People and Communities Strategic Schools Forum
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
People and Communities Strategic Schools Forum 6th March 2019 9:30am Backwell BS48 3BX 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. 9:40 John Simpson Notification of AOB - Chair’s Business 4. 9:45 John Simpson Letter from the National Education Union Governance: • Draft Principles to underpin 5. 10:00 Decision John Simpson decision making relating to the schools budget. Finance Report, incorporating: • 2018-19 Monitor Information 6. 10:15 Emma Whitehead • 2019-20 Schools Budget & Decision • 2019-20 Council Budget Education Inclusion Service Report: • Top up Funding 7. 11:00 Information Wendy Packer • Specialist/AP Provision Update • Invest to Save Future Meeting Dates of SSF 8. 11:30 Information Emma Whitehead (Verbal) 9. 11:45 Evaluation of meeting – Date of next meeting- 19 June 2019 – Venue: TBC Papers will be issued on the 12th June 2019 where possible. People and Communities Strategic Schools Forum Wednesday 16th January 2019 09:30 – 11.15, Worle Community School Present John Simpson (JS) C Chair Chris Hildrew (CHi) V Head Teacher, Churchill Academy and Sixth Form Sarah Harding (SH) V Head Teacher, Kewstoke Primary School Tracy Towler (TT) V Head Teacher, Westhaven Special School Martin Kerslake (MK) V Chief Operations Officer, Priory Learning Trust Sue Elliott (SE) V Head Teacher, Worle Village Primary School Paul Conkie (PC) V Assistant Head Teacher, Backwell School (Lighthouse MAT) Maria Davidson (MD) V Chief Finance Officer, Extend Learning Academies Network Wendy Farrier (WF) V Governor, Churchill Primary Tony Hill (TH) V Acting Principal, Voyage Learning Campus Karen Worthington (KW) V Weston College (in substitution for Jacqui Ford) Stephen Webber (SW) V Head Teacher, All Saints Primary School Paul Trauberman (PT) V Rainbow Smiles Nursery Cllr Jan Barber (JB) NV Councillor – Executive Member for C&YP Services Emma Whitehead (EW) Of Education Funding and Traded Services Manager, NSC Wendy Packer (WP) Of Service Leader - VLS and Virtual School Head, NSC Katherine Sokol (KS) Of Finance Business Partner, NSC Jenie Eastman (JE) Of Early Years Team Manager, NSC Becky Farler NSC Clerk Item Issue Action 1. Apologies and Declarations of interest (JS) JS welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked the PLT for hosting. Apologies have been received from: Adam Matthews, ELAN (Marie Davidson representing) Mike Evans, Ravenswood Claire Hudson, Diocese of Bath & Wells Gary Lewis, LSP (Paul Conkie representing) JS acknowledged that everyone present has an interest in the items for discussion today as decisions regarding school budgets will impact on all schools within North Somerset. 2. Minutes of the previous meeting (JS) Approved for accuracy, apart from one typographical error which will be corrected. 3. Matters arising that are not on the agenda and notification of AOB (JS) Matters Arising Page 2 1 A response has yet to be received from the RSC regarding the Alternative Provision Review. It is now likely to be February before an update is available. Page 3 There has been no feedback from the DfE in response to North Somerset’s submission regarding DSG deficits. A number of expressions of interest have been received regarding membership of the FRWG, and a further request for support will be issued shortly. The positive response is encouraging and will hopefully lead to a stronger group being formed for the future. Page 4 With regard to multi-agency contributions towards support for young people; KS advised that there has been an independent examination which has concluded that current arrangements should be reconsidered. However, this is unlikely to have a significant impact on the contributions from education because the focus is more on health and social care. SS has emailed some example figures to KS who will forward these for inclusion in the minutes. Please see detail below: Case 1 Current funding: Health 0%/Education 33%/Social Care 67% Proposed funding: Health 48%/Education 34%/Social Care 18% Case 2 Current funding: Health 0%/Education 33%/Social Care 67% Proposed funding: Health 3%/Education 34%/Social Care 63% Case 3 Current funding: Health 9%/Education 33%/Social Care 58% Proposed funding: Health 9%/Education 34%/Social Care 57% Case 4 Current funding: Health 0%/Education 33%/Social Care 67% Proposed funding: Health 3%/Education 34%/Social Care 63% Page 9 JS has discussed with Officers how to improve support for new SSF members. 