Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from secondary Academy Representative Michelle Dyer.

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

There were none on this occasion.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 15 January 2024, as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting were reviewed by the Committee and were approved as a correct record

This report accompanies the document called the BCP Pupil Premium (PP+ and PP+ post 16) policy April 2024 to March 2025. The policy is in draft format and aims to informs the reader of our intention to spend the grant funding provided by the DfE including allocation to schools and central retention.

The Lead for Education Interventions, Assurance and Safeguarding presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The report accompanied the document called the BCP PupilPremium (PP+ and PP+ post 16) policy April 2024 to March 2025.The policy was presented in draft format and aimed to inform the forum of the intention to spend the grant funding provided by the DfE, including allocation to schools and central retention. The Forum was advised that the final settlement was yet to be received but the terms and conditions had not changed dramatically from the previous year. It was expected that it would only be around £40k per local authority in comparison to the previous year which was £146k.

There was some discussion around the allocation of funding per pupil and the funding provided for pupils in early years settings. It was resolved:

That the Schools Forum note that report and that Schools Forum members share the report with the group colleagues and that any feedback is provided by 1 March.

A new Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) for BCP is required for April 2024 and consultation with the early years sector has now concluded.

The DfE notified local authorities of their funding agreement on 29 November 2023, with substantial changes from 2023-24. A group of provider representatives helped to shape the proposal and indicated that their preference was to avoid consulting with the sector during or just before the Christmas break, which Children’s Services agreed to. 

The governments biggest expansion of childcare entitlements begins this year and the proposed EYSFF includes funding rates for the children of working parents aged 9-36 months for the first time.  These changes, along with a revision to the way children with SEND are funded, introducing a Deprivation Supplement to support our most disadvantaged 9–36-month-old children, a significant uplift in the Council’s central functions and the introduction of a contingency fund formed the proposed EYSFF.

31% of providers engaged with the consultation and were, overall, supportive of the proposed EYSFF.  The consultation response may be seen in Appendix A.

The Early Years Team Manager presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The Forum was advised that a new Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) for BCP was required for April 2024 and consultation with the early years sector had now concluded. The DfE notified local authorities of their funding agreement on 29 November 2023, with substantial changes from 2023-24. A group of provider representatives helped to shape the proposal and indicated that their preference was to avoid consulting with the sector during or just before the Christmas break, which Children’s Services agreed to.

It was noted that the governments biggest expansion of childcare entitlements would begin this year and the proposed EYSFF included funding rates for the children of working parents aged 9-36 months for the first time.  These changes, along with a revision to the way children with SEND were funded, introducing a Deprivation Supplement to support our most disadvantaged 9–36-month-old children, a significant uplift in the Council’s central functions and the introduction of a contingency fund formed the proposed EYSFF.

The Forum were informed that 31% of providers engaged with the consultation which ended on 22 January and were, overall, supportive of the proposed EYSFF.  The consultation response was made available in Appendix A to the report.

In response to a query it was noted that it was highly unlikely that there would be an underspend this year but if there was this would be brought back to forum and there would hopefully be agreement around this being ringfenced to the earl years sector.

It was noted that many Councils were taking a 5 percent automatic top slice. The Early Years Sub-Group had supported a 2.5 percent retention. The Team Manager recorded their thanks to the Sub-Group for their work

RESOLVED that

The proposed 2024-25 EYSFF be recommended to Cabinet for approval.

Voting: Unanimous

To consider and note the Forward Plan

It was noted that the next Schools Forum meeting was not scheduled until June. It was noted that conversations were ongoing outside of the Forum regarding Safety Valve and it was requested that information on this be shared regularly as required.

All Forum meetings are scheduled for 10.00am on Mondays as follows:

·       24 June 2024

·       23 September 2024

·        18 November 2024

·       13 January 2025

·       23 June 2025

24 June 2024

To consider any other business, which, in the opinion of the Chairman, is of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration.

There was none on this occasion.