TRAFFORD BOROUGH MINUTES OF SCHOOLS FORUM 23rd June 2020 DAY/DATE/TIME VENUE TUESDAY 23rd JUNE 2020 Virtual via Microsoft Teams MAIN MEETING: 2PM Clerk to Schools Forum 0161 912 2836 Christine Clarkson [email protected] FORUM MEMBER ATTENDEES: Maintained Primary Headteacher Representatives (9) of which attended 8 attended: Clive Searle Worthington Primary Linda Davison Holy Family RC PS Catherine Downing Stamford Park Junior Tom Johnson Seymour Park Primary Alison Kelly Moorlands Junior School Louise Owen Broomwood Primary School Sharon Hudson Bowdon CE Primary 1 Wayne Hitchcock St Mary’s Sale Primary Academy Headteacher Representatives (2) of which 1 attended: Judith Stott (CHAIR) Old Trafford Community Academy Maintained Primary Governor Representatives (3) of which 2 attended: Rex Beech Wellfield Junior Karen Smyth Urmston Primary Maintained Secondary Headteacher Representatives (3) of which 3 attended: Nicola Doward (VICE – CHAIR) Stretford High Bev Redmond St Antony’s Catholic College Kate Worsley Blessed Thomas Halford Academy Secondary Headteacher Representatives (7) of which 1 attended: Stephanie Gill Altrincham Girls Grammar School Maintained Special School Headteacher Representative (1) of which 1 attended: Sally Burston Delamere Academy Special School Headteacher Representative (1) of which 1 attended: Bev Owens Sovereign Trust 2 Pupil Referral Unit Headteacher Representative (1) of which 1 attended: Lynda Thompson MES & Trafford High Non School Members (7) of which 0 attended: Total members = 34 Quorum = 14 (40%) Number in attendance = 18 OBSERVERS ATTENDEES: Stacey Wetters ESFA Karina Carter TMBC OFFICER ATTENDEES: Karen Samples Director Education Standards, Quality and Performance Anne-Marie Steadman Senior Accountant – Childrens’ Amy Nield Finance Manager – Childrens’ Michelle Perry Senior Accountant – Childrens’ Christine Clarkson CLERK 3 APOLOGIES Jill McGregor Director Children’s Services Helen Zammit Strategic Finance Manager Debbie Vrlec Victoria Park Infant School Mel Wicks Wellacre Academy Danielle Taylor Altrincham College Rebecca Lees NASUWT Rob Matthews Narnia Day Nursery Dee McKenzie Elmscot Day Nursery 1. WELCOME ALL AND APOLOGIES: The Chair welcomed everyone and requested that those in attendance muted their microphones and typed in questions/ requests to speak to enable the meeting to proceed effectively. The above apologies for absence were accepted. 2. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD 21st JANUARY 2020 The minutes were approved as an accurate record. 4 3. MATTERS ARISING Crucial Crew – As agreed this was taken to a Primary Heads meeting where no decision either way was reached so it was agreed that it would be discussed at the Primary Heads Residential in March. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic the Residential did not take place so Primary Representatives have agreed this will continue to be funded from the CSSB for 2020/21 and reviewed in October as part of agreeing the Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) for 2021/22. Trafford HR Redundancy process policy. Bev Norton is in the process of producing a paper on this which will be circulated to Members by the end of the week Trade Union Facilities Time – The Facilities Time Allocation as per Trafford’s current Trade Union facilities agreement is as follows: 5 GMB & UNISON 2 FTE secondments Teacher Trade Union Facilities (39 week basis) NUT 3.27 days per week NASUWT 2.74 days per week ATL 1.51 days per week NAHT 0.26 days per week ASCL None currently due to none engagement with the review process The HR Policy team are aware that the current Teacher Facilities Agreement does not yet reflect the creation of NEU (following amalgamation of ATL/NUT) and this will be reviewed directly with the Trade Unions in due course. 4. CHANGES TO SCHOOLS FORUMS (ENGLAND) 2012 REGULATIONS Michelle Perry outlined the changes to the above Regulations to facilitate Schools Funding Forum meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic. The amended Regulations enable Schools Forums to meet virtually whilst they are unable to meet physically. This includes, but is not limited to, telephone conferencing, video conferencing, live webcast, and live interactive streaming. The amended regulations make it clear LA’s should ensure their schools forum remain open to the public with clerk’s contact details published 6 on their website and that it is clear to interested parties how they can attend the meeting remotely. These arrangements are currently in place for the 2020 to 2021 financial year, up to the end of March 2021. Action: Forum noted the changes to the Schools Forums (England) Regulations 5. DEDICATED SCHOOLS GRANT (DSG) OUTTURN POSITION 2019/20 Amy Nield outlined the outturn position on the DSG for 2019/20 as summarised below. 