To appoint the Chair and Vice Chair of the Forum for the rest of the academic year.

The Forum received nominations to appoint Andy Park as Chair of the Forum, and for Mike Cooke to be appointed as Vice Chair for the remainder of the academic year. Both nominations were seconded. No other nominations were received. The Forum voted by acclamation and unanimously voted to appoint both nominees.

Decision

To appoint Andy Park as Chair of the Forum, and Mike Cooke as Vice Chair for the remainder of the academic year.

The minutes of the September 2020 meeting were submitted for consideration. The Chair explained that the minutes of the March 2020 meeting would now be submitted to the Forum’s next meeting for consideration.

Decision

1.    To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 21 September 2020 as a correct record.

2.    To note that the minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2020 would be submitted to the Forum’s next meeting.

The report of the Directorate Finance Lead – Children and Schools is enclosed

The Forum considered a report of the Directorate Finance Lead – Children and Schools which set out the recently announced Council budget and Savings options proposal for 2020/21 in the context of the projected potential impact on Manchester’s schools. The report also discussed further areas for consideration subject to the outcome of the Local Government Settlement. The Forum was asked to note the report taking into account that the proposals were not yet agreed, were out to public consultation until early 2021, and were yet to be considered by the Council’s scrutiny committees.

It was explained that due to the scale of the budget gap some decisions were required in advance of the Spending Review and the Local Government Finance Settlement (due in late December) to enable the budget to be balanced next year. Therefore a number of imminent savings proposals /efficiencies were set out in the following areas:

• Service levels agreements with schools – an increase in the charge for the Newly Qualified Teacher offer following a benchmarking exercise with the assurance that this could be increased without reducing take-up.

·         Key Stage Two Writing Moderation – a proposal to charge Primary Academies are charged £200 for Manchester City Council to act as Moderation Provider.

·         Quality Assurance - a proposal to charge Academies 50% of the cost of the Quality Assurance Professional visit (£475 per visit). These activities were anticipated to generate £30k 2021/22 onwards.

·         Schools Quality Agreements – a proposal to utilise part of the School Improvement Grant to fund School Quality Assurance officer posts and release capacity in the Local Authority’s budget. A £300k saving would be achieved in 2021/22. This would then reduce to £150k, 2022/23 onwards and retain elements of the established and effective Quality Assurance model.

·         Free Travel - following a review of the Free Travel Policy and the creation of more secondary school places across the city, a £400k projected saving from the Free Travel budget 2021/22 onwards based on the current level of applications made for free school travel.

·         Early Years Speech and Language Commission – a proposed revision of the Speech and Language Therapy pathway to be redesigned with partners. Reductions would be phased incrementally over a three-year period, starting in 2022/23 at a rate of £100k per annum.

·         Dedicated Schools Grant - (£1m) - Contribution to support to multi-agency placements has been reduced in 2020/21 and will be drawn down upon on a one-off basis in 2021/22.

·         School Catering Service – At its December 2020 meeting, the Executive would consider a proposal to accelerate the withdrawal of the Council’s offer for the school meals provider market in 2021/22.  This would then no longer require the need for further revenue support to the school meals function.  A cost avoidance of c£450k was reported. Implications for staff were outlined. 

In light of the significant deficit in the Local Authority’s budget it was also explained that further options were being developed across Children and Education Services Directorate savings in the region of £7.381m.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

The report of the Directorate Finance Lead – Children’s and Schools is enclosed

The Forum considered a report of the Directorate Finance Lead - Children’s and Schools which sought permission, in line with the relevant regulations, to de-delegate Trades Union Services and Education Services Grant General Duties funding in the 20/21 budget. The report provided information about the services and the associated costs for each element.

In accordance with Schools Forum powers, maintained schools’ representatives were specifically asked to approve de-delegation for the following:

Ø  Trade Union Duties: £200k which at current pupil levels equates to £5.18 per school aged pupil

Ø  Education Services Grant General Duties: £500k which at current pupil levels equates to £13.01 per school aged pupil

In addition, and in view of the approaching contract end (end March 2021) for the provision of on-line Free School Meals software, approval to de-delegate this cost was also included. Maintained School representatives of the Forum were asked to consider two options for the transition to going directly to the provider for the software licence.

Ø  Option A: Local Authority (LA) to seek extension of on-line Free School Meals (FSM) checking software contract for a further 12 months and include in de-delegation.

Ø  Option B: Current contract to end and schools to seek contracts with providers directly.

There was a discussion about the pressures that COVID-19 had placed on schools in addition to ongoing wider challenges. There was also discussion about the  positive impact that the online Free School Meals software had made in quickly identifying  eligible pupils. Maintained school representatives agreed the de-delegations for Trades Union and Education Services Grant General Duties and unanimously agreed to Option A in respect of the online Free School Meals software.

Decision

To approve the following de-delegations:

Ø  Trade Union Duties: £200k which at current pupil levels equates to £5.18 per school aged pupil

Ø  Education Services Grant General Duties: £500k which at current pupil levels equates to £13.01 per school aged pupil

Ø  On-line Free School Meals (FSM) checking software: to agree the de-delegation and agree that the Local Authority (LA) shall seek an extension contract for a further 12 months.

The report of the Directorate Finance Lead – Children’s and Schools is enclosed

The Forum considered a report of the Directorate Finance Lead - Children’s and Schools which discussed the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budget position. The DSG final position 2019/20 was an overspend of £4.28m, which was attributed to pressures within the High Needs Block (HNB). The cumulative forecast position as at 31 March 2021 was reported as a £4.24m deficit.  This was due to ongoing HNB pressures which had arisen from growth in the number of pupils with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in the city, as well as post 16, out of area placements and alternative provision for excluded pupils.

The report went on to discuss amendments to the High Needs Block Recovery Plan over the next two years in order to achieve savings of an average £2.12m in each of the following two financial years (2021/22 and 2022/23). The Forum would consider the detail of the Recovery Plan as its following item of business on the meeting’s agenda. This report would discuss the factors contributing the overspend and key budget pressures.

Decision

1     To note the Dedicated Schools Grant 2020/21 outturn forecast as at Period 5 (August 2020)

2     To note the cumulative Dedicated Schools Grant deficit forecast of £4.24M as at the end of 2020/21

The Forum considered a report of the Directorate Finance Lead - Children’s and Schools which presented a plan to provide efficient and effective use of High Needs Block (HNB) resources, to achieve maximum value for money.  The report described a continued growth in the High Needs population, which had led to the need for a recovery plan to provide efficient and effective use of HNB resources and achieve maximum value for money whilst supporting the overall objective of continuing to improve outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities through quality specialist places and provision in the city.

In light of the expected DSG deficit position for 2020/21, the in-year HNB overspend and the provisional settlement for 2021/22, the HNB recovery had been updated for financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23.  Ongoing pressures still present in the HNB would be monitored carefully over the coming years whilst continuing to review service provision efficacy.  The Forum was invited to note and comment on the Local Authority’s savings and strategies to mitigate the pressures and close the gap.

There was a discussion about the rising pressures in schools in meeting pupil’s needs, the national trend towards growth in pupils with EHCPs, and the impact that the additional funding from the DfE had made to Manchester’s deficit.  The Forum noted the proposals.

Decision

1.    To note the High Needs Block outturn forecast as at Period 5 (August 2020) 2020/21

2.    To note the pressures on the High Needs Block over the next three financial years: 2020/21 to 2022/23.

3.    To note the High Needs Block Recovery Plan and the proposed savings put into place to mitigate the pressures.