Thursday 11th May 2017
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Committee Room C, Council House Extension, Margaret Street
Present: / Fran Stevens Birmingham Governors’ Network ChairLiz Garnham Birmingham Governors’ Network
Colin Graham Birmingham Governors’ Network
Richard Green Primary Forum
Yvonne Willis Primary Forum
Debbie James Secondary Forum
Fiona Wallace PRU Representative City of Birmingham School
Steve Hughes Academies Representative (Special)
Mike White Academies Representative
Jane Gotschel Academies Representative
Nicola Walters Secondary Academy Representative
Nikki Hutchison Academies Representative (Alternative Provision
Catriona Savage PVI representative
Sara Reece PVI Representative
Elaine Dupree Maintained Nursery HT
David Room NUT/Teacher Associations
Tim Boyes BEP
Anil Nayyar BCC
Martyn Scott BCC
Colin Diamond BCC
Emma Leaman BCC
Cllr Brigid Jones BCC
Cllr Barry Bowles BCC
Jill Crosbie BCC
Julie Young BCC
Phillipa Downes Baverstock representative.
In attendance: Janice Moorhouse (clerk)
1. / Welcome and apologies for absence / Action
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5 / The Chair welcomed members, Phillipa Downes (Baverstock representative) and Officers to the meeting.
Apologies for absence were received from Adam Hardy (BDES), Mary Browning Birmingham Governors’ Network and Maxine Charles Primary Forum
Absent: Anna Balson Primary Academy Representative, John Ritson Birmingham Governors’ Network, Rosemary Adams Special Schools Representative and Gilda Richards Support Staff Union representative
The Chair proposed an item be added to the agenda: ‘Health and Well Being Tender and the Implications for schools’.
Colin Diamond reported Officers had entered a period of National Purdah due to the forthcoming General Election and had to refrain from making announcements which could be viewed as politically contentious.
Cllr Jones stated the announcement of the decisions made by Cabinet in relation to the Early Years contract award had been judged as falling within the purdah restrictions. The name of the successful organisation to be confirmed and the consultation on proposed changes to Children’s Centre services to be started after the purdah period ended on 9 June 2017.
Elaine Dupree commented on the effect the delay was having on schools and other providers that had been given a five month budget. Children’s Centres and schools with children’s centres were unclear with regard to use of buildings etc. Timescales for planning were very tight. Staff in schools with BCC children’s centres were in limbo and this was impacting on effective planning and service delivery. There had been assurance that all providers would be informed of decisions at the same time and this had not happened.
Colin Diamond stated the EY noticeboard was the official medium for informing staff of decisions. Colin Diamond acknowledged the situation was demoralising for those involved.
Emma Leaman reported workshops were planned for schools with on site children’s centres. The team were aware of the complexities in relation to decision making and planning.
ACTION: Health and Well Being Offer: agenda item for the Schools Forum meeting in June. / LA
2. / Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9th March 2017
2.1 / The minutes were agreed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
3. / Matters arising from the minutes
3.1 / Item 7.6: contracts: Anil Nayyar reported he had spoken with the DfE on the subject of contracts that had to be brought to Schools Forum. The contracts funded by a top slice from the DSG had to be brought to Schools Forum.
Anil Nayyar reported as no BCC contracts were funded from a DSG top slice there were no contracts to bring to Schools Forum.
Corporate Procurement had a list of all contracts that could be circulated if members so wished.
4. / LA update
4.1
4.2
4.3 / Colin Diamond reported Stella Menzie had been appointed as interim Chief Executive on a six month contract. BCC overall performance remained under the scrutiny of central Government. Panel to meet in June. Peter Hay had retired.
Colin Diamond reported he was now Corporate Director for Children and Young People. Children’s Social Services to become a Children’s Trust. The Chief Executive of the Trust had been appointed.
Ofsted monitoring visit for Children’s Social Services week beginning 8th May.
Education funding: Colin Diamond stated the threats to Birmingham schools were acute with 440 schools losing money.
Colin Diamond reported BCC’s business plan was 99% completed, would be published and shared with Schools Forum.
5. / Growth Fund
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.9 / Emma Leaman reported members of Primary Forum did not support the initial proposal and the options included in the previous paper presented to Schools Forum had been removed.
None of the Growth Fund was retained or used by the LA for any other purposes.
The purpose of the report (Growth fund 2017/18) is to seek agreement/decision to the allocation and criteria for 2017/18.
