Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of 14 January 2016.

In respect to identifying an alternative funding stream for the Schools Music Festival it was noted that this had not yet been progressed.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2016 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Members were advised that an additional item had been added to the agenda which was to receive an update on School and Education Funding following the release of two significant consultation documents from the DfE.

As part of the Council’s consultation process, the Forum received a report on the 2016/17 further savings proposals of the Executive in respect of the revenue budget for the Children, Young People and Learning Department. This reflected the confirmed financial settlement for the Council which was £2.4m worse than expected.

Without this information, Council-wide initial budget proposals included economies of approximately £4m which left a potential budget gap of around £6.044m.  An increase in Council Tax, an appropriate contribution from the Council’s revenue reserves and identification of further economies were available as options to bridge this gap.  The Council had established a Transformation Board to review the delivery of all services over the next four years and identify where further savings could be made.  The initial review of five service areas, which did not include CYPL, identified potential economies of £2.183m for 2016/17 of which £1.816m was expected to be available to contribute to closing the £6.044m gap. 

The provisional Local Government Financial Settlement was announced in December 2015 confirming the £2.4m gap in the initial budget proposals.  Other Councils in Berkshire were similarly affected by the provisional Settlement and as such, a delegation of Berkshire Council Leaders, headed by the Leader of Bracknell, met with the Minister for Local Government and put forward a strong case for Berkshire to be treated more favourably.  This had the result that Bracknell Forest would receive a newly introduced transitional grant of £0.9m in both 2016/17 and 2017/18.  However, the Revenue Support Grant loss of £5.4m in 2016/17, which was £2.4m more than the anticipated loss, meant that in overall terms this still represented a further £1.5m loss of grant in 2016/17.

In respect of additional economies for CYPL in 2016/17, the report detailed the following proposed savings:

• A reduction in universal service provision within the Alders & Chestnuts Children’s Centre area of £75,000.

• A number of savings within the Early Help Offer of £217,000.  These included:

·           A reduction in resource support for the Every Child a Talker Programme.

·          Deletion of 2.2 FTE Development Officer posts.

·          Removal of resources budget at the Family Information Service.

·          50% reduction in grant allocated to Homestart for the provision of trained volunteers to support families requiring early help.

·          Deletion of voluntary sector grant support to KIDS Young Carers.

The timetable for these proposals included a twelve week consultation period from 24 February 2016 to 17 May 2016, recommendations to the Council by the Executive on 14 June 2016 with the Council considering the Executive’s recommendations on 13 July 2016.

The Forum was advised that generally speaking a number of service contracts were coming to an end and this had provided officers with an opportunity to review actual spend against service delivery.  Anne Shillcock expressed her concern at the proposed additional savings and the likely implication of a reduced service to the most vulnerable families.  In particular, Anne was concerned about the reductions in support for the Every Child a Talker Programme and in the Homestart grant which could  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

The Forum was presented with a report on proposals from the Council for the 2016/17 Early Years and High Needs Block elements of the Schools Budget. Recommendations agreed from this report would form the basis of proposals to be presented to the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning.

Early Years Block

Paul Clark, Head of Departmental Finance, Children Young People and Learning said the DfE had confirmed that per child funding for Early Years Block for universal entitlement to 15 hours a week free education and childcare for 3 and 4 year olds would remain unchanged from 2015/16 meaning no allowance would be made for inflation or other pressures. The funding rate would therefore stay at £3,928.30 which was equivalent to £4.13 per hour per child using the DfE calculation of the standard full time education rate of 25 hours a week for 38 weeks a year (950 hours in a year).

Taking account of this information, the initial Early Years Block DSG income is forecast to be £5.196m, and the budget was recommended to be set at this level, with funding rates top be paid to providers remaining unchanged from the current year with the following changes to the budget being proposed:

1.  Updated budget provision for payments to providers to reflect:

·      Estimated actual participation rates for 3 and 4 year olds by provider using May 2015, October 2015 and January 2016 data for 2016/17.  Payments would be adjusted during 2016/17 to reflect actual participation and any difference in actual payments to the estimates would be funded through the contingency.  This would equate to an increase of £0.049m.

