Jogo Behaviour Support Blog
National Funding Formula Set to Change Thursday, 29 September 2016
Although the new Education Secretary Justine Greening has
pushed back proposals to implement the new national funding formula to 2018-2019,
it is still very much on the agenda. The aim of the policy is to see fairer
funding across England, and to ensure pupils receive funding to match their
needs. For the 2017-18, schools will
still be funded through the local formula set by their
local authority. There has been reassurance that schools will not see a
reduction in the schools or high needs block of the dedicated schools grant
next year, and that the current minimum funding guarantee for schools will be
retained in 2017-18.
The current funding is distributed to schools by the Local
Authority (“LA”) area by using a local funding formula. This gives different weights to different
factors meaning there are variances in the amount of funding received per pupil
by individual schools within a LA area. In
certain areas, some schools receive 50% more funding than others in similar
situation. The government says the new
formula is needed to tackle uneven levels of funding across England, but there
are concerns that while some schools will benefit others will not.
Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “The
introduction of a national funding formula will see the biggest step towards
fairer funding in over a decade – ensuring that pupils get funding that
genuinely matches their need.”
The new national funding formula will remove the LA’s role
in distributing funds between schools, they will however, remain involved in
the distribution of “high needs” funding for pupils with special educational
needs and disabilities. The £40bn budget
will be shared based on four main factors:
- A basic amount per pupil
- Funding for “additional needs” (deprivation, low prior attainment, number of pupils speaking English as additional language)
- School Costs” – related to serving rural communities
- "Area Costs” make sure funding goes to areas with the highest costs
There are some concerns for areas that are currently well
funded, such as London and other urban areas, that will potentially lose
funding but at the moment it is unclear as to which areas will lose and who
will gain under the new system as there has been no indication by the
government as to how much weight will be placed on the above four factors.
The reaction to the proposal has been mixed but most welcome
a more transparent distribution of funding. The Education Secretary Justine
Greening has said she did not want to rush into changes without being sure of
their ramifications. "There is a strong sense in the response to the first
stage of the consultation that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for
an historic change and that we must get our approach right."
She said she would publish a full response to the first
stage of the schools and high needs consultations and set out proposals for the
second stage in the autumn.
"We will run a full consultation, and make final
decisions early in the new year," she said. Given the importance of
consulting widely and fully with the sector and getting implementation right,
the new system will apply from 2018/19
Useful links
The government has recently announced that it is set to
re-introduce grammar schools. Although
the new grammar school system is unlikely to resemble that of the 1950’s, could
it still have the flaws of the current system? A controversial and at times
emotive issue the re-introduction of Grammar schools is set to be a topic of
discussion that will dominate the education agenda for some time. Is it possible to be true to the ideals of
inclusion and equality of access if selection is expanded?
It is argued that grammar schools help brighter children from
lower income homes. but at present as
little as 3% of grammar school pupils come from families that have a household
income of less than £16,000 a year. The selection process in the past has seen Grammar
schools accepting pupils subject to them passing the 11 plus exam. The purpose
of the exam is to see if applicants are able enough to learn with students of a
similar standard. Those who pass the
exam go on to attend a grammar school, whilst those who fail will attend a
local secondary school. Grammar schools
often have higher exam results but it is questionable if this is because they
are only dealing with those pupils who are most able.
Theresa May says the ban on new selective schools held back
many pupils. She stated that if schools already select on the basis of
disciplines like sport or music then why not on more academic criteria.
Opposition has come from a variety of sources including Sir Michael Wilshaw
Ofsted Chief inspector who described the return as “Tosh” and “nonsense”. He made particular reference to the success
of London comprehensive school and the progress of pupils from lower income
families. Those who oppose say Grammar schools by definition select those doing
well academically and it is the Governments role to improve the state education
system so pupils of all abilities make progress and achieve their outcomes.
Education secretary Justine Greening has launched the
government’s consultation on its new proposal stating the government wanted to
“turbo charge” the education and prospects of the disadvantaged. A selective school must meet certain
requirements which are designed to boost social mobility.
Here are the key points:
Conditions
Any new or expanding selective school would have to meet certain conditions. These include taking a proportion of pupils from lower income households; establishing a new non-selective secondary school; setting up a primary feeder in an area with a higher density of lower income households; or partnering with a nearby comprehensive or multi-academy trust (MAT).
