MILTON KEYNES SCHOOLS FORUM

Transcription

1 MILTON KEYNES SCHOOLS FORUM Margaret Powell House, 401 Midsummer Boulevard MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 14 JUNE 2018 AT 3.00 PM PRESENT: Primary School Governors Paul Hussey Bradwell Village Primary School (Chair) Antony Moore Giles Brook School Secondary School Governor Paul Herbert St Paul s Catholic School Academy Representatives Neil Barrett Stephenson Academy Allison Collis Rickley Park David Gibson for Michelle Currie Walton High Glen Martin Shenley Brook End Academy Governors John Howe Denbigh School Primary PRU Representative Norman Miles MK Primary PRU Nursery School Representative Deb Spinks Moorlands Nursery School Partnership Lindsey Styles Milton Keynes College Church of England Diocese Kieran Salter Diocesan Authority St Mary and St Giles C of E School Northampton Catholic Diocese Michael Manley Diocesan Authority Trade Union Representative Anita Richards NUT Divisional Secretary LA OFFICERS: CLERK: Michael Bracey Corporate Director People Sonia Hattle Senior Finance Business Partner Natasha Hutchin Strategic Finance Business Partner Sue Puddifoot Governor Support - Children and Families SF 683 WELCOME AND APOLOGIES Item 1 The Chair welcomed all to the meeting. Apologies for absence had been received by the clerk from: SCHOOLS FORUM 14 JUNE 2018 PAGE 1

2 Natalie Fowler Knowles Nursery School Francis Grant Great Linford Primary School Elisabeth Morrison Brooklands Farm School Dave Moulson Ousedale School Andy Squires Denbigh School Jake Yeo Bushfield School Lizzie Bancroft Loughton Manor First School, Finlay Douglas White Spire School, Jane Edwards Heronsgate School, Kirk Hopkins Oldbrook School, Lynne Johnson - Pre School Learning Alliance and Christine Ryan Cold Harbour C of E School were absent. SF 684 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Item 2 There were no declarations of interest. SF 685 MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING Item 3 The minutes of the meeting held on 15 March 2018 were agreed as an accurate record. There were no matters arising from the minutes. SF 686 BUDGET MONITORING /18 FINAL OUTTURN AND 2018/19 BUDGET (Sonia Hattle) Item 4 The purpose of this report was to inform Schools Forum of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) final outturn position for 2017/18 and the budget allocation for 2018/19. Sonia Hattle drew attention to the report with the main points highlighted as: The final DSG allocation for 2017/18 remained at m. This being the full allocation for maintained schools and academies. The budget was set with an estimated deficit carry forward of 264k. However, the outturn at the end of 2017/18 was a surplus of 1.007m to be carried forward to 2018/19. The new block ring fencing arrangements under the National Funding Formula (NFF) required this balance to be allocated to each of the four blocks as an opening balance, based on the agreement reached at the meeting of Schools Forum in December The outturn is subject to review by the Department of Education (DfE). Since the last reported monitoring position, the DSG surplus had improved by 783k and while this may appear significant, it represented just 0.43% of the total DSG budget. The explanations for the changes in the Schools Block, Early Years Block and High Needs Block were outlined in section 3.6 of the report. It was noted that for Early Years funding allocations, these were always finalised after the close of year end as the DfE adjusted allocations retrospectively based on the actual take up in January. These would be available in July An allowance of 968k had SCHOOLS FORUM 14 JUNE 2018 PAGE 2

3 been made in the accounts as an accrual for the estimated block adjustment. The High Needs Block in year underspend of 169k at period 11 worsened by 227k due to additional top-up funding. Significant variations to the budget were included within 3.7 of the report and summarised in the table. De-delegated budgets were underspent by 293k and would be carried forward to 2018/19. These were ring-fenced against the specific dedelegated services. The balance of 138k in the primary contingency budget (included in the overall underspend referenced) would be carried forward to 2018/19 and full guidance on how to submit a case was on the LMS website. Schools Forum questioned the reference to the overpayment of rates of 135k relating to academy schools and it was explained that this had already been clawed back in the 2018/19 school budget share allocations. Any funding left in de-delegated balances when de-delegation is no longer allowable, will be dispersed back out to schools via the funding formula. The 2018/19 budget allocation was summarised in Table 1 as agreed in January 2018 and Table 2 showed the forecast. Table 3 showed the variance. Section 4.2 outlined a change to the high needs funding allocation and this adjustment for unoccupied department places in academies meant the high needs contingency budget would be reduced from 420k to 353k. The budget forecast for 2018/19 was not yet available due to being so early in the financial year and would be reported to the next meeting. Schools Forum were concerned that the next meeting would not be until October 2018 and officers assured members that monthly monitoring would be taking place, as always occurs and reported in Council reports. Schools Forum meeting dates could be re-considered but as the main business of the Forum is usually surrounding the budget, there may be limited business to be held at other times of the year. Concerns around the High Needs Block in relation to the special school funding formula review were expressed and it was confirmed that the budget for 2018/19 reflected the current position (plus an allowance for growth) as peer moderation by special school headteachers were to assess the responses at the end of June. The underspend in the Early Years Block was due to the over-estimation of take up in the initial allocation. There was uncertainty around the new SCHOOLS FORUM 14 JUNE 2018 PAGE 3

