Agenda and minutes

Contact: Democratic Services  Email: democratic_services@sandwell.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1/22

Apologies for Absence

To Receive any Apologies for Absence.

Minutes:

Apologies were received from D Barton and L Howard.

2/22

Declarations of Interest

Members to declare any interests in matters to be discussed at the meeting.

Minutes:

D Irish declared an interest in Agenda Item No. 5 and would abstain from any votes which affected his school.

3/22

Minutes pdf icon PDF 694 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2021.

Minutes:

Resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2021 be approved as a correct record.

 

The Chair commented that, in relation to Minute No. 56/21, the length of time for the report back to the Forum on the Attendance and Safeguarding Team appeared excessive.

 

4/22

Dedicated School Grant Allocations and Draft School Budgets 2022/23 (R Kerr) pdf icon PDF 161 KB

School Forum members to note the report.

Minutes:

The Forum received a report which informed members of the funding allocations for the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and the draft school budget information for 2022/23 in accordance with recommendations and decisions which had been voted on at the previous Forum meeting (13th December 2021).  The budget information could change, subject to approval from the Department of Education (DfE) and / or decisions that would be taken at Cabinet on 12th January 2022.

 

The report allowed school governing bodies and academy boards to start their financial planning for 2022/23 and to make appropriate structural and educational adjustments to meet the needs of young people within the constraints of their resource allocations.

 

DSG Allocations 2022/23

 

The Department for Education (DfE) had announced the DSG allocations for 2022/23 and the table below detailed the allocations by block: -

 

DSG Block

Allocation prior to Adjustments

Adjustments

Allocation after adjustments

 

£m

£m

£m

Schools

308.463

(2.961)

305.502

Central School Services

2.283

0

2.283

High Needs

61.267

(3.130)

58.137

Early Years

23.387

0

23.387

Total

395.400

(6.091)

389.309

 

A comparison of the funding and the pupils from 2021/22 to 2022/23 was as set out below: -

 

DSG Block (After Adjustments)

2021/22

2022/23

Schools Block allocation

£297.545m

£305.502m

Pupil Numbers

55,511

56,025

 

 

 

Central Schools Services

£2.249

£2.249

Pupil Numbers

55,511

56,025

 

 

 

High Needs Block allocation

£53.666

£58.137

Pupil Numbers in special school

721

832

 

 

 

Early Years Block allocation

£24.877

£23.387

3 & 4 Year old Universal PTE

6,083

5,524

3 & 4 Year old – Additional15 Hours PTE

1,655

1,592

2 Year old PTE

1,419

1,168

 

Early Years Pupil Premium (This funding is included within the “Early Years Allocation above”)

 

 

£0.262m

 

 

£0.308m

Disability Access Fund (This funding is included within the Early Years allocation above.)

 

£0.088m

 

£0.118m

 

The DfE had agreements with the following agencies to purchase a single national licence managed by the DfE for all state funded schools in England.

 

        Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI)

        Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA)

        Education Recording Agency (ERA)

        Public Video Screening Licence - Filmbank Distributors Ltd. (PVSL)

        Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS)

        Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC)

        Newspaper Licensing Authority (NLA)

        Performing Rights Society (PRS)

        Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL)

        Schools Printed Music Licence (SPML)

 

The arrangement covered academies as well as maintained schools and the ESFA deducted the charge from the DSG.  The charge for Sandwell for 2022/23 was £0.284m (excluding VAT).

 

The 2022/23 Early Years Block allocations were indicative, and had been based on Schools, Early Years and Alternative Provision censuses data from January 2021.  The final allocations for each of these funding streams would be based on five-twelfths of the January 2022 census numbers plus seven-twelfths of the January 2023 census numbers.

 

The High needs block allocations were provisional figures and would be updated in the year.  The import / export adjustment would be updated in the summer term 2022 to reflect the latest data from the January 2022 schools census and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4/22

5/22

Pupil Number Growth Funding and Pupil Number Growth – Additional Needs Funding – Up to March 2022 (R Kerr) pdf icon PDF 220 KB

Schools Forum members to consider pupil number growth funding and the additional needs funding and approve the total funding for each school as set out in the report.

Minutes:

The Forum received a report which detailed the provision of information to enable Members to make a decision on the allocation of pupil number growth funding and additional needs funding to schools experiencing significant pupil growth.

 

The requests were linked to school improvement priorities through the need to provide education funding for young people entering our school system where a school did not have sufficient funding in reserve to accommodate pupil increases.  The funding would ensure there was sufficient resource in each school to meet the needs of such pupils.

 

The budget for Pupil Number Growth Funding for 2021/22 had been set at £1.091m and the authority had received a positive recoupment adjustment of £0.605m together with a surplus balance of £1.117m brought forward from 2020/21.  In addition, there was also total funding available of £2.813m.  Expenditure as at 31st December 2021 was £2.266m which gave a current underspend of £0.547m.

 

The ‘Pupil Number Growth – Additional needs fund’ carried forward a balance of £111,474 from 2020/21, with no spend to date in 2021/22.

 

As set out in 2021/22 School Budget Information - Table G: “Pupil number growth contingency- general process for significant pupil number increases”; in relation to mid-year admissions and where the school had a minimum net increase of 30 pupils over the previous October census, the authority would automatically calculate the funding for schools meeting this criteria and so there would no longer be a requirement for schools to complete an application form in such instances.

 

The increase in pupil numbers had been confirmed via the October 2020 and October 2021 census.

 

The details for each school were as set out below:

 

Ormiston Forge Academy

 

Description

Numbers/£

Change in Pupil Numbers

55

Additional funding if approved

£79,839

 

Based on the pupil number growth criteria the school would be entitled to £79,839 based on 55 pupils receiving 50% of the secondary AWPU rate of £4,977 September 2021 to March 2022.

