SCHOOLS FORUM MEETING 6 May 2015 5.00 to 7.00 Civic Centre, Uxbridge, Committee Room 3/3A Attendees
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SCHOOLS FORUM MEETING 6 May 2015 5.00 to 7.00 Civic Centre, Uxbridge, Committee Room 3/3a Attendees: Robert Lobatto (Chair), Ann Bowen-Breslin, Ludmilla Morris, Phil Haigh, Tony Eginton, Jim Edgecombe, Jo Palmer, Elaine Caffary, Peter Ryerson, Kris O’Sullivan, Wendy Bhad, Mark Bland, Robert Dixon, Laurie Cornwell, Chris Weaving, Chris Shasha, Alison Moore, Robert Jones, Sudhi Pathak, Ross Macdonald, Duncan Greig, Rhona Johnston, Bob Charlton, Debbie Gilder, Sue Illsley (Clerk), Peter Malewicz, Ruth Munro, Dan Kennedy, Graham Young, Sarah Hydrie Shadow Representatives: Lisa Corrigan, Joanna Nightingale Apologies: Joan Greening AGENDA Item Time Lead Update Election of Chair 5.00 – 5.05 1. Apologies and Welcome of New Members 5.05 – 5.10 2. Minutes of Meeting held on 5 March 2015 5.10 – 5.20 Chair Report 3. Matters Arising from meeting on 5 March 2015 5.20 – 5.45 • Membership of Schools Forum PM Report • Expanding the Remit of Schools' Forum - DK Report Funding and Next Steps • Census Returns Training PM Verbal • Review of Laurel Lane, Hewens and DK Report Rosedale Two Year Old Funding Bids • Capital Funding - Contribution to School DK Report Condition Works • Local Safeguarding Children's Board PM Report • Early Support Management Team TM Verbal 4. Minutes of Meeting held on 23 March 2015 5.45 – 5.50 Chair Report 5. Feedback from Sub Group Meetings 5.50 – 6.20 • Early Years LM Verbal • DSG PH Verbal • High Needs PH Verbal 6. Information Items • 2014/15 Provisional Outturn Report 6.20 – 6.25 PM Report • School Surplus Balances Report 6.25 – 6.40 GY Report • School Audits (Standing Item) 6.40 – 6.55 SH Verbal • Procurement of Utility Contracts 6.55 – 7.00 PM Report Timetable – Meeting Dates: Thursday 25 June 2014 - 17.00 - Committee Room 6, Civic Centre Schools Forum Meeting 6 May 2015 Item 2 Hillingdon Schools Forum Minutes of the Meeting held on Thursday 5 March 2015 Commencing at 17:00 Civic Centre Committee Room 6 Present: Maintained Primary Ms Chris Shasha (CS) Oak Farm Infant School Representative Members: Ms Kris O’Sullivan (KOS) Deanesfield Primary School Chris Weaving (CW) Whiteheath Infant School Maintained Secondary School Mr Mark Bland (MB) Abbotsfield School Representative: Special Academy School Mr Sudhi Pathak (SP) The Eden Academy Representative: Academy Representative Mr Robert Lobatto (RL) Chair Barnhill Community High Members: Mrs Ann Bowen- Breslin (ABB) Hillingdon Primary School Ms Wendy Bhad (WB) Bishop Ramsey CofE School Mr Peter Ryerson (PR) Guru Nanak Sikh Academy Mr Robert Jones (RJ) Haydon School Maintained Special Mr Ross Macdonald (RM) Meadow School School Representative: Maintained Primary Mr Phil Haigh (PH) Cherry Lane Primary School, Moorcroft Governor Members: Special School and the Eden Academy Mr Tony Eginton (TE) Minet Nursery & Infant School and Hillside Junior School Ms Jo Palmer (JP) Hillside Infant School Other Members: Ms Laurie Cornwell (LC) The Hillingdon Tuition Centre Pupil Referral Unit (Arrived during item 3.2) In attendance from : London Borough of Hillingdon Mr Peter Malewicz (PM) Group Finance Manager - Education Ms Ruth Munro (RM) Senior Accountant School Funding Mr Dan Kennedy (DK) Head of Education, Policy and Standards Mr Graham Young (GY) Lead business Partner for Schools Mr Muir Laurie (ML) Head of Internal Audit Hillingdon LA Ms Sarah Hydrie (SH) Internal Audit Hillingdon LA Mr Tom Murphy (TM) Statutory Director of Children's Services Associate Members: Ms Debbie Gilder (DG) Pield Heath School Observers : Mr James Ambrose (JA) EFA Mr Jim Edgecombe (JE) Abbotsfield School Mr Bob Pannell (BP) ATL Clerk: Ms Sue Illsley (SI) Independent Clerk Apologies: Ms Elaine Caffery (EC) Nursery Manger - 4 Street Nursery Mr Robert Dixon (RD) Uxbridge High Ms Ludmila Morris (LM) McMillan Early Childhood Centre Ms Alison Moore (AM) The De Salis Studio College The meeting was quorate Minutes: Item 1 Welcome & Apologies 17:00 RL welcomed everyone to the meeting and apologies were received from EC, RD, LM & AM. RL particularly welcomed Mr James Ambrose (JA) EFA, who attended to observe the meeting; SH and ML from the LA audit team who were attending to give a presentation later in the meeting; RJ who was joining forum as an academy representative and BP who attended to observe the meeting - introductions were made. 5 Position of Chair of Schools’ Forum RL reminded members that he was elected as the Chair of Schools’ Form three years ago and has served the full two year term plus an extended year. The constitution requires a new chair to be appointed at the first meeting of the financial year and this will be the next meeting. RL would, therefore, be chairing