Agenda item

To receive and consider a report giving details of the Dedicated Schools Grant Strategy.

The Forum considered the Dedicated Schools Grant Strategy.

During the discussion of the item the following points were made:

·           The Forum was reminded that from 2017/18 the Education Services Grant would be reallocated to the Dedicated Schools Grant.  The Forum was asked to agree to top-slice the Early Years Block to help provide retained services.  The proposed top-slice figures and percentages detailed within the report were updated.

·           It was noted that all reference to ‘Statutory and Regulatory” duties should read ‘Retained duties.’

·           2016/17 figures had been included against all Centrally Retained Dedicated Schools Grant proposals for clarification.

·           Recommendations 3 and 12b) were removed.

·           The Forum was recommended to agree to allocate £304,000 to the School Admissions Service in 2017/18, an increase on previous years.  This increase was due to the reapportioning of miscellaneous items.

·           The Forum was recommended to agree to allocate £1,300,000 for the Pupil Growth/Infant Class size fund for 2017/18 as per 2016/17.  Forum members queried the likely spend in this area for the financial year.  An update on pupil growth at Bohunt School, including published admission number and the impact on other secondary schools and their budgets, was requested and would be incorporated into 2018/19 analyses underway.

·           The de-delegation of redundancy costs was discussed.  It was explained that this would be a new cost to schools.  £30,000 would be allocated as per the previous year.  Alan Stubbersfield emphasised that should this function not be de-delegated redundancy costs would need to be found from the schools’ individual budgets.

·           Janet Perry questioned what the situation would be should redundancy costs for maintained schools exceed £30,000 if the de-delegation of redundancy costs were agreed.  Alan Stubbersfield indicated that there would be an overspend.  Officers were asked to ascertain if there been an overspend against redundancy costs that year.

·           Forum members were of the view that £30,000 once divided between all schools would not provide significant provision for individual school’s redundancy costs. 

·           Forum members requested a report for its next meeting explaining the process of the Apprenticeship Levy.  Hawa Bedwa indicated that calculations had been made for each school which would be circulated to the individual schools.

RESOLVED: That

1)        Schools Forum agree the top-slice of £370,000 in 2017/18;

2)        Schools Forum agree to transfer of the ESG settlement for £373,000 from the DSG to contribute towards funding the shortfall for the ESG removal and note the proposed use for the funds as detailed within the report;

3)        Schools Forum agree to allocate £1,300,000 for the Pupil Growth/Infant Class Size Fund for 2017-18;

4)        Schools Forum agree to allocate £4,000 for the costs associated with the Forum for 2017-18;

5)        Schools Forum agree to allocate £304,000 to the School Admissions Service in 2017-18;

6)        Schools Forum agree to allocate £265,000 for Support Costs in 2017-18;

7)        maintained school members agree to de-delegation of School Specific contingencies for 2017-18;

8)        maintained school members agreed to de-delegation of Insurance for 2017-18;

9)        maintained school members agreed to de-delegation of Licences and subscriptions for 2017-18;

10 a)   Members representing primary maintained schools agree to de-delegate Support to Underperforming Ethnic Minority Groups for 2017-18;

10b)    Members representing secondary maintained schools agree to de-delegate Support to Underperforming Ethnic Minority Groups for 2017-18;

11)      Members representing primary maintained schools agree to de-delegate a Contingency for Behaviour Support Services for 2017-18;

12a)    Members representing primary maintained schools agree to de-delegate funding for Trade Union facilities time for 2017-18;

12b)    Members representing secondary maintained schools agree to de-delegate funding for Trade Union facilities time for 2017-18.