Minutes of the Meeting of the Schools Forum Stantonbury Campus Thursday 3 July 2008 at 5.00Pm
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE SCHOOLS FORUM STANTONBURY CAMPUS THURSDAY 3 JULY 2008 AT 5.00PM PRESENT: Primary School Representatives Paul Hussey – Caroline Haslett School Richard Pickard – Langland Community School Jane Miller – Middleton Primary School Tony Draper – Water Hall Primary School Secondary School Representatives Paula Alcock – Shenley Brook End School Special School Representative Liz Bull – Slated Row School Primary Governors Alison Flint – Long Meadow School Stephen Tucker – Governor of Southwood Junior School Secondary Governors Peter Kendrew – Lord Grey School (Chair) Special School Governor Nick Jackman – The Walnuts School Nursery School Representative Marie Gordon – Knowles Nursery School Early Years and Childcare Representative Lynne Johnson – Pre School Learning Alliance Church of England Diocese Representative Roy Davey – Oxford Diocese Catholic Diocese Representative Kate Harper – Northampton Diocese OFFICERS: David Gamble (Group Director School Improvement and Planning) Richard Schmidt (Head of Technical Accounting) Penni Powers (Technical Accountant) Kathy Bassett (Assistant Finance Manager) Jane Gilbert (Assistant Director Sure Start and Youth Services) Sandra Clark (Cabinet Member for Children and Young People) CLERK: Rebecca Howell SCHOOLS FORUM 3 JULY 2008 PAGE 1 SF 122 APOLOGIES Jane Miller – Middleton Primary School Pauline Pickard – The Willows School Ken Leaver – Ousedale School Glen Martin – Shenley Brook End Michael Manley – St Paul’s Catholic School Mark Wasserberg – Stantonbury Campus SF 123 MINUTES RESOLVED: The minutes of the meeting of the Forum held on 1 May 2008 were agreed as a correct record. SF124 MATTERS ARISING – HCSS SOFTWARE (MINUTE SF117) Richard Schmidt gave a report on the HCSS presentations to Headteachers and Governors and to School Bursars. Subsequently, schools attending the presentations had been contacted to provide feedback. Responses had been overwhelmingly supportive and schools felt that this was a good product. Thirty-two responses were received, one of these was not interested, five were uncertain and the rest were in favour of the product. Other Local Authorities using the product had been contacted and their responses were also very positive. Schools would shortly be receiving a CD from the DCSF promoting good financial management with information about linking the School Development Plan to the budget. This was entitled ‘Strategic Planning – the Key to Financial Stability’. Schools were likely to come under increasing pressure to plan further ahead. Members needed to decide whether and how to take the matter forward. It was possible to link the product with FMS6 at an extra cost, support for the product was also available at extra cost. A set-up cost of £5,000 to £10,000 would be incurred for time and consultancy to build their product using the Milton Keynes formulae. There were questions about how this would be paid for, how long the Milton Keynes formulae would last in its current form and whether changes to the formulae would incur additional costs. If the project went ahead, the product could be available by Christmas 2008, ready for next year’s budget planning. Some felt that this would not be a viable option for small schools, which already had IT systems at a substantial cost. Members were SCHOOLS FORUM 3 JULY 2008 PAGE 2 not clear whether the product would assist in the tasks that bursar currently carried out. Richard Schmidt stated that schools will come under pressure to do three-year budgeting and the Local Authority already required this from schools in financial difficulty. RESOLVED: Members of the forum felt that more commitment was needed from schools to be able to progress the matter and requested that specifics on the real cost was circulated to schools to gain a commitment from those interested. Sandra Clark arrived at the meeting at this point. SF 125 DAVID GAMBLE The Chair made members aware that David Gamble would be retiring in the Summer and that this would be his last Forum meeting. David was formerly an adviser to Buckinghamshire County Council and, on local government reorganisation, moved to Milton Keynes Council to take up his current post. He had been the driving force of the Schools Forum since the start, besides his many and varied other duties. Now he would take up an entirely different lifestyle, he probably believed would be of rest and relaxation but those already there knew that reality was rather different. Nevertheless, the Chair asked members to join him in wishing David well and a long and enjoyable retirement. Members also wished David well and thanked him for his efforts for the Schools Forum and education in Milton Keynes. David stated that he had enjoyed working with the Schools Forum, although meetings had sometimes been difficult. He felt it was very positive that so many schools were involved in decisions made. SF 126 FINAL DSG SETTLEMENT (KATHY BASSETT) A report was