Agenda item

Melanie Ellis introduced the report (Agenda Item 12), which provided details of the two schools which ended the 2020/21 financial year with unlicensed deficit balances due to Covid-19; the five schools which submitted deficit budgets for 2021/22 and schools that had informed West Berkshire Council they now expected to end the 2021/22 financial year with an unlicensed deficit balance.

The two schools that had ended 2021 with an unlicensed deficit were both forecasting a worse financial position than budgeted. Once budgets had been submitted it would be known if these schools would be applying for a license or if outturn positions had improved.

Regarding licensed deficit schools, three schools were reporting a better position and two schools were in a worse position. This was summarised in section 4.2 of the report.

Two schools were expecting to have an unlicensed deficit including St Josephs Primary School and the Kite Federation. Melanie Ellis reported that these were the schools that had been in touch to inform the LA of their deficits and it was possible that more schools would get in touch before the year end.

Melanie Ellis reported that the whole position was summarised in 6.1 of the report within a table, as of the end of 2021/22.

RESOLVED that the Schools’ Forum noted the report.