Agenda item

Monday 14^th October 2024 at 5pm.

The next meeting of the Schools’ forum would take place in person at Shaw The next meeting of the Schools’ Forum would take place in person at Shaw House on Monday 14^th October 2024.

Richard Hand stated that he had arrived late to the meeting and asked if he could read out a statement on behalf of Union Members in relation to item seven on the clawback. The Chair agreed to allow the statement to be read out as follows:

‘Whilst the unions recognise the collective value of the clawback mechanism and that the LA has to make efforts to deal with the SEND deficit, members across the teaching unions have raised concerns about the process and implications.

To be clear, we believe that the ultimate responsibility lies with central government as a result of years of underfunding which has put both the LA and heads in an invidious position. Perhaps some difficult decisions about clawback surpluses should also have been addressed, historically, in a more timely manner.

However, the unions would like the following items noted in the context of the vote on item 7 tonight:

1. There is a concern about the timescale of the process and that it has been rushed.  This has therefore not given heads at surplus schools the time they need to effectively argue their case.
2. What are the parameters that define ‘Avoidable items not committed’ which are therefore included in clawback calculations?  Unions would ask that these are more clearly defined.  Also concerns around heads only being given 15 minutes at HFG to fight their corner. 
3. Why have self-generated funds not been protected and excluded from clawback?
4. Will there be an appeal process for schools to contest the amount of clawback?  It is our belief that there should be and that it is independently adjudicated.
5. DBV seems to be driving the process without schools affected feeling that they have any agency. Heads and schools are therefore feeling unsupported and there is a fear that the LA will ‘lose the dressing room’. LA has supported schools over the years very well in difficult circumstances. There is a sense that this is being lost as a result of a spreadsheet approach. The clawback sums are a relatively small part of the overall black hole in finance, but they are significant sums for the schools affected. There is a feeling that what will be a big impact for clawback schools will make very little difference within the wider context of council deficit.’

The Chair thanked Richard Hand for his comments and stated that most of the points had been covered as part of the discussion on the matter. It had been a very difficult discussion and a difficult decision had been reached. 

House on Monday 14^th October 2024.