People and Communities Strategic Schools Forum Wednesday 25th November 2020 09:30am, Microsoft Teams Member Title P – Present S – Substitute A - Apologies ACADEMY REPRESENTATIVES - vote LOUISE MALIK Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Lighthouse P Schools Partnership ANDREW BERRY Academy Headteacher, Churchill Academy & Sixth P Form (ON BEHALF OF CHRIS HILDREW) WILLIAM HARDING Academy Governor/Trustee of North Somerset P School in Bristol-based Cathedral School Trust TONY SEARLE Academy Headteacher, Hans Price Academy A MARK ANTOINE Academy representative – Chief Operations Officer P ADAM MATTHEWS Academy CEO, Extended Learning Academies P Network JACQUI SCOTT Academy Head Teacher, Worle Community School P - Kaleidoscope STEPHEN WEBBER Academy Headteacher, Clevedon Learning Trust A STEVE DAVIS Academy Governor, Head of Parklands Educate A Together and Chair of PHANS MAINTAINED SCHOOLS HEADTEACHERS - vote SARAH HARDING Primary Headteacher Kewstoke P TRACEY TOWLER Special School Headteacher Westhaven School P EMMA GUNDRY PRU Principal, Voyage Learning Campus P MAINTAINED SCHOOLS GOVERNORS (PRIMARY) - vote WENDY FARRIER Maintained School Representative – Primary A Governor (Churchill Primary) NON-SCHOOLS MEMBERS JOHN SIMPSON Independent Community Representative, Chair P CLLR CATHERINE Executive Member for Children and Young Peoples A GIBBONS Services CLLR WENDY GRIGGS Chair of CYP Policy and Scrutiny Panel P 1 CLAIRE HUDSON Diocese of Bath and Wells A PAUL TRAUBERMAN Early Years – Rainbow Smiles Nursery P KAREN WORTHINGTON 14 – 19 – Weston College P JON REDDIFORD RTPA A OBSERVERS – no vote MIKE EVANS Special School Governor (Ravenswood School A (CoG)) SALLY VARLEY Service Leader – Strategic Planning & A Governance, North Somerset Council PRESENTING OFFICER PRESENT – no vote WENDY PACKER Education Inclusion Service Lead and Virtual School P Headteacher NORTH SOMERSET COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES (FOR INFORMATION) – no vote SHEILA SMITH Director of People and Communities A KATHERINE SOKOL Finance Business Partner A CAROLANN JAMES Interim Assistant Director Children’s Support & A Safeguarding Education Funding Manager with responsibility for SSF – no vote EMMA WHITEHEAD Education Funding Manager P CLERK – no vote HANNAH CUSHEN Business Support P 2 Item Issue Action 1. Apologies and Declarations of interest (JS) JS welcomed everyone to the meeting and apologies were noted. JS welcomed Andrew Berry, who introduced himself as the CFO of Churchill Academy and was attending in place of CH. JS thanked the schools for the fantastic work they were doing during the pandemic and made special reference to the unnoticed out of school community. He acknowledged their exhaustion and commended them for the acknowledgement of their hard work in the Ofsted Report. There were no declarations of interest reported. 2. Minutes of the previous meeting (JS) Approved for accuracy subject to the following amendment: Page 5, 2021/22 DSG and Schools Budget DELETE: ‘JS advised that DfE do not expect …..’ INSERT: ‘JS advised that DfE do expect …..’ 3. Matters arising that are not on the agenda and notification of AOB (JS) There were no matters arising that were not on the agenda. 4. Chair’s Business (JS) There was no Chair’s business to discuss. 5. Governance (EW) There was no Governance to discuss. 6. Finance Report (EW) ` The Finance Report was distributed prior to the meeting. JS asked EW to summarise the highlights of the report: • Monitoring report for 2020-21 EW explained that the largest overspend was on Out of Authority Placements. A Balance Budget has been set and this is also likely to happen again for 2021/22. The PEP’s from AWP is pro-rata. Due to the pandemic there were not so many permanent exclusions, but this figure has increased in the new academic year, since schools have returned. EW advised that a projected spend of £500,000 on bespoke packages for EHCP’s and selected home educated children was anticipated. A cost has been included in the budget to support these 3 families, but some element of spend in this budget was wrongly coded as was some of the equipment budget. EW advised that the TUF summary and Out of Area are shown at high level, she felt that permanent exclusions should be shown here also, so that trends and patterns can be seen. TUF funding is under pressure due to the number of children going through moderation, the impact of the pandemic and the complexities of the young people. This will be explored further during the Summit. The increase in the number of children going through EHCP is causing a moral and financial dilemma. Nailsea Hub is now operating, and Mendip Green will open a Hub in 2021. The SEMH School is due to open in 2023 but may be able to open part of it earlier. Westhaven has been expanded