Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Karen Raven.  Apologies for lateness were received from Colin Ashford, Primary Academy Governor.

The Chairman was pleased to welcome Nick Cross, Head Teacher of Bullers Wood School to the Schools’ Forum representing Secondary Academy Head Teachers.  He also noted that Fiona Mills had resigned from her role representing Primary Maintained School Head Teachers and thanked her for her contribution to the Schools’ Forum.

  There were no declarations of interest.

Members of the Forum considered a report providing information on the consultation responses received from schools across the Borough regarding the proposed School Funding Reform for 2013/14 and 2014/15.  Thirty one schools had responded to the consultation, including 1 special school, 1 primary academy, 22 primary maintained schools and 7 secondary academies. The consultation had focused on three main areas which comprised delegation of central expenditure, changes to the funding formula and optional de-delegation for maintained schools. 

The Chairman indicated that no definitive decisions were being taken on this paper at this meeting. The conclusions from the consultation and this meeting would be used for detailed modelling by Officers of the funding consequences to each school. That modelling and the issues it threw up would be considered at the Forum’s meeting on 20^th September 2012.

In answer to questions raised by the Vice-Chairman, Officers confirmed the following:

a)  The figures shown in the consultation for central expenditure items to be delegated were 2012/13 figures. The actual figures to be delegated in 2013/14 and future years were of course unknown at this stage but could be very different to the figures for 2012/13.

b)  All of the central expenditure to be delegated was initially divided between Primary, Secondary and Special schools before the delegation bases were applied. Hence the result of this delegation process would not cause shifts of funding between these three groups.

Delegation of Central Expenditure

Schools had been invited to comment on how central expenditure should be delegated under the new formula.  This included the allocation of contingencies, behaviour support services, support to underperforming ethnic minority and bilingual learners, free school meal eligibility and staff costs supply cover.

The responses from schools appeared to show strong support for the proposed models for delegation of funds for contingency, underperforming ethnic minority and bilingual learners, free school meal eligibility and staff costs supply cover.  With regard to the delegation of funds for contingency it was noted that proposed contingency funds for primary and secondary schools would be split 50/50 between the two groups, and that contingency funds for special schools would be identified separately.  The delegation of the secondary schools contingency was required to be on a basis which did not include numbers of sixth form pupils. In response to a query, Mandy Russell confirmed that staff costs supply cover included funding to cover absence by school representatives carrying out union duties. 

The responses from schools had been more varied with regard to the proposed model of funding delegation for behaviour support services.  The majority of primary schools had supported a proposed split of 10:45:45 of funds comprising basic entitlement/AWPU, deprivation and low cost/high incidence SEN (Special Educational Needs), which recognised that all schools had some level of behaviour need, but that deprivation and SEN were more substantial indicators of the need for behaviour support services.  The response from secondary schools had been mixed and it was proposed that a higher proportion of funding be allocated through AWPU.  Following  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

  In response to an e-mailed request from Karen Raven, Secondary Academy Head Teacher, the Chairman confirmed the dates of all meetings of Schools’ Forum currently planned for the 2012/13 academic year and noted that these would be circulated to all members of the Forum shortly.

  Members of the Forum highlighted the need for Schools’ Forum information, including the membership, agendas and minutes to be published on the Bromley Council website, and noted that this had been agreed at a previous meeting of the Schools’ Forum. 

A member of the Forum also underlined the need to clarify the role of Schools’ Forum representatives, including voting rights, and the responsibility of members of the Forum to report progress back to those they represented.  The Head of CYP Finance agreed to circulate guidance to all members of the Forum providing information on the constitution of the Schools’ Forum and the role of its representatives.

All meetings are at the EDC unless otherwise stated.

All meetings will be at the EDC unless highlighted below:

Thursday, 20^th September 2012

Thursday, 22^nd November 2012

Thursday, 13^th December 2012

Thursday, 10^th January 2013

Thursday, 7^th February 2013

Thursday, 14^th March 2013