Priority is to offer the best education
The First Person article "Funding formula favours large schools at expense of small ones" (Mail, March 14) deserves a response.
East Riding Council is committed to providing the best-possible education for every child and young person in the county.
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under threat: Gembling Primary School, near Driffield, is earmarked for closure.
Funding for East Riding schools is provided by Government and our funding is the third-lowest in the country.
Our schools do a fine job in very difficult circumstances.
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However, where there are compelling reasons to review the future viability of a school, the council will do so in order to ensure all children and young people get the best education possible on a woefully inadequate budget.
Our principle is to fund education, not bricks and mortar.
The Government introduced new funding rules. These new rules are based on the principle that funding follows the pupil.
72 per cent of the funding provided for East Riding primary schools is based on pupil numbers.
Every pupil is funded at the same basic level in every primary school. The remaining 28 per cent comprises a lump sum for every school of £130,000 and additional funds, dependent on the school's location and intake.
In the East Riding, there are 59 primary schools with fewer than 150 pupils. These schools receive, on average, a third more funds per pupil than the 59 largest primary schools.
The funding formula would appear to favour small schools at the expense of larger ones.
I would also like to correct inaccuracies in the writer's text.
The new funding rules were set by the Government. The Government accepted they would lead to turbulence in school budgets. Some schools would gain, others would lose.
The Government introduced a "safety net" to try to alleviate the issue. The council has nothing to "duck", as the writer suggests.
The Schools Forum made the decision to recommend the new Funding Formula to the Council. The Forum has 25 members, 19 of whom are headteachers or governors, while six represent other interested parties such as trades unions or the 14-19 Partnership.
I am unconvinced we have anything to teach Pontius Pilate.
John Wilson,
Assistant Director (Children and Young People),
East Riding Council.
5 Comments
by Oldschool
Sunday, March 17 2013, 9:22PM
“According to the ERYC website Mr Wilson is the CHAIR of the 14-19 partnership!!
And would that Forum be the one Mr Wilson, you and your colleagues are the Advisors/support Officers to the Forum members?
On the 2nd October 2012 meeting there were SIX Advisors/support officers (ERYC) Inc yourself.
Oh and FIVE Headteachers present.
Sounds a very fair balance, not.”
by mrbsmum
Sunday, March 17 2013, 3:24PM
“Mr Wilson is shockingly dishonest in his attempt to distance ERYC Officers from the Schools Forum - as mentioned above, the Schools Forum is made up almost entirely of ERYC employees, is advised by ERYC Officers, and the 14-19 Partnership to which Mr Wilson refers is chaired by none other than himself! Mr Wilson and his colleagues seem to think that it is reasonable to achieve they results required by their own agenda by misleading the public they are paid to serve - it really is disgraceful behaviour.”
by mrbsmum
Sunday, March 17 2013, 3:22PM
“Mr Wilson is shockingly dishonest in his attempt to distance ERYC Officers from the Schools Forum - as mentioned above, the Schools Forum is made up almost entirely of ERYC employees, is advised by ERYC Officers, and the 14-19 Partnership to which Mr Wilson refers is chaired by none other than himself! Mr Wilson and his colleagues seem to think that it is reasonable to achieve the results required by their own agenda by misleading the public they are paid to serve - it really is disgraceful behaviour.”
by herdsman
Friday, March 15 2013, 9:44PM
“I think Mr Wilson needs to also point out that he was one of the advisors to the Schools Forum when they determined the lump sum to use - so he cannot pretend that this decision was nothing to do with the Council. The intention of the Schools Forum was to determine the value of lump sum that would cause "minimum turbulance" to schools budgets. It has been shown that a larger lump sum would have caused significantly less turbulance to schools budgets while supporting more of the smaller and more vulnerable schools but the Council refuses to do further analysis or review their decision. The Council has the power to intervene and suggest a larger lump sum to the Schools Forum if it so desires - and it will need to to avoid significant disruption when the "safety net" is no longer in place - but it seems they would prefer to close a few schools first.”
by Oldschool
Friday, March 15 2013, 9:15PM
“I am staggered by the ERYC arrogance in trying to justify their figures in the recent closure plans.
The Consultation Document given to Gembling school parents clearly laid the blame at Central Government.
It gave figures that were wholly inaccurate, Council officers later admitted giving misleading "worst case scenario" information, ignored statutory guidance.
No mention of a ERYC "rationalisation program" which it clearly is.
No mention that the trigger for Gemblings school closure proposal was our fantastic Head Teacher giving notice to retire, coincidentally Dunswells Head Teacher had also given notice to retire, which is surprisingly, also under threat.
ERYC officers told the Gembling school community there were no viable options, however, only last month The DfE accepted that changes will be needed to the "funding formula" especially in rural areas, and have already conceded to a concession, even before the new formula begins in April.
The Government is not giving less overall funding, the ERYC is just redistributing the pot of cash, badly and unfairly for small schools.
All small schools with less than 150 pupils are potentially under threat in the East Riding and there are 59 of them, I have no doubt many parents will feel very let down by ERYC.
Parent of Gembling child.”