f40 - annual report to LGA Board 2023

• Lead Member: Chairman: Cllr Alex Dale, Cabinet Member for Education, Derbyshire County Council
• Lead Officer: Secretary: Karen Westcott
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: DTW, Kevin Edward House, Market Place, Guisborough, North Yorkshire, TS14 6BN
• Telephone: 07545 210067

As of 31 March 2023, f40 has 42 member authorities, namely:

• Bath & North East Somerset                                             
• Buckinghamshire CC
• Cambridgeshire CC
• Central Bedfordshire
• Cheshire East
• Cheshire West and Chester
• Cornwall County Council
• Derbyshire CC
• Devon CC
• Dorset Council
• East Riding of Yorkshire Council
• East Sussex County Council
• Gloucestershire CC
• Hampshire CC
• Herefordshire CC
• Lincolnshire CC
• North Lincolnshire Council
• North Yorkshire CC
• North Northamptonshire Council
• Northumberland Council
• Oxfordshire CC
• Plymouth City Council
• Shropshire CC
• Solihull MDC
• Somerset CC
• South Gloucestershire Council
• Staffordshire CC
• Stockport MDC
• Suffolk CC
• Swindon Council
• Torbay Council
• Trafford MDC
• Wakefield MDC
• Warrington Council
• Warwickshire CC
• West Northamptonshire Council
• West Sussex CC
• Wigan MDC
• Wiltshire Council
• Wokingham BC
• Worcestershire CC
• York City Council

To lead a cross-party campaign to obtain fairer and increased funding for education across England. Key to our campaign is mainstream schools funding, Early Years, and SEND funding up to age 25, along with bold changes to the SEND system to ensure it can deliver appropriate and high-quality services to the children and young people who require support, ensuring the system is able to deliver what is required and expected of it.

Engaging and influencing policy and decision-makers

1. Wrote to key Government ministers and departments about the need for fairer and greater education funding, and the crisis in SEND, including:

• Education Secretaries x2
• Prime Minister
• Chancellor
• SEND Review Team and DfE

Requested a meeting with Education Secretary and DfE SEND team.

2. Held a webinar with the DfE for all f40 members to attend.

3. Met with Robin Walker MP (now chair of Education Select Committee).

4. Held two briefings for MPs in Westminster in May and July to share concerns about funding.

5. Worked alongside f40 Labour Vice Chair Emma Hardy MP to table questions in the House.

6. Responded to three Government education funding consultations:

• SEND Review consultation (July)
• NFF consultation (September)
• Early Years consultation (September)

7. Members of the f40 Finance Managers Research Team (FMRT) met to discuss Gov. consultations.

8. Regularly updated members of f40 on our activity, suggesting ways they could support the campaign. Encouraged MPs and LAs to talk to each other about education funding and concerns.

9. Working to secure a debate on SEND in the House of Commons (in progress).

Outcomes

• Education obtained an additional £2.3billion in the Autumn Statement of 2022.
• Some of the f40 suggestions were included in the SEND Improvement Plan.
• Met with DfE SEND team to discuss SEND and AP Improvement Plan and need for more funding.

Raising awareness

1. Produced a range of materials to demonstrate our concerns around education funding.
2. Attended NCAS Conference to talk to delegates about education funding.
3. Wrote to the 15 lowest funded LAs for education in England, outside of f40, inviting them to join the group.
4. Wrote an opinion piece for Schools Week on SEND – published in October.

Strengthening our partnerships

In raising awareness and lobbying for changes to education funding, f40 works in partnership with a range of stakeholders across the system. During 2022, we strengthened our partnership-working by meeting with and sharing f40 priorities with leaders from the Local Government Association, County Council Network and Education Policy Institute.