Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed members to the meeting of the Forum and introductions were made.

Apologies for absence were received from Dawn Strachan, David Marshall and Joanne Meredith.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2015.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 22 January 2015 were approved as a correct record, subject to the following amendment:-

Minute 7 ‘Schools Financial Consultation 2014’, 9a) Local Funding Formula the deletion of the word ‘school’ and the replacement with the words ‘primary schools.’

To discuss any matters arising.

Election/Membership Update (Minute number 6 of 22 January 2015 meeting)

With regard to minute number 6 from the meeting held on 22 January 2015 regarding Election/Membership Update, it was confirmed that Jon Roper, Headteacher of All Saints CE Primary School had been nominated as the new Schools Forum representative.

2015/16 Schools Funding (Minute 9 of 22 January 2015 meeting)

With regard to minute number 9 from the meeting held on 22 January 2015 regarding the detail of the schools supported in 2014/15 under the ICS initiative, it was confirmed that the schools were Greave Primary School, Great Moor Infant School and St Mary’s RC Primary School.

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

The report provides Schools Forum members with an executive summary report of the business matters included on the main agenda.

The Forum is recommended to note the executive summary and offer any views, comments and feedback to be considered for future Executive summary reports.

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 the Forum with an executive summary of the business matters included on the main agenda.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

The report provides detail on the final construction of the 2015/16 schools budget financed by the dedicated schools grant (DSG) and update/summary of other key school funding streams and financial matters.

Schools Forum members are asked to note 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 detail on the final construction of the 2015/16 schools budget financed by the dedicated schools grant (DSG) and an update/summary of other key school funding streams and financial matters.

Members were informed that the 2015/16 DSG allocation continues to be allocated on a 0% cash settlement basis, using the “Spend plus” methodology, thus requiring all cost pressures to be funded by equal cash savings and/or efficiencies found from within the current baseline position.

It was reported that the total schools budget funding would be a sum of £194.348m, and that based on this and the construction of the schools and early year’s budget, the high needs block had a control total of £26.405m.

It was further reported that to account for all identified cost pressures having realised savings and/or efficiencies available in other HN areas, the LA had applied a total of £0.824m from current unallocated DSG reserves to set a balanced budget.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The difference between the Central Reserve held within the High Needs block to deal with basic need of school places/ICS initiative and secondary sector falling numbers on roll and the general Dedicated Schools Grant reserve.

·         Top up funding was used for special schools and units, high needs pupils in mainstream schools and post-16 providers.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

The report provides detail on the mandatory annual pro-forma toolkit (APT) the Local Authority is required to submit to the DfE in relation to all aspects of the local schools funding formula adopted for 2015/16 as approved by the Council Executive.

Schools Forum members are asked to note 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 detail on the mandatory annual pro-forma toolkit (APT) the Local Authority was required to submit to the DfE in relation to all aspects of the local schools funding formula adopted for 2015/16 as approved by the Council Executive.

The Schools Funding Reforms laid by the DfE require the LA to submit details of the local funding formula to be used to determine the delegated budget share for all local maintained schools and academies along with any other associated schools (i.e. free schools) budget information.

The 2015/16 return had been submitted on the following basis:

·         Primary sector – Increase the basic entitlement funding factor level to 73% of the overall envelope of funding and reduce all other funding factors on a prorate basis (except lump sum) in line with the approved proposal following formal consultation undertaken in the autumn term with all governing bodies.

·         Secondary sector – structure of the formula remained unchanged.

·         Both sectors - a reduction had been applied to any factors where the total cohort of pupils eligible had increased significantly from the 2014/15 baseline (i.e. FSM, SEN, LAC, etc.), thus ensuring the overall costs of the formula model did not increase above the cash level allocated by DfE at 0%.

·         No new/additional formula factors were to be used in 2015/16;

·         Capping applied to gaining schools based on a 0% level, with the scaling of 65.1% applied to meet the total cost of applying MFG at -1.5% per pupil;

·         Planned basic need pupil place growth funding (including infant class size compliance) as per local criteria agreed;

·         High needs additional in-year funding as per local criteria agreed; and

·         Unplanned growth funding to continue to be allocated via the locally agreed 3% threshold level and resources deployed from de-delegated funds.

The final APT return was submitted to DfE prior to the deadline in January 2015 on the basis it was still subject to ratification from the Council Meeting in February 2015, and DfE were informed when it had been approved.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

To discuss further with Schools Forum members the Schools Budget landscape and Local Authority (LA) plan to undertake a review of all activities within the Schools Budget financed predominantly by the dedicated schools grant (DSG).

Schools Forum members are asked to note the report, provide any views and determine who will represent each phase on the review group.

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 the opportunity for Schools Forum members to discuss the Schools Budget landscape and Local Authority plan to undertake a review of all activities within the Schools Budget financed predominantly by the dedicated schools grant (DSG).

It was reported that it was feasible to expect that there was not going to be any significant revenue investment into the schools national funding envelope following the general election in May 2015 given the overall constraints on all public spending.

The current 2015/16 baseline Schools Budget position provides the LA with a short-medium term sustainability issue in terms of Schools Budget costs against available resources, as the deployment of DSG reserves at the current level cannot be sustained beyond 2016/17 at latest.

Schools Forum members discussed the plan to undertake a review of all activities within the Schools Budget financed predominantly by DSG. It was reported that the first planned review group meeting would be held as soon as possible after the Easter holiday break and volunteers requested details of a meeting date be provided before Easter break if possible.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the following members be nominated to represent each phase of education on the review group:

Governor – Ian Roberts

Nursery – Cathy Larkin

Primary -  Helen Hilton

Secondary – Ian Irwin

Special – John Law (Headteacher at Castle Hill)

Academy – Colin Short

PRUs – Janice Cahill

Resourced Provisions – Sue Challiner
Post 16 – Danny Pearson

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

The report provides Schools Forum members with information relating to the joint LA/Schools Forum response submitted to the consultation launched by the DfE around SEN funding provided to local authorities via the notional high needs block and the factors and issues to be considered before creating a new national funding method to allocate such funds.

Schools Forum members are asked to note 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) outlining information relating to the joint LA/Schools Forum response submitted to the consultation launched by the DfE around Special Educational Needs funding provided to local authorities via the notional high needs block and the factors and issues to be considered before creating a new national funding method to allocate such funds.

A meeting was held on 10 February 2015 of LA officers, representatives from the Schools Forum and the 0-25 Implementation Board to discuss and consider issues, views and matters to be collated and included in a joint response. A draft response was presented to the Corporate Director for Services to People and his senior management team and the final approved response was submitted to the DfE ahead of the deadline date (i.e. 27 February 2015).

It was reported that a number of private children’s homes were homing out of borough children and the funding to address this did not flow in real time and that this could be included in the response to future consultation.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

The report provides members with details of the scheduled meetings for the 2014/15 academic year the proposed forward planner of Schools Forum business.

Schools Forum members are 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) updating members with details of the scheduled meetings for the 2014/15 academic year and the proposed forward planner of Schools Forum business.

It was reported that Stephen Bell, Head of Commissioning School Places would be attending the next scheduled meeting to provide an Education Capital update.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

There was no other business.

RESOLVED – That the next meeting of the Schools Forum be held on Thursday 21 May 2015 at Castle Hill High School, The Fairway, Offerton with an optional question and answer session on reports to be considered to be held prior to the commencement of the meeting at 3.45pm.