·         Actual participation rates for 2 year olds by provider based on January 2016 data which reflected the current take-up.  Again, payments would be adjusted in-year to reflect actual participation and funded through the contingency as necessary.  This equated to a cost reduction of £0.036m.

2. Following the restructure within the Early Help provision, the service delivered at the Margaret Wells Furby Children’s Resource Centre was brought in-house with effect from April 2015.  Third sector staff had transferred into the BFC Early Help Inclusion Team and the restructure had led to improved service delivery and outcomes for children and families.  This change equated to a net nil budget adjustment.

The Forum examined the figures for the Early Years Block Budget of £5.196m for 2016/17.  Questions and comments from forum members were received in respect of:

• The net cost of £11,210 for free milk to eligible children.  Milk was donated by the EU and the budget was needed in order to manage the provision which some Members felt was beneficial to the children.  Discussion took place as to whether the budget could be better utilised by being diverted to a service that had been identified in the proposed additional economies for CYPL. However, it was believed there was a requirement by LAs to provide free milk to eligible children but Members would be advised if this was not the case.
• Funding for one  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

The Forum received a report on the in-year allocation of funds to schools through School Specific Contingencies and other centrally managed budgets that are funded from the DSG.

The Forum NOTED:

• Due to significant in-year increases in pupil numbers, 8 schools (5 Primary and 3 Secondary) had received additional funding which totalled £195,050.

• Four schools required to meet the Key Stage 1 Class Size regulations received additional funding totalling £42,479 due to actual changes in pupil numbers for the 2015 summer and autumn terms and the spring term 2016. 

• A specific budget had previously been agreed to support new and expanding

schools which specifically related to Jennett’s Park Primary School. Top up funding was set aside to reflect the special circumstances arising from a rapid increase in roll from a 1 form of entry school to 2 forms of entry, opening a new class each academic year. Based on the assessed additional costs that the school would face, the Forum had agreed that £50,000 should be allocated each year a new class was required to be opened.

• Two Primary and 2 Secondary schools received additional funding allocations that totalled £68,842 as a result of having a disproportionate number of SEN pupils.

• Four schools in financial difficulties received additional financial support of between £2,000 and £23,206.  Funds were allocated by the LA as a result of each school being awarded an Ofsted judgement of Requires Improvement or Inadequate to make the required improvements.

The recommendation to note the above was to ensure that the Schools Forum supported how contingency funds had been allocated to schools and that it was aware of the total amount involved.

Members were advised that existing policy text on funds used to distribute centrally managed funds to schools had been amended so that the School Specific Contingency would now be known as the Growth Fund.  In respect of the policy for the allocation of additional funds to support new and expanding schools for 2016/17 only, Members were asked to agree the new policy wording which would be reviewed and updated before April 2017.

The Forum had agreed last year that The Pines Primary School should receive on-going additional financial support due to additional site costs associated with the expansion of the school where the Primary Professional Centre had been returned to school use to accommodate increases in pupil numbers.  The report set out how the funding top up had been calculated and Members noted that the initial calculation indicated top up funding of £10,000.  The amount would be subject to update in light of final account actual expenditure for the newly refurbished buildings and any further comments from the school or new matters that come to light during the costing process.

The Forum AGREED:

• An exceptional funding allocation of up to £10,000 for The Pines Primary School.
• The amendments to existing policy texts on funds used to distribute centrally managed funds to schools.

Paul Clark gave a presentation to Members updating on school and education funding following a report received from the DfE.  The key headlines were:

Schools National Funding Formula

• Main funding for schools and education to remain through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and Pupil Premium Grants (PPG).
• Schools Block to be calculated from a national funding formula.  There would be no local funding formula, everything would be centrally managed.
• The component parts of the funding formula included basic per pupil cost, a uniform amount for KS1/2, KS3 and KS4 and an amount for additional needs such as deprivation at pupil and area level and low prior attainment.
• There was a further £600m savings target on the Education Services Grant – of which Bracknell Forest’s share was £1.5m – to be achieved from LAs “stepping back from School Improvement” and removal of other duties.
• The role of the Schools Forum to continue unchanged to 2018/19, subject to review thereafter.
• The Minimum Funding Guarantee would continue.
• Support for school efficiency to be developed to help relevant schools manage funding reductions.

