1. Schools Forum Training
June 2017
David Blakesley (Finance Manager)

2. Purpose of Course
To provide an overview of the role and responsibilities of Schools Forums
To give an understanding of the financial issues discussed at Schools Forums
To try to answer any questions from members!

3. School Forum Regulations
Issued by DfE
LAs have responsibility for establishing Schools Forums
LAs have responsibility to provide Forum with support, information and guidance to carry out their functions and responsibilities
Regulations cover:
Establishment, constitution, meetings and proceedings
Functions & Consultation
Forum & Members’ Expenses

4. Functions Formal method for LA’s to consult with schools.
Changes to the funding formula
(Reports & Working Group)
Financial Issues
(Quarterly Revenue Monitoring Reports)
Annually on issues related to the schools budget
(Annual Budget Report)
Changes to the Fair Funding Scheme for Financing Schools – statutory / optional
(eg. changes to Surplus Balance policy for schools)

5. DfE Guidance Operational & Good Practice Guide
School Forum Powers & Responsibilities
Self Assessment Toolkit

6. Membership No minimum size (to accommodate small LAs) No maximum size
Need to have full representation for various types of schools, academies and Pupil Referral Units
Authorities set the policy on including non-schools members (e.g. Church Dioceses) except:
Must have a Early Years PVI representative on Forum
Must have a representative (subject to change)

7. Schools Members Represent specified phases or types of schools
Must contain representatives from primary and secondary schools
Members in each group should be broadly proportionate to the ratio of pupils
Must include representatives from special schools and nursery schools if maintained by LA.
Authority has the discretion to further divide the groups (e.g. Governor members within groups)
Must also include academy and PRU members
Membership structure should reflect most effectively the profile of schools across the LA to ensure no in-built bias.

8. Schools Members continued.
Term of office must be stipulated – 2 years from April 2017 for current members.
If a member resigns from or no longer occupies the office which they represent, they cease to be a member on Schools Forum.
Each group or sub-group is responsible for their election process (where required).
Authority must appoint a replacement when vacancy arises.
LA provides support to the election process.
Must record the process by which elections are operated.

9. Non-schools Members May number no more than 1/3rd of total membership.
LA should ensure that the needs and interests of all pupils are adequately represented on Forum.
Length of office is at the discretion of the authority but is usually consistent with schools members
Elected members who hold an executive role are barred from being a member
Officers employed by the authority who have a role in strategic resource management are barred from membership.
Officers = those whose role involved management of or advice on schools funding, Director of Children’s services and those who are under the line management of the DCS.

10. Observers
Any elected member or LA officer who is not a member is entitled to attend and speak at Forum.
CYPS Director, or representative, and LA Finance representatives
School Business Managers (by election process)
Education & Skills Funding Agency also has observer status
Other observers at Forum’s discretion (e.g. Trade Unions)
LA must make a record of the composition of the Schools Forum.
Observers can participate in discussions but have no voting rights

11. Procedures
Meeting is quorate if 40% of the total membership is present
Forum must elect a chair from its own members (must not be an elected member or an officer of the LA). Term of office is 2 years.
Forum must decide voting procedures. Majority voting, Chair has casting vote.
Proceedings of the Forum are not invalidated by defects in the election or appointment of any member, Chair or vacancy.
Forum meetings are now open to the public and Forum papers have to be published on the LA’s website
All members are entitled to vote where a vote is suggested. This includes substitutes who might be in attendance but excludes observers. The main restriction is funding formulae voting – only maintained schools, academies, PRUs and Early Years representative can vote. Also restrictions on de-delegation for example.

12. Other procedural matters
Attendance of LA officers for specific reports
Supported by a specific officer – David Blakesley (Finance Manager – LOCYPS)
Clerk to Schools Forum – Rebecca Brookes (Senior Finance Officer – LOCYPS)
Reports circulated the week before
Accurate record of the meetings is taken and distributed at next Forum meeting
Schools Forum budget is £35,630 for 2017/18

13. Communication
Agenda, Papers & Minutes of the Schools Forum must be published on the LA’s website
A summary newsletter is also sent out to all schools
Schools and individuals are referred to the website to obtain any further information they require (full minutes etc).

14. Relationship with Local Authority
In order to have an Effective Schools Forum the following are important:
Partnership
Effective support
Openness
Responsiveness
Strategic view
Challenge and Scrutiny
Working Groups - Formula / High Needs / Surplus Balances

15. Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)
Statutory guidance concerning what can be funded from DSG
Grant Terms & Conditions
School & Early Years Finance Regulations
DSG Split into 3 blocks:
Schools Block
High Needs Block
Early Years Block

16. Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)
Schools Block DSG funds:
Individual Schools Budget shares
Schools Central expenditure (allowable under DfE or SoS Approval)
Maintained Primary de-delegated budgets
Early Years Block DSG funds:
3 & 4 year old nursery education
2 year old nursery education
Central Early Years – staff / contingency (Forum Approval)

17. Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)
High Needs Block DSG funds:
EHC plans/Statement top-up funding for schools
Special Schools
ARC’s
Pupil Referral Units
Learning Centres
Pupils educated out of area
Special Post 16 institutions & FE College Top-Up
HI, VI, Behaviour & ASD school support / Pre School Inclusion

18. Schools Forum Involvement - Example
Schools Funding Formula Reforms:
Working Group set up 13/14 (continued annually)
Consultation / letters to all schools
Report taken & discussed at Forum
Sector approval of any de-delegation
Approval of Growth Fund
Agreeing new factor inclusion – EAL (15/16)

19. Topics discussed at Forum
LA reports or as requested by Forum:
Constitution of School Forum – to be reviewed
Dedicated Schools Grant budget (Feb)
Dedicated Schools Grant revenue monitoring
Financial Regulations & Fair Funding Scheme
Surplus school balances (ongoing)
DSG year end under/overspend
Approval of Central Early Years & School budgets

20. Topics discussed at Forum cont…
Growth Fund
National Funding Formula
Future Developments in High Needs Provision
Other specific topics as requested or tabled

21. Questions ?