Earley Cluster Bursar’s Briefing

Minutes of Meeting held 25/11/2014

At Hawkedon School

Members Present: -

Hawkedon – (Chair)
Aldryngton – (minutes)
Whiteknights / Earley St Peters Hillside
Loddon
Radstock / Schools Finance
Kay Marshall

Members Absent:-

None
Item No. / Action By
1 / Apologies
None received – all present
2 / Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising
·  Minutes were approved as a true copy.
3 / Matters arising from the minutes
·  Pay policy – Earley St Peters on their website. It was felt that there was no need to share but noted that many used WBC policy as a template. If there are any legal issues they should be directed to WBC NB.
4 / Cluster agenda items
·  Uniform sales – Aldryngton asked if each school had a policy on school uniform charges and how much profit, if any, can be made. Each school makes a small profit ranging from £1 -60p to cover admin and other on costs but no-one had a policy to reflect this. It was decided to add a section on the ‘Charging and remission’ policy to document charges and that only a small profit can be made. It was also noted that PGL have bursaries for pupil premium and children who’s parents are struggling financially.
·  Cleaners – Aldryngton are having issues with their current contractors and required feedback and solutions to the issue. It was noted from Hillside, who had the same issues, that TUPE always applies and action plans can only be used at the beginning of the contract and not retrospectively. Schools mentioned that they had difficulties employing cleaners so had gone down the contractors route – Hawkedon said they got around some issues by employing parents during the school day, by cleaning areas that weren’t being used ie staffrooms, toilets etc
·  Site Controller – Radstock asked if the Cluster could answer the email sent recently, concerning various matters on Site controller’s contracts and pay. It was noted that the Wokingham matrix has information on Site controller grades. The Cluster asked Radstock to send a summary of her findings to the group so they can use it to benchmark. Aldryngton and Loddon to send revised Site controller job description.
·  Emails there are still problems with Wokingham – It was asked if Schools Finance could put up a list of all emails sent on to the WBC website, so schools can check to see what they are missing.
·  Wooden hall flooring – Aldryngton asked for some information on schools wooden flooring. Hawkedon have recently had Jouncus flooring laid but are really disappointed by the state of it after a short timeframe. Radstock mentioned Earley Town Council had their wooden flooring done by ‘Dorris’ and weren’t impressed, so have got PHS to redo. Whiteknights are impressed by Jim Hawkins and will send information out to Aldryngton.
·  UIFSM - Aldryngton asked if Lunchtime Supervisors could go to each school to get ideas and solutions to problems. It was agreed that selected schools would have an open lunchtime on specific Wednesdays. Loddon – 21/1/15; Hawkedon – 28/01/2015; Aldryngton – 04/02/2015; Hillside – 11/02/2014. Each school to review Lunchtime Supervisors job description, and send it to Whiteknights to collate. Loddons lunchtime staff are currently made up of 50% T/As, being paid on a T/A rate. They are used for SEN pupils or clubs. Their 2 hours a week is reflected in their contract. Others schools using T/A’s give them a lunchtime contract on a lunchtime rate of pay.
·  Tea and coffee – Earley St Peters asked how schools paid for this. Hawkedon had read in the Key magazine that this can’t come from either the main budget or private funds. Some schools pay from School budget but are revising this. Others have staff pay but visitors come from the school budget. It was noted that training day food and drink can come from the budget. Radstock charge £6 per term having one cup per day; £12 for two cups; £18 for three cups – the SBM in charge of. Aldryngton has a T/A in charge of all aspects of the tea/coffee fund.
·  Pension – Hawkedon had calculated that the changes in pensions will cost schools roughly £11000 in 2015 and £20000 in 2016. In Apr2016 there is a change in state pension with Surps being discontinued, schools will see an increase in pensions overall by 3%.
·  Support staff pay increase – It was confirmed that it had been agreed and that there will be an increase of 2.2% in Dec14 to cover the next 18 months. There will also be a bonus of £100 pro rata. / Radstock to collate Site controller findings. Aldryngton and Loddon to send up dated JD to Radstock
Schools Finance to put list up of emails sent onto the WBC website.
Whiteknights to send flooring info to Aldryngton.
Cluster to review Lunchtime Supervisors JD and send to Whiteknights to collate.
5 / Cluster agenda items
·  Budget monitoring – Various schools felt it took a while to get used to it, as the layout is different and with several formulas being wrong. It was requested if the budget monitoring spreadsheet could have an additional column for anticipated spend, as governors and staff involved with the budgets like having this. Many felt it had visually improved.
·  FMS update – This should be completed, remotely, by WBC. Schools IT person should be there to help oversee but as yet there haven’t been any dates released. There will be Pass 1 – the actual run and then Pass 2 – to pick up any issues.
·  Imprest forms – Please go to the website and download the most current Imprest sheet every time making a claim, as they are being continually updated.
·  Transfer journals – Use the most current WISER journal. Some schools found it wasn’t easy to use.
·  Imprest claims, central payments and Notional balance – Some schools found delays on central payments, one in particular took 3 months. The trouble this caused with the suppliers was avoidable and was felt that they would rather go overdrawn than go through the issues they encountered. It was asked how the best way was to put Central payments through, showing an audit trail on FMS, Hillside suggested: Dummy order and Dummy cheq. Loddon having issues with the delay in Imprest claims being paid and their BACs payments, sometimes having to wait 2 weeks before actioning the run. Central payments should start to speed up as in the past there was no one trained to put them through, and they sat unprocessed in the email pile until a specific person authorised them. Imprest claims – If WBC receive the claim on Tuesday before 5.00 the money would be in the bank the following Thursday – 10 days. If WBC receive it after that deadline it won’t be processed until the following Wednesday and in the bank by the following Thursday – 16 days. It was asked why has this changed, is it due to staffing levels – no answer was given. With this change schools are finding they are going or will be going overdrawn, especially with the large amounts being paid to Caterlink for UIFSM, so wanted to know if the Notional balance can be reviewed and increased, especially as the Central payments aren’t reliable. Hawkedon suggested that all the cluster should send an email to Schools Finance to advise on unhappy they are, also suggested that DM come to one of the Cluster meetings to discuss.
·  Caterlink – What’s happening with the DD. Also Schools had found that their invoices were incorrect for UIFSM and that they need to be continually checked.
·  UIFSM – WBC asked, as a percentage the uptake of the UIFSM – Aldryngton - 92%
Earley - 74%
Hillside - 72%
Hawkedon - 91%
Loddon - 76%
Whiteknights - 86%
Radstock - 78%
The figures taken from 2 school censuses give the funding, although Aldryngton and Whiteknights had read that there were 3 different time’s numbers would be taken.
·  Photo ID – It was asked what the Cluster did for ID badges. Hillside and Whiteknights make their own; Radstock use ‘Photo ID’, using photos taken by the schools photographer and then put on a lanyard system costing £3 per badge.
·  AOB – Security fencing, they are happy with ‘Fence Tech’.
SIMs administrator – Hawkedon wants an administrator to increase SIMs use and wondered what other schools do.
WBC re-emailing Christmas celebration details
4 / Date & time of next meeting
Venue: Hillside
Date: Tuesday 03/03/2015 9.30-11.00
Chair: Aldryngton
Minutes: Loddon

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