Fair funding to achieve excellence in education: consultation analysis

Chapter 5: Other issues raised

Only one issue not already covered by the analysis of responses to questions 1 to 7 of the consultation received substantive comments. This was to do with the scope to extend the Headteachers' Charter to include aspects of greater consistency and coherence in terms of school funding. This was raised as one of two approaches to fair funding in the consultation document but it was not the subject of a specific question. The approach was mentioned by four organisations.

The main points made by respondents are set out below:

• One organisation felt that these accountabilities set out in the Headteachers' Charter could only reasonably be fulfilled if headteachers have " the ability to select and manage staff, prioritise Curriculum for Excellence and premises related expenditure".
• The requirement in the Headteachers' Charter for headteachers to "be responsible for raising attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap" was felt by one organisation to involve a range of related tasks and organisation, so the extent of this accountability alongside others needed to be clarified.
• The need to clarify the duties and accountabilities of headteachers was also stressed by an organisation representing headteachers which confirmed its support for a Headteachers' Charter. The same organisation stated that, " ..whatever system derives from this review of a National Minimum Fair Funding Formula it should be allied to a National Minimum Staffing Standard".
• There was puzzlement expressed by one organisation about how the Headteachers' Charter could go beyond the powers of a headteacher in relation to school budgets and the support they could expect in carrying out these powers. Their view was that, '…the principles underpinning school funding should surely be made explicit in legislation, regulation or policy rather than in a charter.'
• A similar point was made by another organisation which pointed out that the incorporation of a future approach to school funding in a proposed Headteachers' Charter "…implies a rather narrow view of school funding given that it extends beyond the powers and responsibilities of headteachers and is a matter of wider public interest".