools with disproportionately high incidence of
special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are
agreed.
 
3.   
That the introduction of additional funding for
primary schools with temporary falls in rolls is supported by
Cabinet as agreed by the Schools Forum.

 
4.   
That the principles of the early years funding
formula, supported by the Schools Forum, is approved by
Cabinet.
 
5.   
That authority is delegated to the Director of
Education and Lifelong Learning in consultation with the Executive
Director of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning and the
Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning to
approve amendments to the funding rates in the schools formula and
early years funding formula, as appropriate, following receipt of
the DSG settlement and DfE pupil data in December 2024. This is to
ensure that total allocations to schools under this formula remain
affordable within the council’s DSG settlement and to meet
the DfE deadline of mid-January for submission of proposed school
budgets to the DFE and the expected deadline for confirmation of
early years funding rates, currently expected to be 28 February
2025.
Reasons for Decisions:
 
To
comply with DfE regulations requiring formal council approval of
the local funding formula for Surrey’s primary and secondary
schools and to allow budgets for schools to be submitted to the DfE
by the deadline of 22 January 2025 and funding rates for early
years providers to be set by the required deadlines.
(The
decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families,
Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee)