Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

The report focuses on the requirement of all LA maintained schools to complete the annual self-assessment process against the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS). The report provides detail of the 2014/15 submissions received, the schools the Local Authority has supported via the SLA package and illustration of identified “good practice” found in Stockport schools.

The Forum is invited to consider the detailed recommendations in the report.

Officer Contact: Peter Hughes on 0161 474 3947 or email peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk.

A representative of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the requirement for schools to complete the self-assessment process against the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS), information of the schools the Local Authority Schools Finance team supported through the process via a service level agreement and details of good practice identified across the sector.

The standard consisted of 23 questions for 2014/15 which governing bodies should have formally discussed annually with their Head teacher and senior staff. The 23 questions were categorised into Governing Body and School Staff, Setting the Budget, Value for Money and Protecting Public Money.

The Local Authority had provided a facilitation service to 23 schools in 2014/15 and had a more detailed analysis of these schools. All 101 Local Authority maintained schools had returned their SFVS as well as 2 of the 3 PRUs.

A number of key areas that continued to be identified at a number of schools as requiring action included:

·         Skills matrix not completed

·         Business interests forms not completed by all staff

·         Finance training for SLT members

·         Limited collaboration between schools

The SFVS assessment required all governing bodies to review and complete the self-assessment on an annual basis and the schools finance team was keen to continue to actively support and assist schools in this process. Universal governor training would continue to be provided via an annual update and the SLA facilitation service would also be available to those schools wishing to purchase in 2015/16, of which 24 schools had already submitted request for support. Additionally, due to the increased pay freedoms afforded to schools and governing bodies, the DfE had advised that 2 additional questions had been included in the standard for 2015/16 relating to schools’ pay decisions.

Clarification was sought on what source of professional independent advice on pay decision processes in relation to the Headteacher should be used, for which the Council’s Human Resources department was recommended as the best source.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.