Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Schools Forum - Monday, 20th January, 2020 4.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Level 2, Town Hall Extension

Contact: Reena Kohli 

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 130 KB

To agree as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting.

Minutes:

Decision

 

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2019 as a correct record.

2.

Dedicated Schools Grant 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 569 KB

Minutes:

The Forum considered a report of the Directorate Finance Lead – Children and Schools which discussed the Dedicated Schools Grant settlement for 2020/21.  The Directorate Finance Lead – Children and Schools introduced the report and outlined the allocation of the budget across individual school budgets and local authority retained school budgets.  The Directorate Finance Lead – Children and Schools introduced the report which gave a detailed breakdown of each of the respective blocks which included comparisons with the settlement received the previous year and information about how that grant funding will be allocated.  Main points for consideration were:

 

-        The settlement for Manchester for 2020/21 totalled £560.304m.  This amounted to an increase of £29.536m. The biggest change in the grant is due to increases in the grant arising from 1.84% increase in part of the Schools Block and £11.309m uplift in the High Needs Block.  £11.528m of the increase in the grant relates to increases in pupil numbers. The £2.045m downward adjustment relates to a change in the way growth funding is allocated.

-        In respect of the Schools Block, the Local Authority had proposed to:

§  Increase all the Per Pupil characteristics in the Local Funding Formula by 1.84%

§  Set the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) to the maximum rate of 1.84% per pupil in order to provide protection and stability for all schools.

§  Set the cap (the maximum increase in per pupil funding) at 2.50%.

§  As in previous years the Local Authority planned to keep the lump sum at £155,000 in the local formula.

 

-     In respect of the High Needs Block, a proposal was put forward to change Manchester’s Special School Formula from a focus on Primary Need to one based on Level of Need.

-     In respect of the Early Years Block an 8p increase on the hourly base-rate paid to all Early Years Providers for the two, three and four year old early offers was proposed.

 

In respect of the Schools Block, the Directorate Finance Lead – Children and Schools emphasised the risk associated with the Government’s planned implementation of the National Funding Formula (NFF) for primary and secondary schools at some point in the future, the date for which is yet undetermined.  She emphasised that, in that particular scenario, school budgets would no longer be based on the Local Authority’s Funding Formula (LFF) and that that would result in the Local Authority’s protective factors no longer being applied. She asked the Forum to note that had the NFF been implemented in this financial year current indications were that it could have resulted in a loss to Manchester school budgets in the region of £20m.  She emphasised that the proposals around increases to the LFF were put forward to maximise pupil led funding and stability for all schools and ensure that protected baseline funding is as high as possible for all school across the city, stating that they had been set at the highest possible level permissible by the DfE.  This highest possible  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Payroll and Pension pdf icon PDF 298 KB

Minutes:

The Forum considered a report of the Director of Education and Directorate Finance Lead - Children’s and Schools which discussed the Local Authority’s (LA) intention to implement a single monthly payday for all maintained schools staff that purchase the Local Authority’s Payroll Service.  There had been a historic discrepancy amongst school staff with non-teaching staff being paid on the 15th of the month and teaching staff being paid on the last working day of the month.  The move would therefore mean that all staff would be paid on the 15th of the month with the salary paid on a basis of two weeks’ pay in advance and two weeks’ pay in arrears.  It was explained that this was in order to streamline processes, improve the quality of data and provide one deadline to work towards for the Shared Service Centre and for schools. 

 

Additionally, the Local Authority would also impose a charge to maintained schools on an annual basis in relation to pension administration as well as charging schools in relation to pension fines that are incurred as a result of non-compliance with the Pension scheme.

 

The report highlighted the number of advantages that the transition to a single payday or all staff would bring to the school:

 

  • This change will affect teaching staff as their payday will be brought forward by moving to mid-month.
  • It is a seamless transition for teaching staff as there is no change to personnel numbers, NI, Tax, Pension or their contractual terms and conditions. 
  • That is an effective way to streamline financial processes, Shared Service Centre providing school with one costing report and one set of payroll data to reconcile (which can be reconciled earlier).
  • One deadline date to submit information to the SSC for additional hours, new starters, movers, leavers etc.
  • Monthly payroll summary provided to school prior to BACs which can be checked before salaries are paid, supporting a more efficient way to work. 
  • Following the early paydays in July and December, teaching staff do not have to wait six weeks for a payday in August and January. 
  • Easier for overall administration, provides schools’ business managers and administration staff capacity to complete other tasks during the month.
  • Benefits at the end of the financial year as the school can reconcile payroll before the end of March and have more time to focus on year end tasks. 
  • Better quality data and support for statutory compliance.
  • Everyone in the organisation will be paid at the same time.

 

The Forum was invited to note and comment on the changes.  A number of members of the Forum explained that their schools that had implemented the change to a fixed pay day and had found the transition easy to accomplish and recognised the benefits for teachers in being paid their salary on a fixed day (which effectively fell two weeks earlier than in previous arrangements).  Particular emphasis was given to the benefit for teachers no longer having earlier pay days in the months  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Thanks to the Chair

Minutes:

The Director of Education highlighted that if the meeting of the Forum that is scheduled March 2020 is cancelled, this would be the last meeting that Ian Fenn will chair.

 

She asked the Forum to put on record Local Authority’s thanks to Ian Fenn for his huge contribution to the Forum by ensuring that it takes meaningful decisions and holds the Authority to account over decisions concerning school funding that are made.  She said that the Manchester as an effective Forum and that this is recognised by the Department for Education as well as other stakeholders.