a)    the Herefordshire Schools Forum be reduced to 25 members by the removal of a vacant seat for maintained primary schools;

b)    1 seat be transferred from maintained primary schools to academies to ensure proportionality on the forum and budget working group;

c)    the revised constitution of the Herefordshire Schools Forum and all appendices, as set out at appendix 1 to the report, be adopted; and

d)    all future decisions relating to the membership of the forum be delegated to the Service Director, Education, Skills and Learning.

1               The current constitution of the Herefordshire Schools Forum could be retained. This is not recommended as the constitution is not reflective of current practice and would benefit from additional clarity.

2               A seat could be retained for maintained primary schools. This is not recommended - following a recruitment drive for volunteers to fill vacancies on the forum a vacancy remained for a maintained primary headteacher and therefore there is evidence that there is not the uptake to fill the vacancies on the Forum. 

3               Proportionality in respect of the forum and budget working group could be disregarded. This option is not recommended as it is preferable for the effective functioning of the Forum and budget working group that the different types of schools in Herefordshire are fairly represented.