Schools Forum Meeting of Wednesday 6 February 2008 Agenda Item 3(j)

The following paper sets out the remaining requests for DSG holdback already presented to the Forum on 5 December:

1.0Alternative education placements (£30,000)

For each of the last two years, it has been necessary to seek approval from the Forum to increase this budget which provides alternative education packages for hard to place pupils. It seems appropriate to reflect this resource within the baseline budget.

2.0Children Looked After Bursary and Virtual Headteacher (£0)

Previous reports to the Forum requested funding from the DSG for a “dowry” of £500 per LAC and support for the post of a Virtual Headteacher to champion their needs with schools. This funding has now been provided elsewhere within the Schools, Children and Families budget.

3.0Free school meals eligibility (£10,000)

The amount represents a 6% increase in the current budget and relates to administration of the provision of free school milk.

4.0Licences for copyrighted material, performing rights and recording (£30,805)

The report asks for Forum approval to increase the centrally held licence costs for 2008-09 to reflect increasing costs – see Annex A.

Annex A

Licences for copyrighted material, performing rights and recording

The report asks for Forum approval to increase the centrally held licence costs for 2008-09 to reflect increasing costs.

1.0Background

1.1The LA has blanket licences covering schools in respect of:

  • Copyright
  • Performing Rights (e.g. relating to school productions)
  • Phonographic Performance (e.g. playing commercially recorded music)
  • Education Recording Agency (recording anything off air for educational purposes)

1.2Where commercially recorded material is played/shown in schools for entertainment purposes only, the school must obtain a Public Video Screening Licence.

1.3There is also a Christian Copyright Licence which covers such materials as hymns and other song words. This is NOT covered through the LA blanket scheme.

1.4Further guidance on the above appears in the Advice & Guidance section of the Schools Infolink (currently being updated).

1.5The licences are paid from the DSG, the total 2007-08 budget (on the Section 52 budget statement 1.5.5) is £402,671.

2.0Changes in provision

Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA)

2.1The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) is increasing its provision via our blanket licence to include creating digital copies from existing print resources. This service will incur a 10% increase in the licensing fees the LA pays on schools’ behalf. This facility will be available to schools from 1 April 2008 and is not optional. This will increase the subscription from £175,606 to £193,167 and therefore an additional budget of £17,561 will need to be retained to pay for this subscription increase.

Education Recording Agency (ERA)

2.2The Education Recording Agency (ERA) has offered the LA an upgrading facility to allow online access by students and staff to recorded broadcast material held on the school’s servers when they are working form home or other off-site location in the UK. This will clearly be of benefit to staff and pupils who access the school’s intranet / VLE, for example.

2.3The additional cost of this enhanced ERA service is:

Primary (assume this covers special): 15p per FTE (in addition to the 30p for the current, basic service)

Secondary: 26p per FTE (in addition to the 52p for the current, basic service)

(These are the undiscounted tariffs.)

2.4The LA can opt to take out this additional licence for either or both phases immediately and the first licence will run to 31 March 2008. Thereafter we could renew for a full financial year. The LA (and therefore schools) will benefit from a discount similar to that for the basic licence, providing that we elect to take out the additional cover for the benefit of at least all the secondary schools in Essex.

2.5The current cost of this licence is £56,113; this would increase to £84,170 for all school phases to benefit from this licence, a budget increase of £28,057.

3.0Recommendation

3.1The Schools Forum endorse an increase in the Licence and Subscription budget for:

3.2Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA)

2008-09 of £17,561

This would meet the 10% increase in licensing costs.

3.3Education Recording Agency (ERA)

2008-09 of £13,244

At this stage the Forum is asked to consider the recommendation that the additional licence be taken out for all Essex secondary schools. We will then monitor the need amongst primary schools and bring them on board when it is felt appropriate. ERA have confirmed that primary schools could join the scheme individually (but still via the LA) as and when they are ready to do so.

The LA would, therefore, need to budget for all the secondary schools from December 2007 (£4,400 approximately); and an estimated interest from primary schools, say, from 1 April 2008.

The LA will, in due course, advise schools of the new cover, should it be decided to proceed, along with a revised overview of the licensing regime supported by the LA.

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