4 November 2020 weekly update

Dear Colleagues

The next couple of weeks will be challenging for everyone, and I know that as school leaders you are currently being asked to continue with’ business as usual’ for all your pupils. As with the first lockdown, this will be a fast paced and moving landscape with government announcements changing as rapidly as they are made, and I want to reassure you all that our services will work with you and support you during this next period of lockdown. As in the previous lockdown, we will continue to communicate with you and will be ensuring that Kelsi up to date with the latest government announcements.

On Monday our School Funding consultation was launched and a number of changes have been proposed to our Local Funding Formula, which is used to calculate your annual School budget. This consultation is necessary as the Government has announced additional funding for schools next year and this consultation contains a number of proposals which will affect the amount of funding your school receives next year. The consultation runs for three weeks and closes on Monday 23 November 2020 and I am encouraging all maintained schools, academies and free schools in the area covered by Kent County Council to respond to this consultation.

The consultation documentation consists of:

1. a word document which provides the background and overview of the consultation as well as explaining each proposal in more detail;
2. an excel school-specific illustration model that allows you to see the impact of different scenarios on your school budget;
3. an online consultation response form.

You can access all of the above documentation online at the School Funding Consultation website. You will need to register your details before gaining access to the documentation and I recommend that you read the word document first before looking at the school specific illustration model. If you have any questions about the consultation, please email your query to schoolfunding@kent.gov.uk.

Matt Dunkley CBE
Corporate Director
Children, Young People and Education