Agenda and minutes

Ken Childs – Special School Governors

Peter Largue – Teacher Unions

Sarah Diggle – Primary Governors

Jim Thomson – Secondary Academies

Steve Haigh – Secondary Academy Headteachers

Julie Goodfellow – Primary Academy Headteachers

Chris Richardson – Secondary Headteachers

Mustafaa Malik – Primary Headteachers

Matt Younger – Primary Headteachers

Ethel Mills – PVI Sector

Michelle Richards – Special School Headteachers

Linda Alder – Secondary Academies

Denise Henry – Nursery Sector

Cllr Malcolm Brain – Gateshead Council Elected Member

Carole Smith – Corporate Resources

Frank McDermott – Corporate Resources

Rosalyn White – Corporate Services and Governance

Apologies for absence were received from Allan Symons, Clive Wisby, Christine Ingle and Elaine Pickering.

The Forum is asked to approve as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting held on 14 January 2016

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2016 were agreed as a correct record.

Carole Smith, Corporate Resources

The Forum received the draft response to the Rights to Request Childcare consultation.  It was noted that the local authority’s response was not contentious, but rather was aimed at making the guidance clearer and less burdensome.

The Forum commented that there are issues in terms of managing risks for wraparound care, in light of the removal of summer schools funding, and whether wraparound care would be financially viable for all schools. 

RESOLVED    -           That the Forum agreed the LA’s draft response to the current

Rights to Request Childcare consultation should be submitted in the name of Schools Forum.

Carole Smith, Corporate Resources

The Forum received a report on the consultation on Apprenticeship Targets for public sector bodies.  A consultation was held last summer around what would be an appropriate levy and who it should be levied against.  A joint consultation has now been launched and proposes to impose a 0.5% levy on all employers with more than 250 employees and a wage bill of over £3M per annum.  The levy will be applied from April 2017 and will be collected via PAYE.  This will impact on all Gateshead maintained schools and some Academies that have over 250 employees or a wage bill of over £3M per annum.

The consultation proposes targets such as; all public sector bodies should have a target of 2.3% apprenticeship starts each year based on head count.  For Gateshead, this has been estimated on full time equivalent numbers of 5343, which would require 123 apprenticeship starts a year.  Maintained schools would account for 42 of these starts.  However, it was noted that this would be a higher figure if based on head count.  It was confirmed that it would only be small academies that would not be affected by this levy.

RESOLVED    -           That the Schools Forum noted the introduction of the

apprenticeship levy from April 2017 and the live consultation on apprenticeship starts for public sector bodies.

Carole Smith, Corporate Resources

The Schools Forum received a report around the proposed increase in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Superannuation rates from 2016/17.  The deficiency payment for Gateshead increased by 3.9% in 2015/16 and will increase in 2016/17.  This will result in an increase contribution from maintained schools from 29.1% to 29.5% with effect from 1 April 2016.

RESOLVED    -           That the Schools Forum noted the increase in superannuation

rates from 1 April 2016.

Carole Smith, Corporate Resources

The Forum received a report on the implementation of the National Living Wage (NLW) for Gateshead employees.  It was reported that from April 2016 the NLW, for employees aged 25 and over, will be introduced.

It was noted that there will be a significant impact on schools, however it is not clear what this will be yet.  A further report will be brought to the Schools Forum once more information is known.  HR officers will be contacting Headteachers with their individual school information.

RESOLVED    -           That the Schools Forum noted that there will be an impact on

schools budgets with the implementation of the NLW and

agreed to receive further information in due course.

Carole Smith, Corporate Resources

A report was presented on the outcome of the Local Authority’s application to be an early implementer for the 30 hours free entitlement.  It was confirmed that Gateshead has been selected to be an Early Implementer Innovator, and will share £4M with the other 24 LA’s to support the core group of eight LA implementers.

The early innovators will focus on SEN, flexibility, availability of places and making work pay.  It was noted that Gateshead will work with cluster colleagues to look at local solutions in terms of barriers to implementing the 30 hour offer.

RESOLVED    -           That the Schools Forum noted the contents of the report and

that further information will be brought to Schools Forum when it becomes available.

Thursday 17 March 2016 at 10.00am

Thursday 17 March 2016 at 10.00am