Forum to consider the report.

Tracey-Anne Nevitt introduced the report which covered DSG (Dedicated School Grant) budget and school funding. The purpose of the report was to provide Forum members with a provisional DSG grant allocation for 2024-25 and the consultation proposals for the schools formula funding allocations, followed by the Forum being asked to note and comment on the proposals.

Going over the report, Tracey Anne Nevitt explained that RBWM had been given three sets of provisional DSG Block Funding. From the current year (2023-24):

·       2.3% increase for the Schools Block (£2,613,000).

·       2.8% increase for the High Needs Block (£788,000), which did not cover the current year’s High Needs Block pressures.

·       2.9% decrease Central School Services Block (-£29,000), with the reasons being that ESFA had reduced the historic commitment funding element by 20% each year and we've had a population number change.

The Early Years Block would be notified in the next term while the Growth Fund would be notified later in 2023.

Referring to the Schools Block Funding (Table 3, page 40 in the report), Tracey-Anne Nevitt highlighted that the school allocations would include the mainstream school additional grant funding.

Regarding the school budget consultation for 2024-25, Tracey-Anne Nevitt explained that each LA was required to move 10% closer to the NFF (National Funding Formula) levels in each year. RBWM was working towards reaching full NFF and was not funded at the national funding formula level at the moment as primary legalisation had not changed; as a result, it was funded on pupil units for primary and secondary schools. In 2022, RBWM struggled to reach NFF levels due to changes in data which meant that it had to lower some of the rates.

The proposals in the consultation to the Borough’s schools were to change the de-delegation rates for maintained schools for school improvement and reduce the current rates for contingency and staff cost for maternity cost due to the change in demand.

The Chair asked if the de-delegation to maintained schools was an increase. Tracey-Anne Nevitt confirmed this but added that it was not much of a change from 2022-23 to 2024-25. For 2024-25, the estimates were £329,000; while it was £277,000 in 2023-24, and £313,000 2022-23. This was partly due to the school improvement as well as a change in the rates. The suggestion to reduce the school contingency and maternity elements would partly fund the increase in school improvement.

Tracey-Anne Nevitt then went through the five school consultation questions in the report (pages 45-46 in the report). She asked if the Forum supported these questions going out to the schools.

Joolz Scarlett asked if there was a lack of engagement with the consultation from schools in the past, to which Tracey-Anne Nevitt confirmed, hoping that there would be more responses due to the fact that the Schools Forum had increased its membership.

Joolz Scarlett then asked whether something could be done through Bursar Support to explain to schools about the importance of responding to the consultation, speculating that some headteachers may not understand the questions. Tracey-Anne Nevitt replied that she had forwarded the information to Bursar Support in the past and directly to headteachers as well as sent out reminders. She stated that there could consideration on what else could be sent out to encourage schools to engage.

When asked by the Chair on whether the consultation only went to maintained schools, Tracey-Anne Nevitt replied that it went to all schools, both maintained and academy.

Andrew Morrison (Furze Platt Senior) asked about the timeframe for the consultation, stating that there had been some concerns with another consultation a couple of years ago because it took place over a holiday period and the timeframe was short. He wanted to ensure that schools were given adequate time to respond to the consultations. Tracey Anne Nevitt replied that the consultation would be going out in the following week for two weeks.

Agreeing with Joolz Scarlett’s earlier comments, Isabel Cooke suggested that a meeting (even via Zoom) with headteachers and Bursar Support to explain the question could have an impact and lead to better responses. Agreeing with this, the Vice-Chair reiterated the suggestion to further engage with headteachers.

AGREED UNANIMOUSLY: To approve the School Consultation questions in the report.