People and Communities Strategic Schools Forum
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People and Communities Strategic Schools Forum Date: 4th December 2019 9:30am Venue: Priory Community School - An Academy, Queensway, Weston-Super-Mare, BS22 6BP Agenda Action Lead Apologies and Declarations of Interest - SSF 1. 9:30 members are reminded that they need to declare an John Simpson interest in any item that is on the agenda 2. 9:35 Minutes of the previous meeting John Simpson Matters arising: 3. 9:45 John Simpson Notification of AOB: 4. 9:50 Chair’s Business John Simpson Governance: Information 5. 9:55 • None known in advance of John Simpson (Verbal) the meeting Finance Report: Emma 6. 10:00 Information • 2019-20 budget monitor Whitehead Dedicated Schools Grant 2020-21: Emma 7. 10:30 • Results of the Funding Decision Whitehead consultation for 2020-21 Education Inclusion Service Report: • Proposed Top Up Funding Consultation for 2020-21 • Specialist and Alternative Information 8. 11:15 Wendy Packer Provision review & Decision • Update on Educational Psychologists and EHCP’s • Update about statutory consultations to progress increases in provision. 9. 11:45 Evaluation of meeting – Date of next meeting- 15 January 2020 – Venue: TBC Papers will be issued on the 8 January 2020 where possible. People and Communities Strategic Schools Forum Wednesday 6th November 2019 09:30am, Hans Price Academy Member Title P – Present S – Substitute A - Apologies ACADEMY REPRESENTATIVES - vote LOUISE MALIK Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Lighthouse P Schools Partnership CHRIS HILDREW Academy Headteacher, Churchill Academy & Sixth P Form WILLIAM HARDING Academy Governor/Trustee of North Somerset P School in Bristol-based Cathedral School Trust MARK ANTOINE Academy representative – Secondary Business P Manager/Chief Operations Officer ADAM MATTHEWS Academy CEO, Extended Learning Academies P Network SUE ELLIOTT Academy Head Teacher, Worle Village Primary P School - Kaleidoscope STEPHEN WEBBER Academy Headteacher, Clevedon Learning Trust P VACANT Academy Governor MAINTAINED SCHOOLS HEADTEACHERS - vote SARAH HARDING Primary Headteacher Kewstoke P TRACEY TOWLER Special School Headteacher Westhaven School P EMMA GUNDRY PRU Principal, Voyage Learning Campus P MAINTAINED SCHOOLS GOVERNORS (PRIMARY) - vote WENDY FARRIER Maintained School Representative – Primary P Governor (Churchill Primary) NON-SCHOOLS MEMBERS – no vote JOHN SIMPSON Independent Community Representative, Chair P CLLR CATHERINE Executive Member for Children and Young Peoples P GIBBONS Services CLLR WENDY GRIGGS Chair of CYP Policy and Scrutiny Panel A CLAIRE HUDSON Diocese of Bath and Wells A PAUL TRAUBERMAN Early Years – Rainbow Smiles Nursery P KAREN WORTHINGTON 14 – 19 – Weston College P 1 JON REDDIFORD RTPA A OBSERVERS – no vote MIKE EVANS Special School Governor (Ravenswood School A (CoG)) IAN SCOTT National Education Union A SALLY VARLEY Service Leader – Strategic Planning & P Governance, North Somerset Council PRESENTING OFFICER PRESENT – no vote WENDY PACKER Vulnerable Learners Service Lead and Virtual School P Headteacher NORTH SOMERSET COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES (FOR INFORMATION) – no vote SHEILA SMITH Director of People and Communities A KATHERINE SOKOL Finance Business Partner P EFION PRICE Assistant Director Children’s Support & A Safeguarding BECKI WONG PA to the Principalship A lCO-ORDINATOR – no vote EMMA WHITEHEAD Education Funding Manager P CLERK – no vote HANNAH CUSHEN Business Support P 2 Item Issue Action 1. Apologies and Declarations of interest (JS) JS welcomed everyone to the meeting Apologies were noted. There were no conflicts of interest reported. 2. Minutes of the previous meeting (JS) Approved for accuracy, subject to the following amendments: Page 1 MARK ANTOINE: Correct title to read: ‘Academy representative- Secondary Business Manager/Chief Operations Officer’ Page 3, Item 5 INSERT: ‘JS welcomed Emma Gundry, who is the new Principal of the Voyage Learning Campus.’ First paragraph: DELETE: ‘…CEO of Voyage Learning Campus.’ INSERT: ‘… Chief Operations Officer of the Priory Learning Trust.’ Page 5, Item 6 INSERT AFTER FOURTH PARAGRAPH: ‘TT asked, as a result of KW’s presentation, for her to provide the college’s full financial figures for each work stream, so the SSF can have a clear understanding before passing judgement. Action: KW KW Page 9, Item 9 DELETE: ‘The hours for supporting students in school have been drastically reduced, which means they are being sent out of county.’ INSERT: ‘This year the funding for supporting these students in school has been drastically reduced, which means that there is a higher risk of students being permanently excluded. This could well lead to an increase in the numbers of children being placed out of county.’ JS asked that all amendments to the minutes should be brought to the meeting for agreement to avoid confusion over version numbers. 