To consider the recommendations of the Budget Working Group.

The Schools Finance Officer presented a report which requested consideration of the recommendations of the Budget Working Group. He informed members that the report detailed the discussions of the Working Group meeting held on 20 April 2010 and attached to the report were the papers that were considered by the Working Group.

With regard to the 2011/12 and 2012/13 school budgets, the Lead headteacher informed the Forum that since the Working Group meeting, the government had announced that Harnessing Grant Technology had been cut by 50%..

The Schools Finance Manager referred to the Social Deprivation Funding and informed the Schools Forum that the government would be introducing a National Pupil Premium which would take effect April 2012 which would replace the current model and a consultation paper was expected over the summer.

With regard to the School Lunch Grant, the Lead headteacher reminded members that the £112,000 was the final sum for redistribution in 2010/11 and that the options for the re-distribution were detailed in paragraph 14 of the report.

The Schools Finance Manager informed the Schools Forum that he considered (c) to be the fairest option whereby all schools would receive some funding.

RESOLVED:   That

(a)         the role of the Budget Working Group be agreed as set out in the report and included in the School’s Forum constitution;

(b)         the initial budget assumptions for 2011/12 be noted;

(c)         further work by the Budget Working Group on the local pupil premium and social deprivation funding be deferred until government announcements on the next steps for funding for these areas are received; and

(d)         the method for allocating the balance of the School Lunch Grant for 2010/11 be Option C, as set out in paragraph 14 of the report, to be subject to review after 12 months.