SCHOOLS FORUM
MEETING, 4th MARCH, 2011
Representing Primary School Headteachers
Simon Bramwell - SS Simon and Judes Primary School Jack Hatch - St Bedes CE Primary School Diane Bohan - St. Teresa RC Primary School Kathryn Wilkinson - Eagley Junior Primary School
Representing Primary School Governors
Mike Doyle - Pikes Lane Primary School Neville Speakes - SS Peter and Pauls RC Primary School Lynne Kay - Sharples Primary School Irene Jackson - Horwich Parish CE Primary School
Representing Secondary Headteachers
John Porteous - Turton School Paul Roach - Mount St Joseph’s School Phil Hart - Westhoughton High School Tony Purcell - Rivington and Blackrod High School
Representing Academies
David Mole - Essa Academy
Representing Secondary School Governors
Joanne Murphy - Westhoughton High School David Kay - Sharples Science College Renee Mellis - Westhoughton High School
Representing Non-School Members
Malcolm Fullerton - CS JCC Councillor McKeon - Bolton Council
Representing Special Schools
Bill Bradbury - Rumworth Special School
Representing Nursery Schools
Ann MacLeod - Susan Issacs Nursery
Page 1 of 6 Representing Church of England Diocese
Tania Lewycky - St James CE Secondary School
Also in attendance
John Livesey - Children’s Services David Smith - Children’s Services Julie Edwards - Children’s Services Jan Robinson - Children’s Services Sarah Bagshaw - St Bede’s CE Primary School (Observer) Vicky Ridge - Democratic Services
Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of John Thorpe, Jonathan Steele, Pam Livesey and Olive Fairhurst.
Mr. M. Doyle in the Chair.
27. MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting of the Schools Forum held on 14th January, 2011 were submitted and agreed as a correct record.
28. CHAIR’S COMMENTS
The Chairman welcomed Sally MacFarlane, Headteacher of Ladywood School and Sarah Bagshaw Commercial Director at St Bede’s Primary School to the meeting. He also informed members of the following changes to the membership of the Forum, viz:-
John Thorpe had replaced Noreen Collins as the Roman Catholic Salford Diocese representative; and Tania Lewyckyj had replaced Mrs Wild as the Church of England Diocese representative.
Members were also informed that, with regard to surplus balances, an updated position would be given at the meeting in June, 2011 once the final figures were known.
It was agreed that the report be noted.
29. DEDICATED SCHOOLS GRANT – BUDGET OPTIONS 2011/2012
The Director of Children’s Services submitted a report which recommended the distribution of the Dedicated Schools Grant for 2011/2012 which included the redistribution of transferred grants.
Page 2 of 6 Members were reminded that, in December, 2010, the Government issued an announcement relating to School Funding for 2011/2012 and the main headlines were as follows:-
A guaranteed Unit of Funding (GUF) for 2011/2012 based on the cash base of 2010-2011 Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) plus streamlined grants; A minimum Funding Guarantee at School Level of minus 1.5% per pupil; and A pupil premium of £430 allocated for every child eligible for free school meals and looked after children.
With regard to the allocation of streamlined grants, these were summarised in Appendix A to the report, and had been dealt with in two stages:-
1. Grants currently delegated to schools - £22.911 million; and 2. Grants not currently delegated to schools - £5.168 million
In terms of the grants currently delegated to schools the allocation of these were presented to the Forum in January, 2011. It was stated that the needs led formula recommended the distribution of funding in Bolton and that all grants should be transferred to fund the ‘ideal’ budget model. Exceptions to these were those grants that the Formula Review Group recommended should remain as targeted to specific areas and new formula factors would be created which were as follows:-
Specialists Schools and Leading Edge; Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant; Advanced Skills Teachers – to be incorporated into Threshold Factor; School Standards Grant Personalisation (secondary) – to be transferred to Personalisation Factor; and ICT Broadband - to be allocated on a lump sum basis.
It was noted that individual schools had been given indicative figures relating to the impact of the above.
