Agenda item

Matters Arising

Minutes:

Item 549 – The Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) map had been circulated to Forum members.

 

Item 552 – The promised paper on the options and affordability of providing additional funding for bulge classes for a second year after opening had been deferred for report to the January 2018 meeting, when all the Growth Fund criteria will be reviewed.  The Forum was informed that one-off payments of £60k had been made from the Growth Fund to both Cippenham Primary and Marish Primary, which had each opened two bulge classes in 2015/16.  This did not fully fund the places but provided some support and acknowledged the issue with lag funding in the second year of a bulge class where one opens later in the year.  It was noted that the first payment that would be required from the Growth Fund, if Schools Forum decided to amend the criteria in order to support bulge classes for two years, would apply from September 2018. This will be considered when the next report comes to Schools Forum with full costings in January 2018.

 

Item 553 – George Grant explained that further work was required to clarify why the 2017/18 High Needs budget contained an element of contribution to PFI. He made a firm commitment to bring a detailed report to the October Schools Forum meeting to explain all PFI identified within the DSG, particularly relating to the Council's contribution and to the High Needs Block.

 

It was noted that Catherine Cochran had been appointed as the new permanent Clerk for the Forum, and would take up her duties with effect from September 2017.