Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from:

David Whewell

Debbie Rock

Amanda Burnside

Amanda Burnside was substituted by Cathy Shahrokni.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2015.

Resolved

To agree and sign the minutes as a true and correct record of the meeting held on 15 January 2015.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

Mrs Aileen Bates declared a pecuniary interest in item 10, High Needs Block 2015-16. For this item Mrs Bates did not vote.

a)    Cllr Laura Mayes Introduction

It was announced that item 10 High Needs Block 2015-16 would be taken before item 9 Early Years – Hourly Rate for 3&4 Year Old Free Entitlement 2015-16.

a)      Cllr Laura Mayes Introduction

Cllr Mayes, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, introduced herself to the Forum. Information on any issues was said to be available through her. The Chelsea’s Choice programme was up and running, most secondary schools had signed up. Discussions would be had with schools that hadn’t on why they chose not to.

A verbal update will be provided.

Susan Tanner, Head of Commissioning and Joint Planning, was in attendance to deliver a verbal update.

The new framework for school improvement services had been published. Schools could be inspected at any time. Triggers for an inspection were noted as including concerns about vulnerable learners.

Carolyn Godfrey had visited Rochdale to learn what could be done to tackle child sexual exploitation.

Ofsted would be carrying out Early-Year inspections from the 16 March 2015 onwards.

Resolved

To note the update.

To receive a report presenting budget monitoring information against the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for the financial year 2014-15 as at 31st January 2015.

The Schools Forum is asked to note the budget monitoring position at the end of January 2015.

The report presented the budget monitoring information against the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for the financial year 2014-15 as at 31st January 2015.

Since the last report a lot more detailed work had been done, especially around High Needs.

The projected overspend was £1.604million, which marked an improvement of £725,000.

The biggest improvement was within the High Needs budget. Reductions in the numbers of pupils supported financially and out of county placements were factors in the improvement.

All staff savings not included in the last report had now been taken into account. A small underspend of £0.088million in 3&4 year olds was anticipated, along with the 2 year old DSG Reserve impact.

Taking in to account adjustments the projected balance within the DSG

Reserve at the end of 2014-15 is £2.516million. This would enable the projected overspend to be managed within 2014-15 and leave £0.912million to be carried forward to 2015-16. This was noted as a significant reduction to previous years, but was an improvement on the position reported at the previous meeting.

Phase 2 of spending for term-time only back pay would be in the next year. Confirmation had not been received on the £636,000 amount; the actual at P10 was £497,000.

Clarification was sought on how portionment was reached. It was explained to state how the overspend was made up, with an offset left of £900,000. The reserve went back many years and had been drawn on and contributed to throughout this time. This could not be broken down into individual blocks.

Resolved

To note the budget monitoring position as of the end of January 2015.

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

a)    School Funding Working Group

b)    SEN Working Group

c)    Early Years Reference Group

a)    School Funding Working Group

The recommendations from the working group were considered under item 9.

Resolved

To note the minutes of the School Funding Working Group.

b)    Special Educational Needs Working Group

The recommendations from the working group were considered under item 10.

Resolved

To note the minutes of the SEN Working Group.

c)     Early Years Reference Group

Resolved

To note the minutes of the Early Years Reference Group.

To receive a report outlining the key changes resulting from the schools funding formula for 2015-16. 

The Schools Forum is asked to note the report.

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) had confirmed that the funding formula was compliant for the year.

Additional funding of £5.7million had been received for the Fairer Schools Funding, and an increase in £2.1million for growth in Wiltshire pupil numbers. These both accounted for the £7.8million increase in the 2014-15 funding level.

Key Stages 1&2 had seen an increase of 832 pupils. Secondary School level had lost 341 pupils. The net increase in the county was 491 pupils.

Additional funding was spread among the Per Pupil Funding. The increases were as previously agreed by the Schools Forum.

There had been a small movement in deprivation and prior attainment. These had been funded at previous year’s rates increased in line with the percentage increase applied to per pupil rates.

The minimum funding guarantee (MFG) which had received £1,611,101 funding during 2014-15, had now been reduced to £533,217. This was a reduced reliance on the MSG from schools. The largest MFG reduction had been from £133,628 to £67,647. Schools in receipt of MFG had reduced from 77 to 27. This was noted as demonstrating a lower number of schools being reliant on the MFG to support their funding.

The largest cap had reduced from £117,442 to £53, 553, and the number of schools capped in order to fund the MFG had reduced from 91 to 47. The percentage of any gain which schools had been able to retain within their funding had increased from 0.88% to 4.61%.

A question was asked over whether the deprivation had increased because there were fewer people. It was explained that there had been enough money to keep the rates the same and therefore it did not have to be scaled down.

Resolved

To note the report.

To make proposals for the level of hourly rate to be included in the Early Years Single Funding Formula for 3 & 4 year olds.

Elizabeth Williams, Head of Finance, introduced the background to free entitlement funding for 3&4 Year Olds.

A consultation had gone out before November 2014 with two options for response:  Option A – prefer to continue with differential hourly rates or Option B – prefer to have a single hourly rate for all providers.

