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Agenda item

Central Schools Services Block Update 2020-21

The report of Marie Taylor (Head of Finance – Children and Education) seeks to update the Forum on issues relating to the Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) budget for 2020-21 and the decisions that will need to be made as part of the budget setting process.

Minutes:

Marie Taylor (Head of Finance – Children and Education) referred to the report which sought to update schools forum on issues relating to the central schools block budget for 2020/21 and the decisions that would need to be made as part of the budget setting process.  Marie highlighted the following:

 

·                   The funding settlement for the central schools services block is £2.480 million to which funding for agreed historic commitments is then added.  The DfE indicated that funding for historic commitments would reduce and as part of this Wiltshire’s funding has been reduced by £115k for 2020/21;

 

·                   Schools Forum had previously considered the change in DfE legislation round the parity of service to all schools in respect of admission appeals.  The authority must charge the same rate to everyone or not make a charge at all.  It is not affordable for there to be no charge and the cost of an Admission Appeal has been costed to £939 per appeal.  Schools had indicated that they would be more comfortable with a cost of £300 per appeal. Officers were suggesting that they top slice (£70,290) from the Schools block to prop up the additional cost of appeals although it was anticipated that Academy colleagues would not be in favour of that as the like that as they have their own arrangements for admission appeals.  If the £70k transfer was to be approved this would mean £70k less to add into high needs block, but it was an option.  This would impact on the more popular schools.  The decision would be to take it out of central schools block or not support the transfer as a subsidy to bring the cost of appeal down to £300 per appeal;

 

·                   Sections A and B on page 57 of the Agenda would require approval on a line by line basis later in the meeting.  A 2% pay inflation had been included where there were costs which included salaries and the proposal to consider a transfer from the Schools Block to create the Admission Appeals subsidy would also be considered that that point;

 

·                   In relation to Section C – historic commitments – there was sufficient proof from the previous Schools Forum minutes that the funding and reporting of historic commitments extended at least as far as 2018/19;

 

·                   The Authority would need to think about the DfE’s intention to reduce historic funding over time.  It was proposed that the funding for LAC Personal Education Plans (reduced to £103k in 2018/19) continue to be funded at the same level.  It was proposed that the Child Protection in Schools Adviser be increased to £56k as the preference is to keep the Safeguarding team in schools; and

 

·                   The total historic commitment has been reduced by the DfE from £574k to £459k.  Schools Forum will need to agree the amount that is retained.  If the proposed budget is accepted by the Forum this would mean that £185k of unallocated monies in the central services schools block could be transferred to fund the high needs pressures.  If the Forum decide to a subsidy for Admission Appeals this would reduce the fund available to transfer to high needs.

 

Resolved:

 

1.    That Schools Forum note the report and make the required decisions to the central school’s block budget for 2020/21 later in the meeting when all information had been received.

 

2.    That Schools Forum note that the notification of the school improvement monitoring and brokering grant has not yet been shared by the DfE.  If the grant ceases or is significantly reduced, the expenditure plan will need to be reviewed and decisions would need to be reconsidered at the next available Schools Forum meeting.

 

The Chairman drew Schools Forum members attention to the A3 options spreadsheet (circulated at the meeting) and indicated that after a short break the Forum would be asked to resume the meeting and make the relevant decisions about spend and how to set the budget for 2020/21.  There was an overspend in the high needs block and so consideration would need to be given of how other blocks could be used to offset that.  He reminded the Forum that the Early Years budget had already been set.  The spreadsheet gave a number of different options and Marie Taylor gave the Forum an explanation of the options to aid the Members ability to make decisions once they had a chance to discuss with colleagues during the break.

 

The Chairman asked for the Forum’s views on the possible transfer of £70k to fund a subsidy on Admission Appeals. 

 

An Academy representative reported that he felt academies should seek best value in any costs they incur and that he felt it would be wrong for an academy to purchase a more expensive service.  (Most academies report they have purchased this service for around £300).  Marie Taylor reported that the expense of the Local Authority providing the Admission Appeals service is due to the costs of the Local Authority in a traded services environment.

 

A Forum member asked if maintained schools would have to use the Local Authority Admission Appeals service?  It was confirmed that maintained schools did not have to use the Local Authority but there would be a concern that if they did not they would not be able to ensure best practice and there would be concerns of complaints to the Ombudsman if the appeals were not consistent.

 

The Forum agreed to suspend the meeting at 3.50pm to allow for discussions with colleagues. 

 

The meeting reconvened at 4.03pm.

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