Agenda and minutes

To agree the procedures for the operation of remote meetings.

RESOLVED –

THAT the guidance be noted.

To note the Schools Forum membership list and any updates.

Two new governor appointments were announced: Alan Chesters, of Robson House, and Jacob Sam, of Hampstead School.

RESOLVED –

THAT the membership list be noted.

Apologies for absence were received from Rob Earrey.

There were no declarations.

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 twelve 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 having your contributions recorded and broadcast, including video when switched on, and to the use of those sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes’. 

Any other announcements

Broadcast of the meeting

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 consider and approve the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2024.

RESOLVED - 

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2024 be agreed as an accurate record.

There was no notification of urgent business.

Report of the Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation.

This report provides the financial outturn position for 2023/24. It explains the closing position at which there was an overall £3.087m underspend across the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) blocks with individual schools balances increasing by £3.49m. 

The report also updates the forum on the latest funding situation for the current financial year, 2024/25, and outlines the range of current pressures resulting from the current national economic climate, conflicts, emergencies and ongoing “real terms” funding constraints including the most recent update on the National Funding formula (NFF).

The report explains current funding arrangements for the next few years from the current planned transition to a “hard” national funding formula (NFF) which has currently been delayed until April 2025 at the earliest. It also outlines the measures that the authority, in conjunction with schools forum, headteachers and Camden Learning have taken to support schools through this transition and to help schools to continue to adapt to potential reductions in real terms funding.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation.

Victor Saunders, Team Leader Schools and Designated Schools Grant (DSG), introduced the report which covered the following areas: financial outturn position for 2023/24; latest funding situation for the current financial year; current funding arrangements for the next few years; and the measures taken to support schools through this transition and to help schools to continue to adapt to potential reductions in real terms funding.

The Chair thanked officers for the report and invited questions and comments from the Forum. The following was discussed:

·       It was confirmed that April 2025 was the earliest date when the transition to the ‘hard national funding’ formula could take place. It was noted that a delay was expected because the details had not yet been shared with the local authority to prepare ahead of the next schools budgeting cycle.

·       In response to members, it was confirmed that the annual school place planning paper presented to the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee could also be reported to the Schools Forum, with additional information to include financial analysis on the financial viability of schools relating to declining school rolls. It was confirmed there was a level of subjectivity on the cost of delivering a school and when a school was deemed unviable.

·       In response to a question asking if it would be up to schools to individually fund teacher pay awards above 2%, it was stated that government communication had suggested that would be the case, however there was not enough information available to make that judgement and the general election was in July.

·       In response to a question asking how healthy Camden’s DSG reserves were in comparison to other local authorities, it was confirmed that Camden did not have comparable information from other authorities, however they could explore that upon request, but noted the data was hard to access. It was confirmed that the Education Schools Funding Agency (ESFA) would only question reserves tipping over 5%, where Camden was currently operating at an approved level. Camden’s previously increasing reserves were levelling off due to reductions in underspend and unforeseen costs such as rate arrears and re-organisation costs.

RESOLVED –

THAT Schools Forum

a)      Note the 2023/24 outturn for all the blocks of the DSG as set out in section 1;

b)      Agree as previously that any reserve remaining in the Schools and Central Schools Services block continue to be available to offset any schools block deficit arising from pressures on Camden schools budgets following any proposed or ongoing reorganisations - section 1.5;

c)      Note the current 2024/25 level of funding (section 2) and the range of current pressures and future challenges for schools’ funding (section 3) and also the current and proposed next steps in the transition towards the “hard” national funding formula in section 4 and 5;

d)      Note the most recent grant announcements since February 2024 from the ESFA relating to Use of the final instalment of schools  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Report of the Director of Education Commissioning and Inclusion.

This report provides an update on the High Needs Block (HNB) in respect of:

Part A reports the 2023/24 outturn position:  a lower return to reserves than anticipated of £1.4m that brings cumulative HNB reserves to £10.2m, and; 

Part B proposes a 3% increase in top-up rates for Camden schools, in line with the 3% growth in the allocated HNB for 2024/25.  The HNB allocation for 2024/25 has increased by £1.8m.  This is significantly less than increases in recent years.  The proposals, on top of the increased current number of children/young people, result in overall projected additional spend of £3.6m in 2024/25.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Education Commissioning and Inclusion.

Di Osborne, Head of SEND and Inclusion, introduced the HNB report which updated the Forum on the 2023/24 financial outturn position and set out the proposal for Forum to agree to increase the top-up rates for Camden schools by 3%.

