To consider a budget consultation paper which explains the budget options and to seek the views of schools prior to the finalisation of the budget at the Forum meeting on 2nd March, 2011.

Please note that this document is to follow

The Forum considered a budget consultation paper which explained the budget options for the 2011/12 Dedicated Schools Grant and sought the views of schools prior to the finalisation of the budget at the Forum meeting on 2 March 2011.

The Chairman explained that it was proposed that the Forum should at this stage confine discussion to the content of the consultation document to ensure that it was complete and comprehensive.  Detailed discussion of the proposals would take place at the next meeting informed by the responses to the consultation exercise.

The Schools Finance Manager presented the report.  He highlighted key aspects of the report including the Council’s overall financial position, the Children and Young People’s Directorate’s budget and the schools budget. 

In summary, the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) faced a shortfall of £1.5 m due to falling rolls and a number of increased cost pressures as set out in the consultation document.   Proposed reductions in school budgets of £1.045m and reductions in non-school budgets of £0.562m (an overall total of £1.607m of reductions) had been identified by the School Forum’s Budget Working Group and were described in the consultation document. 

It was noted that draft school budgets could not be prepared until mid-late February when pupil numbers, on which the final calculations of budgets would be based, were available from the January pupil census.  The proposed budget reductions did not provide much leeway in meeting the DSG shortfall and there was a possibility they might not prove sufficient when the pupil numbers were confirmed.  Final school budgets would be calculated after School Forum’s meeting on 2 March and distributed to schools in mid-late March after the budget had received Council approval.

The Schools Finance Manager informed the Forum that the Budget Working Group had met on 28 January and proposed a number of amendments and additions to the wording of the consultation document.  In the main these provided clarification and did not affect the substance of the consultation document.  The Forum noted the proposed amendments and additions outlined to them.

He also commented on the consultation timetable, noting that it would not be possible to issue draft budgets this year because of the lateness of the settlement from the Department for Education.  Budgets would be issued to schools in mid-late March.

In discussion the following principal points were made:

·         In relation to proposed reductions in budgets for Early Years training and Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) nursery funding it was noted that there was no representation from the PVI sector on the Budget Working Group.  However, there were Head Teachers on the Working Group with nursery provision at their schools.  The Early Years General Inspector had been consulted on the proposals considered by the Budget Working Group and their implications. The aim had been to try to share reductions fairly across all services. 

·         It was confirmed that the proposed reduction in SEN banded funding would place a ceiling on the amount available to each applicant.

·         That the consultation document should include a glossary of acronyms used within it.

·         That the description of the proposed reductions should be consistent throughout the consultation document, including the response form.

·         Charts were appended to the consultation document showing the impact on individual school budgets.  The Schools Finance Manager agreed to check the figures relating to the percentage change between budgets pre-reductions, to budgets post reductions including pupil premium, and clarify the consultation document as appropriate.

The Chairman thanked the Budget Working Group and Officers for the work they had put in to address the challenging financial position.  She urged Members of the Forum to encourage colleagues to respond to the consultation exercise and, if they did not like the proposals, to suggest viable alternatives.

RESOLVED:

THAT     (a)     the Forum’s comments on the draft budget consultation paper for the Dedicated Schools Grant 2011/12 be noted and the consultation paper amended accordingly;

(b)         the consultation paper, as amended, be approved for distribution to schools; and

               (c)     the budget process and timeline as set out in the consultation paper be agreed, i.e. briefing for all schools on 3 February; individual response form to be returned by 11February; Budget Working Group on 17 February to consider responses and prepare final budget proposals; and the Schools Forum to consider the final budget proposals on 2 March and recommend final budget proposals to the Cabinet Member for ICT, Education and Achievement.