Agenda item

Lisa Potts introduced the report (Agenda Item 8), which set out the details, cost and charges to schools of the services on which maintained school representatives were required to vote (on an annual basis). Lisa Potts reminded the Forum that a decision on the Primary Schools in Financial Difficulty Fund (PSIFD) fund would not be taken until the next round of meetings in January 2023. The main difference between the current paper and the one that was presented to the last Forum in October was that the cost of the Ethnic, Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) provision had been reduced following a request by the Heads’ Funding Group (HFG). No other costs had changed. The cost of the Therapeutic Thinking provision would be looked at in time for the de-delegations for 2024-25.

The Chair invited the Forum to comment on the recommendations within the report and no comments were raised. It was noted that a decision could not be taken on recommendation 2.2 because there were no secondary members present at the meeting. The decision on this item would be taken at the next round of meetings in January 2023.

The Chair invited Primary School Representatives to vote on the recommendation under 2.1 of the report as follows:

2.1 That representatives of maintained primary schools should agree to de-delegate funds in the 2023/24 financial year for:

·         Behaviour Support Services

·         Ethnic Minority Support

·         Trade Union Representation

·         CLEAPSS

·         School Improvement

·         Statutory and Regulatory Duties comprising:

-       Statutory accounting functions in respect of schools

-       Internal Audit of schools

-       Administration of pensions for school staff

·         Health and Safety Service to Schools

It was proposed and seconded that the recommendation be approved. At the vote with maintained primary members the motion was carried.

The Chair invited maintained special, nursery and PRU heads representatives (PRU representative apologies noted) to vote on the recommendation under 2.2 of the report as follows:

2.3 That representatives of maintained special, nursery and PRU heads should agree to de-delegate funds in the 2023/24 financial year for:

·         Trade Union Representation

·         CLEAPSS (Special schools and PRU only)

·         Statutory and Regulatory Duties comprising:

-       Statutory accounting functions in respect of schools

-       Internal Audit of schools

-       Administration of pensions for school staff

·         Health and Safety Service to Schools

It was proposed and seconded by the maintained special and nursery headteachers (PRU Representative had given apologies) that the recommendation be approved. At the vote the motion was carried.

RESOLVED that

·         Recommendations 2.1 and 2.3 were approved by the Forum.

·         The decision on maintained secondary school de-delegations would be taken at the next round of meetings in January 2023.