Issue - meetings

This report sets out the options for the early years single funding formula (EYSFF) for the financial year 2023/24 to enable a recommendation to be made to the council.

Central budgets to support the council’s statutory duties for early years are also set out in the report for agreement.

A summary of responses to the consultation undertaken with the sector is in the process of being collated and will follow (as Appendix 2).

The Head of School Planning and Admissions presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

This report set out the options for the early years single funding formula (EYSFF) for the financial year 2023/24 to enable a recommendation to be made to the Council.

Central budgets to support the council’s statutory duties for early years were also set out in the report for agreement.

There was a discussion around rental price increases and the lack of available resources to fund a meaningful early years’ experience and that future children may miss out on this all together.   It was suggested that meaningful conversations would be needed about how Sen could be funded in early years.  It was felt that the Government shortfall in funding would affect schools, as children would be below an expected level of education and experience when they started school, as was seen after Covid.

It was discussed that other sectors were paying significantly higher wages than in the education sector.  For example, there were cases of teaching assistants going to work in supermarkets.   There was concern that the salary rates and costs would result in significant recruitment issues in the future. 

It was RESOLVED that the Schools Forum:

a)     Recommend to Council the 2023/24 EYSFF according to option 2 included in the consultation, as amended for the final funding rates in the December 2022 settlement as set out in Tables 3 and 4; and

b)    Agree the central budgets supporting the early years free entitlements, set at the same level as 2021/22 and 2022/23 at £184,000, as shown in Table 4.

Voting: unanimous