this meeting and asked that members consider 10 putting their name forward as chair, by notifying RL, PM or SI, and the appointment will be All made at the next meeting on 6 May 2015. Item 2 Minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2015 17:10 The minutes were approved and signed by the chair once the following corrections were 15 noted: P3 line 60 should read (Published Admission Number); P4 Item 7 – ABB asked for it to be made clear that she had asked for, and received, assurances that children in mainstream schools, with the same needs, will receive the same amount of funding as children in a Special School; 20 P4 line 145 – remove ‘this will represent approximately 3% of DSG’ as the figure is incorrect; P8 line 324 – earmarked should read ring-fenced. Item 3 Matters Arising from the meeting held on 15 January 2015 25 17:15 Matters arising not covered elsewhere on the agenda. 3.1 Item 3.1 – Membership of Schools’ Forum PM reminded members that there will be two Academy vacancies once RL steps down and wondered if there is a better process for election – it was agreed that there is not because the constitution requires there to be an election process. PM will advertise the two positions, to PM 30 replace RL and Eric Blair who has also resigned. PM will speak with LC to clarify her position. PM KOS also informed the meeting that Primary Forum has discussed the vacancy arising from Philip Rutter’s retirement and two members will be attending the May meeting as observers. 3.2 Item 3.2 – Expanding the remit of Schools’ Forum 35 DK reported that the consultation on the Terms of Reference has come to an end and he received no concerns about them. TE asked who will be funding the review and this has not yet been decided. RL suggested that Schools’ Forum could approve the Terms of Reference at this meeting and ask to receive a paper on funding to be considered at the next meeting in May. PR asked JA if he is aware of any other Schools’ Forums which have expanded their 40 remit in this way and he referred members to the new ‘Schools Forums: operational and good practice guide’ which will be published in a few weeks’ time. ML also referred members to Wokingham where their Schools’ Forum has extended its remit and he offered the audit teams services to review effectiveness and talk with Wokingham. ABB said that she had understood that once Schools’ Forum had agreed the Terms of 45 reference they would be sent to all Headteachers & governors for comment. RL asked if more time is needed for a wider consultation. ABB explained that, whilst Primary Forum has taken a look at the Terms of Reference and commented, they did not distribute the document to all Primary Headteachers. Members asked that the document should be circulated to all Primary Headteachers and noted that it had been distributed to all Secondary Headteachers, DK 50 the Governor Executive and many governors but not necessarily all. Members approved the Terms of reference, subject to their being no negative feedback from a wider circulation, and asked for a ‘funding and next steps’ report for the next meeting of 3.3 Schools’ Forum in May. DK Item 5.1 – Growth Contingency Allocation 2015/16 55 PM reminded members that Pinkwell and Ryefield schools do not have the number of pupils that you would expect to see as an expanding school. A small group of forum members was set up at the last meeting, to bring back a proposed mechanism for funding. The group will be meeting on Friday and, therefore, PM recommended that both these schools receive the first term’s funding whilst the matter is considered in greater detail. Members unanimously 60 approved this recommendation and to release all other Growth Contingency Allocation 3.4 funding recommended to the previous meeting. Item 8 – Formula anomalies PM reported that he has contacted all the schools as agreed to try and get a better understanding of their arguments regarding the census returns: 65 Hewens Primary School - set out how they have approached reporting their numbers, and the difficulties they have had in recording these for the census. PM has arranged a meeting with Executive Principal Clive Neathey to help him to better understand their business. For now PM is not recommending any changes to the Funding Formula in relation to Hewens. 70 Parkside Studio College – PM now accepts their 87% mobility because they explained how they take all pupils into the trust and then allocate which school they will attend. For now PM is not recommending any changes to the Funding Formula in relation to Parkside Studio College. RL recommended that this should be considered in greater detail by the ISB sub-group and 75 asked that it be noted that if Schools’ Forum later takes a different view, some of the funding might be clawed back next year.