 

Bristnall Hall Academy

 

Description

Numbers/£

Change in Pupil Numbers

48 (Funding already received for 30)

Additional funding if approved

£26,129

 

Based on the pupil number growth criteria the school would be entitled to £26,129 based on 18 pupils receiving 50% of the secondary AWPU rate of £4,977 September 2021 to March 2022.

 

George Salter Academy

 

Description

Numbers/£

Change in Pupil Numbers

54 (Funding already received for 50)

Additional funding if approved

£5,807

 

Based on the pupil number growth criteria the school would be entitled to £5,807 based on 4 pupils receiving 50% of the secondary AWPU rate of £4,977 September 2021 to March 2022.

 

Pupil Number Growth Funding – Additional Needs

 

The following table listed those schools entitled to “Additional Needs” funding. The total costs calculated using the normal process was £173,761; however, there was only £111,474 total funds remaining.  The allocations had therefore been pro-rata to the available funding as set out in the table below: -

 

School

IDACI Funding (£)

EAL Funding (£)

              Total               (£)

Ormiston Forge

0

6,015

6,015

George Salter

0

1,900

1,900  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5/22

6/22

Special Educational Needs High Needs Block 2021/22 November 2021 Monitoring Report (J Gill) pdf icon PDF 143 KB

School Forum members to note the report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Forum received a report which provided Members with the High Needs Block (HNB) monitoring position as at 30th November 2021, projected to 31st March 2022.

 

HNB Budget 2021/22

 

The HNB grant for 2021/22 as reported to Schools Forum on 13th December 2021 was £53.555m.

 

The anticipated in year surplus as previously reported to Forum in December 2021 was £1.408m.  This had now been revised to an in-year surplus of £1.735m.

 

The balance bought forward as at 1 April 2021 was £0.597m surplus.

 

Appendix 1 to the report, showed the 2021/22 High Needs Block budget allocation, the actual expenditure as at 30 November 2021 and the variance from budget.

 

The Variances were detailed below: -

 

Variation 1

 

Out of borough placements, other associated costs, showed a £5k pressure.

·      There was a saving of £20k in room hire costs for the delivery of support to students that were awaiting a school roll.  During COVID these had been delivered virtually and from September 21 normal face to face delivery had resumed.

·      There was a pressure of £25k in respect of support costs for pupils placed in out of borough maintained and academy, mainstream and special schools.   

Variation 2

 

There had been an increase in EHCP assessments which had resulted in a projected overspend of £514k on the delegated funding provided to mainstream schools and academies.

 

Sandwell Community School; Additional funding of £200k had also been included here, to be prudent, to fund pupils placed at SCS requiring top up that was not included in the funding already allocated.  SCS had funded 180 places at £10k per place plus Top Up for 80 places for permanent exclusions.  This area was currently under review by a Task and Finish Group.

 

Variation 3

 

High Point had opened on 1 September 2021.  It had initially been thought that the place element would have to be met through the HNB.  The DFE had clarified in July 2021 that this would be funded directly with no impact on Sandwell’s HNB.  This had resulted in a saving of £221k.

 

Variation 4

 

An amount of £480k from the Early Years Grant had been used to offset the early support for pupils in private provider settings and those in mainstream early years settings.  The support was often continued for 1 - 2 terms when pupils accessed reception whilst the assessment for an EHCP was concluded.  An additional sum of £70K had been allocated in this financial year bringing the overall funding contribution to £550k.  Table 1, below, detailed the anticipated shortfall in the early years funding contribution to the HNB.

 

 

Spend to 30 November 2021

£000

Anticipated Outturn to 31 March 2022 £000

Mainstream Settings

472

520

Private Provider Settings

328

478

Total

800

998

EYS Grant Contribution

 

550

Shortfall

 

448

 

Questions had been raised at the SEND Consultation Working Group regarding the level of grant contribution and the possibility that this could be increased going forward.

 

Variation 5

 

The total variances equated to a saving of £372k  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6/22

7/22

Director of Children's Services - Verbal Update (M Jarrett)

Minutes:

M Jarrett reminded the Forum that the DfE had confirmed its cessation of the School Improvement Grant Fund which would be reduced to 50% in 2022/23 and then to 0% in 2023/24.  Ongoing conversations with both Primary and Secondary Schools would be required to ascertain any mitigations which could be required.

 

In addition, he advised on the latest position with SEND Transportation.  A report had been submitted to Cabinet on Wednesday 12th January 2022 in relation to this matter.  It was proposed that the ‘mini-competition / tender’ part of the DPS which was currently in place, would cease and the current provision extended accordingly until the end of the summer period (i.e. no break in service).  Running in parallel to this process would be a new procurement exercise to build a framework for services required on SEND Transport going forward.

 

The Chair sought assurance that the current service providers were aware of these proposals, as they could be inclined to ‘walk away’ and secure longer-term contracts elsewhere.

 

M Jarrett advised that as soon as the statutory Scrutiny Call-in period had expired (on 18th January), all of the contractors would be written to and advised of the proposals to extend contract until the summer.  Depending upon feedback received, mitigations would be put in place to ensure continuity of service.

8/22

Schools Forum Member Training - Verbal Update (FH)

Minutes:

The Clerk advised that, following a request made by the Chair / Vice-Chair, it was intended that training for Forum Members be established to help support Members in their role on the Forum. 

 

In consultation with the Chair / Vice-Chair, separate training dates would be agreed, outside of the agreed Forum Meeting dates, in the near future.  Members would be consulted to help shape the areas to be covered by the training.  Details would be circulated to all Members in due course.

 

9/22

AOB

Minutes:

The dates of future Forum meetings were noted, as set out below:-

 

14 March 2022

20 June 2022