Agenda and minutes

To agree to apply the Council’s procedure rules for remote meetings to this meeting.

RESOLVED

THAT the Guidance for Remote Meetings held during the Coronavirus National Emergency be noted.

To Note: All

To note the list and any updates, including membership renewals.               

It was noted that there were a number of vacancies and that there would be another secondary head vacancy because Sam White was moving on.

The Chair of Chair of Governors had been reminded about the Schools Forum memberships that needed to be renewed but there had not been any meetings, so the renewals had not taken place.

It was also noted that this meeting was the end John Hayes’ extended tenure as Chair of the Schools Forum and the turn of a secondary school head teacher to chair. The election of Chair would take place at the next meeting.  

RESOLVED

THAT the membership list be noted

To Note: All

Apologies for absence had been received from Jules Belton and Sam White.

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 on DVD 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 made the following announcement: ‘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 on DVD 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.’

No declarations were made.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 4^th February 2020.

RESOLVED

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 4^th February 2020 be agreed as a correct record.

To Note: All

The minutes of the meeting would be signed in due course. 

There was no notification of urgent business.

Report of Head of Education Commissioning and School Organisation

This report provides the financial outturn position for 2019/20. It explains the closing position at which there was an overall £-0.08m underspend across the DSG blocks. However, in year adjustments of £-0.654m relating to the closure of St Aloysius and Business Rates adjustments contributed to a final £0.734m net positive transfer to centrally held DSG reserves with individual schools balances decreasing by £2.225m. 

The report also updates the forum on the latest funding situation for the current financial year, 2020/21, and outlines the range of current pressures resulting from the ongoing “real terms” funding constraint including the current Covid-19 emergency and the most recent details on the National Funding formula (NFF).

This report outlines 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 to April 2021 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 prepare for reductions in real terms funding.

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

The report provided the financial outturn position for 2019/20 and explained the closing position. The report included an update on the latest funding situation for the current financial year, 2020/21, and outlined the range of current pressures resulting from the ongoing “real terms” funding constraint including the current Covid-19 emergency and the most recent details on the National Funding formula (NFF).

In addition, the report outlined the current funding arrangements for the next few years from the planned transition to a “hard” national funding formula (NFF), which had been delayed to April 2021 at the earliest.

The following was discussed during consideration of the report:    

·         That the six schools with a financial deficit would need to seek advice from the education authority about reducing the deficit

·         That the falling pupil numbers at Carlton School had not been acute and would be reflected in the proposals to Cabinet

·         On 3^rd September, the Cabinet would be considering a report on a two stage consultation process about ensuring the sufficiency and sustainability of primary school places in Camden. The consultation would begin on 28^th September 2020

·         There was speculation about school numbers and anecdotal information about a move to private education but it was too soon to assess the long term impact of Covid-19 on pupil numbers. The number of school vacancies in comparison to 2019 was very similar    

·         The Forum had made the decision on the  Education Support Grant two years ago, this was an ongoing cost to schools at a rate of £15 per pupil and was lower than many other authorities   

·         The Schools Forum asked for an update on whether there were any anticipated increase or decrease in the Medium Term Financial Strategy for the backfunding of pensions  

·         There was an urgent need for an education strategy because schools were facing unfunded pay rises, additional financing of pensions and budget pressures. Developing an Education Strategy was part of the plan for School Organisation and would form part of the report to the Cabinet in September

·         Early indications were that the government’s national tutoring programme would provide £91 per pupil. This was not additional funding and there were ongoing discussion about how the programme would be managed 

·         The Department for Education advisors to schools had been appointed but the programme had been postponed over lock down and would be made available in September 

·         The issue of schools with large reserves being asked to reduce them or justify keeping them. It was the responsibility of schools to manage their budgets but there should be some consistency across schools about what reasonable balances looked like. Budget reserves should be part of the discussions between Camden Learning and schools about standards and the use of resources

RESOLVED

THAT the report and the views of the Forum be noted and

THAT -

a)      The  2019/20 outturn for all the blocks of the DSG as set out in section  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

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

1.    This report updates the High Needs Block (HNB) position (p2-4)

·         The 2019/20 overspend was not as high as previously predicted. The additional funding for 2020-21 alleviates the problem for the current year but the overall trajectory remains of concern. Collective action needs to be taken in order to ensure children and young people’s needs can be met and their outcomes improved within allocated spend

2.    The report provides a summary of the most recent SEN2 data analysis (p5-7).

3.    Provides an update in relation to the externally commissioned review of the HNB by Peter Gray (p 8- 10). Peter Gray’s executive summary can be found at appendix 1. The external review has been commissioned jointly by senior officers and the Schools Forum. Peter Gray will present his findings and allow for questions. This report and the presentation is to ensure the Schools Forum continues to be consulted on financial issues relating to arrangements for pupils with special educational needs, including the arrangements for paying top-up funding.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Intervention and Prevention, Supporting People. The report provided an update on the High Needs Block (HNB) position and the collective action required to ensure that the needs of children and young people can be met and their outcomes improved within allocated spend. It also included an update in relation on the externally commissioned review of HNB by Peter Gray who presented his findings to the board, as part of ensuring that the Schools Forum continued to be consulted on financial issues relating to arrangements for pupils with special educational needs, including the arrangements for paying top-up funding. The engagement and trust between stakeholders, schools and the authority were an important element of this work. It was essential for head teachers to understand the very significant changes and this needed to be communicated to them as soon as possible.  

In addition to the report the Forum also received a brief summary of a presentation from Peter Gray that included:  

·         Camdens HNB spend for the last 5 financial years, compared to the allocation received from central government

·         National challenges

·         Review of High Needs Spend, methodology

·         Executive Summary

·         Provision and services

·         Positives

·         Key Issues

·         Recommendations

The following was discussed during consideration of the report:

·         The aims for a transparent and accountable process was welcomed. However there were many details in the report outside of the Forum’s remit and they would need a much wider discussion separate to this meeting

·         The family of Camden schools would need to be engaged in these discussions along with Camden Learning.  All stakeholders, schools and the Council were a critical part of ensuring parental confidence in the process   

Moving forward, there would need to be an agreed transparent process with equity of distribution and resources that were value for money.  The next six month would see the huge task of setting out an approach. 

RESOLVED

THAT -

1.  The Schools Forum noted the contents of the report

2. The Schools Forum noted the recommendations of the external High Needs spend review which officers were in agreement with and support the proposals, which include, but are not limited to:

                                 i.    greater devolution of funds to mainstream schools with associated changes in operational practice (greater monitoring of HNB delegated and devolved monies in mainstream, cluster based allocations).

                                ii.    review of Additional Resourced Provisions (ARPs) to ensure value for money and that children and young people accessing those provisions are the most in need of this type of provision

iii   review of special school funding   

To Note: All

Action By:  Director of Intervention and Prevention, Supporting People

There was no urgent business.