Baverstock funding: Emma Leaman reported the EFA had proposed seven twelfths of the funding to go to the LA to be used to fund schools accepting displaced pupils. This could be used to make exceptional allowances for uniform, bus passes etc.
Emma Leaman reported BCC had continued to allocate funding for a number of schools from September 2017 through School Budget Share by using forecast increases in the Fair
Funding formula. For these schools an individual schedule was provided with their 2017/18 budget notification in February 2017 that detailed the additional funding allocated for this
growth. This process means the Growth Fund would be targeted at schools new to the programme or schools accepting additional bulge classes.
The Growth Fund after allowing for the above was set at £3.0m for 2017/18, agreed
previously at Schools Forum.
Criteria to determine in year allocation
Proposed: the criteria agreed for 2016/17 remains the same for 2017/18 i.e.:
· Where there is a planned net increase to meet Basic Need agreed with the Local
Authority the net increase in pupil numbers will be funded
· The LA will identify those schools most likely to grow as a result of net migration
into the City by more than 10% or 30 pupils in a key stage, whichever is smaller, and
commission a number of places up to their Current Pupil Number
Members noted the addition of ‘10% in a key stage’ for small schools.
· Where there is an unfunded net increase of more than 10% or 30 pupils,
whichever is smaller, and this relates to Basic Need,schools will need to submit a
Business Case for any funding from the Growth Fund
Funding Rates for Growth to meet Basic Need
Emma Leaman reported Growth funding to meet Basic Need would be allocated in line
with the AWPU funding rate for all schools subject to sufficient funding being available
within the Growth Fund.
The Growth Fund could not be used to allocate funding for general increases in pupil
numbers or where the school has, for example, missed pupil numbers in submitting the
October census returns
Giving the Growth Fund to meet Basic Need was ‘cash limited’. BCC would reserve the
right to scale back the AWPU rate to remain within budget.
Members accepted the rates and criteria as set out in the report.
School Closure Funding criteria Emma Leaman reported it was expected that the School Budget Share for the period of the financial year that the school is to be closed would be retained by the LA and
could be made available as Growth Fund to fund the places provided for pupils displaced from the
school that was being closed.
Funding Rates for additional places required in the event of school closure
Emma Leaman reported the proposal that (funding permitting) the pupil places were funded at an enhanced rate above AWPU in recognition of the additional support that the receiving school
may wish to put in place and that would previously have been funded from elements of the
school budget other than the AWPU.
This could include personalised funding for pupils with additional or complex needs, including those
in need of alternative provision and/or specialist support. This was subject to there being sufficient funding within the retained School Budget Share from the closing school.
Mike White stated support for those in need of alternative provision should be from the High Needs
and not the Schools Block and queried how the funding was re-allocated.
Emma Leaman stated free schools were funded from High Needs. The need was to ensure the
school had funding to provide for and support the pupils enrolled in there. This would be clarified
in the detail of the re-allocation.
Proposed: that Schools Forum agrees that in the event of school closure, decisions
regarding funding levels for pupil transfers are delegated to the Local Authority Education
team and reported back to Schools Forum.
Fiona Wallace suggested….’reported back to School Forum ‘for a final agreement’ be added.
Agreed.
Members agreed the recommendation for funding rate for transferred pupils to be tailored to
individual school and pupil circumstances subject to sufficient funding within the retained SBS
from the closing school.
6. / Inclusion Commission report update
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4 / Jill Crosbie reported the six work strands had reported back to the Commission and a strategy had been drafted providing a mission with objectives to be posted on School Noticeboard before the end of May. Parents and young people central to practice.
Aim to
· reduce alliance on independent sector and placements out of Birmingham
· have an assessment framework going right across provision; a continuum of assessment from 0 -25
· put in place a financial system
Cllr Bowles stated the commission had agreed in broad principal. There were some areas of dissent. Future work was needed.
The Chair commented that changes had to be made. There was insufficient funding. There was now some idea of where savings could be made without casualties for young people.
Fiona Wallace queried the consultation mechanism and asked if it would engage parents and young people
Jill Crosbie stated that, currently, the consultation was informal. The Commission to meet in the autumn term
Steve Hughes reported the Commission was committed to continuing with its work into the future.
7. / Any other business
7.1 / No items
8. / Date of next meeting
8.1 / It was agreed not to hold the meeting on Thursday 8th June 2017 due to a General Election being
held on that date. All members to be informed of the cancellation.
ACTION: Chair/clerk: an alternative June date to be arranged and members to be informed.
The meeting closed at 3pm. / Chair/clerk
Schools Forum May ‘17 Page 4 of 5