Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence received from Paul Harris and Denise Kilner.

The Forum is asked to approve as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting held on 7^th December 2023.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 7^th December 2023 were agreed as a correct record.

Carole Smith, Resources and Digital

The Forum received a report to outline the proposals on the distribution of the Early Years Teachers Additional Pay Grant (EYTAPG).

In November 2023 the Department of Education issued allocations to support the September 2023 teachers pay award. Between September 2023 and March 2024 Gateshead Council received a total of £57,995 to allocate between:

Universal entitlement              = 5/12 of £0.04 * 2,693.45 * 15 * 38               = £35,823

Children of working parents    = 5/12 of £0.04 * 21,327.73 * 15 * 38             = £17,659

Maintained Nursery Schools  = 5/12 of £0.23 * 59 * 15 * 38                         = £  4,513

It was proposed that the mainstream school funding is to be passported to the schools and maintained nursery as per the allocations in Appendix 1 of the report.

RESOLVED:               The School forum notes the allocation of the Early Years Teachers Pay Grant funding and approves:

·         The funding to mainstream school nursery classes on an hourly rate basis sing Spring Term 2023 data.

·         The maintained nursery school funding is passported to the school using the allocation total provided by the DfE.

Carole Smith, Resources and Digital

A report was brought to the Schools Forum to give an update on the work undertaken and proposals for 2-year old funding from April 2024.

In September 2023 an Early Years Subgroup of Schools Forum was set up with representatives from nursery class, nursery school, day nurseries, independent nurseries, and childminders.

The group had two meetings; 1^st and 18^th December 2023 and agreed proposals to be taken to Schools Forum for approval.

RESOLVED:               (i) The School forum notes:

·         The 2-year-old funding allocation in the DSG of £7.68 per hour to the local authority;

·         The information on the extension of SENDIF, EYPP and DAF to 2-year-olds; and

·         The information and notes in the appendices provided to the early years subgroup.

(ii) The School forum approved:

·         The principles and funding aims put forward by the group:

·         2-year-old funding will be top sliced by 5% to fund the early years funding team and the SENDIF:

·         There will only be one funding formula for both disadvantaged 2-year-olds and for 2-year-olds of working parents:

·         There will be a universal base rate of 90% of hourly rate funding for all settings receiving 2-year-old funding of £6.5664;

·         Disadvantaged funding will be set at 5% of the total funding available for the formula, top sliced by £0.05 to be set aside for contingency – indicative rate of £0.86 per hour (£0.91 -£0.05 = £0.86);

·         IDACI funding will be set at 5% of hourly rate funding – indicative average hourly funding range £0.10 to £0.55 per hour. This will change with actual data;

·         The consultation document set out in appendix 5 to be sent to all settings 12 January 2024 for return 26 January 2024 (if the above proposals are approved); and

·         That the 2-year-old formula be reviewed for 2025/2026 when more accurate data is available.

Carole Smith, Resources and Digital

A report was brought to the Schools Forum to provide information received from the Department of Education for the 2024/25 Dedicated School Grant Funding.

On the 19th December 2023 the DfE issued the 2024/25 funding settlement figure. Gateshead will receive an estimated £203.841m before recoupment and deductions. This is an increase in funding of £1.861m for the £185.980m received for 2023/24.

RESOLVED:               The School Forum notes the Dedicated Schools Grant Early Years Block, Central Schools Services Block, Schools Block, High Needs Block allocations and pupil premium information for 2024/25 financial year.

Terence Appleby, Resources and Digital

A report was presented to the Schools Forum for their approval on the clarified Gateshead School PFI position.

RESOLVED:               The School Forum approved the proposed charges to the PFI schools for 2024/25 which factor in a contribution to the increased charges in the final year of the contract and for an update report to be presented to the Schools Forum each year.

Carole Smith, Resources and Digital

A report was brought to the Schools Forum for approval to centrally retain the former Education Service Grant (ESG) which was mainstreamed into the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) from April 2017.

The ESG retained duties funding rate for local authorities at a flat rate of £15 per pupil.

The retained duties funding is calculated using the total headcount of pupils in primary and secondary schools contained in December’s settlement.

In December 2023 the DSG allocation received was based on 24,008 pupils and the retained and the retained duties is calculated £15 X 24,008 = £36,120.

RESOLVED:               The Schools Forum approves the central retention of funding allocated for retained duties.

Carole Smith, Resources and Digital

A report was brought to Schools Forum on the proposed Proforma Tool (APT) for approval, prior to the submission of Gateshead’s APT to the Department for Education (DfE) for approval.

After receipt of APT and the settlement, work has been carried out to calculate mainstream individual school budgets.

The schools block (SB) allocation for 2024/25 is £144.677m (before deductions) an increase of £8.777m from 2023/24, this includes an estimated £4.873m supplementary grant which is allocated to mainstream schools.

RESOLVED                (i) Schools Forum approved the proposed factor values                                                                   proposed in appendix 2 of the report, with an MFG of 0.5% without any capping or scaling.

ii) Schools Forum approved the allocation of the Growth Fund both within the mainstream formula and that held centrally for growth outside of the APT.

Thursday 15^th February 2024 at 2pm via Microsoft Teams

Thursday 15^th February 2023 at 2:00pm via Microsoft Teams.