To listen to an audio recording of the Part I section of this meeting please use this link http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/meetings_audio_recordings_october2014.htm

Present: Head Teacher Representatives: Richard Pilgrim, Helen McHale, Gill Cocklin, Alison Penny, Martin Tinsley, Nathan Aspinall and Nick Stevens.

Governor Representatives: Dan Jacoby.

Non- School Representatives: Viv Robinson and Gina Kendall.

Officers: Alison Alexander, Edmund Bradley, David Scott, Ian Povey and David Cook.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Alison Alexander, Heidi Swindenback, Isabel Cooke, Stuart Muir, Eileen Hinds, Phyllis James and Gillian May.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None were received.

MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2014 were agreed as a correct record.

REVIEW OF EARLY YEARS FUNDING FORMULA

David Scott, Head of Education, Strategy and Commissioning, informed the Forum that the report summarised the findings of the comparative review of the funding rates used in RBWM’s Early Years Single Funding Formula for three and four year olds. The review used 2013-14 benchmarking data, which was the latest published by the Department for Education. It was noted that a further review would be undertaken when there was clearer information regarding the national formula.

Edmund Bradley, Finance Partner - Children and Schools, informed the Panel that we were not proposing to change the basis on which the deprivation supplement was allocated, however it was possible that the Government could introduce a national early years funding formula that would require us to use the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index which may reduce the qualifying numbers.

RESOLVED: That the Schools Forum:

Note the findings of the review.
endorsed the recommendation to retain the 2014-15 hourly rates in RBWM’s Early Years Single Funding Formula for the next financial year 2015-16.
Approved a further review of the EYSFF is undertaken following the introduction of the Early Years Pupil Premium and once there is clearer information available regarding the national formula.

CHANGES TO THE GROWTH FUND CRITERIA 2015-16

Richard Pilgrim, Chairman of the Schools Forum, informed the Forum that RBWM’s view was that the current arrangements for funding planned growth was unsustainable and therefore paragraph 1.2 of the report detailed proposed new criteria for the use of the ‘growth fund’ for 2015-16.

The Forum considered the following new conditions contained at paragraph 1.2 of the report:

1.2.1 that funding for permanent increases will only be allocated for the first three years of any increase. Previously funding was allocated for a full seven years in the case of an expanding primary school. – The Forum approved this condition.

1.2.2 that funding will only be allocated for planned increases of ten or more school places. Previously there was no limit. The Forum approved this condition.

1.2.3 that, in addition to the per pupil funding based on AWPU, to allocate a lump sum of £4,000 per school where planned class increases are for ten or more pupils, and £6,000 for twenty or more (pro rata-ed for part year). Previously funding was based on the per pupil amount only. The Forum approved this condition.

1.2.4 that allocations will take account of the difference between planned pupil numbers and actual pupils admitted on September. Previously schools got additional funding for planned increases, even when the actual increase in pupil numbers was significantly less than planned. The Forum approved this condition.

During discussion on the report it was noted that funding for a bulge class would be for 1 year until AWPU took over whilst if it was planned expansion there was no need for funding for 7 years, the ‘Grand Total’ on annex A should read 337,381 rather then 307,381and that the changes would be for existing and future arrangements for schools which had permanently expanded by 10 or more places.

RESOLVED: That the Schools Forum approved the new conditions at paragraph 1.2 of the report.

2015-16 FUNDING FORMULA – OUTCOME OF CONSULTATION

Edmund Bradley, Finance Partner, gave a presentation on the outcome of the 2015-16 Schools Funding Consultation.

During the presentation a number of points were made, these included:

£390m more funding to ‘least fairly funded’ LAs for 2015-16.
Additional £2.5 million in RBWM’s Schools Block funding which equals £2.482 million after CRC adjustment.
75% of the funding would be allocated to all schools, 15% to some schools and the remaining 10% being retained.
It was agreed to look at alternative funding models for 2016/17 including the effect of allocating the maximum lump sum amount to schools rather then going through AWPU.
The presentation highlighted the funding rate changes for 2015-16 which were due to be submitted at the end of October 2014.
Response rates, 29%, was low as the consultation was about giving schools extra funding.
Most schools felt the proposals were “fair”.
There was confusion about whether the increases were permanent.
There was disappointment that MFG may erode some of the gains.

RESOLVED: That the Schools Forum note the presentation.

DE-DELEGATION ARRANGEMENTS 2015-16

Richard Pilgrim, Chairman of the Schools Forum, informed the Forum that paper set out the de-delegation rates for 2015-16 for certain services provided centrally. The proposed changes were for maintained schools only and both primary and secondary sectors had to separately approve for their sector.

Table 1 paragraph 4.2 of the report showed the agreed de-delegated services and the proposed changes for the 2015-16 rates. It was requested that a paper be brought to a future Forum meeting on how the contingency had been spent.

The secondary sector representatives could not attend the meeting and had passed their views on the proposals to the Chairman so he could vote on their behalf.

The Forum considered the de-delegation amounts set out in the report and:

RESOLVED: That:

Contingency for exceptional unforeseen costs – Resolved only maintained primary schools voted to de-delegate at the higher rate of £10.25 per pupil.

Behaviour Support - The Chairman informed that looking at the consultation results the secondary maintained schools did not want behaviour support de-delegated. Edmund Bradley informed that this may have an impact on the level of service provision and would report back to the Forum. – Resolved only primary schools voted to de-delegate at the higher rate of £63,549. Secondary’s voted not to de-delegate.

Ethnic minority - Resolved both maintained primary schools and secondary maintained schools (via the chairman) voted not to de-delegate service.

Licenses / subscriptions - Resolved both maintained primary schools and secondary maintained schools (via the chairman) approved.

Staff costs – maternity and union duties - Resolved both maintained primary schools and secondary maintained schools (via the chairman) approved.

REVIEW OF MEMBERSHIP OF THE SCHOOLS FORUM

Richard Pilgrim, Chairman of the Schools Forum, informed that the report summarised the changes needed to the Forum Membership to reflect the number of pupils in maintained schools and academies. It was proposed to fill one vacancy with Martin Tinsley.

David Scott informed the Forum that the Council had a Code of Conduct for employees and Councillors and it was proposed that the Schools Forum should adopt this code. It was approved that this should be considered at a future meeting.

RESOLVED: That: The Schools Forum:

Note the existing membership of the Schools Forum and particularly, that, following the transfer of Knowl Hill to academy in September 2014, there are now two maintained primary vacancies and one maintained secondary vacancy on Forum, see table 1 and 2.
Note the expected changes in pupil numbers in each sector following the forthcoming academy conversions and the effect this will have on the expected composition of the Forum. Specifically that by March 2015 there are likely to be two more academy representatives on Forum and one fewer representative in each of the maintained primary and secondary sectors, as set out in table 3.
In view of this expected change in the composition of the Forum as a consequence of academy conversions, nominates Martin Tinsley to one of the two existing maintained primary vacancies.
To seek nominations for two new academy representatives over the next six months when the number of academy pupils warrants an increase in the number of academy posts on the Forum

DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS

The Forum noted the future meeting dates of:

- 10 December 2014 – 2.30pm.
- 14 January 2015 – 2.30pm.
- 25 March 2015 – 2.30pm

MEETING

The meeting, which opened at 2.30pm, ended at 4.45pm..