A funding crisis for Bucks Grammar (and Upper) Schools?

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ManfromMissenden
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 1:48 pm

A funding crisis for Bucks Grammar (and Upper) Schools?

Post by ManfromMissenden »

DCHS (in line with other academy schools) is required to publish an annual report. They have just done so for FY1314.
http://www.dchs.bucks.sch.uk/_files/CF7 ... 8B40D5.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There is an interesting paragraph in page 9 under the section Key Financial Performance Indicators

"In common with all education establishments, the school is operating under severe financial constraints.
Furthermore schools in Buckinghamshire are amongst the worst funded in the country and the Local Authority
in Buckinghamshire has chosen to fund its secondary schools using a formula that is amongst the most
detrimental to secondary schools in the country in comparison with its funding of primary schools.
In particular, according to information in the Pre-16 Academy Allocations 2013/14 produced by the Education
Funding Agency, at Key Stages 3&4 (years 7-11 comprising around 750 students) the school is funded at a
level of £4,294 per student. This compares with an average nationally of £5,588 and a similar school less than
10 miles away but in a different county of £4,798. Were this school to be funded at the national average income
would be £970K higher, if it were funded at the same level as the nearby school income would be £378K
higher."

Funding is 30% lower than the national average !!

I also understand that of the 1,600 or so Academies in the UK, DCHS is the 10th worst funded, and also that the bottom 10 contains several other Bucks GS (and an upper school) .

The system just strikes me as both arbitrary (all other things being equal why should schools in different counties have different funding levels?) and deeply unfair.

I do get that, at the margin, resources should be directed towards schools with a pupil cohort that needs more support than the bright, largely economically advantaged children who attend Bucks GS, but the magnitude of the funding difference between DCHS (and presumably other Bucks GS) and the average (let alone the best funded schools) I find simply astonishing. 30% less per student!
I think this situation partially explains the recent dash by many schools for more students (BHS with their bulge year, DCGS with their sixth from expansion and now DCHS with their just announced 2015 yr 7 bulge year and admission of more yr 10 girls) ... they need the revenue. But of course this is a zero sum game and every extra student taken in means one less student somewhere else.

How will our schools maintain the excellence they strive for and very largely achieve over the next five years when they are being hammered so hard? I don't understand why this isn't a matter of huge public debate & concern. Unmanaged, I suspect it is only going to get worse over the next few years whoever wins the election.

As parents I think we should be trying to generate political attention on this issue both to understand what BCC are up to and, more generally, to address the national funding formula.
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: A funding crisis for Bucks Grammar (and Upper) Schools?

Post by Guest55 »

Academies get additional funding from the Government.

https://www.gov.uk/academy-funding-info ... ol-leaders" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I thought Schools Forum decide the funding formula not the LA. Schools Forum is a group of Heads from all phases so it has to be agreed between schools.

In the past the AWPU (age weighted pupil unit) favoured secondaries ...
ManfromMissenden
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 1:48 pm

Re: A funding crisis for Bucks Grammar (and Upper) Schools?

Post by ManfromMissenden »

The funding for Academies (and all schools) is quite complex I think. There are a number of pots of money that all schools take from - some from central government and some via LAs. When schools convert to academies they get transitional funding to help them with the one off costs and supposedly some of the extra day to day costs involved, but this erodes in years 2, 3 & thereafter of an Academy.

The picture that DCHS paint is a "net" one that includes all of the extras and unfortunately is a true reflection of the real funding levels they (and many other Bucks GS) get from central government.
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: A funding crisis for Bucks Grammar (and Upper) Schools?

Post by Guest55 »

The GS have representation on schools forum and it is that body, not the LA that is responsible for their level of funding.
tiffinboys
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Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: A funding crisis for Bucks Grammar (and Upper) Schools?

Post by tiffinboys »

Don't have full grasp on School Funding, but the following documents may give some idea.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... 015-16.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... 015-16.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All schools seems to be getting minimum funding per child, which is then augmented by additional funds for
a. Children entitled for free school meals.
b. Children living in areas of income deprivation.
c. Looked after children
d. Children with low prior attainment levels.
e. and few other factors (e.g. English as Additional language).

In theory, Academies should be getting their funding directly from Education Funding Authority.
ManfromMissenden
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 1:48 pm

Re: A funding crisis for Bucks Grammar (and Upper) Schools?

Post by ManfromMissenden »

Guest55 wrote:The GS have representation on schools forum and it is that body, not the LA that is responsible for their level of funding.
I do know that there are some elements of "top up" funding (beyond mandated pupil premium etc.) that academies receive that do pass through LAs and that LAs themselves have discretion in how they allocate.
Anyhow, for me the mechanics of which part of local or central government provides which piece of funding is a bit of a side-show, though the lack of transparency hides the underlying provision to school

What I believe I can assert is that the numbers that DCHS quote are real. This is what they get according to their audited accounts.

My point is that I think the funding level they (and other GS in the area) receive is woefully inadequate. I'm concerned that the parental community is unaware of this, I'm concerned about the future of our schools, and I'm concerned that there is little political visibility of the issue & therefore desire to change.
ManfromMissenden
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 1:48 pm

Re: A funding crisis for Bucks Grammar (and Upper) Schools?

Post by ManfromMissenden »

I just found the official Academy funding data from the EFA. It shows the General Annual Grant and the Educational Services Grant by school for all academies in UK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... demic-year" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It contains grant levels and pupil numbers so the maths are fairly straightforward.
Unfortunately I can't copy excel tables into here but below are the numbers I extracted for Bucks secondary academies from the table. Obviously one could calculate a national mean and do other stats on the data and comparison by county etc.... But I need to go do some Christmas shopping

It is sobering reading in my opinion!!


ACADEMY NAME Grant/pupil
THE AYLESBURY VALE ACADEMY £5,007.53
DR CHALLONER'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL £4,362.33
ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL HIGH WYCOMBE £4,339.14
WYCOMBE HIGH SCHOOL £4,219.67
JOHN HAMPDEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL £4,388.02
SIR WILLIAM BORLASE'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL £4,254.21
AYLESBURY GRAMMAR SCHOOL £4,350.16
AYLESBURY HIGH SCHOOL £4,151.93
THE HIGHCREST ACADEMY £5,803.92
SIR HENRY FLOYD GRAMMAR SCHOOL ACADEMY TRUST £4,412.48
CHESHAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL £4,252.68
DR CHALLONER'S HIGH SCHOOL £4,294.27
GREAT MARLOW SCHOOL £4,516.60
JOHN COLET SCHOOL £4,263.34
SIR WILLIAM RAMSAY SCHOOL ACADEMY TRUST £4,683.13
THE CHALFONTS COMMUNITY COLLEGE £4,393.36
AMERSHAM SCHOOL £4,465.31
THE CHILTERN HILLS ACADEMY £5,117.65
PRINCES RISBOROUGH SCHOOL £4,411.70
THE ROYAL LATIN SCHOOL £4,101.14
WADDESDON CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL £4,547.49
BURNHAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL £4,420.25
BURNHAM PARK E-ACT ACADEMY £5,086.11
HOLMER GREEN SENIOR SCHOOL £4,473.90
BEACONSFIELD SCHOOL £4,482.43
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