Extra £1.8 million to Powys schools will include funding smaller class sizes at Years 10 and 11
An extra £1.8 million could be pumped into the Powys schools budget next year which would see the total funding smash through the £100 million ceiling
And in a bid to improve exam results in the county, the official ratio of pupils to teachers is set to drop for Years 10 and 11.
At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Learning and Skills committee on Thursday, January 15, councillors and independent lay members will receive a report outlining a raft of proposals which follow a review of the council’s funding formula.
The report explains that the proposal come from a consultation between the council and schools which took place from the end of September to November 6.
Only 17 responses to the proposal were received from the county’s 80 schools.
If agreed the proposals would see the ratio of funding per pupil changed in primary schools and go up while the threshold for top up funding in secondary schools brought down.
Amongst the proposals is one to bring down class sizes in Years 10 and 11 by changing the ratio of staff per pupil from one to 25 to one to 20.
This reflects the average class size in these years which hover from 19.5 to 19.9 pupils per staff member.
The ratio change is a response to the need to be able to teach a wider number of subjects and vocational courses which form the new Curriculum for Wales which is set to be phased in over the next couple of years.
The report said that this change would: “Enable Powys secondary and all-age schools to successfully deliver the qualification reform and ensure all Powys schools can offer a bespoke combination of new qualifications.”
According to the report this would help support Powys youngsters to achieve their “individual goals for life, learning and work.:
This change would cost an extra £550,000 which is part of the £1.8million.
The report said: “The proposed formula and scheme changes will lead to a stable, transparent and fair funding arrangement for Powys learners and schools.
“The proposed formula changes will create more equitable funding provision for all primary and secondary mainstream schools across Powys.
But there could be some schools that lose out.
The report added: “Risks to schools with a reduced level of funding will be mitigated by phasing in of the proposals, providing support for schools to reduce their costs and access to the wider “Team around the School” to support them with the transition.
Comments from the committee would be added to the report ahead of its presentation to the Liberal Democrat/Labour cabinet later this month.
It would then go forward as part of next year’s budget proposals to a full council meeting at the end of February.
The latest figures from the council published last month show that schools received £98.34 million in this year’s budget of just over £367 million.
