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Written question asked by Jim Cousins (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 March 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 30 March 2006. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 April 2006 on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills.

Personalised Learning

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the planned basis is for the distribution of existing and additional funding announced in the Budget for personalised learning in 2006–07; whether local education authorities will decide their own local allocation scheme to schools; and whether local education authorities will be allowed to levy (a) brokerage payments and (b) service level agreement deductions from the funding they will receive.
Answer

Funding for personalised learning will be allocated through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), the Standards Fund and School Standards Grant (SSG).The Government announced in November 2005 new funding for personalised learning allocated as follows:

Dedicated schools grant £ million
Primary schools Key Stage 3
2006–07 100 120
2007–08 230 335

This funding has been allocated to local authorities on the following basis:"15 per cent. according to projected pupil numbers;""35 per cent. according to projected pupil numbers, weighted by the number of children in families in receipt of income support;""50 per cent. according to projected pupils, weighted for the proportion of pupils not achieving level 2 at KS2 (for the primary funding) or level 4 at KS3 (for the Key Stage 3 funding) in English and Maths."The Area Cost Adjustment (ACA), as announced in the Local Government Settlement on 5 December 2006, has been applied to all three distribution factors. Local authorities can decide how to allocate this funding to schools, in consultation with their Schools Forum. The Government expects the distribution across schools in the authority to be based on an assessment of relative need to:"support intervention and catch-up provision for children who have fallen behind in English and maths;""support the education of gifted and talented learners; and""help learners from deprived backgrounds to access after school and year-round activities."

Standards fund £ million
Primary schools Secondary schools
2006–07 30 30
2007–08 30 30

This funding has been allocated to local authorities based on the number of schools in each local authority that have a high number of pupils behind age related expectations in English or maths. Local authorities must allocate this funding to schools facing the greatest challenges, based on an assessment of need by the National Strategy manager in each local authority.Further additional funding for personalised learning of £220 million in 2006–07, rising to £365 million in 2007–08, was announced in the Budget Statement on 22 March 2006. This funding will be paid to schools as an addition to their Schools Standards Grant. The funding will be allocated to schools on a per pupil basis weighted for deprivation, as measured by Free School Meal take up, and low prior attainment. The exact distribution formula will be determined in consultation with school and local government representatives.All of the additional funding must be fully allocated to schools on the conditions set out above. Local authorities cannot retain any of the funding or make deductions to the amounts allocated to schools.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
63074; 445 c173-4W;445 c173-4W
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Finance Teaching methods