With regard to the grants currently not delegated to schools the Formula Review Group, at its meeting on 8th February, 2011, considered the future allocation of this funding and as a result the following was proposed, viz:-
Making good progress (1:1) – this should be allocated on the same basis as current 1:1 allocations, therefore, a new formula factor would be created; Diploma funding – this would be targeted to those students currently completing a diploma course; PRUs – the Secondary Heads group recommended that the funding should be held centrally and earmarked to the future provision of PRUs, on the understanding that full consultation would take place;
Page 3 of 6 School Improvement Primary – the primary sector wanted to create a fund for schools in difficulty and therefore £150,000 would be allocated to the Schools in Difficulty line of Section 251. A protocol would be written and agreed for this fund that provided for the Strategic Executive Committee of the Primary Headteachers Partnership to allocate funds following discussions with the Council’s Improvement Service. The fund would be reviewed annually and at the end of each year unused funds would be returned to schools; School Improvement Secondary – the secondary sector schools wanted £200,000 to be distributed equally between all schools with the future aim of combining and creating a fund; School Lunch Grant – this would be delegated based on the current formula and a Service Level Agreement would be introduced for schools without delegated school meals in order to pass the funding to Environmental Services.
It was explained that all other funding would be transferred to the Needs Led Formula.
Members were also advised that the Area Based Grant (ABG) element of the Standards Fund had now ceased of which an element of this funding, in the total of £139,000, was allocated to Ladywood Special School to fund the SENIAS/Outreach Service. Consequently, it was proposed that £139,000 be allocated from the DSG to Ladywood School for this purpose. Ms. McFarlane, Headteacher of Ladywood School, also attended the meeting and gave a presentation regarding how the funding would be used to operate the SENIAS/Outreach Service.
Finally, the report informed members of the rules which governed the total Schools Budget (delegated plus centrally held) and it was stated that this could not be increased by a greater percentage than the delegated budget, unless the Forum approved a breach in the Central Expenditure Limit. In view of this members’ approval was sought in relation to the following grants being retained centrally:-
Pupil Referral Unit – secondary provision £414,000; and Schools in Difficulty – primary sector £150,000
A copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Formula Review and Services to Schools Group held on 8th January, 2011 were also submitted.
A discussion ensued with regard to the following issues:-
The proposal to extend the number of places at the Forwards Centre which received funding from the Forum last year. Concern was expressed that this had still not taken place. It was therefore agreed that this should be an item on the agenda for the next meeting of the Forum and also the Access to Inclusion Sub-Group; That the Swimming Group be absorbed within the Formula Review Group; and
Page 4 of 6 The proposed funding for Ladywood School.
Resolved – (i) That the grants be transferred into the needs led formula unless those specified in the report;
(ii) That the Central Expenditure Limit be breached with regard to:-
Pupil Referral Units – secondary provision £414,000; and Schools in Difficulty – primary sector £150,000
(iii) That £139,000 be allocated from the Dedicated Schools grant to Ladywood School as a result of the previous ABG grants having ceased.
30. SCHEME FOR FINANCING SCHOOLS
Further to minute 26 of the previous meeting, a joint report of the Directors of Children’s Services and Corporate Resources was submitted which sought the Forum’s approval of the Scheme for Financing Schools following consultation with all schools and governing bodies.
Resolved – That the proposed changes to the Scheme for Financing Schools be approved with effect from April, 2011.
31. FEEDBACK FROM EARLY YEARS SUB GROUP
Ann Mcleod submitted a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Early Years Sub Group held on 15th February, 2011 for members information.
Resolved – That the minutes of the Early Years Sub Group be noted.
32. CHILDREN’S SERVICES BUDGET UPDATE
David Smith, Children’s Services gave a presentation which updated members o n the current position with regard to the Children’s Services budget options for 2011/2012 to 2012/2013.
Information was provided in relation to the following:-
New position post settlement; The grants which had gone into schools; The grants not yet announced; 2012/2013 options target; Overall approach; Principles; What this approach meant for the service; The impact both on a short and long term basis; Specific proposals; The 2012/2013 options which had been put forward; and The next steps.
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Resolved – That the presentation be noted and that the thanks of this Forum be conveyed to all the officers and members of the Formula Review Working Group for all their hard work during this difficult period.
(The meeting started at 1.30 p.m. and finished at 4.05 p.m.)
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