Agenda and minutes

To note the guidance on remote meetings.

RESOLVED

THAT the guidance be noted

To Note: All

To elect the Schools Forum Chair for 2021/2022.

Having been nominated by Rob Earrey and seconded by Jane Hindle it was

RESOLVED

THAT Katy Forsdyke be appointed at Chair of the Schools Forum for 2021/22. 

To Note: All

To elect the Schools Forum Vice-Chair for 2021/2022.

There were no nominations so the election of Vice Chair for 2021/22 was deferred until the next meeting. 

To Note: All

To note the Schools Forum membership and any updates.

Consideration was given to the list and it was noted that there were a number of memberships that had or were very close to the end of their period of office.

Members were asked to check their memberships and seek reappointment from their nominating groups.

To Note: All

The following apologies were received:

·       For absence, from Kim Issroff, Nick John and Vijita Patel

·       Lateness, from John Hayes 

·       Leaving early, from Danny Silverstone

To Note: All

 Izzy Jones was attending as a substitute for Nick John.

No declarations were made.

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair to announce the following: “In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for six months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to being filmed and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes. If you are addressing the Committee your contribution will be recorded and broadcast.”

Any other announcements

The Chair announced the following:

“In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for six months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to being filmed and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes. If you are addressing the Committee your contribution will be recorded and broadcast.”

To Note: All

To note the Schools Forum terms of reference. 

Consideration was given to the terms of reference and it was agreed that point  2.1, regarding representatives per school, be amended to read, 

“Only one representative per school may normally be elected as a member of the forum at any one time. This restriction does not apply to substitutes” .

To Note: All

RESOLVED

THAT paragraph 2.1 of the terms of reference be amended as indicated above.

To Note: All

Action By: The Clerk to the Schools Forum

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th June 2021     

Consideration was given to the minutes of the last meeting.

Item 8, School, High Needs and Early Years Outturn and Funding Update 

The reporting back on discussions with head teachers had not been agreed for this meeting but there would be an update to the Forum when the meetings with head teachers had taken place.

In the past a private Part II paper had been circulated to the Schools Forum with details of school deficits and reserves. It was agreed that this information could be made available and shared with the Schools Forum.    

To Note: All

Action By: Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation

RESOLVED

THAT subject to the comment above, regarding item 8, the minutes of the last meeting held on 8^th June 2021 be approved as a correct record.

To Note: All

Officers agreed that in future the agenda would be circulated five working days before the meeting to give the Schools Forum more time to consider the papers before each meeting. 

To Note: All

There was no urgent business.

Report of the Director of Early Intervention and Prevention, Supporting People

This report is to ensure that the Schools Forum continues to be informed and consulted on financial issues relating to arrangements for pupils with special educational needs, including the arrangements for paying top-up funding to schools.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Early Intervention and Prevention. The report provided information on the financial issues relating to arrangements for pupils with special educational needs, including the arrangements for paying top-up funding to schools.

The forum welcomed having a written report and were impressed with the ambitious work and progress that had taken place since the last meeting.

The following information was provided in response to questions about the report that included - What were the clusters being asked to do, how would consistency be ensured, replication be avoided? How would they be held to account?  Who sets the total budget for each cluster and how would those funds be accessed? 

·       It was clarified there was an additional unexpected fund of £1.3m which was separate to the £1.3m that had been devolved to schools

·       There were a number of schools where there was no transparency of Special Education Needs (SEND) spend. With Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) funding held locally in clusters there would be more consistency in decision making 

·       Cluster leads would have a coordinating role and funding would vary annually

·       There will be 5 cluster areas based on existing planning areas and they would comprise of primary and secondary schools, taking into account feeder schools. These proposals were indicative and there were still discussions to be had about the arrangements. There would be a test and learn pilot stage before it was scaled up and implemented, with final decisions made by the Council 

·       The progress with implementation had slipped by a term but it had provided time for more operational thinking 

·       It would be useful to have discussions with Schools Forum head teachers about what form the discussions with heads and Special Education Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) should take

Action By: Director of Early Intervention and Prevention

Other information include that capital funding will have a significant impact on supporting high needs children. Capital funds allocated to schools would provide sensory rooms for primary and secondary schools, nurturing rooms in secondary schools and acoustic work to rooms.  ISOS will be working with the SEND Strategy Board in the development of the strategy.      

