Minutes of a Meeting of the Leicestershire Schools’ (Funding) Forum held
on Thursday 26th February 2009 at Beaumanor Hall
Present
Mr J. Herbert – in the Chair
Mr D. Thomas
Mr L. Mitchell
Primary Governors
Mr A. Boak
Mr J. Hunt
Secondary Governors
Mrs M. Sherwin
Mr J. Moore
Elected Members
Mr A. Green
Mr N. Melvin
Mr T. Moralee
Secondary Heads
Mrs B. Carson
RC Representative
Mr D. Lloyd
Primary Heads
Mr M. Griffiths
13 – 19 Representative
Mr M. Asquith
CE Representative
Mr A. Lawson
Joint Consultative Committee
Representative
Observers:
Mr I.D. Ould – Lead Member, CYPS
In attendance:
Jenny Lawrence – Service Manager, Finance Unit
Nigel Farrow – Assistant Director, Strategic Services
Lesley Hagger – Assistant Director, Strategic Initiatives
Osyth Dolton - Service Manager, Leicestershire Arts
Wendy Philp – Service Manager, School Food Support
Debbie Clarke – Clerk
Item
Description
1.
Apologies for Absence
Action
Danny Banks, Jean Lewis and Sam Graveling.
1
A
2.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting held on 4th December
2008
Agreed as a true record, subject to the following:Andrew Lawson is a representative from TCC and is not an
observer but a member of this Forum.
3.
Matters Arising from the Minutes
Min 12( c) – Energy
 The company is McKinnon and Clarke.
 7 Leicestershire schools are currently using this
service.
 Should be using the contract provided via ESPO
JL
Website
 Moving forward.
 Will broadcast when it is live via members and EIS
 It will be accessed via the www.leics.gov.uk and
through Education
Min. 4 – BSF
 Still awaiting outcomes from the DCSF
 it has been suggested that the company who wins the
contract, hires some local young people for
apprenticeships.
6.
Music Grant
Osyth Dolton presented this paper to ask for the Schools’
Funding Forum’s recommendation to note the background
paper about Funding for Music and endorse the
recommendation that the Local Authority will plan for the use
of the Standards Fund for Music in 2009-11 largely as it was
in 2008/9.
Representatives made the following comments:


Great to see the children having this opportunity no
matter what their background is
Congratulations to Osyth Dolton for increased
participation
The grant is monitored via paper based
documentation and visits to certain schools. Not all
schools are aware of what they should be using the
2
money for, and there are the schools that have good
practice.
The Leicestershire School’s (Funding) Forum agreed to
endorse the recommendation of equitable disruption and to
review it in a years time.
4.
2009/10 Schools Revenue Budget
Jenny Lawrence presented the paper to seek the
Leicestershire Schools’ (Funding) Forums
recommendations.
Representatives made the following comments:






Point 20 - Inflation is centrally managed
Point 34 – insufficient information at the time,
operational costs have not been discussed. This is
currently in discussion with GOEM.
The LEA budget refers to the County Councils budget
Point 27 – BSF money has already been agreed
Partnership – some engaging sufficiently and
incurring costs from their own budgets. Criteria for
measurement would help and force secondary
schools to do what they should be doing.
Proposal put forward to vote on reducing Additional
Delegation to Schools to £1.3millon and for the
£200,000 to be used for secondary partnership only if
they deliver. The vote was 6/8 against the proposal
Voting then commenced on the three proposals:Additional Delegation to Schools - £1,500,000
Special Staff Costs - £150,000
Schools Budget Contingency - £404,629
All the above were voted in favour
The Leicestershire Schools’ (Funding) Forum agreed to the
two recommendations:1. That Schools’ (Funding) Forum approve the 2009/10
Schools Budget proposals.
2. That Schools’ (Funding) Forum approve the breach
in the central expenditure limit created by increased
out county placement costs. However, it was decided
that a report needs to come to this Forum.
3
5.
Control of Surplus Balances
Jenny Lawrence presented the paper to seek the
Leicestershire Schools’ (Funding) Forums
recommendations.
The Forum noted that this issue has been subject to
Parliamentary Questions and a ministerial statement has
been published.
Representatives made the following comments:






criticism would not be accepted on behalf of the LA, it
is the Funding Form. The percentage should not be
increased
don’t agree with the percentage
the information to be heads needs to be clear and
concise, the issue is that they don’t listen
protocol needs to be explored, they need to have the
ability to plan strategically.
The LA needs to be sure that they are following the
guidance and not just putting money aside for
whenever
The capacity of schools to raise money should be
looked at
Not necessarily the heads fault, it’s the governing
body that make the decision and they then inform the
head.
The Leicestershire Schools’ (Funding) Forum agreed the
following recommendation:That Schools’ (Funding) Forum approve the proposals to
restrict combined school revenue balances to 8% for
Primary and Special Schools, 5% for Secondary Schools or
£20,000 where there is greater than the percentage
threshold for consultation with schools.
7.
School Meals Capital Grant
Wendy Philp presented the paper to seek the Leicestershire
Schools’ (Funding) Forums recommendations.
Representatives made the following comments:
the proposed list coincides with BSF or projects
4


already being implemented.
The School Food Support Service where approached
direct.
timescales were short so the service had to act quick,
which is why the capital bidding list was used.
After a vote the motion was carried, whereby Leicestershire
Schools' (Funding) Forum agree that the proposed bid is
submitted to the DCSF.
8.
9.
Date of Next Meeting

11th June 2009 from 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm at
Beaumanor Hall

25th June 2009 from 1.30 pm – 5 pm at Quorn Hall
Any Other Business

school budgets will be with schools at the latest the
2nd week in March.
5