Dudley Schools Forum

Dudley Schools Forum Tuesday 22nd March, 2016 at 6.00pm In Block 10, Room 10.106, Halesowen College, Whittingham Road, Halesowen, B63 3NA (Please Note: Car parking will be available in car park C on Whittingham Road. All visitors are requested to report to Reception, Block 2, upon arrival and will be escorted by a member of staff to Block 10) Agenda - Public Session (Meeting open to the public and press) 1. Introductions by the Chair 2. Apologies for absence. 3. To report the appointment of any substitutes for this meeting of the Forum. 4. To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Forum held on 23rd February, 2016 (attached). 5. Any other matters arising from the Minutes of the meeting of the Forum held on 23rd February, 2016, not included on the agenda for this meeting. 6. Primary Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Report (Pages 1 - 14) 7. Dedicated Schools Grant Projected Outturn Update 2015/16 (Pages 15 - 19) 8. Dedicated Schools Grant Planning Process 2016/17 – Final Update (Pages 20 - 37) 9. DfE Consultations on Schools National Funding Formula and High Needs Funding Formula and Other Reform (Verbal) 10. Equal Pay Loan Arrangements for Voluntary Aided and Foundation Schools (Pages 38 - 42) 11. Schools Forum Membership Update (Pages 43 - 46) 12. Update on Dudley’s forward planning in light of the Education and Adoption Bill (Verbal) 12. Strategic Director People Update (Verbal) 13. Date of the next meeting:- 21st June, 2016 Saltwells Education Development Centre, Bowling Green Road, Netherton, Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 9LY Strategic Director Resources and Transformation Dated 11th March, 2016 Distribution: Members of Dudley Schools Forum Mr Bate; Mrs Belcher; Mr Conway; Mr Derham; Mrs Hannaway; Mrs L Jeynes-Bates; Mrs N Jones; Mr Kilbride; Mr Leyshon; Mr Moody; Mr Oakley; Mr Patterson; Mr P Rhind-Tutt; Mr Ridney; Ms Rogers; Mrs Ruffles; Mrs Sixsmith; Mr Shaw; Mrs Stowe; Mr Ward; Mrs Withers; Mrs Wylie Non-Voting Attendees Councillor I Cooper - Cabinet Member for Children’s Services; Councillor M Mottram - Chair of People Services Scrutiny Committee; T Oakman – Strategic Director People; M Joseph - Interim Chief Officer Children’s Services; D Fishbourne – Interim Lead for Education Outcomes; K Cocker – Finance Manager (Children Services), Resources & Transformation Directorate; S Coates – Principal Accountant, Resources & Transformation Directorate. Please note the following important information concerning meetings at Saltwells Education Development Centre: • In the event of the alarms sounding, please leave the building by the nearest exit. There are Officers who will assist you in the event of this happening, please follow their instructions. • There is no smoking on the premises in line with national legislation. It is an offence to smoke in or on these premises. • The use of mobile devices or electronic facilities is permitted for the purposes of recording/reporting during the public session of the meeting. The use of any such devices must not disrupt the meeting – Please turn off any ringtones or set your devices to silent. • If you (or anyone you know) is attending the meeting and requires assistance to access the venue and/or its facilities, please contact the contact officer below in advance and we will do our best to help you. • Information about the Council and our meetings can be viewed on the website www.dudley.gov.uk • The Democratic Services contact officer for this meeting is Helen Shepherd, Telephone 01384 815271 or E-mail [email protected] Minutes of Dudley Schools Forum Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016 at 6.00 pm In Block 10, Room 10.106, Halesowen College, Whittingham Road, Halesowen Present: Mr L Ridney – Chair Mr J Conway, Mr C Derham, Mrs A Hannaway, Mrs L Jeynes-Bates, Mrs N Jones, Mr M Moody, Mr B Oakley, Mrs H Ruffles, Mrs S Sixsmith, Mr N Shaw, Mr D Ward, Mrs G Withers and Mrs Wylie. Officers: Mrs D Fishbourne – Interim Lead for Education Outcomes (People Directorate); Mrs K Cocker - Finance Manager – People’s Directorate (Children’s Services), Mrs S Coates - Senior Principal Accountant and Miss H Shepherd (Democratic Services Officer) (all Resources and Transformation Directorate) 69 Introductions by the Chair The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. 70 Apologies for Absence Apologies for absence from the meeting were submitted on behalf of Mrs J Belcher, Mr B Patterson, Mr Rhind-Tutt, Ms P Rogers and Tony Oakman. 71 Minutes In referring to resolution (4) of minute no. 63, it was requested that the following amendments be made:- (4) That the Finance Manager – People’s Directorate (Children’s Services) be requested to provide the background to Academy School charges in regards of Admissions to an academy representative. It was also requested that the last sentence of the penultimate paragraph of minute no. 61 be amended to read as follows:- It was further reported that additional freedoms had been given to Local Authorities to increase the Council Tax to 3.99% without a referendum. -37- Resolved That, subject to amendments referred to above, the minutes of the meeting of the Dudley Schools Forum meeting held on 26th January, 2016, be approved as a correct record and signed. 