4 offer and lower take up of the additional 15 hours. More information should be available in the next few weeks after the recalculation following the January census. It was impossible to determine pupil numbers at early years as some were in PVI settings. Some of these settings were closing and others were expanding. There had been no concerns raised at the lack of early years growth funding from settings, however feedback would be welcomed from colleagues. Schools Forum noted the 2017/18 final funding allocation and outturn position, including balances carried forward on both the DSG and dedelegated budgets. Schools Forum also noted the budget for 2018/19, including the opening balances carried forward. SF 687 GOVERNMENT UPDATES (Natasha Hutchin) Item 5 The purpose of this report was to provide Schools Forum with an update on the Government announcements relating to the National Funding Formula (NFF), other parts of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and information relevant to all schools. Natasha Hutchin explained that the report detailed the background on the NFF and would inform Schools Forum on what had been heard formally and informally from the DfE. The significant DfE announcements had been made before Christmas and solely referred to 2018/19 and the budget was set and based on this information. Officers had been invited to workshops and two informal discussions had taken place. The position remained that local authorities align as soon as possible to the NFF in a transition phase. Items under discussion were growth, premises (split site allocations) and mobility. Feedback would be included in the final guidance for 2019/20 expected in July. Schools Forum noted the items on: Mobility - There would be a mobility factor in the NFF although there were data issues and the DfE were working on how to allocate and redistribute this funding across local authorities, possibly adding an additional factor. Growth Fund The DfE had invited input from local officers and they had taken an active part in the workshops. Using local issues, multiple options had been raised. However the DfE s preferred method of calculation would be lagged growth data, which would raise a number of questions from Milton Keynes regarding longer term school capacity and how this would come back into the revenue fund. It was anticipated that there would be an area cost adjustment applied to the unit rate and different SCHOOLS FORUM 14 JUNE 2018 PAGE 4

5 amounts applied for primary and secondary. The Schools Reference Group would discuss the implications of this later in the year when more information would be available. Action: SRG Natasha Hutchin had been invited to an information session at the DfE on 22 June 2018 and it was anticipated that guidance and allocations would follow in July. No further formal consultation would be undertaken. A number of other areas awaited clarity: Overall timeline Authority pro forma tool and payment mechanism De-delegation NFF rates Rates Split sites High Needs Block transfer Early Years Block It remained uncertain how the DfE may recalculate this funding allocation. High Needs Block an over calculation had affected a lot of local authorities and a recalculation of one part of the High Needs Funding Formula was expected and an adjustment was expected. Schools Financial Health the ESFA had selected Milton Keynes to test this tool which would categorise schools from A-G in terms of anticipated financial risk. The main areas of feedback were detailed in the report. School Improvement Funding after the removal of the Education Services Grant, the DfE had announced there would be a school improvement and brokering grant. For Milton Keynes this would be 166k for 2017/18 and 116k April to August No further funding had been announced beyond this date. Upon reflection, officers felt they were now clear on the areas to focus on and to prepare for reactions to the meeting on 22 June Any points would be circulated to Schools Forum before the October meeting. Schools Forum noted the latest updates on the NFF and other areas relating to the DSG. SF 688 SCHEME FOR FINANCING SCHOOLS (Sonia Hattle) Item 6 The purpose of this item was to update Schools Forum on the Scheme for Financing Schools (the LMS scheme) following directed changes and updated guidance issued by the DfE in April The updated guidance followed the approval of the scheme by Schools Forum in March The changes were based on how loans were to be used and to remove licenced deficits to be treated as loans. Table 1 summarised the other minor changes to the scheme. SCHOOLS FORUM 14 JUNE 2018 PAGE 5

6 Further guidance was available on the LMS website and links had been sent to schools. Schools Forum pointed out that section still needed amending to reflect the new 11 month accounting period and this was noted by officers. Schools Forum noted the directed change and revisions to the LMS Scheme as outlined in section four of the report and that it only applied to maintained schools. SF 689 MEMBERSHIP AND CONSTITUTION (Michael Bracey) Item 7 There were no further changes to report. SF 690 UPDATE FROM SUB-GROUPS OF THE SCHOOLS FORUM Item 8 None of the Reference Groups had met since the last meeting of Schools Forum. SF 691 FORWARD PLANNING Item 9 Issues to be considered by Schools Forum and dates of the next meetings were: 18 October Budget Monitoring - Government Updates - Budget Setting 2019/20 - De-Delegation - Growth Fund Criteria - Section 251 Report 13 December Budget Monitoring - Government Updates - Budget Setting 2019/20 - Annual Report on Early Years Provision - Annual Report on Alternative Provision 17 January Budget Monitoring - Government Updates - Budget Setting 2019/20 All meetings 3pm 5pm The meeting closed at 3.55pm SCHOOLS FORUM 14 JUNE 2018 PAGE 6