Local Authority Sold Services to Schools

BDO is conducting research into local authority sold services to schools to support Councils facing the increase in academy/free school numbers. As part of this, we are capturing senior local authority officers’ views on the current state and future direction of these non-statutory services.

We would very much appreciate it if you could complete our short survey. All data will be treated anonymously & we will share high level findings with the sector. If you have any questions please contact Matt at matthew.siddons@bdo.co.uk or 020 7893 3855. Thank you very much for your assistance!

(Please note - the term "schools" is used throughout to cover both maintained schools and academies)

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* 1. Please tell us your job title and which Council you work for:

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* 2. How does your Council provide the following discretionary services to schools?
(Tick all that apply)

	Not provided by the Council	Funded by the Council	Funded by trading	Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Other (please specify below)
School Improvement (non-statutory elements)	School Improvement (non-statutory elements) Not provided by the Council	School Improvement (non-statutory elements) Funded by the Council	School Improvement (non-statutory elements) Funded by trading	School Improvement (non-statutory elements) Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	School Improvement (non-statutory elements) Other (please specify below)
Educational Psychology (non-statutory elements)	Educational Psychology (non-statutory elements) Not provided by the Council	Educational Psychology (non-statutory elements) Funded by the Council	Educational Psychology (non-statutory elements) Funded by trading	Educational Psychology (non-statutory elements) Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Educational Psychology (non-statutory elements) Other (please specify below)
Behavioural Support	Behavioural Support Not provided by the Council	Behavioural Support Funded by the Council	Behavioural Support Funded by trading	Behavioural Support Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Behavioural Support Other (please specify below)
Education Welfare	Education Welfare Not provided by the Council	Education Welfare Funded by the Council	Education Welfare Funded by trading	Education Welfare Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Education Welfare Other (please specify below)
Ethnic Minority / English as an Additional Language support	Ethnic Minority / English as an Additional Language support Not provided by the Council	Ethnic Minority / English as an Additional Language support Funded by the Council	Ethnic Minority / English as an Additional Language support Funded by trading	Ethnic Minority / English as an Additional Language support Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Ethnic Minority / English as an Additional Language support Other (please specify below)
Outdoor Education / Outdoor Activities	Outdoor Education / Outdoor Activities Not provided by the Council	Outdoor Education / Outdoor Activities Funded by the Council	Outdoor Education / Outdoor Activities Funded by trading	Outdoor Education / Outdoor Activities Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Outdoor Education / Outdoor Activities Other (please specify below)
Music Services	Music Services Not provided by the Council	Music Services Funded by the Council	Music Services Funded by trading	Music Services Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Music Services Other (please specify below)
Education Library services	Education Library services Not provided by the Council	Education Library services Funded by the Council	Education Library services Funded by trading	Education Library services Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Education Library services Other (please specify below)
Finance services	Finance services Not provided by the Council	Finance services Funded by the Council	Finance services Funded by trading	Finance services Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Finance services Other (please specify below)
HR services	HR services Not provided by the Council	HR services Funded by the Council	HR services Funded by trading	HR services Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	HR services Other (please specify below)
Payroll services	Payroll services Not provided by the Council	Payroll services Funded by the Council	Payroll services Funded by trading	Payroll services Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Payroll services Other (please specify below)
ICT services	ICT services Not provided by the Council	ICT services Funded by the Council	ICT services Funded by trading	ICT services Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	ICT services Other (please specify below)
Property services	Property services Not provided by the Council	Property services Funded by the Council	Property services Funded by trading	Property services Funded through de-delegated DSG funding	Property services Other (please specify below)

Other / Additional comments

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* 3. Do you currently sell any services to schools outside of your local authority boundary?

Yes

Don't know

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* 4. What are the main reasons for your Council's trading services with schools?

	1- Critical	2- High Priority	3- Medium Priority	4- Low Priority	Not applicable
To generate income / contributions to overheads	To generate income / contributions to overheads 1- Critical	To generate income / contributions to overheads 2- High Priority	To generate income / contributions to overheads 3- Medium Priority	To generate income / contributions to overheads 4- Low Priority	To generate income / contributions to overheads Not applicable
To maintain or improve educational standards	To maintain or improve educational standards 1- Critical	To maintain or improve educational standards 2- High Priority	To maintain or improve educational standards 3- Medium Priority	To maintain or improve educational standards 4- Low Priority	To maintain or improve educational standards Not applicable
To mitigate risks for the Council (e.g. legal or employment risks)	To mitigate risks for the Council (e.g. legal or employment risks) 1- Critical	To mitigate risks for the Council (e.g. legal or employment risks) 2- High Priority	To mitigate risks for the Council (e.g. legal or employment risks) 3- Medium Priority	To mitigate risks for the Council (e.g. legal or employment risks) 4- Low Priority	To mitigate risks for the Council (e.g. legal or employment risks) Not applicable
There are no suitable alternative providers for schools in the local area	There are no suitable alternative providers for schools in the local area 1- Critical	There are no suitable alternative providers for schools in the local area 2- High Priority	There are no suitable alternative providers for schools in the local area 3- Medium Priority	There are no suitable alternative providers for schools in the local area 4- Low Priority	There are no suitable alternative providers for schools in the local area Not applicable
Schools have asked us to continue to provide these services	Schools have asked us to continue to provide these services 1- Critical	Schools have asked us to continue to provide these services 2- High Priority	Schools have asked us to continue to provide these services 3- Medium Priority	Schools have asked us to continue to provide these services 4- Low Priority	Schools have asked us to continue to provide these services Not applicable
Historically, we have always provided these services this way	Historically, we have always provided these services this way 1- Critical	Historically, we have always provided these services this way 2- High Priority	Historically, we have always provided these services this way 3- Medium Priority	Historically, we have always provided these services this way 4- Low Priority	Historically, we have always provided these services this way Not applicable
Seen as core local authority business	Seen as core local authority business 1- Critical	Seen as core local authority business 2- High Priority	Seen as core local authority business 3- Medium Priority	Seen as core local authority business 4- Low Priority	Seen as core local authority business Not applicable

Other (please specify)

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* 5. What proportion of maintained schools in your area buy back at least one traded service from the local authority?
Please give an approximate percentage.

