Agenda item

Melanie Ellis introduced the report (Agenda Item 11), which aimed to inform the Schools’ Forum on the outturn position of the four schools that set a deficit budget in 2019/20, and reports on schools closing with an unlicensed deficit.

Melanie Ellis referred to section five of the report and reported that four schools had a Main School Budget (MSB) licensed deficit in 2019/20, totalling £117.4k. The final outturn position was a closing balance of £27.6k surplus. The overall improvement for budget to year end was £144.9k which was an excellent outturn, with two of the four schools ending the year in surplus.

Section six of the report provided detail on five schools that ended the financial year 2019/20 with an unlicensed deficit. At the time of writing the report, three of the schools were expected to submit a Deficit Budget License Application for 2020/21. Melanie Ellis was unable to comment on further schools that might be requesting a deficit application however, this information would be brought to the next meeting of the Forum in July 2020.

David Ramsden stated that the number of schools in deficit was better than what had been expected earlier in the year and he commended schools for the recovery work that had taken place and the support that had been provided by the Local Authority.

RESOLVED that the Schools Forum noted the report.