Issue - meetings

The Forum considered a report by the Finance Manager, Education providing an update on the latest position of the 2018/19 Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) settlements and budget. She explained that the report included updates on (a) the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS), (b) the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Capital, (c) Primary Alternative Provision, (d) Primary Pupil Growth Policy 2018, (e) Advisory Services and Options Appraisal, (f) Notional SEN, (g) 2019/20 Provisional DSG allocations, and (h) the consultation on the 2019/20 Local Funding Formula for Schools and Academies.

Following her presentation of the report, the Finance Manager, Education, with the Head of Education, responded to the members’ questions and comments in respect of the following matters:

·         The premium pupil growth policy 2018 and how future funding support for new and growing schools would be allocated.

·         Swindon’s Free School set up and funding.

·         Recognising that the growth of Swindon was creating additional need for SEN places at schools and that this was affecting primary schools.

·         How a new Special Educational Needs school could be funded.

·         The expansion of Swindon’s Eastern Villages and the need for new schools in that area. 

·         The various options for the 2019/20 Local Funding Formula for schools and academies and how financial pressures will adversely effect Swindon schools. 

·         How post 16 and early years were funded and confirmation that the High Needs budget did not fund these services.  

·         How statutory advisory services would be funded directly from the High Needs Budget and non-statutory services could be covered by the Schools Block DSG and requested through traded services as and when needed. 

·         The pros and cons of the various options relating to the advisory services funding.

            Resolved – (1) That the following updates be noted:

(a)  The SENDIASS service.

(b)  The Primary Alternative provision.

(2) That the following be noted:

            (a) A consultation on phase 2 of the SEND Capital Investment Fund will be launched on 5th November.

            (b) The ESFA guidance on the treatment for new and growing schools. 

            (c) The proposal to continue to fund the Advisory Services at the same rate from April 2019.

            (d) The provisional 2019/20 DSG allocations.

            (e) That the Local Authority will arrange a consultation event for all schools and academies on 20th November.

            (f) That an Extraordinary Schools Forum meeting will be held on Wednesday 5th December to agree the principles of the new formula for funding Swindon schools and academies for 2019/20.

            (g) Note that the indicative autumn census numbers will be requested in early October.

            (3) That with regard to the 2018/19 DSG, the following be agreed:

            (a)  the review of LA expansion situations will be conducted annually and managed through potential changes to admission numbers or one off allocation of trigger funding depending on the circumstances of the school

          (b) further to (a) above, information would be divided into staffing and infrastructure and that the policy would allow the payment of class set up funding to the expanding school.

          (c)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14