Agenda item

Ian Pearson introduced the report, which summarised the bid that had been received from a school in deficit to access funding for the ‘primary schools in financial difficulty’ de-delegated fund.

Ian Pearson explained that only primary schools put funding into the pot and therefore only primary schools could vote on whether to approve applications for funding. Paragraph 3.3 of the report set out the size of the fund and the amount of expenditure to date. There had been two payments so far in 2017/18, totalling £29,421. The bid up for consideration was from Beenham School, who were asking for £25, 430 to cover the unforeseen closure costs of the After School Club, which were not accounted for in the original budget.

Ian Pearson reported at its meeting on the 27^th February 2018, the HFG had interrogated the Headteacher from Beenham regarding their application to the fund and the bid for funding had met the criteria set out in section 3.4 of the report. Ian Pearson stated that if the bid was successful the money would not be used to help cover the Schools’ main deficit.

The HFG had agreed unanimously to recommend that the bid be approved in full. The school were meeting all other school related redundancy cost from their budget and had limited their bid only to the particular unusual and exceptional circumstance, which had increased their deficit in 2017/18.

David Ramsden asked if the Headteacher presenting the bid was the same Headteacher that had received £72k funding from the Schools’ Forum to repay a loan. Ian Pearson stated that this was correct and had been noted by members of the HFG. The school had a deficit recovery plan in place to help recover the schools main deficit and the bid for funding concerned only the costs associated with the closure of the After School Club. Chris Davis concurred that the loan to Beenham School had been picked up by the HFG in its discussions with the Headteacher on the 27^th February 2018.

The Chairman invited the Schools’ Forum on to vote on whether to approve the bid for funding by Beenhan School. Jonathan Chishick proposed that the bid be approved in full and this was seconded by Chris Davis. At the vote the motion was carried.

RESOLVED that maintained primary school members of the Schools’ Forum approved the bid from Beenham School for £25,430.