The Chair thanked officers for the report and invited questions and comments from the Forum. The following was discussed:

·       It was confirmed that the 3% uplift would apply to Exceptional Needs Grants (ENGs), in addition to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). A member expressed frustration that Early Years (EY) was not benefitting from any aspect of the report or cited as an area of focus for the next 12 months, given they did not use ENG and there were no plans for increasing the Camden Local Inclusion Fund (CLIF) funding, noting that EY was represented as making a saving. In response, it was confirmed by officers that there was a commitment to ensure EYs colleagues were in attendance at the High Needs Subgroup which would be discussing the CLIF funding and methodology. This Schools Forum paper particularly focussed on the HN block, however it was recognised there was work ahead on the EY block. Officers were listening to EY colleagues feedback at the High Needs Subgroup about appropriate levels of funding. Officers confirmed that the CLIF was a collaboration between the EY block and the HN block and the local agreement was to support identifying and supporting high needs pupils in earlier settings and there was flexibility between the EY and the HN block to fund CLIF. Members stated that it would be useful to further discuss CLIF at the HN Subgroup. At the request of members, officers confirmed they would bring a paper which set out how the CLIF operated and identified the issues discussed to a future Schools Forum.

·       In relation to the projections or proposals for increased funding, a member asked if there was any modelling against actual costs the money was categorised to pay for. In their experience the money allocated would never cover actual costs, which had to be considered when going forward the environment of increasing budgetary pressures, falling school rolls and needing to meet increasingly complex needs was becoming more challenging. In response, officers recognised the need to carry out more detailed modelling. The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) had recently been completed which would support this work going forward.

·       A member asked when commissioning proposals for an Additional Resource Provision (ARP) would report to Forum. In response, it was confirmed that officers would be looking at more detailed modelling and carrying out work preliminary around commissioning. Work had started in relation to primary-age autism commissioning, and it was hoped that work could be used as a pilot and model going forward for other areas and would be reviewed in September 2024.

·       A member noted that historically Camden had been trying to reduce the expenditure on independent schools  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families.

Camden’s school meals contract with Cater Link Ltd is due to end in April 2025. It was last reprocured in 2017, a very different policy context to the present before both the pandemic and cost-of-living crises. So often, our responses to these crises have been anchored in the provision of food. We therefore believe that in the medium term, there is an opportunity to develop an in-house school meals service, which could allow us to deliver the highest quality to schools and pupils, while also progressing our long-term ambitions through the Food Mission and We Make Camden.

Officers’ assessment is that it is not practically possible to deliver an insourced service on a safe basis for April 2025, given the amount and range of preparatory work required. It is therefore recommended that we undertake a short-term procurement, which will allow us the time and flexibility to develop an insourcing proposition and ensure that we can maximise the potential strategic opportunities that could arise from a future insourced service.

The report is being submitted to the Cabinet in line with Contract Standing Orders, which state that the Cabinet must agree procurement strategies for contracts over £5,000,000 (CSO C3.4).

Consideration was given to the Cabinet report of the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families.

Councillor Marcus Boyland, Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families, and Nick Smith, Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation, introduced the Cabinet report. The recommendation was for Schools Forum to comment on and note the report. The report set out the decisions for Cabinet for a short-term re-procurement of a new school meals contract and the opportunity during that contact to develop an inhouse service.

The Chair thanked officers for the report and invited questions and comments from the Forum. The following was discussed:

·       Members stated that if the Council was to bring the service inhouse, as part of the priorities there should be an investment in good quality management/senior leadership. As discussed at previous meetings, issues in the previous service did not stem from the staff working in schools.

·       In response to a member request, officers confirmed they would resume the Head Teachers Monitoring Group. Officers confirmed they would resume meetings of the Head Teachers Monitoring Group.

Action By - Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation

·       It was noted by members that if a short-term contract award was granted whilst insourcing options were being developed, there was a risk the priority and incentive to run a good service would reduce.

·       In response to members explaining how an insourcing option needed to benefit schools and pupils above the current position, officers confirmed they had listened to Schools Forum member feedback throughout the process and the Council understood their views. Officers confirmed that regular updates on school meals future provision would continue to report to the Forum.

·       In response to members, it was confirmed that any schools were welcome to take part in future school meal provision consultation who did not currently opt in for Caterlink food provision and they should contact officers.

RESOLVED –

THAT Schools Forum consider and comment on the proposals set out in the report.

To consider and note the Schools Forum forward plan.

As discussed during item 1, members requested a Schools Forum specific edition of the annual school place planning paper to include additional financial analysis to the November or December 2024 meeting.

As discussed during item 2, members requested a future report explaining the CLIF and EY funding.

The forward plan was noted.

To note the meeting dates of the 2024/25 academic year:

·       6pm, 11 September 2024

·       6pm, 5 November 2024

·       6pm, 4 December 2024

·       6pm, 5 February 2025

·       6pm, 4 June 2025

The next meeting on 11 September, the first of the 2024/25 academic year, would be held in-person at the Town Hall.

The meeting dates of the 2024/25 academic year, as listed in the agenda, were noted.

There was no other urgent business.