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* 6. What proportion of academies in your area buy back at least one traded service from the local authority?
Please give an approximate percentage.

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* 7. In the future, do you expect income from these services to...

Increase

Decrease

Stay the same

Don't know

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* 8. How far do you agree with the following statements?

	Strongly agree	Agree	Neither agree nor disagree	Disagree	Strongly disagree	Don't know
In my local authority, traded services with schools are financially sustainable in their current form	In my local authority, traded services with schools are financially sustainable in their current form Strongly agree	In my local authority, traded services with schools are financially sustainable in their current form Agree	In my local authority, traded services with schools are financially sustainable in their current form Neither agree nor disagree	In my local authority, traded services with schools are financially sustainable in their current form Disagree	In my local authority, traded services with schools are financially sustainable in their current form Strongly disagree	In my local authority, traded services with schools are financially sustainable in their current form Don't know
We are looking to reduce the amount the Council subsidises traded services to schools	We are looking to reduce the amount the Council subsidises traded services to schools Strongly agree	We are looking to reduce the amount the Council subsidises traded services to schools Agree	We are looking to reduce the amount the Council subsidises traded services to schools Neither agree nor disagree	We are looking to reduce the amount the Council subsidises traded services to schools Disagree	We are looking to reduce the amount the Council subsidises traded services to schools Strongly disagree	We are looking to reduce the amount the Council subsidises traded services to schools Don't know
The Council has a clear understanding of the cost recovery of its traded services with schools	The Council has a clear understanding of the cost recovery of its traded services with schools Strongly agree	The Council has a clear understanding of the cost recovery of its traded services with schools Agree	The Council has a clear understanding of the cost recovery of its traded services with schools Neither agree nor disagree	The Council has a clear understanding of the cost recovery of its traded services with schools Disagree	The Council has a clear understanding of the cost recovery of its traded services with schools Strongly disagree	The Council has a clear understanding of the cost recovery of its traded services with schools Don't know
There is a competitive market of providers for these services available to local schools	There is a competitive market of providers for these services available to local schools Strongly agree	There is a competitive market of providers for these services available to local schools Agree	There is a competitive market of providers for these services available to local schools Neither agree nor disagree	There is a competitive market of providers for these services available to local schools Disagree	There is a competitive market of providers for these services available to local schools Strongly disagree	There is a competitive market of providers for these services available to local schools Don't know
We provide competitive, value for money services to our local schools	We provide competitive, value for money services to our local schools Strongly agree	We provide competitive, value for money services to our local schools Agree	We provide competitive, value for money services to our local schools Neither agree nor disagree	We provide competitive, value for money services to our local schools Disagree	We provide competitive, value for money services to our local schools Strongly disagree	We provide competitive, value for money services to our local schools Don't know
I am confident that we will be able to compete with other providers in this market over the next 3 years	I am confident that we will be able to compete with other providers in this market over the next 3 years Strongly agree	I am confident that we will be able to compete with other providers in this market over the next 3 years Agree	I am confident that we will be able to compete with other providers in this market over the next 3 years Neither agree nor disagree	I am confident that we will be able to compete with other providers in this market over the next 3 years Disagree	I am confident that we will be able to compete with other providers in this market over the next 3 years Strongly disagree	I am confident that we will be able to compete with other providers in this market over the next 3 years Don't know

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* 9. Please briefly outline any recent changes and/or future plans for these services?

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* 10. We would like to contact a selection of Local Authorities to discuss their current and/or future operations in more detail, and highlight examples of best practice in our report. This will probably be in the form of a short telephone interview.
If you would be happy to be contacted, please leave your contact details below:

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* 11. We will publish a short report later this year to share our research findings and outline considerations for the future. Would you like us to email you a copy of our final report? (If yes, please leave your email address)

Question Title

* 1. Please tell us your job title and which Council you work for:

Question Title

* 2. How does your Council provide the following discretionary services to schools?(Tick all that apply)

Question Title

* 3. Do you currently sell any services to schools outside of your local authority boundary?

Question Title

* 4. What are the main reasons for your Council's trading services with schools?

Question Title

* 5. What proportion of maintained schools in your area buy back at least one traded service from the local authority? Please give an approximate percentage.

Question Title

* 6. What proportion of academies in your area buy back at least one traded service from the local authority?Please give an approximate percentage.

Question Title

* 7. In the future, do you expect income from these services to...

Question Title

* 8. How far do you agree with the following statements?

Question Title

* 9. Please briefly outline any recent changes and/or future plans for these services?

Question Title

Question Title

* 11. We will publish a short report later this year to share our research findings and outline considerations for the future. Would you like us to email you a copy of our final report? (If yes, please leave your email address)

* 2. How does your Council provide the following discretionary services to schools?
(Tick all that apply)

* 5. What proportion of maintained schools in your area buy back at least one traded service from the local authority?
Please give an approximate percentage.

* 6. What proportion of academies in your area buy back at least one traded service from the local authority?
Please give an approximate percentage.