Agenda item

Melanie Ellis introduced the report (Agenda Item 11), which gave an overview of schools in deficit. Melanie Ellis referred to the first table of page 120 of the report, which detailed four schools that had submitted a WBC Deficit Budget Licence Application for the financial year 2019/20. Period seven submissions showed that two schools were in a better financial position and two were in a worse position than budgeted. Comments from the schools with worsening positions were included within the report.

It was noted under section four of the report that two schools had ended the financial year 2018/19 with unlicensed deficits and one of the schools was predicting a worse position for 2019/20. Comments from the school with a worsening position were included within the report.

Reverend Mark Bennet noted that there was a relatively low number of schools in deficit given the pressures on schools’ funding. If this number was to rise it would place increased pressure on the Schools’ Finance Team. Reverend Mark Bennet therefore queried how further schools would be taken care of given the reduction in capacity of this team. Melanie Ellis reported that there was a dedicated resource for schools in deficit within the team. In 2018/19 a higher number of schools in deficit (around 8/9) had been supported and therefore there was capacity to go back to this level again if required. Ian Pearson commented that there was a system in place that monitored school budgets and he praised schools for the hard work undertaken to manage their budgets.

RESOLVED that the Schools’ Forum noted the report.