Agenda item

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Robin Crofts reported there has been no decision made on who will represent the Local Authority at Schools Forum.

Robin Crofts noted Jackie Wright was requested to send the key contact details for the Local Authority . Jackie has now left the authority and the Forum confirmed this has not been received. Robin to speak to Chris Aston to arrange for these key contacts to be distributed.

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Paragraph 3, comment from Navroop to be amended to read: ‘Navroop Mehat made reference to Primary Headteachers’ concerns’.

Atul Lad confirmed the model with the financial implications was circulated to Forum members.

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Growth Fund; Maggie Waller reported that two letters were received from Primary Head colleagues regarding concerns voiced at Schools Forum. Maggie Waller agreed to circulate both letters to Forum members along with her responses. Maggie asked if there are any outstanding questions. Nicky Willis advised there is a Primary Headteachers’ meeting where any outstanding questions will be discussed.

Maggie Waller will write to the Department for Education to raise the issue of the impact of no funding being provided to support these expansions. Maggie asked for evidence from the primary schools to support this. Nicky Willis to provide Maggie with a paragraph to be inserted in the letter. Atul Lad to provide Maggie with information on schools not able to be funded in 2013/14.

It was confirmed that around £100,000 remained in the Growth Fund for 2013/14. 

Atul Lad confirmed that any allocation from the Growth Fund is made within the agreed criteria and any proposal to allocate outside the criteria would be brought to Schools Forum. 

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Centrally retained items were agreed by the Forum in December 2013 and January 2014 and these decisions have been included in the key decisions log.

Maggie Waller noted it had been agreed to seek clarification regarding PFI from the Local Authority. It remains unclear what the overall position is regarding the PFI Council funding of over £800,000 as only the High Needs Block element of this has been brought to the attention of the Schools Forum at this stage (January meeting) and the remaining element (in excess of £500,000) has not been clarified for 2013/2014 or 2014/15.  The Chief Executive has confirmed that a report regarding PFI will come to the March Schools Forum meeting.

Key Decisions Log

Early Years Block – line 153 to be amended to take out ‘new’.

Membership

Maggie Waller reported we are waiting for January census figures to know if the balance on the group is right and then a review of membership will be done and brought to Schools Forum in March.

Academy Proprietors: Maggie reported there are still responses to be received from academies regarding the contact details for the purpose of election of academy members. Rajpreet Johal sent out a reminder email with a new deadline of 7^th March. It was confirmed that the Academy Proprietor should be a Trust member and if there is a vacancy for an academy member on this Forum is would be the proprietors that would elect the member.

Mary Sparrow noted the importance of maintaining headteacher representation on the Forum.

There was discussion about the importance of raising Governors’ awareness about Schools Forum and Jon Reekie suggested that someone from the Forum could attend the next Governors’ Conference. Maggie Waller offered to do this.  Jon agreed to follow this up.