Education Reform Act 1988

42 Publication of schemes and financial statements, etc

(1) A scheme shall be published in such manner as may be prescribed—

(a) on its coming into force; and

(b) on such subsequent occasions as may be prescribed.

(2) The following provisions of this section apply where in the case of any local education authority the authority’s financial provision for county and voluntary schools is subject to regulation by a scheme.

(3) Before the beginning of each financial year the authority shall prepare a statement of the financial provision they plan to make in that year for county and voluntary schools maintained by them.

(4) The statement shall contain the following particulars in relation to the financial year in question—

(a) the amount of the general schools budget of the authority for that year (as initially determined for the purposes of the scheme);

(b) the amount of the authority’s aggregated budget for that year (as so determined);

(c) such particulars as may be prescribed of amounts deducted in respect of—

(i) excepted heads or items of expenditure; or

(ii) excluded expenditure under the scheme;

in arriving at the amount specified in the statement by virtue of paragraph (b) above;

(d) such particulars of the allocation formula under the scheme as may be prescribed;

(e) in the case of each school required to be covered by the scheme in that year, the planned expenditure per pupil arising from the division of the school’s budget share (as so determined) by the initial pupil number;

(f) in the case of each such school, the planned expenditure per pupil on excepted services arising from the division of the amount of the expenditure on such services planned by the authority for the purposes of the school by the initial pupil number;

(g) in the case of each such school, the planned expenditure per pupil arising from the division by the initial pupil number of so much of the authority’s excluded expenditure under the scheme (as so determined) as is appropriated by the authority for meeting expenditure for the purposes of the school;

(h) in the case of each such school, the amount of any expenditure of a capital nature planned for the purposes of the school;

(i) such particulars as may be prescribed of the basis on which the authority determine in the case of each such school—

(i) the amount of expenditure on excepted services by reference to which the information required to be included in the statement under paragraph (f) above is determined; and

(ii) the part of the authority’s excluded expenditure under the scheme by reference to which the information required to be included in the statement under paragraph (g) above is determined; and

(j) such further information with respect to the financial provision the authority plan to make in that year for county and voluntary schools maintained by them as may be prescribed.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4) above—

(a) “the initial pupil number” means, in relation to a financial year, the number of registered pupils at the school in question required under the scheme to be used in applying the allocation formula under the scheme for initial determination of the school’s budget share for the year; and

(b) services are excepted services, in relation to a financial year, if expenditure on those services in that year is an excepted item of expenditure.

(6) After the end of each financial year the authority shall prepare a statement containing such information with respect to—

(a) expenditure actually incurred in that year for the purposes of all schools required to be covered by the scheme; and

(b) expenditure so incurred which was incurred, or is treated by the authority as having been incurred, for the purposes of each such school;

as may be prescribed.

(7) A statement prepared under this section shall be prepared in such form, and published in such manner and at such times, as may be prescribed.

(8) The authority shall furnish the governing body of each school required to be covered by the scheme in any financial year with a copy of each statement prepared by the authority under this section in relation to that year.

(9) The governing body of each such school shall secure that a copy of any such statement furnished to them under subsection (8) above is available for inspection (at all reasonable times and free of charge) at the school.