2019/20 Outturn Budget Outturn Difference £m £m £m Schools block 161.964 161.320 (0.644) Central Schools Services block 1.546 1.449 (0.097) High Needs block 27.587 27.663 0.076 Early Years block 17.506 17.506 0 Total 208.603 207.938 (0.665) 7 The position overall was a £0.665m underspend on the grant. The carried forward position into 2020/21 on the Reserve is £2.895m. The underspend on the schools block is due to the growth fund. There is now a total of £468k being held in reserves; this can be redistributed or ring-fenced for future year’s growth fund. It is suggested the mainstream sub-group meet to discuss this. The de- delegated budget (within the schools block) is underspent by £280k – Licences (£3k), maternity and Trade Union supply cover (£38k) and redundancy (£239k). Schools Forum are asked to approve this carry forward into 2020/21. The Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) includes an under spend that will need to be ring-fenced in 2020/21 of £80k for Primary Targeted. The High Needs block (HNB) overspent by £76k. This will be discussed in further detail with the sub-group on the 24th June and a paper presented to the next Schools Forum meeting The Early Years Block position cannot be determined until July when the allocation for 2019/20 is finalised. 8 Action: Primary members voted on the carry forward of Licences and Supply cover underspends into 2020/21 – all were in favour Both primary and secondary members voted on the carry forward of the underspend on redundancy into 2020/21 – all were in favour. 6. HIGH NEEDS TASK AND FINISH GROUP UPDATE Karen Samples reported that the high needs sub-group meeting takes place tomorrow (24th) and that she would update on the task and finish group at the next meeting. 7. PER PUPIL DISTRIBUTION POT (PPRP) 2020/21 Michelle Perry presented a paper showing the amounts to be allocated from the PPRP for 2020/21 in accordance with the policy. The purpose of this fund is to address low per pupil rates in some schools. The per pupil amount to which schools were funded to was £3,329 and the paper showed that funding was due to 12 schools totalling £198,964. 10 of these 12 schools had received allocations in 2019/20. The allocations will be distributed to schools as soon as practical. 9 Action - Schools Forum noted the report 8. SEN PROTECTION POT 2020/21 Amy Nield presented a report outlining the allocations due from the SEN Protection Pot. The pot is to provide additional funding for those schools who have a higher proportion of pupils with an EHCP and are deemed not to have sufficient funding in their notional SEN funding to support the Element 2 funding for High Needs pupils. Ideally schools shouldn’t be spending any more than 35% of their notional SEN budget on Element 2 but the pot isn’t big enough for this so we fund as low as we can go, which is 53% for 2020/21. The paper showed funding was due to 14 schools in 2020/21 totalling £426,583; corresponding allocations for 2019/20 were also provided. Allocations will be made to schools as soon as practical. A member asked how the 53% had been derived. Amy replied that this was based on a fixed funding amount of £426k and we fund as much as the pot allows. Action - Schools Forum noted the report 10 9. SCHOOL RESERVES 2019/20 Anne-Marie Steadman presented a paper showing School Reserves at the end of March 2020. Overall reserves in schools totalled £7.956m a reduction of £76k from 2019/20. Whilst balances as a percentage of funding range from between minus 12% to plus 20%, 50% of schools lie within the range of 3% - 8%. There are 5 schools with deficits – 2 schools already have a licensed deficit agreement in place, 1 school has submitted a draft application and the remaining 2 schools are trying to set a balanced budget for 20/21. 10. NATIONAL FUNDING FORMULA (NFF) AND DEDICATED SCHOOLS GRANT (DSG) FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS 2021/22 Announcements of changes are expected in July. The main changes expected are: IDACI data – the NFF for 2021/22 is expected to include revised IDACI dated based on October 2019. Changes to IDACI data previously has caused some turbulence in the funding levels in the formula. 11 Teachers Pay and Pension Grants – it is expected these will be incorporated into the NFF in 2021/22 and not paid separately. De-Delegation - There are no planned changes to de-delegation for 2021/22 Minimum Funding Level - It is expected that the £4k primary MFL will go ahead for 2021/22 DSG Outturn - The DfE conditions of grant may change with LA’s being asked for a management plan if the DSG is in deficit or there is a significant drop in surplus High Needs Allocation - High Needs indicative allocations are expected in July 2020 and will include indicative allocations for 2022/23. Action – Schools Forum noted the report 11.