Apologies were received from Beverley Blower, Andy Gosling, Tim Knapp, Chris Lewandowski, Rose Lloyd, Gemma Martin and Clare Perez.  

Officers;

Louise Tanner - Head of Learning and Achievement

There were no named substitutes.

To receive any declarations of interest by Members in respect of items on the Agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2025.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2025 were approved as a correct record.

To report the recommendations of the Budget Working Group to Schools Forum regarding the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) 2024/25 Outturn, Special Education Needs (SEN) Protection scheme future options, and Dedicated Schools Grant Deficit Management plan strategies.

Th Senior Finance Business Partner (SFBP) presented the report. The following principal points were noted;

• The final outturn position for 2024/25 was a deficit of £13.9 million made up of;

o   High needs block outturn  - £13.7 million higher than funding with the main drivers being £6 million independent schools, £1.9 million top ups and £6 million budget deficit built into 2024/25 budget.

o   Early Years block outturn is £240k higher than funding driven by a late Easter date (20th April 2025) resulting in higher payments; this will offset in 2025/26 funding.

o   Central block outturn £35k less than funding driven by favourability in staff in the admissions cost centre (due to vacancy/delay in hiring).

This increased the council’s cumulative DSG deficit to £20million at 31 March 2025.

The cumulative DSG deficit is accounted for as an unusable reserve on the council’s Balance Sheet, as permitted via statutory instrument, and will remain in place until 31 March 2028 having been extended by two years on 20^th June by Government.

Measures to contain the deficit and mitigate future cost and demand pressures will be managed by the Service through the DSG Deficit Management Plan. It was noted that this issue is a major concern amongst local authorities nationally.

SEN Protection Scheme

• The scheme was originally put in place to reward the most inclusive of schools, but this no longer happened.  Due to affordability issues in both the schools block and high needs block, compromises were going to have to be made. The scheme would continue for 25/26 with a phased approach to end SEN Protection scheme in 2026/27.
• The Budget working group had been consulted and had recommended a more phased approach for the discontinuation of the SEN Protection scheme with further excel modelling required. This was shared with the forum.
• There would be no transfer from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block in 2026/27 and whilst schools would not get the SEN protection scheme, they would see an increase in their budgets.
• The block transfer process would be reviewed at budget setting in 2027/28.

DSG Management Plan - 

The Service Director, Education, Skills and Learning and Head of Additional Needs presented to the forum. The following principal points were noted;

·       Herefordshire is feeling acute pressure on their High Needs Budget, despite increases in specialist provision having been commissioned over the past few years. More children and young people were being placed in the independent and non-maintained special schools at high cost.

• The removal of the SEN protection scheme would result in wiser spend on more targeted support which would help all schools at the right time.

• Increase in independent school places were, in part due to the special schools in Herefordshire being over capacity. The provision menu in Herefordshire was too narrow and needed to be expanded, the outdated code of practice which included parental preference is driving pressures in local authorities.

• Greatest growth areas in Herefordshire are primary needs in ASD and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

To report on the annual review of membership of Herefordshire Schools Forum (the forum) and Budget Working Group (the working group) and to approve action as necessary to maintain proportionality and to recommend the adoption of the amended constitution.

The clerk to the Schools Forum presented the report.

It was explained that using the spring 2025 School Census the annual review of membership had been conducted for the forum to ensure the allocation of seats remained proportionate. This year’s review had followed the previous year in that there have been continued rises in the number of pupils attending Academies. The review therefore concluded in tables 14 & 18 that a change was needed to both the forum and working group to transfer 1 seat from the maintained schools to academies to maintain proportionality.

It was highlighted that the proposed constitution could be found at appendix 1 with the current constitution marked up with track changes at appendix 2 which highlighted all changes proposed.

Members were consulted on 3 June with the proposed changes, and their views also sought on a potential change to the members term of office and chair and vice chair term.

Originally a proposal was put forward that the chair and vice chair roles that currently held a two-year term of office to be aligned to the term of office of members at 3 years. However, after responses from members there were constructive arguments against the move with it being highlighted that the chair and vice chair roles carried greater weight of responsibility and time. It was also noted that Chairs and vice chairs had no opportunity to serve as an ordinary forum member, and no other individual already on the forum was able in practice to put themselves forward for the role (as their term of office will by default be due to end before any take-up of tenure of Chairmanship/Vice Chairmanship).

Feedback also indicated that the forum would be open to extending the term of office for members to four years, as they had assurance they could resign at any point.

Therefore, it felt a sensible compromise for the two-year term of office for Chair and vice chair to remain against a four-year tenure of membership.

No comments were received from the forum.

Resolved that the outcome of the annual review of proportionality was noted and the revised constitution as set out at appendix 1 be recommended to the Corporate Director, Children and Young People for a formal decision and adoption.

The clerk to the Schools Forum offered her sincere thanks to Paul Jennings who had chaired the Budget Working Group for six years and paid tribute to the knowledge, expertise and insight he had brought that had been invaluable to the group but explained that it was time to appoint his successor.

The Service Director Education and Skills also expressed her thanks and that of the Local Authority for his balance between understanding the pressures that the Local Authority were under financially, but remaining supportive, and, above all keeping all decisions, very much centred together on children and young people in Herefordshire. Her thanks were also extended to the Chair of the Schools Forum.

Alison Banner nominated and proposed Richard Foster.

Paul Jennings seconded the nomination.

A vote was undertaken by the forum and Richard Foster was appointed as the Chairperson for the Budget Working Group.

To approve dates for meetings to be held and the work programme for the forum for 2025/26 academic year.

The following dates are suggested:

Friday, 24 October 2025 9:30am

Friday, 23 January 2026 9:30am

Friday, 20 March 2026 9:30am

Friday, 10 July 2026 9:30am

The proposed meeting dates and work programme for the forum for 2025/26 were noted. No objections were raised.

The chair extended her thanks and that of the Forum to Kathy Weston, who had tended her resignation. She wished her well in her retirement and thanked her for her many years of support and contributions.

The clerk informed the forum that the Senior Finance Business Partner was leaving the authority and thanked her on behalf of the forum and budget working group. Many compliments had been passed on to her with regards to members feedback of her very clear and concise presentations.

The Senior Finance Business Partner expressed how she had enjoyed her time at Herefordshire Council, and how Schools Forum had been one of the highlights, having gotten to know the members and offered her thanks and best wishes. She assured the forum that all officers that currently worked with her had full knowledge of what she did, and continuity would continue.