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Agenda and minutes

Venue: The North Wiltshire Room - County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN. View directions

Contact: Kirsty Butcher  tel: 01225 713 948 or email:  kirsty.butcher@wiltshire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

7.

Apologies and Changes of Membership

Minutes:

Apologies were received from:

 

Mrs Jane Franchi – Salisbury Diocese

Mr Ted Hatala, substitute Early Years Representative

Dr Tina Pagett – 14-19 Group Representative

Mrs Rosheen Ryan, Parent Governor Representative

 

And also

Julia Cramp – Service Director, Commissioning and Performance

Carolyn Godfrey – Corporate Director

Councillor Lionel Grundy – Cabinet Member for Children’s Services

Councillor Laura Mayes – Portfolio Holder, Children’s Services

 

Changes to membership:

Mr Steve Clark replaces Mrs Carol Grant as WASSH representative

 

8.

Minutes of the previous Meeting

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 1 March 2012 and 10 May 2012 (copies attached).

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Forum noted that in the minutes for the meeting held on 1 March 2012, section 28 resolution 2 stated that the full Children’s Services budget would be brought to the June meeting. This will now be brought to the meeting being held on 4 October 2012.

It was also noted that the DfE consultation had taken precedent over the report detailed in the section 30 resolution.

Resolved:

1.     To correct the misspelling of commended in the second paragraph of section 30.

2.     To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 1 March 2012, subject to the above correction.

3.     To add Mr Andy Bridewell to the attendance of the meeting held on 10 May 2012.

4.     To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 10 May 2012, subject to the above alteration.

9.

Declaration of Interests

To receive any declarations of pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

10.

Chairman's Announcements

Minutes:

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

11.

Children and Young People's Trust Board Update

To receive a verbal update from the Service Director for Commissioning and Performance, Department for Children and Education.

Minutes:

Liz Williams, Head of Finance, DCE gave a brief update as Julia Cramp, Service Director Commissioning and Performance, DCE was unable to attend the meeting.

 

The autism review was now out for consultation for three months and was available through the pathways website.

 

The pathfinder project, part of the Disabled and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Review is due to start in September. Its focus will include the single assessment framework and encouraging the use of a personal budget.

12.

Final Outturn 2011/12

To receive a report on the final outturn for 2011/12, the final DSG settlement and any implications.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Liz Williams, Head of Finance, DCE introduced the report and confirmed there was an unallocated Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) reserve of £0.728 million.

Concern was raised over holding funds but it was felt that given current pressures this was the best position.

Resolved:

·       To note the outturn position for the Dedicated Schools Budget in 2011/12

·       To hold the current unallocated DSG reserve

13.

Reports from Working Groups

To receive minutes, reports and/or verbal updates from the following working groups:

·         School Funding Working Group

·         SEN Working Group

·         Early Years Reference Group

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Liz Williams, Head of Finance DCE introduced the report and minutes from the Schools Funding Working Group, Schools Forum SEN Working Group and Early Years Reference Group.

 

Resolved:

 

To note the report and minutes.

14.

IURB Monitoring 2010/11

To receive an update on the utilisation of agreed surplus balances.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Phil Cooch, Principal Accountant Schools, introduced the report and drew the forum’s attention to paragraph 7 which summarised the use of excess reserves.

 

Resolved:

 

To note the report.

15.

YPSS Update

To receive an update on the current position in respect of the YPSS and the development of Alternate Provision.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Mark Brotherton, Head of Targeted School and Learner Support, DCE, introduced the report and provided a further update to the forum.

 

He confirmed that Wiltshire is currently seen as the vanguard, engaging and carrying out the DfE’s wishes in the trial. Three monitoring visits had now been completed with a very strong satisfaction that judgement will be positive in the report on progress. It was hoped that next time Wiltshire would receive  full section 5 special measures.

 

He invited the Forum to decide whether 80% of costs should be recouped on pupils with medical needs being provided for out of school.

 

Resolved:

 

1.     To note the report

 

2.     To recoup 80% of costs for pupils with medical needs being provided for out of school

 

3.     To bring a further update to the December meeting

16.

Schools Forum Composition

To bring proposals on the constitution of Schools Forum following proposals from the DfE and to recommend the required membership.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Liz Williams, Head of Finance introduced the report and drew the forum’s attention to paragraph 5 where the amendments to the regulations were detailed.

 

After discussion it was agreed that in school nurseries should be represented in the schools members to comment and vote on the Early Years Single Funding Formula. Both in school and PVI representatives will be known as Early Years representatives.

 

It was noted that in the table in paragraph 11 was incorrect and needed amending to show Sue Jiggens as a WGA representative.