RESOLVED

THAT

i)               The contents of the report and direction of travel for mainstream funding be agreed. In summary -   

a.    a move to cluster-based decision making, and

b.    a move to a single system of allocation of High Needs Block funds for individual pupils,

ii)              The additional High Needs Block funding capacity, and approve interim ‘proportionality’ payments to 14 schools to address existing inequity during this period of transition to the new system (Section 5 of the report) be noted.

To Note: All

Action By: Director of Early Intervention and Prevention

Report of Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation, Supporting People

This report updates the forum on the national funding position following the technical update in July 2021 of the latest (ESFA) guidance on schools funding for 2022/23. It reminds the forum of estimates of the possible impacts on resources up to and beyond 2021/22. It then sets out a draft consultation document for comment by the forum, seeking the views of schools and other interested parties about any changes to the school funding arrangements for 2022/23.

The report recaps that the schools national funding formula (NFF) was introduced in April 2018 with transitional arrangements whereby local authorities maintain a local funding formula for the distribution of schools and high needs block grants, until 2019/20. It then explains how the updated 2022-23 NFF Guidance issued in July 2021 has now extended this arrangement to 2022/23 making 2023/24 the earliest year for the completed national funding formula proposals.

The report also indicates the current budget pressures and the revised position regarding any possible draw down from Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) reserves following the uplifted DSG allocations for 2022/23 announced in July 2021.

The consultation section of the report outlines the current and any proposed changes to the local Camden funding formula (primary and secondary schools) used for the distribution of the schools DSG block. The recommendation of no changes to the current formula follows the continued wish to continue with previous changes and to concentrate on dealing with the real terms funding reductions to school budgets caused by a significant period of below inflation increases to per pupil funding in past years without introducing redistributive effects of changes to the local formula at this stage. The report also explains the timetable leading up to a decision on the funding formula by the authority, which is required prior to the end of October in order to comply with a requirement to inform the government of any changes by 30^th November.  

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation that provided an update on the national funding position following the technical update in July 2021 of the latest Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) guidance on schools funding for 2022/23. It reminded the forum of estimates of the possible impacts on resources up to and beyond 2021/22. Then set out a draft consultation document, for comments by the forum, seeking the views of schools and other interested parties about any changes to the school funding arrangements for 2022/23.

These points were raised during consideration of the report: 

·       That information to head teachers with an overview of the consultation might increase the consultation response rate

·       Had the Council made representations to central government about the   funding of pay increase and the timing of announcements in relation to school budget setting?

·       The importance of schools being provide with information about significant changes to funding arranges as quickly as possible

In response the forum was told:

·       An explanation of the consultation could be provided but would not be ready in time for the Primary Heads Consultative Group meeting on  Thursday. The overall funding impact since 2021 was set out in the report 

·       The real terms impact was that there would be a very marginal funding increase

·       Representations had been made to central government about the funding of teacher pay awards and the timing implications of announcements for school budget setting    

RESOLVED

THAT

i)               The developments regarding the planned implementation of the national funding formula, as set out in sections 1 to 5 be noted,

ii)              The current pressures on schools budgets and the support being provided by the Council in sections 6 to 8 be noted. That the timetable for consultation on the local funding formula as outlined in section 9 be noted,

iii)            Comments of the forum on the draft 2022/23 budget consultation document prior to circulation to schools and other relevant parties, as described in sections 9 and set out in appendix 1 be noted.

To Note: All

Action By: Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation

The Schools Forum is asked to note that the next meeting, previously scheduled for 12 October has been rescheduled to 6pm on Tuesday 19^th October 2021.

The remaining meeting dates for 2021/2022 are: 

Tuesday 7 December 2021

Tuesday 8 February 2022

Tuesday 7 June 2022

It was noted note that the next meeting had been rescheduled and would now take placeat 6pm on Tuesday 19^th October 2021.

The remaining meeting dates for 2021/2022 were also noted: 

·       Tuesday 7 December 2021

·       Tuesday 8 February 2022

·       Tuesday 7 June 2022

To Note: All

There was no such business.