Agenda and minutes

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th October 2019.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th October 2019 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

See explanatory note below. Please phone the Committee Officer whose name and number appears at the top of this agenda if you need further guidance.

Members have previously agreed that public questions were to be submitted in writing at least 24 hours prior to a meeting to enable officers to provide a detailed response.

            In accordance with Standing Order 28, Mr Alastair Dixon - Patterson of Lydiard Park Academy, Swindon, submitted a written question regarding action the authority was taking to ensure that the Health element was funded by the NHS and the Care element by non-education budgets a number of topics

            It was noted that a written response had been prepared in respect of Mr Dixon-Patterson’s question and that this had been tabled at the meeting.

            Mr Dixon-Patterson was in attendance and advised that supplementary questions had been submitted on the day.  The Chair confirmed that a written response would be circulated. 

The Finance Manager, Education submitted a report to advise that the 2020/21 Dedicated Schools Grant settlement was expected in January 2020 and that the Schools Forum would meet on 15th January 2020 to agree the 2020/21 Dedicated Schools Grant Settlement and Budget. She confirmed that the report provided members with the opportunity to review and agree the funding principles that will be used to prepare mainstream budgets for 2020/21 and that it addressed the following:

·         Local Mainstream Funding Formula Consultation Responses

·         Transfer of 0.5% Schools funding block to High Needs funding block – current High Needs Budget, draft 2020/21 budget and

·         Statutory Services carried out on behalf of all schools and academies

·         Statutory Services carried out on behalf of all maintained schools – 2020/21 Education Function Charge

Following her presentation of the report and the current budget monitoring pressures and also the draft budget for 2020/21 with the additional demand of 95 places for September 2020, the Finance Manager, Education responded to the members’ questions and comments in respect of the following matters:

·         The number of responses by schools to the various questions in the consultation questionnaire.

·         The feedback received from school pertaining to each question.

·         How the 0.5% transfer into the High Needs Block will only impact some of the schools (47/78) as the minimum per pupil funding levels are mandatory.

·         The submission on 28th November to the Secretary of State requesting a disapplication of the funding regulations in regards to the transfer of 0.5% Schools Block funding to the High Needs Block. The decision on the transfer of 0.5% will be made by the Secretary of State.

Resolved –

(1) That Schools Forum agreed not to:

a) Transfer the 0.5% Schools funding block to High Needs funding block.

b) Include a new Split Site funding factor in the local mainstream funding formula for 2020/21.

2) That Schools Forum agrees to:

a) Option 1 when setting the local Mainstream Funding Formula as circulated to schools on Wednesday, 28th November 2019. The illustrative Option 1 was calculated using funding formula factors as close as possible to National Funding Formula 2020/21 values. The allocations do not take into account 0.5% transfer to High Needs and there is no split site allowance.

b) To the principle that the LA retains the funding that is expected to be announced in January 2020 as part of the Central Schools Services Block to contribute to the costs of the LA meeting its statutory duties for all pupils

3) That Schools Forum notes:

            a) That the final 2020/21 Schools Block total and the 0.5% transfer value will be confirmed to Schools Forum in January 2020. The 0.5% transfer will need to be formally agreed by the Secretary of State.

b) That the actual value of the retained Central Schools Services Block will be confirmed to Schools Forum in January 2020.

            4) That Maintained School Members agree that the LA retains a £17.00 per pupil fee to help meet the cost of providing its statutory duties for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.