Any new or expanding selective school would have to meet certain conditions. These include taking a proportion of pupils from lower income households; establishing a new non-selective secondary school; setting up a primary feeder in an area with a higher density of lower income households; or partnering with a nearby comprehensive or multi-academy trust (MAT).
Sanctions
Where selective schools do not meet expectations of providing “good or outstanding non-selective education” alongside their own provision, the government will hit them with sanctions, namely: removing access to any additional funding for new pupils or programmes; removing the right to select by ability (either temporarily or permanently); or barring selective schools from expanding further.
Where selective schools do not meet expectations of providing “good or outstanding non-selective education” alongside their own provision, the government will hit them with sanctions, namely: removing access to any additional funding for new pupils or programmes; removing the right to select by ability (either temporarily or permanently); or barring selective schools from expanding further.
Selection within trusts
The government will encourage MATs to select within their own trusts, by setting up a “single centre” for their most able students. The centre could be “virtual or have a physical location” and would provide their high achieving students with a more challenging curriculum.
The government will encourage MATs to select within their own trusts, by setting up a “single centre” for their most able students. The centre could be “virtual or have a physical location” and would provide their high achieving students with a more challenging curriculum.
Outreach work
Selective schools will have to take part in a range of outreach work to encourage local primary schools to “raise aspirations, improve educational practice, and promote wider access”. Grammar schools will also be asked to work with primary schools to identify individual pupils who might benefit most from “targeted activity”.
Selective schools will have to take part in a range of outreach work to encourage local primary schools to “raise aspirations, improve educational practice, and promote wider access”. Grammar schools will also be asked to work with primary schools to identify individual pupils who might benefit most from “targeted activity”.
Change in legislation
In a bid to improve fairer access to grammars, the government is proposing creating legislation that will require selective schools to prioritise children in receipt of the pupil premium and those from “lower income households”.
In a bid to improve fairer access to grammars, the government is proposing creating legislation that will require selective schools to prioritise children in receipt of the pupil premium and those from “lower income households”.
New disadvantage funding
The government is asking for advice on how it can “identify the group of people who are ‘just about managing’” and how it can measure the attainment and progress of children from these families in the school system. Prime minister Theresa May last week said the focus on free school meals children “skewed” policy. The government is now looking at how best to identify those pupils from families earning just above the £16,190 FSM threshold.
The government is asking for advice on how it can “identify the group of people who are ‘just about managing’” and how it can measure the attainment and progress of children from these families in the school system. Prime minister Theresa May last week said the focus on free school meals children “skewed” policy. The government is now looking at how best to identify those pupils from families earning just above the £16,190 FSM threshold.
New national funding formula
The green paper states the government is still committed to a new national funding formula. It states that any new formula will “reward those schools that support schools with a higher proportion of lower attaining pupils and those from less wealthy households”.
The green paper states the government is still committed to a new national funding formula. It states that any new formula will “reward those schools that support schools with a higher proportion of lower attaining pupils and those from less wealthy households”.
At Jogo Behaviour Support we would be really interested on your
opinions on this matter. We certainly think it’s going to be a heated debate
when Theresa May’s proposal goes before the House of Commons!
Links to other articles:
Getting to Know You - Ball Game Wednesday, 14 September 2016
This activity is a quick, fun, imaginative and easy game to
play. Initially the children and young
people may be cautious about making sounds, but with confidence the sounds
begin to be made.
Standing in a circle, one person begins by saying their own
name, then looks at another member of the circle and then they pretend to throw
a ball with a sound to the other person. That person then chooses someone else, states their
own name and throws the pretend ball with a sound to them. The game continues until everyone has had a
turn.
The pretend ball can
be:
- Tiny
- Huge
- Light as a feather
- Heavy as a medicine ball
- Made of ice
- Made of jelly
- Sticky
- Squelchy
- Squishy
- Bouncy
- Only rolled across to the other person
The list is endless. For young people, some boundaries may need placing around the type of pretend ball.
Benefits of playing
this game:
- Develops imagination
- Develops social skills
- Develops self-regulation skills
- Develops play skills essential for healthy development
- Develops working together skills
- Develops their language and communication skills
- Develops relationships and social skills
- Develops gross motor skills
- Develops sharing and waiting skills
- It is fun, cheap, highly beneficial and simple.