Minutes:
a) Maggie Waller announced that she would be standing down as Chair of Schools Forum at the end of the current academic year, after 15 years in the role. The election of Chair and Vice Chair for 2018-19 would appear as an agenda item at the July meeting, giving members the opportunity to consider taking on the roles: interested parties were invited to contact Maggie Waller in the first instance.
b) It was noted that the date given for the closure of accounts in maintained schools had been bought forward to Wednesday 28 February, earlier than in previous years. Little notification had been given to schools of this change, which had been compounded by inaccuracies in the supporting documentation. Concern was expressed as this had proved particularly challenging.
George Grant explained that the Government had dictated the earlier closure deadlines. The LA was sympathetic to the challenge for schools and would do all that was possible to support.