School Funding For “Minor Repairs”

Derbyshire County Council has published a list of how much each Derbyshire school has been given for minor repairs.

In total, the funding adds up to £2.14 million for 2018 to 2019.

Derbyshire County Council can ask that schools use some of this funding for major projects, such as new classrooms. It also expects academies to contribute towards improvement projects.

The authority is given the money, called a Devolved Formula Capital grant, from central government. The amount of money the council then hands to schools is based on the number of pupils each had at the start of the previous year.

Each school is given a fixed amount of £4,000, with an extra £11.25 per primary pupil, £16.88 per secondary student and £33.75 per pupil with special educational needs.

Voluntary assisted schools are given a fixed rate of £4,300, with an extra £12.15 per primary pupil, £18.23 per secondary student and £36.45 for every child with special educational needs.

A report on the funding states: “The Department for Education views Devolved Formula Capital as a means of addressing the backlog of condition problems that still exists in schools.”

All minor repair schemes are monitored by the council and its officers lend advice to ensure the money is spent in line with best practice.
On average, across Derbyshire, nursery schools tend to receive around £4,500 each year for minor repair work. Meanwhile, the average amount primary schools receive varies quite widely with an average stretching from a low £5,000 to a mid £6,000. Secondaries also vary widely due to the relative size of each school, with an average of around £18,000, with special schools and support centres receiving an average of £6,700.

Here is the amount of money that each school serving the DE56 area was given for minor repairs, broken down by nurseries, primaries, secondaries and special schools and support centres:

Nursery schools:

None were awarded money

Primary schools:

Duffield Meadows Primary School £7,532.50
Heage Primary School £5,912.50
Herbert Strutt Primary School £6,328.75
Kilburn Infant and Nursery School £5,534.95
Kilburn Junior School £5,541.25
Long Row Primary School £7,509.55
Milford Primary School £5,136.25
Pottery Primary School £7,656.25
St John’s CofE Primary School and Nursery £9,501.25

Secondary schools:

Belper School and Sixth Form Centre £27,253.75

Special schools and support centres:

Amber Valley & Erewash Support Centre £6,733.75
Holbrook School for Autism £7,982.50

(Original list edited for DE56 specifics by Clare Washbrook)