 

The forum agreed that the composition should be reviewed annually to ensure primary schools, secondary schools and Academies are broadly proportionate having regard for the total numbers of pupils registered.

 

Resolved:

 

1.     To amend the composition of the Schools Forum as shown in the appendix attached.

 

2.     To  review the composition of Schools Forum annually

 

3.     To amend the last sentence of section 2.1 of the Schools Forum terms of reference to read:-

 

The constitution of the Wiltshire Schools Forum has been approved by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services through the delegated decision process, and any change to the constitution will require similar approval.

 

4.     To amend section 2.2 of the Schools Forum terms of reference to read:-

 

The majority of forum members are “schools members”. There are:

·         6 elected Headteacher representatives (1 secondary, 4 primary and 1 special);

·         3 Academy representatives; and

·         4 elected governor representatives (1 secondary, 2 primary and 1 school with special provision).

 

These 13 members, along with the two Early Years representatives are the only members allowed to vote on the funding formula.

 

There are 2 other nominated service partner representatives (1 from the Dioceses and 1 teacher representative) who both have one vote. These are the 17 voting members.

 

In addition to voting members there are 5 observers, 1 each from the 13-19 Strategic Partnership and ASK, 2 elected governor representatives from the Council’s Children Select Committee are also invited as observers ex officio and the Education Funding Agency has observer status.

 

5.     To recommend that the Cabinet member for Children’s Services approve the change in composition and terms of reference as detailed above.

17.

Confirmation of dates for future meetings

To confirm the dates of future meetings, as follows:

 

4 October 2012

 

18 October 2012

 

6 December 2012

Minutes:

The dates of future meetings were confirmed as follows:

 

Thursday 4 October 2012            Venue to be confirmed

 

Thursday 18 October 2012                    Venue to be confirmed

 

Thursday 6 December 2012         Venue to be confirmed

 

It was noted that the Forum would prefer not to meet in Chippenham.

18.

Urgent Items

Any other items of business, which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There were no urgent items.

19.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

To consider passing the following resolution:

 

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item Number 14 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in  paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

 

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

The forum agreed that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item Number 14 because it was likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in  paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

 

20.

Schools Funding Reform

To consider the report detailing the implications of any formula change consultation proposals from the DfE. (Report to be circulated at the briefing session)

Minutes:

Liz Williams gave an in-depth review of the report circulated at the briefing and explained that due to the data not being available the consultation would now be issued in time for the beginning of term 1 in September 2012.

 

Concern was raised over the place plus methodology used for specialist SEN provision and the potential implications of topping up on a per child basis. This gave no protection over empty places, and with it being a more competitive market there was worry over existing provision becoming the more expensive solution. Staff movement was also highlighted given the cost of specialist training.

 

When looking at the allowable factors in the funding formula the need to have good quality information available was highlighted, particularly when consider IDACI / FSMEver6, the allowable formula drivers for deprivation. It was noted that the welfare reform would change FSM and IDACI was seen as a much more recent calculation.

 

As the data for looked after children were out of date it was agreed this should not be used in the formula.

 

English as an additional language was not used as a factor in the main formula however it was agreed that this be suggested as an option for delegation of central budget for support for minority ethnic pupils. It was also agreed that a Post 16 Per Pupil factor would not be used, however current commitments for 2013/14 would be met.

 

A discussion over the impact and implications for services schools highlighted the need for further modelling with mobility data. A meeting has been arranged with the Leader for 23 July 2012 to further discuss this and potential lobbying by MP’s, both in the Wiltshire area and other areas in a similar situation, e.g. Hampshire and Gloucestershire.

 

It was agreed that the implications of delegating budgets be made as clear as possible in the consultation documents to maintained primary schools and secondary schools. It was recognised that the consultation document would be very large, and agreed that it would be sent to both the Head teacher and Chair of Governors for each school.

 

Resolved:

 

a)           The options to be consulted on with Early Years settings with regard to deprivation funding are agreed as:

(i)       to align deprivation funding with the school funding formula if IDACI data is used, 

(ii)      to continue to use MOSAIC data,

(iii)   to use IDACI data regardless of whether adopted by schools

 

b)          To delegate a further £848,862 to primary schools through the high incidence low cost SEN formula factor to bring Wiltshire in to line with the requirement for schools to meet the first £6,000 of provision for additional needs.

 

c)           To make provision within the High Needs Block in 2013-14 for allocating additional funding to schools with a high proportion of pupils with SEN.

 

d)          To confirm the pupil uplift for increased pupil numbers between October and January be applied to those schools identified

 

e)           To adopt the following definition of a split site school:

 

‘A school will receive  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.