Early Years Block Budget - Find a freedom of information request

Financial year 2019/2020

1. Did you have any underspend or overspend in the early years block for three and four-year-old places in 2019/2020?

2. Please provide information about any underspend in the early years block for three and four-year-old places in 2019/2020

a.Including the amount of any underspend and what actions, if any, were agreed relating to this underspend.

OR: 3. Please provide information about any overspend in the early years block for three and four-year-old places in 2019/2020 including the amount of any overspend and what actions, if any, were agreed relating to this overspend. Financial year 2020/2021

4. Please provide information about whether any contingency was planned in the Early Years Block for the Financial Year 2020/2021 and, if so, what was the amount of the contingency?

5. Please provide information about any plans for any remaining unspent contingency budget at the end of the financial year.

1. Yes.

2. £0.604m.

a. The Local Authority at its Schools Forum in October 2020 received support for the overall 2019/20 underspend on the Dedicated Schools Grant (£0.064m - that includes each of the blocks financial position) to be held in reserves for future use. The reason for holding funding into reserves is due to the great uncertainty (considering the pandemic and future Dedicated School Grant funding); a much tighter financial environment going forward; growing costs and financial risk. At the Schools Forum in October, the Local Authority provided a position statement of the response and recovery from the pandemic in supporting the sector. The Local Authority is closely monitoring provider sustainability, and has adopted providers top ups in accordance with Department for Education guidance on financially supporting those that have lower than planned children. This approach is however resulting in an overspend in the current year participation budgets based on planned government funding. Early Years providers for 3 & 4 year entitlement are also receiving an additional £0.12p per hour per child in 2020/2021 (for the current year only) following release of 2018/2019 available reserves.

3. N/A.

4. £0.129m.

5. This will be considered with the Schools Forum when the final position for 2020 - 2021 is known in October 2021. As referred to in response to Question 2, the Local Authority is forecasting an overspend on the Early Years participation budgets, therefore committing the fluctuation contingency fund - this fund is to support provider payments due to the demand-led nature of participation levels, versus how the government funds Local Authorities through two periodic snapshots.