To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 21 March 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 March 2022 were submitted for consideration as a correct record.

Decision

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 21 March 2022 as a correct record.

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

The Forum considered a report of the Directorate Finance Lead, Schools and Education that described that In November 2021 the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) launched a consultation on the how local authorities school improvement functions were funded. ESFA, in January 2022 published the outcome of the consultation: Reforming how local authorities’ school improvement functions are funded, which confirmed the School Improvement Monitoring and Brokering grant (SIMBG) would reduce by 50% from financial year 2022/23 and by removed entirely from 2023/24. 

Schools and Early Years Finance Regulations 2022 had been updated to allow local authorities to deduct funding from maintained school budget shares with the approval of their Schools Forum maintained school representatives. As reported to School Forum January 2022, the Council did not seek further de-delegation 2022/23 following reduction of the SIMBG 2022/23.

Decision

To note the report.

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 that described that the provisional outturn for Manchester maintained schools was an overall surplus of £19.50m, which was a decrease of £1.11m(of which c.£400k related to two schools that had since academised) in the total Schools Balances (Revenue & Capital) held compared to 2020/21. The final position on the centrally retained element of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) was a £2.70m overspend.

Decision

To note the report.

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

The Forum considered a report of the Directorate Finance Lead – Schools and Education that described that on the 29 March 2022 the Department for Education (DfE) announced and published the education whitepaper, Opportunity for All: strong schools with great teachers for your child, and the green paper, SEND Review: right support, right place, right time.

The white paper vision was that by 2030 90% of children leaving primary school will achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, and that Secondary pupils to increase the national GCSE average grade in both English language and in Maths to level 5.

The consultation on the green paper was seeking views about the changes to make to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) system, to improve the outcomes for these children and young people. There were strong links across the white paper and the green paper. The report presented to the Forum focused on the headlines on the finance and funding implications and analysis in those papers.

Decision

To note the report.

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

The Forum considered a report of the Directorate Finance Lead, Schools and Education that described that the Department for Education (DfE) had in July 2021 launched a consultation “Fair school funding for all: completing our reforms to the National Funding Formula.” This consultation sought views on the development of a single national funding formula (NFF) system to direct funds to schools, rather than allowing local authorities the flexibility to use their local funding formula (LFF).

Key elements of this consultation were reported to School Forum September 2021. This report provides an update, as published end of March 2022, on the National Funding Formula (NFF) consultation response.

Decision

To note the report.

1)    The Chair stated that there was a Primary School in a dispute with MCC over outdoor space and that, if it was legally appropriate for the forum to make such a decision, he would like to set up a Sub-Committee to hear a case from All Saints Primary School (Newton Heath). The Chair asked if there were any objections and there were none. The Chair asked for 2 other volunteers to sit alongside himself on the panel. Cllr Reid and Alan Braven volunteered to sit on the panel, should this Sub-Committee be required.

2)    The Chair requested that the Forum state their preference towards virtual or face to face meetings from September 2022 onwards. A vote was taken and virtual meetings won the vote. The Chair stated that the Forum would start with virtual meetings in September and then there was always potential for a later review.

Comments were made about the difficulty in travelling to and from the City Centre at rush hour and a suggestion was put forward to use other buildings/schools around Manchester. It was also noted that the School Forum meetings are held in public and this should be taken into consideration with regards to a suitable venue.

3)    Vandhna Kohli stated that she has now renounced her previous name of Reena.

4)    The next meeting date for the Schools Forum was agreed as Friday 15 July 2022 at 4pm.