3. Matters arising that are not on the agenda and notification of AOB (JS) Matters Arising Item 6: (amendment added) KW advised that this action was still open as she would like to bring the most accurate figures to the meeting and more time was needed to do this. Item 7: JS asked EW for more information on the framework contact, she advised that it was in the process of being negotiated and she would like to 3 invite the contract manager to the SSF meeting to explain more about the contract. In brief, it gives economies of scale for places. Item 8: TT advised that the sub-group mentioned in the last paragraph will now form part of the EEPB Board. There were no notifications of AOB. 4. Chair’s Business (JS) JS advised that planning for the meeting had been difficult as information was still awaited from the DfE. 5. Governance – Welcome to new or changed members (JS) JS welcomed Louise Malik, who is the Chief Financial and Operating Officer for the Lighthouse Schools Partnership. William Harding advised that he is now Academy Governor/Trustee to a North Somerset School that comes under the Bristol-based Cathedral School Trust. JS reminded the meeting that there was still a vacancy for an Academy Governor, and he asked them to put suggestions forward. CH suggested that one of the trusts, not yet represented should be approached, such as Educate Together of the Bath and Wells Trust, which is a separate entity to the Diocese of Bath and Wells. 6. Finance Report EW explained that Government and Local Government are about to enter purdah. The Schools Block, Central Services Block, and High Needs Block have been released but the Early Years Block has not yet been released. The hourly rates to the Local Authority were published late last Thursday and an update on funding has been emailed to all providers and also published in the latest Noticeboard. The article will also be included in the next Early Years Newsletter. The hourly rates into the Local Authority have increased by 8 pence from 2019/20 rates to £5.51 for funded 2 years olds and £4.38 for funded 3- and 4-year olds. EW advised that any early year’s areas for consultation will be tabled at the next SSF meeting on the 4th December 2019, for SSF to approve. The DfE Dedicated Schools Grant compulsory elements consultation has now, and the outcome will not be published until after purdah so it is assumed that it will be implemented as detailed in the consultation. JS advised that the SSF needs to adapt as best it can in this shifting environment, but ultimately will have to keep to the same deadline as they have a statutory duty to consult as instructed. JS referred to the letter previously distributed from the ESFA advising that they will be making a visit to develop the recovery plan. The Finance Report was distributed prior to the meeting. 4 EW explained that the report covered monitoring up to the 30th September Noted by the 2019 and the SSF report is the same as that reported to the Council. SSF substatial increases are predicted by December. The largest pressue is the Out of Authority Placements which has been fed back to the the DfE. There has been an increase of 20%. Noted by the JS asked the the SSF to note the financial data in the report. SSF EW advised that the Deficit Recovery Plan was based on a 3-year period, but the DfE then asked for the 5 year plan, which was produced. EW advised that other LA’s have received letters which contradict on other live situations, for example school block movements, the recent SEND judicial reviews and live consultation on the DSG and Council balances. North Somerset welcomed the visit from the DfE to scrutinise the 5-year document. There have been a number of SEN consultations and feedback was awaited from the DfE. JS advised that given the direction of travel and interest in recovery plans, it is expected School Block transfer funding will not be required for the High Needs Block. EW advised that demand for EHCP plans is increasing, and that the she did not anticipate the funding in the High Needs Block to be sufficinet in ongoing years to meet the increases in demand. TT asked if the growth within area will be accounted for, EW confirmed it would and she would bring the figures to the December meeting. She did not anticipate an increase in the Base funding. It was felt that JS should be present at the visit from the DfE. There were concerns raised that members of the SSF were being blamed personally for decisions made at the meeting, by schools. JS advised that all decisions made by the SSF are as a result of schools consultation requests and often approximatly a third of responses are received. Revised DSG Arrangements consultaiton it was noted that the consultation Noted by the was intended to clarify the ring-fenced status of the DSG and that the LA SSF would be submitting a response.