4. Chair’s Business (JS) JS shared his reflections regarding two issues that arose at the previous SSF meeting. Firstly, he has asked NS officers to contact the DfE about the fact that it is very disruptive to decision-making when the deadline dates for receipt of information from the Local Authority and Strategic Schools Forum are changed. In order to meet previous amended deadlines, the date of the last SSF had to be moved; and subsequently a request has been made for information that is being discussed at this meeting to be submitted tomorrow. JS has asked for the point to be raised that it is very difficult to plan meetings and make decisions within the timescales that are being issued. Additionally, JS has suggested that some consideration could be given to the process through which proposals are tabled for discussion at the Strategic Schools Forum. At the last meeting the SSF was asked to make decisions regarding the transfer of money from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block; but the proposals submitted by officers had not been modelled beforehand to 2 illustrate to the SSF their potential impact on schools. A meeting has been arranged with Sheila Smith to consider how some work could potentially be done in advance of future meetings to provide some additional context before voting takes place. Initially there will be a need to establish what information schools are likely to prefer. JS will keep the SSF informed of the discussions. JS 5. Governance (EW) No issues to discuss. 6. Internal Audit – Annual Report 2018-19 JS confirmed that this has been issued for information; and it sets out the main findings from the recent Audit. EW advised that the Auditors will use the findings to inform the audit plan for the next Financial Year, and they have invited comments from the SSF if there are any areas that require particular focus. The SSF sought clarification that this report involves mainstream schools only; because Academies have their own audit processes. EW confirmed that this is correct. The query was then raised about the value of the report as the number of mainstream schools reduces. With the majority of schools now having Academy status, the SSF has less of an overview of potential audit risks. It was suggested that Academies could potentially share data to feed into the audit report. EW confirmed that this could be done if schools are willing; but it may not be a feasible request to make. The SSF noted this item. The SSF noted 7. Finance Report JS confirmed that this report incorporates a series of items, and he suggested that each mini-report is discussed as an individual item. Exceptional Growth Policy EW confirmed that the changes made since the last draft are highlighted in yellow. The responses to the consultation were in favour of the policy on the whole; but responses from the Secondary Sector were not so faviourable. Consequently, EW has spoken to Secondary colleagues and has made the highlighted changes. Class sizes have initially been reduced from 30 to 28, and they may need to reduce again for future years. Also, the percentage shown is now of the year group, not of the whole school. This policy needs to be agreed by the SSF at this meeting; and if more work is then required it can be done for 2020/2021. MK queried whether the changes affect Priory; and he commented that point 3 is unclear regarding the PAN figures. EW advised that Priory should not be affected. The SSF The SSF agreed the Exceptional Growth Policy. agreed VLC Deficit This is an update following previous discussions and is for information. EW requested confirmation that the SSF is satisfied that the Local Authority are taking the action required and there was agreement with this. The SSF noted the report. The SSF noted 3 2018-19 Monitor The SSF are asked to note the the forecast budget position. EW confirmed that the overspend on redundancies and VLC rent have previously been discussed at this Forum. The SSF The SSF noted the report. noted Additional High Needs Funding Announcement EW confirmed that at the last Forum meeting an agreement was reached on a figure for the disapplication, and this was submitted. However, having received a number of disapplication requests from Local Authorities, the Government then responded shortly after the deadine by announcing some additional funding for High Needs in both 2018/19 and 2019/20. Although this money is welcome, it is important to note that it does not solve the financial challenges; and the actions being taken to reduce deficit budgets must still be taken. The DfE will be carrying out a spending review in 2019/2020 so it is unclear whether this additional funding is a permanent increase. However, there is now a high expectation that Local Authorities will reduce their disapplications, or withdraw them completely. The Local Authority is recommending that the additional money for 2018/19 is put back into the High Needs Block in order to reduce the overspend, and is asking the SSF to support this recommendation.