Schools’ forum works together with the aim of ensuring funds are used effectively to ensure positive outcomes for all children and young people in the county. We meet as a whole group, and then have sub committees looking in more detail at different elements of funding, such as Early Years and LDD. We have three roles within the process. * Information sharing – papers are presented to update and inform us * Discussion – papers are presented and shared and we give our view to be taken into account as part of the wider decision making process * Decision making– the ultimate decision on some funding issues is the responsibility of the schools’ forum

Issues discussed this term have been: Emotional Health and Wellbeing of Children * £2m was requested for a project to support this as set out in the fair funding papers. Prior to the papers being issued as part of the consultation, this had not been brought to forum The forum raised concerns that * The paper was not clear or concise and therefore did not give a clear indication of how the funding, which would come from the schools’ block, would be used. * There were no clear outcomes defined in the paper * There was no indication of a defined financial commitment from the Health Service as to their contribution * There was no indication of how the service would work in practice * The suggestion to put the money through clusters did not indicate how this would work At the vote, the forum members voted against the proposal

Issues discussed this term have been: Creating a fund to support for Schools in Financial Difficulties with declining outcomes for pupils over time A request was made for £150K from the schools’ block to create a fund for the above purpose as there are instances where schools have had their governance removed and there are issues with the standards and issues with the management of the budget. The school would be expected to be managed into a balanced budget position, but in order to do this in the short term whilst raising the standards of the school for the children currently attending it was suggested that there was a de delegated amount for schools in financial difficulty’ The forum raised concerns that: * This is not a principle that should be supported as it could set a precedent * It was unfair that all schools should pay for schools that had possibly not managed their own budget effectively * It did not support the LA principle that ‘Clearly school improvement lies in the hands of the school and we continue to expect you to take responsibility for your own improvement.’ * The forum commented that a school could use a licensed deficit to manage the situation. At the vote, the forum members voted against the proposal

Issues discussed this term have been: Proposal to allocate the additional £18m funding through the existing pupil led factors Forum members were supportive of this proposal Early Years Funding Formula The Early Years Reference Group and the Forum have been working on the required new Early Years Funding formula, for all Early Years providers of Nursery and Pre School education. Schools with Nurseries were encouraged to respond to the consultation in order to have their views taken into account alongside the PVI sector

OFSTED inspection of local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement OFSTED said “The schools’ forum effectively supports and challenges financial decision making. It is well led and decisions on budgets and funding are now effectively focused on raising achievement and improving provision. Forum Papers, Agendas and Minutes These can be found on the Norfolk Schools’ Website Membership There will be elections for forum members in the new year if you would like to be involved