and Ravenswood is at the consultation phase. EW explained that all increases are challenged by the Contracts Team. A recent challenge was around teachers pay and pensions which resulted in no increase. The SSF noted that the overspend stood at £3,000,000. Noted by the SSF JS was interested to see that the consultation was smaller than in previous years and noted that there were additions to what was agreed in the previous meeting. JS suggested that the budget is looked at again in more detail at the January 2021 meeting. • 2021/22 DSG and Schools Budget EW advised that the Chancellor would be announcing the spend review in the Central School Services Block reduction, but she had no information on School Services. The National Day Nursery Assessment stated that the spring term would be funded as normal. There may be adjustments to providers in early January and she expected the High Needs Block to overspend. EW felt that the consultation would be straightforward and there would not be any big decisions to make. One decision would be how to increase the AWPE with either a flat rate or a percentage increase. Government use a percentage increase. JS asked if there was any information regarding the size of increase? EW explained that Appendix B showed how a flat rate, or a percentage rate may be applied. If it is the former, then secondary schools would not gain as much. JS reminded the SSF that the decision they make is based on the whole school community. LM felt that percentage rate would be preferable and would ease the transition when the national funding formula is applied. She felt that the consultation should focus only on this option. 4 AM pointed out that if the flat rate was used, those schools that benefited would be balanced out by the MFG. He felt there was a clear difference and the consultation should be on both options. JS advised that debate on the two options would happen at a later Agreed by meeting. The SSF agreed to consult on both options. the SSF EW continued. Appendix A showed the change in data set from Government only to Government and DfE data using 2015 IDACI data. It uses this year’s data against the older data set. Appendix C showed the different factors taken into account and Appendix D detailed the targeted support. There was no change to Appendix E. JS clarified that apart from the decision on the lump sum, they will continue as last year, with only minor changes. EW advised that she would consult where possible on funding rates for 2021/22. JS advised that there would be further discussions in the January Endorsed meeting, and he confirmed that the SSF endorsed the by the SSF recommendations set out. LM asked if allocations had be done for this year? EW advised that they had been signed off that week and she would check they had been made. 7. Education Inclusion Service (WP) The Education Inclusion Service update report was distributed prior to the meeting. JS invited WP to summarise the report which was for the SSF to note. WP advised that since the report was written, under ‘Specialist and Alternative Provision Review Updates’, the Ravenswood consultation had gone live on 20th November and would close on 18th December. It aims to raise the number of places in the school to 134 from September 2021. This a much-needed resource and there are insufficient specialist places in the area. WP asked the SSF to note the number of elective home educated children Noted by there are now in the area. The number of Education Welfare Officers who the SSF monitor them remains at one. This must be addressed urgently to ensure safety of these children. The SEND Peer Review was now live, and the Local Government Association had asked for 50 sample EHCP’s, which have been reduced to 15. They will conduct interviews with key partners and colleagues. This will offer a constructive challenge, and insight to services and provide shared learning. WP expected the results by early next year, which will provide a positive way forward and a basis for the Local Joint Area Review. 5 WP advised that the Inclusion Summit was happening on Monday 30th November and invitations had been sent to representatives of the school community, MAT’s and DfE to create a unified way forward. WP warned that the number of young people with EHCP’s and PEP’s continues to increase, and schools are not able to support them. TT thanked WP and the SSF for all that was done towards the Westhaven Noted by and Nailsea Hubs, she advised that the Headteacher of Nailsea School the SSF had given a glowing report to the whole school community. The quality of what is being offered at Nailsea is high and truly inclusive. 8. Evaluation of Meeting 6. JS thanked the members for their contributions throughout the meeting and asked for any suggestions to improve the way it is conducted.