Apologies for absence were received from Andrew Fowler, Jacqui Ridley, Christina Jones, Julie Goodfellow, Ethel Mills and Paul Harris.

The Forum is asked to approve as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting held on 17 March 2022

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

Carole Smith, Resources and Digital

The Forum received a report on an issue around funding for the local authorities admissions and admissions appeals service which was looked at following a query from a secondary school.

It was reported that in 2012/13 work was undertaken to split the DSG into three blocks and Gateshead took the decision to hold funding for admission centrally and not delegate the funding to schools. Early academy convertors received LACSEG funding for central services such as admissions.  As the academy movement grew the LACSEG calculation was replaced in 2013/14 with the ESG, which provided funding for central services to both local authorities and academies.

In 2015 through a DfE consultation the DfE noted that funding reforms removed the ability of local authorities to allocate specific funding for admissions and ended the separate grant paid to academies for admissions.

It was noted that in 2016 the DfE announced that the general funding rate of the ESG would be removed and in 2017 the retained duties element of the ESG was transferred into the schools block of the DSG.

In 2017 the creation of a central schools services block (CSSB) brought together funding previously allocation through the ESG, ongoing central functions and funding for historic commitments. It was confirmed that the operational guidance categorises admissions as ‘other ongoing duties’ for all schools.  The guidance also states the local authority cannot charge academies for services such as admissions if they do not charge maintained schools.

It was therefore proposed that for 2022/23 all costs associated with School Admissions and School Admissions Appeals be funded from the CSSB, which will result in an overspend to be funded from DSG reserves.  It was also proposed that for 2023/24 a disapplication request be made to top slice the Schools Block of DSG to increase the CSSB by the amount needed to fully fund admissions and appeals services for all schools funded from Gateshead’s DSG funding allocation.

The Forum agreed this was a sensible approach and that the role of the local authority in coordinating admissions and appeals was essential.

RESOLVED    -           That the Schools Forum approved;

(i)               The overspend of the CSSB to fully fund the Admissions and Admissions Appeals Services

(ii)              To fund the overspend for 2022/23 from DSG reserves

(iii)            To support a submission to the Secretary of State for Education to disapply the regulations and increase the CSSB for 2022/23.

Carole Smith, Resources and Digital

The Forum received a report on the outcome of applications for additional mainstream top up funding.

It was reported that a number of schools applied and £101,959 was allocated.

It was noted that the application process will be updated and brought to the Forum for approval.

RESOLVED    -           That the Schools Forum noted the outcome of the funding

applications.

Thursday 7 July 2022 at 2pm

Thursday 7 July 2022 at 2pm.