Issue - meetings

Report ED15053

The Committee considered a report setting out the draft Education Portfolio Budget for 2015/16, which incorporated future costs pressures and initial draft saving options reported to the Council’s Executive on 14^th January 2015.  The draft Education Portfolio Budget for 2015/16 had also been considered at the meeting of Education Budget Sub-Committee on 6^th January 2015, the minutes of which had been provided to Members of the Education PDS Committee for their information.  Members were requested to provide their comments on the proposed savings and identify any further action to be taken to reduce cost pressures facing the Local Authority over the next four years.

The Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance advised Members that approximately £1.1m savings had been identified across the Education Portfolio for 2015/16.  This included savings in essential car users’ allowances, the redesign or reorganisation of some services, including the Youth Service and Schools and Early Years Commissioning and Quality Assurance Service, the reorganisation of contracts related to some services, and increased income generation targets for Children and Family Centres.

It was recommended than a new charge be introduced for the provision of Key Stage 2 Writing Moderation to academies.  This service was currently free of charge to all Bromley schools by the School Standards team and was funded by a grant from the Department for Education, but recent guidance had clarified that the grant was intended to fund moderation services in Local Authority Maintained schools only.  There was a statutory requirement to provide moderation services to academies if requested, but the Local Authority was permitted to charge for this service.

A Co-opted Member was concerned at high level of savings related to the proposed reorganisation of the Youth Service and how this would impact service provision. 

RESOLVED that:

1)  The financial forecast for 2016/17 to 2018/19 be noted;

2)  Members’ comments on the initial draft saving options proposed by the Executive for 2015/16 be noted;

3)  Members’ comments on the initial draft 2015/16 Education Portfolio Budget be provided to the meeting of the Council’s Executive on 11^th February 2015; and,

4)  The Portfolio Holder be recommended to agree the implementation of a new charge for moderation services to academy schools.