NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES

ENTERPRISE AND LEARNING COMMITTEE

IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON SCHOOL FUNDING FOLLOW UP REPORT: CALL FOR EVIDENCE

SUBMISSION BY NUT CYMRU

Making sure that funding arrangements meet the needs of individual schools should be the primary objective of the school funding system. Thus the NUT has a longstanding commitment to needs-led funding for schools. Each school should receive the basic level of funding that is sufficient to meet not only the statutory requirements placed upon it, but also any additional costs necessary for effective teaching and learning in individual schools.

The methodology used to decide on the level of funding and its provision must be based on an objective and comprehensive assessment of all the cost factors encountered by schools in delivering a high quality education service.

At present, funding for schools is determined and distributed on a "top-down” basis using pupil numbers as the main indicator. This approach needs to be replaced by a needs-led approach, which combines core national entitlements and resources for schools together with a "bottom-up” basis to identify the additional resources needed by schools to meet their particular individual circumstances and the demands upon them.

Costs factored into the new system should include, for example, pupil:teacher ratios and levels of non-contact time for teachers. The weight attaching to such factors - for example, the pupil:teacher ratio deemed appropriate - could then be used to generate the level of funding required. Class size objectives and specified non-contact time for teachers are other examples of the cost factors that could be used. A needs-led system must also include any new costs likely to be faced by schools, such as the introduction of new or current initiatives, such as the Foundation Phase and the 14-19 Learning Pathways.

It is essential that such a needs-led methodology is not constrained by the announcement of a limited amount of resources to be distributed to schools. Rather, the objective and comprehensive measurement of the needs of schools should be carried out first and result in the full funding of those needs.

However, any new methodology developed must also be sensitive enough to take account of needs identified locally. The Union also continues to take the view that local authorities should be able to allocate additional resources over and above national allocations.

The transparency of the funding process

The Assembly has taken steps to increase transparency in school funding. Unfortunately, although the funding fog has diminished, it is still there with some dense patches. In any case, whilst paucity of funding can be masked in a fog, transparency cannot of itself ensure sufficient and fair funding. The only way to overcome the paucity is by adopting the approach outlined by the Union above.

Access to information, including the provision of information on the web

The Assembly has consistently maintained its wish to be transparent in its actions. This is reflected in the Senedd building. Those who receive funding from the Assembly must also respect this guiding principle.

Additional funding

The Union believes that additional funding should be allocated according to a deprivation component. Pockets of deprivation exist in authorities where the overall level of deprivation is not high. Here in Wales, the Community First areas can be used to identify these pockets as well as more generalised areas of deprivation.

The Local Authorities are best placed to administer the funding but there must be a requirement put on them that funding allocated to them for the purpose of using it to help combat deprivation is indeed used for that purpose and can be seen to be used for that purpose.

Likewise, the Local Authorities are best placed to know about the level of requirement for additional funding to respond to special needs. The Union also supports additional funding for special needs. However, given the high number of small authorities in Wales, we would suggest that resources should be shared by groups of authorities, each of which would be able to call upon them as and when required.

Investment in school buildings

NUT welcomes the fact that the Committee is also considering investment in school buildings.

However, the Union would also repeat its opposition to the use of PFI. It has, in England especially, witnessed the adverse impact of PFI payments for facilities management and other services. It has also long had concerns about the effect that the financing of PFI contracts has on overall local authority budgets and on the Dedicated School Grant in England. Owing to the inflexible nature of some contracts and the ability of PFI contractors to oblige schools to pay more for PFI contracted services such as cleaning and ground maintenance, schools have been forced to cut money from elsewhere in their budgets thus jeopardising pupils’ education. A focus on profit has also created a market in PFI contracts, increasing the distance between contractor and school and frequently driving management fees up at an alarming rate.

In Wales, we have wisely rejected any widescale use of PFI for schools. That should continue to be the case.

School budget fora

Our view is that all relevant stakeholders should participate in work to agree a funding mechanism for school-related spending based on an activity-led approach. This would be an objective, evidence-based approach to the issue of school funding. The activity-led approach should then inform the Government’s decisions on allocations.  

Currently, teacher unions are not sufficiently represented on the school forums. We believe that such representation should be mandatory.

NUT Cymru

January 2008