What happened to the funding for smaller P1 class sizes?

The request was successful.

Dear City of Edinburgh Council,

According to the letter from the Head of Schools and Community Services to the Scottish Government of 28th May 2010, funding was made available to authorities to implement classes of 25 at P1 in session 2007/08. (see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/...)

How much was this extra funding to Edinburgh?
Was it ring-fenced or added to your core budget?
Did it continue to be received each year, including this year?
The Council voted to increase P1 class sizes to 30 in March 2010. Therefore, was the extra P1 funding for 2010-11 given back, since it was not to be needed for this year?

Yours faithfully,

P Gregson

Freedom of Information, City of Edinburgh Council

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Freedom of Information, City of Edinburgh Council

Dear Mr Gregson

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Children & Families FOI, City of Edinburgh Council

Dear Mr Gregson

Thank you for your request for information which has been dealt with under
the terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Your request
for information has been considered and the information is enclosed.

You request:
According to the letter from the Head of Schools and Community Services to
the Scottish Government of 28th May 2010, funding was made available to
authorities to implement classes of 25 at P1 in session 2007/08. (see
[1]http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/...)

How much was this extra funding to Edinburgh?
Was it ring-fenced or added to your core budget?
Did it continue to be received each year, including this year?
The Council voted to increase P1 class sizes to 30 in March 2010.
Therefore, was the extra P1 funding for 2010-11 given back, since it was
not to be needed for this year?

Response:
Edinburgh received a total of £2.78m for 2007/08 to fund class contact
time reduction for teachers, the reduction in class sizes at S1 & S2 and
the reduction in class sizes at P1. £800k of this was used to increase
primary school budgets to deliver P1 class sizes of 25 (or team teaching
organisations).

The 2008 Concordat between the Scottish Government and Cosla removed ring
fencing within Council budgets, including for education and therefore the
funding was added to the core budget.

Funding for reduced class sizes has not been specifically removed although
all Council budgets, including those used to deliver education, have been
subject to annual efficiency savings.

In March 2011 the Council agreed to allow classes at P1 to increase to
30. This was due to the absence of legislation to `hold' classes at 25 or
lower where parents requested a place.

As funding is within GAE, no funding was `given back' but was used as part
of the wider education budget.

You will be aware that the Scottish Government has recently passed
legislation that introduces an upper limit of 25 for P1 classes from
August 2011. The Children & Families department will be complying with
this legislation.

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Yours sincerely

Aimi Richmond
Freedom of Information Officer

Access to Information - Central Unit
Level 3:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340 Fax 529
3603
[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk

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References

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1. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/...