§ Mr. RiddickTo ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will provide details of the financial implications of a primary school with 360 full-time five to 11-year-old pupils and 39 full-time equivalent three to four-year-old nursery pupils opting for grant-maintained status.
§ Mr. ForthThe main recurrent grant for GM schools is annual maintenance grant—AMG—which is calculated with reference to the local management of schools scheme of the former maintaining LEA. This is set for GM schools in most LEAs at 15 per cent. above their LMS entitlement. This standard cash addition helps meet the cost of services previously provided free by the LEA. There is also a smaller addition related to school meal subsidy levels in that LEA. Calculation of AMG in respect of nursery pupils depends upon the relevant LEA's funding arrangements for such pupils.
GM schools are also eligible to receive other grants as follows:
- i. Transitional grants to help meet the transitional costs of schools newly approved for GM status—in 1992–93 primary schools with more than 200 pupils can receive £30,000 plus £30 per pupil, to a maximum of £60,000.
- ii. Special Purpose Grants to help with a variety of activities. For example the SPG for "development" helps fund in-service training and implementation of the National Curriculum and assessment, for which LEAs are funded via the GEST programme. This SPG is paid at a flat rate of £42.50 per pupil with a £5,000 minimum. Other SPGs are available to help with VAT, staff restructuring and premises insurance.
- iii. There are two types of capital grant available to GM schools: a formula allocation for the purchase of equipment or small scale capital works; and project allocations for specific capital work. GM schools bid for project allocations and bids are considered in competition.