received on the final DSG settlement, explaining that the settlement was £240k lower than estimated due to a reduction in pupil numbers of 58 multiplied by a per pupil rate of circa £4.1k. Also, the overspend at the end of 2007/08 was estimated to be £801k, but the actual overspend was £488k, a reduction of £313k. The net effect of these figures, assuming that pupil numbers remained as predicted, is a benefit of £73k over three years, the period of repayment of the overspend. There was a discussion about the overestimation of pupil numbers SCHOOLS FORUM 3 JULY 2008 PAGE 3 and it was explained that this arose for two main reasons; because some pupils were counted twice as they were on the roll of two different schools and because some three year olds were mistakenly counted as four year olds (Those with birthdays between the 1st January and the Pupil Count Day). Milton Keynes Council was not the only local authority that had this problem. RESOLVED: The resultant reduction in overspend of £73k would be retained centrally and that this be set against the DSG overspend, rather than being distributed to schools during 2008/09. SF 127 ENERGY EFFICIENCY SAVINGS (KATHY BASSETT) A report was received on a proposed change to the Scheme for Financing Schools, in order to allow for the introduction of an energy efficiency scheme for schools. RESOLVED: The proposed wording was agreed subject to the following amendment to paragraph 4.11: “The Authority is providing a Loan scheme for the specific purpose of Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction. Apart from this, the Authority believes that other funding arrangements in place, including the potential for Licensed Deficits, give schools sufficient flexibility to manage their financial affairs without over committing themselves.” SF 128 COMPUTERS FOR PUPILS GRANT (DAVID GAMBLE) A report was received on the Computers for Schools grants and the proposed method of allocation. There was some discussion about considering pupils Special Schools for the grant. RESOLVED: Schools Forum agreed that Children in Care should be targeted for the use of the under spend in the Computers for Pupils grant, with any surplus being used for pupils in Special Schools who were in Key Stage 4 and identified as having free school meals. SF 129 EARLY YEARS FUNDING (JANE GILBERT) A progress report was received on the development of the Early Years single pupil count and the single funding formula. The various models of funding had been discussed in detail at recent Early Years Reference Group meeting. The preferred SCHOOLS FORUM 3 JULY 2008 PAGE 4 model had been that where a unit pupil rate was used that varied with each type of provision, staff qualifications and SEN numbers. It was acknowledged that the way SEN was funded in early years needed more work and further discussion. The next meeting of the Early Years Reference Group would be held on 10 September 2008, after which a progress report would be made to the Schools Forum. The meeting would also consider the roll-out of the increased free entitlement to 15 hours per week. SF 130 SCHOOL FORUM CONSTITUTION (DAVID GAMBLE) A revised constitution was proposed as a result of recent regulations. Taking into account views expressed at the Schools Forum meeting on 1 May 2008, it was proposed that: 1. the offer of membership of the Schools Forum be made to one non-school representative of the revised 14 to 19 Partnership 2. there be no further additional membership at present representing the wider children’s agenda, but this be considered at a later stage 3. whilst substitutes/alternates for members were acceptable at meetings of the Schools Forum in line with paragraphs 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 of the Revised Constitution, Headteachers would not take up the option to select others members of staff to represent their constituency on the Schools Forum. RESOLVED: It was agreed to amend the Constitution of the Milton Keynes Schools Forum in accordance with the above proposal and the document attached to the minutes. It was further agreed that an offer of membership would be made for one non-school representative of the revised 14 to 19 Partnership. SF 131 LICENSED DEFICITS AND PAYMENTS TO SCHOOLS IN FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY (KATHY BASSETT) A report was received on the school budget plans for 2008/09 and the schools that are requesting licensed deficits. Members noted the position in relation to the schools’ 2008/09 budget plans, as detailed in Annex A of the report. The licensed deficits being submitted to Cabinet on 15 July 2008 and information regarding The Radcliffe School were also noted. A discussion was held about the consequences of the fire at the school and the impact of the delay in receiving revenue interest from the sale of the land. SCHOOLS FORUM 3 JULY 2008 PAGE 5 The Schools Forum had agreed to support the deficit at Sir Frank Markham, which was estimated to be £400k, which assumed an allocation of £100k from the Schools in Financial Difficulties budget.