School Funding: What next? Local authority and school views
21 February 2005
Following revisions to the funding arrangements for schools by the Government in the 2003/04 financial year and concerns that these new arrangements may exacerbate the unfair aspects of the present system, creating significant 'losers', the Local Government Association commissioned the NFER to conduct a study on the impact of these changes.
The key findings of the research concern:
- recent changes to the school funding system
- allocation of funding to schools
- relationships between local authorities and schools
- monitoring of school budgets
- future developments for the funding system.
The report concludes that whilst the new arrangements have provided greater financial certainty and financial control for schools, they are perceived to have reduced local authority discretion and their flexibility to cater for local needs.
This report is important reading for policy makers, local authority staff , councillors, headteachers and school governors.