There had been a total of 173 respondents which was broken down as follows: 78 Childminders; 1 Independent; 3 Maintained Nurseries; 54 Private; 37 Voluntary.

It was estimated that the affordable rate should be set at £3.81 per hour.

In order to implement the single hourly rate providers must be consulted on what had been done. The EFA had been asked for their advice with regards to the consultation. Reasonable notice was deemed to be around 6 months. Implementation date would be September to fit in with the new school year, this was noted as being around 6 months away.

Implementation options included a transitional approach to implement the change over two academic years with 50% of the gain or reduction being implemented in year 1. This would mean 50% of the gain/reduction being implemented from September 2015 and 100% in September 2016, or a transitional approach which would give protection to those who would lose more than a specific amount of funding.

The SFWG had recommended that this should be implemented, but on a phased basis.

Resolved

1.     To implement a single hourly rate of £3.81 within the EYSFF for 3 & 4 year olds.

2.     To implement a single hourly rate no earlier than September 2015.

3.     To implement through a transitional approach with 50% of the gain/reduction being implemented from September 2015 and 100% from April 2016.

To summarise the cost pressures and potential options for savings within the high needs block for 2015-16.

The report will follow as a supplement.

Elizabeth Williams presented the report which provided a summary of key pressures on the High Needs Budget (HNB) for 2015-16 and short term proposals to minimise the impact on the budget. It also gave a brief update on the progress of the SEN Strategy which aimed to identify medium and longer term proposals to address the overspend in the HNB.

The need for short-term actions during 2015-16 was brought about by the significant overspend during 2014-15. The reserves were unable to be relied upon to support the HNB during 2015-16. The strategy was explained to bring about longer term actions which would manage the HNB more effectively.

The allocation for 2015-16 was noted as being £37.12million. Wiltshire’s share of the national £47million top-up was £0.420million; this figure was based on the proportion of 2-19 year olds within the population.

A large majority of the HNB was spent on places and top-ups for pupils in schools. Places and top-up values for pre-16 pupils in schools amounted to £24million, along with a further £5million budgeted for top-up payments in post school providers.

For the 2015-16 year an extra 200 places were requested. A total of 117 of these had been allocated. This information had been received at the last Schools Forum meeting; however feedback on how this decision was reached was now available. The feedback broadly stated that the money was not available and that the spaces had not been filled in 2014-15. It was felt that there was quite a lot of risk in funding money upfront as the places might not have been filled. It had since been stated by the EFA that if places were filled first then the EFA would fund them the next year.

Paragraph 19 of the report was said to contain the information not available at the last Schools Forum meeting:

“An analysis of the national position indicates that only 22% of additional places requested across the country were agreed. In the South West, applications were submitted for 721 additional places but only 159 were agreed. Wiltshire received 117 of those, 59% of places requested.”

A question was asked on whether it was possible to go back and appeal places now that the process was clear. It was explained that it had been instructed that growth money should be used to fund places.

It was noted that Springfields Academy was currently consulting on a change in age range and place numbers. Any change in place numbers over and above that proposed in the report was explained to result in additional pressure on the high needs block.

It was requested to record that the EFA had been invited to the Schools Forum meetings but had not sent apologies and were not present.

Pressures for the 2015-16 year had been worked out by taking into account all the know pupils paid for, any known leavers, and known September 2015 starters. The amount of migration into the county was noted as being of an unknown level at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

To amend and confirm the governance arrangements for setting prices and determining service levels for traded services.

Julia Cramp, Associate Director, was in attendance to present the report proposing a change in the governance arrangements for managing the process for agreement of service levels and prices for traded services with schools.

In 2005 a proposal had been brought to the Schools Forum which recommended that a sub group be formed to look at traded services. It was now recommended that this be removed from the Schools Forum structure.

It was recommended that this sub group ceased to operate and a Schools Traded Services Stakeholder Group was established. This would include representatives from schools and other stakeholder groups, including governors.

The group would look for feedback on services and what future intentions were from sectors. There would be no decisions or consultations on prices. This group should only need to meet twice per year to enable the Council to communicate any proposed changes in a timely way.

It was asked what the maintained schools equivalent of the ESG was being used for. The ESG was being used for therapies, education welfare, and outdoor education amongst other areas.

The role of the group would be to communicate prices to schools and ensure adequate notice was given to schools of any price changes.

The additional stakeholders were explained as being up for decision depending on how engaged they wished to be in various sectors.

Resolved

1.     To agree on the principle that there has to be adequate notice for schools to make their purchasing decisions.

2.     To take governance arrangements for traded services with schools out of the Schools Forum structure and to cease operation of the Schools Services Group.

3.     To establish a Schools Traded Services Stakeholder Group in the local authority including representatives from schools.

To confirm the dates of future meetings, as follows:

18th June, 2015 1.30 pm - Kennet Room - County Hall, Trowbridge

8th October, 2015 1.30pm - West Wiltshire Room - County Hall, Trowbridge

10th December, 2015 1.30 pm - West Wiltshire Room - County Hall, Trowbridge

Resolved

The future Schools Forum dates were confirmed, with the next meeting to be on 18 June 2015, 1.30 pm in Kennet Room at County Hall, Trowbridge.

There were no urgent items.