Agenda item

Report of the Chief Financial Officer.

Trustees considered a report of the Chief Financial Officer providing details of the 2019-20 application process for the allocation of Trust capital funding across the academies and the following points were made:

·         Due to the Trust’s size, it now qualified for a School Condition Allocation from the Education and Skills Funding Agency and had received £574k to fund capital works across the Trust for 2019-20.  The CoLAT Central Team had developed an application process by which its academies could apply for a share of this funding, and applications would be reviewed and prioritised against range of criteria including health and safety issues, energy efficiency and teaching and learning requirements. 

·         The Chairman requested that the CoLAT Central Team provide advice to academies regarding capital funding applications.  It was important for the highest priority works to be taken forward and any planning requirements or approvals should be identified at an early stage.  The progress of approved capital schemes should be monitored closely to ensure the full capital allocation was spent effectively.

·         A Trustee suggested that greater weighting be given to project need when scoring schools’ applications for capital projects.  The Chief Financial Officer confirmed that project need was recognised as a key factor, but that any implications for delivery should also be factored in. 

·         The proposed distribution of the School Condition Allocation 2019-20 would be presented to a future meeting of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee for approval.

RESOLVED, that the 2019-20 application form and supporting guidance for schools be noted.