There would be a 2 stage consultation process.  Stage 1 was the setting out of the principles and factors to be used in the formula, closing date of 17 April 2016.  Stage 2 was to seek views on the weightings for each factor.  LAs to manage school budgets in 2017/18 and 2018/19 but to the funding levels allocated through the national funding formula.  In 2019/20 all schools would be directly funded through the national funding formula.

High Needs Funding Reform

• Funding to continue to be allocated to LAs, not schools.
• New funding formula based on proxy measures to include low prior attainment, pupil and area deprivation, population aged 2 to 18, geographical costs.
• Fund mainstream schools with SEN resource units at £6,000 per place, with per pupil funding added to the main school budget.
• To add independent special schools to the institutions that receive £10,000 place funding from the EFA by deduction to LA DSG.
• A consultation would take place to consider how a post-16 funding formula would work for mainstream post-16 providers with a small number of high needs pupils.
• DfE to make available capital funding for invest-to-save schemes, such as Rise@GHC and other lower cost, high quality initiatives. 
• £200m would be available to support the expansion of existing provision as well as the development of new schools to create new specialist places.
• Element 3 ‘top up’ funding to all institutions for assessed support needs would remain.
• Local arrangements for alternative provision funding would remain unchanged.

There would be a 2 stage consultation process.  Stage 1 was the setting out of the principles and factors to be used in the formula, closing date of 17 April 2016.  Stage 2 was to seek views on the weightings for each factor and transitional arrangements.

Proposals for the Early Years Funding Reform would follow and were set to be implemented from April 2018.

Paul Clark said he would e-mail members the full DfE report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

The next meeting is scheduled for 21 April 2016.

The next meeting scheduled for 21 April 2016 was CANCELLED.

The next meeting is scheduled for 16 June 2016.

Paul Clark gave a presentation to Members updating on school and education funding following a report received from the DfE.  The key headlines were:

Schools National Funding Formula

• Main funding for schools and education to remain through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and Pupil Premium Grants (PPG).
• Schools Block to be calculated from a national funding formula.  There would be no local funding formula, everything would be centrally managed.
• The component parts of the funding formula included basic per pupil cost, a uniform amount for KS1/2, KS3 and KS4 and an amount for additional needs such as deprivation at pupil and area level and low prior attainment.
• There was a further £600m savings target on the Education Services Grant – of which Bracknell Forest’s share was £1.5m – to be achieved from LAs “stepping back from School Improvement” and removal of other duties.
• The role of the Schools Forum to continue unchanged to 2018/19, subject to review thereafter.
• The Minimum Funding Guarantee would continue.
• Support for school efficiency to be developed to help relevant schools manage funding reductions.

There would be a 2 stage consultation process.  Stage 1 was the setting out of the principles and factors to be used in the formula, closing date of 17 April 2016.  Stage 2 was to seek views on the weightings for each factor.  LAs to manage school budgets in 2017/18 and 2018/19 but to the funding levels allocated through the national funding formula.  In 2019/20 all schools would be directly funded through the national funding formula.

High Needs Funding Reform

• Funding to continue to be allocated to LAs, not schools.
• New funding formula based on proxy measures to include low prior attainment, pupil and area deprivation, population aged 2 to 18, geographical costs.
• Fund mainstream schools with SEN resource units at £6,000 per place, with per pupil funding added to the main school budget.
• To add independent special schools to the institutions that receive £10,000 place funding from the EFA by deduction to LA DSG.
• A consultation would take place to consider how a post-16 funding formula would work for mainstream post-16 providers with a small number of high needs pupils.
• DfE to make available capital funding for invest-to-save schemes, such as Rise@GHC and other lower cost, high quality initiatives. 
• £200m would be available to support the expansion of existing provision as well as the development of new schools to create new specialist places.
• Element 3 ‘top up’ funding to all institutions for assessed support needs would remain.
• Local arrangements for alternative provision funding would remain unchanged.

There would be a 2 stage consultation process.  Stage 1 was the setting out of the principles and factors to be used in the formula, closing date of 17 April 2016.  Stage 2 was to seek views on the weightings for each factor and transitional arrangements.

Proposals for the Early Years Funding Reform would follow and were set to be implemented from April 2018.

Paul Clark said he would e-mail members the full DfE report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.