Agenda and minutes

To note the guidance on remote meetings

RESOLVED

THAT the guidance on remote meetings be noted. 

To Note: All

To note the Schools Forum membership and any updates.

Elizabeth Kitcatt (Chair) welcomed new members of the Schools Forum to the meeting. 

It was noted that this would be Kate Frood’s last meeting as she would be  retiring this summer. Kate was thanked for the active role she had played as a member and previous Chair of the Forum.

The Chair also announced that she was retiring and this would be her last meeting.  Elizabeth was thanked for her contribution to the work of the Schools Forum as a member and more recently as the Chair. 

To Note: All

The Forum was reminded that the election of a new Chair and a new Vice Chair would take place at the next meeting in September and the Chair encouraged members to think about taking on these roles.

To Note: All

Apologies for absence had been received from Alan Chesters and James Hadley.

Apologies for lateness were received from Nick John.

To Note: All

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

Due to technical difficulties the meeting could not be live streamed. 

To Note: All

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 2^nd February 2021.   

Consideration was given to the minutes of the last meeting

Page 4, Item 9, High Needs Block review update – Members raised, that the  minutes indicated, that they should have been sent a written report on the progress with this work. The report had not been circulated and had not been provided for this meeting.  

In response the Forum was told that there would be a verbal update, under any other urgent business on this agenda, where members concerns about the strategy would be addressed.    

To Note: All

RESOLVED

THAT the minutes of the last meeting held on Tuesday 2^nd February 2021 be agreed as a correct record.

To Note: All

That there would be an update on the Special Education Needs and Disabilities, High Needs Block.

Report of the Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation

This report provides the financial outturn position for 2020/21. It explains the closing position at which there was an overall £3.43m underspend across the DSG blocks, with individual schools balances increasing by £2.235m. 

The report also updates the forum on the latest funding situation for the current financial year, 2021/22, and outlines the range of current pressures resulting from the Covid-19 emergency and ongoing “real terms” funding constraint including the most recent details on the National Funding formula (NFF).

The report outlines current funding arrangements for the next few years from the planned transition to a “hard” national funding formula (NFF), which is currently delayed to April 2023 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 prepare for reductions in real terms funding.

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation that provided details of the  financial outturn position for 2020/21. It explained the closing position at which there was an overall £3.43m underspend across the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) blocks, with individual school balances increasing by £2.235m. 

The report also gave an update on the latest funding situation for 2021/22 and outlined the range of current pressures resulting from the Covid-19 emergency and ongoing “real terms” funding constraints including the most recent details on the National Funding formula (NFF).

This had been an exceptional year with a range of operational difficulties, but the impact had not been experienced evenly across all schools. School reserves and deficit positions would continue to be monitored.

Members of the Forum raised that officers had said that there would be a report back on school deficits, on a school-by-school basis and that there would be  discussions with head teachers on working collaboratively and knowledge sharing on this specific issue.  Members of the Forum stressed the need for this meeting to take place and that officers and local politicians should be part of those discussions. Months have gone by with schools losing staff, facing further redundancies and schools being under pressure.

It was agreed that timings for those discussions ahead of September would be an issue, but officers would facilitate the discussions and report back the Schools Forum in September. John Hayes agreed to contact primary school heads and Elizabeth Kitcatt would contact secondary head teachers.  

To Note: All

Action By:  Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation

RESOLVED

a)       THAT the 2020/21 outturn for all the blocks of the DSG as set out in section 1 be noted,

b)       THAT the current 2021/22 level of funding (section 2) and the range of current pressures and future funding challenges regarding 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 be noted,

c)       THAT the issues and support around the current Covid-19 emergency for schools (section 6) be noted

d)      THAT that any reserve remaining in the Schools and Central Schools Services block be applied to offset any schools block deficit arising from pressures on Camden schools’ budgets following any proposed reorganisation - section 1.5

e)      That there would be a report back on school deficit discussions with schools at the next meeting in September.     

To Note: All

Action By: Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation

To note the meeting dates for 2021/22, that will take place at 6pm on:  

Tuesday 14 September 2021

Tuesday 12 October 2021

Tuesday 7 December 2021

Tuesday 8 February 2022

Tuesday 7 June 2022

It was noted that the next meeting would take place at 6pm on Tuesday 14 September 2021. The remaining dates for 2021/2022 were also noted: 

·       Tuesday 12 October 2021

·       Tuesday 7 December 2021

·       Tuesday 8 February 2022

·       Tuesday 7 June 2022

To Note: All

High Needs Block Update

An explanation and apology was given for the delay in providing a written report and the Forum was provided with a verbal update on progress.  The update included the following:

·       High Needs Block funding was in a much stronger financial position than when Peter Grey’s report had been written. The reserves were very positive 

·       Overall spending in the independent sector had decreased but one placement can have a significant impact financially

·       There have been 13 appeals, which was an increase since 2016

·       The number of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) had  increased

·       There were 60 pupils in mainstream school and 40 pupils in Special Schools  

·       Place planning was currently underway  

·       The High Needs Block secondees were in place

·       An ASD review was being carried out

·       The biggest area of funding was to mainstream schools

Comments from the Schools Forum in response to the update:

·       Members were sorry to hear that they delay was partly due to illness

·       From the summary provided it was clear that progress had been made with this work. However without a written report, setting out the information, it was difficult for the Forum to scrutinise the work and have an informed discussion on progress  

·       A verbal update made it difficult to discuss details or share information with colleagues outside of this meeting

·       This was a complex area and the use of acronyms in the verbal update was not helpful. Some of the information had been raised for the first time this meeting

·       It was noted that the High Needs Task and Finish Group had done good work that would enable High Needs Block funding to be more equitable and sustainable    

The concerns raised by the Forum were acknowledged and noted. It was agreed that Peter Grey’s original report would be circulated for context, in addition to the written report on progress at the next meeting. The report in September would provide clarity on the way forward and a glossary of acronyms would also be included.

The Chair recognised that this was an ambitious report in a difficult year 

and proposed that the task and finish group would discuss the information for the report in September.   

The Chair agreed to meet with the Head of Special Education Needs & Inclusive Intervention Services and that an update report would be circulated.

To Note: All

Action By:  Director of Early Intervention and Prevention