Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed members.

Apologies were received from Helen Hilton, Mike Gledhill, Pam Campbell, Gillian Stunell and Patricia Goodstadt.

Stuart Foster attended the meeting as a substitute for Gillian Stunell.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2012.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 6 December 2012 were approved as a correct record subject to the inclusion in the preamble to Minute 2 (Apologies for Absence/Substitutions) as follows:-

·           Janice Cahill gave apologies.

To discuss any matters arising.

There were no matters arising.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Services to People).

The report details a proposed health and safety training programme.

Officer contact Donna Sager, Tel: 474 3928, email: donna.sager@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) on a proposed health and safety training programme.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·           A typing error was highlighted on page 5, the sentence should read “Academies would not be charged”.

·           £180,000 was available and the training would cost £35,524 – it was confirmed that there was no time-limit on any excess money.

·           It was reported that the PRU had not had a risk management assessment yet.

RESOLVED – That the health and safety training programme be implemented.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Services to People).

The report provides an update on the statutory requirements and the additional services provided via a service level agreement (SLA) for Voluntary Aided/Aided/Voluntary controlled schools and/or converter academies.

Officer contact Stephen Bell, Tel: 474 3846, email: stephen.bell@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the statutory requirements and the additional services provided via a service level agreement (SLA) for voluntary aided/aided/voluntary controlled schools and/or converter academies in relation to school admissions.

Discussion arose around the service provided by the Local Authority for maintained community and voluntary controlled schools and the voluntary aided schools, who were their own admission authority, where the Local Authority had operated an SLA covering areas not included under statutory duties. It was noted that there had been considerable discussion on this matter with the Diocese and Donna Sager would discuss further with Damian Cunningham.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Services to People).

The report provides Schools Forum members with an update on the carbon reduction commitments (CRC) program.

Officer contact Stephen Bell, Tel: 474 3846, email: stephen.bell@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) updating Schools Forum members on the carbon reduction commitments program.

Different proposals were discussed around spending the current balance of £90,000 which included ceasing the measures, waiting for a staff replacement, using an external provider or putting the scheme on hold in order to re-visit at a later date.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) – That the £90,000 be placed in reserve whilst an option of employing the Carbon Trust or approaching NPS be explored and options be brought to the next meeting of the Forum.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Services to People).

The report details the capital and revenue allocations in the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for funding Early education for Two Year Olds from Lower Income Households for 2013/14.

Officer contact Glenda Brocklehurst, Tel: 218 1863, email: glenda.brocklehurst@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the Local Authority capital funding and the revenue funding available within the overall 2013/14 Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for funding early education for two year olds from lower income households. The report detailed options to achieve the required uplift in two year old early education places by September 2013 and September 2014 and the budgetary resources to be assigned from the DSG for statutory place funding, trajectory building allocation and capital allocation to secure sufficient quality statutory two year old funded early education places.

It was reported that by 1 September 2013 up to 570 hours of funded early education per year became a statutory entitlement for two year old children from lower income families. Place capacity would be increased to approximately 550 places by September 2013 and approximately 1100 places for September 2014. The options for achieving the uplift in places was outlined, as detailed at sections 3.5 – 3.8 of the report, and the funding to support the uplift was highlighted.

It was reported that the target for September 2013 places would be met and work continue to meet the September 2014 target.

RESOLVED – (1) That the proposed increase in the two year old base rate to £4.95 per hour in line with Department for Education guidance from 1 April 2013 be agreed.

(2) That the options for achieving the uplift in two year old places and the use of the trajectory building and capital budget for these options be agreed.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Corporate and Support Services).

The report details the local budget setting arrangements relating to the deployment of the DSG for 2013/14, the latest projection of total DSG funding available and an overview of the construction of the 2013/14 DSG budget.

Officer contact Peter Hughes, Tel: 474 3947, 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) detailing the local budget setting arrangements relating to the deployment of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2013/14, the latest projection of total DSG funding available and an overview of the construction of the 2013/14 DSG budget.

It was reported that the current estimated DSG for 2013/14 was £187.775m. The delegated schools budget had been constructed on a new simplified formula as detailed at Appendix 2 of the report. The basic entitlement funding factor had been revised to reflect “top-slice” to fund the central provision for infant class size and pupil growth and statutory central items which had resulted in a small saving as detailed at section 4.7 of the report.

As per section 4.4 of the report it was reported that the NQT induction funding (totalling £54,000) had been allocated to schools on a per pupil basis at a rate of £1.53 per pupil. A general efficiency saving had been made through the Department for Education purchasing a single national licence as agreed with the Copyright Licensing Agency and the Music Publishers Association which would be charged to the Local Authority and had been budgeted for at £60,000 within the central services block. The Local Authority had identified a net saving of £49,000 within the central services block and would re-distribute such savings to schools on a per pupil basis through the basic entitlement formula factor at a rate of £1.30 per pupil. The final total schools delegated budget for 2013/14 was £145.121m.

It was reported that the primary/secondary funding ratio for Stockport was 1:1.28 which was within the national average of 1:1.29 therefore it was not envisaged the Local Authority would be subject to any Department for Education instruction at this stage.

It was reported that new streamlined base rates in the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) had been increased by 12p per hour, as detailed at section 5.2 and table 8 of the report.

The three elements of place-plus funding and the formula were outlined. The Local Authority had made a budget provision within the High Needs block to ensure a minimum level of £750 per low cost, high incidence SEN pupil was allocated to schools. Post 16 funding had been transferred to the Local Authority which had resulted in a funding gap, solutions for which would be brought to future meetings of the Forum.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the current 2013/14 DSG allocation as detailed at section 3 of the report be noted.

(3) That the adjustments to the basic entitlement funding factor as detailed at 4.3 of the report be agreed.

(4) That the plans to delegate funding for the NQT induction program via the basic entitlement factor as detailed at section 4.4 of the report be agreed.

(5) That the local funding formula as detailed at appendix 2 of the report be agreed.

(6) That the individual central statutory services budget as outlined at section 4.7 of the report be agreed.

(7) That the plans to redistribute the funding previously assigned to the quality supplement in the EYSFF Model to the base rate of 12p per hour be agreed.

(8) That the proposed “top-up” funding levels be applied to all specialist settings as detailed at section 6.5 and appendix 2 of the report be agreed.

(9) That the proposed factors to be included in the notional SEN budget calculation as detailed at section 6.6 of the report be agreed.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Corporate and Support Services).

The report provides an update on the schedule of meetings for the 2012/13 academic year.

Officer contact Peter Hughes, Tel: 474 3947, 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 the Forum with an updated schedule of meetings for the 2012/13 academic year.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That future meetings of the Forum have a question and answer session prior to commencement of the meeting at 3:45 pm in order for members to seek clarity on any issues they may have.

No other business was discussed.

To agree the date of the next meeting scheduled for Thursday 21 March 2013.

RESOLVED – That the next meeting be held on Thursday 21 March 2013 at 4:15pm at the ICT Centre, Kingsway School, Broadway Campus with an additional training session to be held prior to the commencement of the meeting at 3:45pm.