To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in Torbay constituency received less funding for sixth form places in their final yearly allocations for 2009-10 than was indicated in their provisional funding figures. (312859)

All schools (and, indeed, all other providers) have been funded in their 2009/10 allocations to at least the level of recruitment indicated in their provisional funding figures, as discussed with the LSC in early March 2009.

On 31 March last year, the Department made an interim allocation consistent with the budget set out in the LSC's annual statement of priorities in November 2008. Providers were therefore notified of a minimum working budget by the 31 March 2009 with which to plan for the forthcoming academic year.

These allocation figures differed from the provisional funding figures that providers had discussed with the LSC at the beginning of March, which were meant to be indicative of the likely level of demand coming through from young people. It was clear that this was well above the budget published the previous November. However, discussions were ongoing across Government at that time on what extra financial support was needed to provide for the increased learner demand providers indicated they could deliver. This additional funding was found and announced in Budget 2009, which provided for a further 54,500 learners in 2009/10 than planned. All providers were notified of their revised allocation, to at least the level of recruitment indicated in their provisional funding figures, as soon as was possible following Budget 2009.

The following tables set out the funding and learner allocations for the sixth forms in the Torbay constituency. All the sixth forms learner allocations matched the provisional allocations and all the funding allocations increased from the 31 March 2009 allocations post Budget 2009. Four of the sixth forms saw increases on their provisional allocation in their final funding allocations. Two schools¹ did however see slight reductions from their provisional allocations, on account of the necessary changed approach in the application of transitional protection between the two allocation notices. The reductions were 1.5 per cent. and 0.4 per cent. of their provisional allocation. This was to avoid volatility in the data between years producing significantly different out turns in funding levels.