Issue - meetings

Report ED18040

The Schools’ Forum considered a report which provided an overview of the representation of the Forum.  Representation on the Schools element of the Forum was derived in the main from pupil numbers.  There were thirteen members made up of Heads and Governors.  Whilst current pupil numbers had not changed significantly there had been further movement towards Academy conversion in the Special and PRU areas resulting in small amounts of pupils in these areas being in both Academy and Maintained settings.  Advice from the DfE was that there needed to be a representative for Maintained and Academy in Special and PRU settings if there were settings within the Borough.  This meant that there needed to be an increase in the schools element membership of the Schools’ Forum by two members from thirteen to fifteen, a Special Academy representative and a PRU Academy representative.  All other representation would remain the same.  The overall membership of the Schools’ Forum would increase from eighteen to twenty:

Members of the Schools’ Forum asked the Head of ECHS Finance to further review the Head Teacher/Governor split in terms of representation as it was felt that Head Teachers were more likely to volunteer to sit on the Schools’ Forum. 

The Head of ECHS Finance was also asked to undertake a more comprehensive review of the Schools’ Forum constitution in order to enable a better understanding of the implications of Multi Academy Trusts on the membership of the Schools’ Forum.  The Head of ECHS Finance highlighted that the intention had always been to ensure cross representation across different types of schools. 

The Head of ECHS Finance confirmed that any vacancies would be advertised via the Schools’ Circular.

The Schools’ Forum agreed that, subject to some further minor amendments to address the comments that had been made concerning the Head Teacher/Governor split, the amendments would be put to the Education, Children and Families Budget and Performance Sub-Committee meeting on 17th January 2018 with a full review of the Constitution to be undertaken within the year.

RESOLVED: That the Education, Children and Families Portfolio Holder be recommended to approve the revised Schools’ Forum Constitution, subject to the amendment outlined above.