Apologies were received from Mrs A Jackson and Mr I Peake.

None.

Mrs S Bailey and Mrs K Rooke declared interests in relation to Agenda item 5; Report of the Budget Working Group as a member of staff and a Governor respectively at Brookfield Special School.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2013.

RESOLVED:   That the Minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2013 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the report of the Budget Working Group (BWG) on the following matters:  options for Special School top up funding values 2013/14; Pupil Referral Unit Top-Up Funding values and extra delegation to High Schools; SEN Protection Scheme - annual (fixed) or termly (variable) calculation and high needs top-ups for academies.

(Mrs S Bailey and Mrs K Rooke declared interests and did not vote.)

The Forum considered the report of the Budget Working Group (BWG) on the following matters:  options for Special School top up funding values 2013/14; Pupil Referral Unit Top-Up Funding values and extra delegation to High Schools; SEN Protection Scheme – annual (fixed) or termly (variable) calculation; and high needs top-ups for academies.

A supplementary report had been circulated in advance of the meeting setting out proposals for top-up charging for primary intervention places, in accordance with the BWG’s request that this aspect be reviewed.

The Chairman of the BWG introduced the report noting that because of the complexity of the funding of the High Needs Block and uncertainty as to the Department for Education’s guidance on post-16 place funding the BWG would be regularly reviewing expenditure on this area.  The Senior Finance Manager then presented the report explaining each of the proposals.

RESOLVED: That: the Cabinet Member (Education and Infrastructure) be recommended that:

              (a)      Special School top up values for 2013/14 should be allocated on the basis of individual top-ups determined on a school by school basis as follows;

                         Blackmarston              Standard   £8,725   Enhanced       £15,660

                         Barrs Court                  Standard   £6,000   Enhanced       £12,935

                         Brookfield                    Standard   £7,265   Enhanced       £14,200

                         Westfield (Primary)    Standard   £11,850Enhanced       £18,785

                         Westfield (Secondary) Standard   £9,125  Enhanced       £16,060

              (b)     in relation to Pupil Referral Unit top up funding values:

                                i.       the adoption of the Herefordshire model (Model 2) for PRU top-up charges is approved whereby the full top-up value is split into two parts of £4,325 so that schools and the local authority contribute equally;

                               ii.       the full top-up value for 16  long stay PRU pupils is retained so that high schools only meet the 1^st year cost;

                              iii.       Fees for permanent places (whether through exclusion or otherwise) are fixed at £4,325 irrespective of date of PRU  transfer;

                              iv.       Intervention charges are pro-rata of £4,325 on a daily basis;

                               v.       The Managed Moves Panel is required to fund PRU top ups for placements on the same basis as schools;

                              vi.       Top-up values for primary short stay PRU intervention places should be set at £5.50 per day for 2013/14;

                            vii.       A budget of £5,632 is retained in the High Needs block  (to be deducted from the “PRU buffer funding”) to fund the top-ups for primary intervention places at Brookfield school in 2013/14;

                           viii.       And a shadow charging process is implemented for 2013/14 charging the high needs block rather than schools directly for this initial year;

                              ix.       The arrangements for commissioning short stay places for primary and potentially secondary schools be reviewed for 2014/15.

                     x        a buffer of £129,750 (equivalent to 15 top-ups of £4,325) is retained in the high needs block  to cover the identified risks for 2013/14 initially  (inclusive of a sum of £5,632 to fund the top ups for primary intervention places at Brookfield school in 2013/14)  – to be reviewed for 2014/15;

                     xi       £198,950 is allocated to high schools from the High Needs Block via  ...  view the full minutes text for item 114.

To consider a response to the Department for Education Review of 2013-14 School Funding Arrangements.

The Forum considered a response to the Department for Education (DfE) Review of 2013-14 School Funding Arrangements.

A draft response was circulated at the meeting for consideration. The Senior Finance Manager (SFM) gave a presentation. A copy of these papers has been placed on the Minute Book with the agenda papers.  Schools had been invited to submit comments for the Forum’s consideration.  The presentation summarised the few comments received from schools and put forward for consideration some principles that might underpin school funding in the County.  The SFM commented that the current values in the funding formula adopted by the Authority placed it in the mainstream.

Officers considered that the fact that the DfE had included questions about sparsity in the consultation paper suggested some recognition at least of the significance of this issue for a number of authorities.  As the second sparsest County it was an opportunity for the County to highlight the importance to Herefordshire schools and the complexity of funding generally of small rural schools.

In discussion the following principal points were made:

·         The consultation document asked whether the distance travelled to school could be used as a sparsity factor, with consideration also being given to whether actual travel distance, rather than distance as the crow flies, could be used.  The draft response suggested a maximum travel time of 45 minutes from home to school for a primary school pupil should be used to identify if a school was “a necessary school”.  A Member suggested that this was too long a travel time for young pupils some of whom would have extremely long days at school as a consequence. The Assistant Director clarified that this was a local standard that had developed over time.  On balance the Forum did not think it necessary to amend the draft response on this point.

·           In relation to the single lump sum currently paid to all schools the SFM commented that the DfE needed to decide whether the lump sum was provided to cover school fixed costs or was a subsidy method for small schools. The draft response expanded on this point. 

An observation was made that if the lump sum and the protection it offered small schools by meeting fixed costs were to be removed and the funding was allocated solely on the basis of school numbers this would both lead to the closure of unviable schools and prevent unviable schools being established.

·           The consultation also invited comment on whether there should be separate lump sums for primary and secondary schools.  The draft response set out a proposal for what the lump sum would need to be to cover fixed costs at a Primary School and fixed costs at a Secondary School.

A concern was expressed that the sum suggested for Primary Schools would not cover the fixed costs of larger primary schools.  It was questioned whether the funding received as a result of the additional pupils at such schools would offset a reduction in the lump sum.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 115.

To consider the Forum’s work programme.

The Forum noted the work programme.

The following meeting dates have been scheduled:

Friday 3 May 2013 9.30 am

Friday 12 July 2013 9.30 am

Friday 18 October 2013 9.30 am

Friday 29 November 2013 9.30 am

Friday 24 January 2014 9.30 am

Friday 28 February 2.00 pm 

Monday 17 March 2014 9.30 am

Friday 16 May 2014 9.30 am

Noted.