72 Matters Arising from the Minutes No issues were raised under this agenda item. 73 Schools Forum Membership Update A report of the Strategic Director People was submitted to provide an update in respect of Schools Forum Membership changes. It was stated that Mrs L Jeynes-Bates had been formally appointed as the Recognised Unions and Professional Associations representative for the remainder of the existing term of office, expiring 30th April, 2016. Resolved That the information contained in the report submitted, be noted and Mrs L Jeynes-Bates be welcomed as a new member to the Forum. 74 Schools Revenue Funding Arrangements in 2016/17 – Falling Rolls Fund A report of the Strategic Director People was submitted to seek approval from Schools Forum for the establishment of a centrally retained contingency as a ‘Falling Rolls Fund’ in order to support good or outstanding schools that experience falling rolls but where a population bulge was expected in two to three years and the proposed criteria and methodology to be applied in respect of the allocation of these funds. In presenting the report, the Senior Principal Accountant referred to table 1 of the report submitted and stated that Dudley was continuing to experience a consistent increase in the number of primary pupils, however in previous years primary pupil numbers had fallen significantly. The reduced number of primary pupils was now filtering through to the secondary sector and the most recent information available from the Place Planning team indicated that secondary pupil numbers would continue to fall until the 2019/20 Academic Year. -38- The Senior Principal Accountant stated that the Education Funding Agency had recognised the issue and that the Schools Revenue Funding 2016/2017 Operational Guide, issued in July 2015, had indicated that Local Authorities could top slice DSG funding to support good or outstanding schools, in the short term, where local planning data identified that surplus places would be needed in the near future. The proposed criteria and methodology for allocating the falling rolls fund were outlined to Members and the Senior Principal Accountant stated that if the Forum was mindful to approve the establishment of a falling rolls contingency, the criteria and methodology would need to be scrutinised by the Education Funding Agency to ensure that it was compliant with the guidance and that a report to review the falling rolls fund contingency would be submitted to Dudley Schools Forum on an annual basis. (At this juncture Mr N Shaw (Secondary Head Teacher representative) and Mrs G Withers (Secondary School Governor representative) both declared a pecuniary interest due to their connection with Leasowes High School and withdrew from the meeting). The Senior Principal Accountant confirmed that Dudley currently had fourteen secondary schools within the borough with Ofsted ratings of either good or outstanding, with one school, identified as Leasowes High School, having significant surplus capacity. Place Planning data had however identified that these surplus places would be required in the next two to three years. It was further stated that Leasowes High School had undertaken several staffing restructures to try to manage the school within the financial resources available in their delegated budget, but would require financial support during 2016/17 and 2017/18 due to the surplus capacity and therefore would be eligible to receive funding from the falling rolls fund if implemented. In referring to the proposed criteria to be applied, as outlined in appendix A of the report submitted, the Recognised Unions and Professional Associations representative suggested that an additional criteria be included as follows:- • formula funding available to the school would not support provision of an appropriate curriculum for the existing cohort. Arising from questions raised by the Academy representative, the Finance Manager – People’s Directorate (Children’s Services) stated that School reserves would be taken into account prior to any funding being allocated from the falling rolls funding; that the Published Admission Number (PAN) history would also be reviewed, however Leasowes High Schools had not reached its PAN for several years and would be unable to provide the required curriculum if there was a continual reduction in staff and that eligible schools would continue to be monitored taking into account place planning data and future Ofsted ratings. Resolved -39- (i) That a centrally retained contingency of £300k, as a ‘Falling Rolls Fund’, in order to support good or outstanding schools who experience falling rolls but where a population bulge is expected in the next three years, be approved. (ii) That, subject to the inclusion of the additional criteria, as set out below, the proposed criteria and methodology as set out in Appendix A of the report submitted, be approved and applied to all allocations of the Falling Rolls Fund in 2016/17, which will be funded from the Dedicated Schools Grant Reserve.

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