Agenda and minutes

Apologies received from Ed Petrie, Felicity Clarke, Dan Cleary Val Moore, Kelly Dryden, Jo Beaumont, Carolyn Shoyer, and Samantha Cooke. Jason Brooks attended as substitute for Kelly and David Warwick attended as substitute for Samantha. Peter Leatherland, Lauren Charlton, Rosalind Hopkins, Robert Martin, and Lisa Craddock did not attend.

Martin Towers discussed the minutes of the last Leicestershire Schools’ Forum with forum members, presenting the opportunity to raise any issues or request amendments to the record. David Warwick requested an amendment to page 5, line 16: his query regarding the Element 3 disparity between Leicester City (approximately £16k) and Leicestershire County (£8k) funding was omitted. An explanation was provided regarding a difference in the approach the authorities take the disaggregation of funds. Kath Kelly then commented that the update/uplift in funding not occurring for a lengthy period. David has requested the minutes of the forum be amended.

The actions from the previous forum were reviewed:

1. Jane Moore provided Schools Forum with an overview of capacity within Leicestershire special provisions during the previous meeting.
2. Jane Moore reviewed the language used in the Resetting the SEN Finance System report to ensure clarity before submitting to the Leicestershire County Cabinet.

The 2024-25 Disapplication report was shared with school members to review. Martin Towers obtained the views of school members and provided feedback to the Local Authority (LA).

Martin Towers referred to The Leicestershire Schools Forum in Operation presentation shared with the agenda. Martin reiterated that the purpose of forum members was to represent a group of schools, not to represent themselves as an individual or an individual school. There were no questions raised.

Rebecca Wakeley presented the report on de-delegation, which discussed the de-delegation of £18 per pupil from maintained schools’ budget for LA school improvement functions. Rebecca noted that this is the same rate of de-delegation as 2023-24. Schools have engaged well with improvement functions provided by the LA and schools are in a strong position.

Through the presentation, Rebecca Wakeley addressed consultation with the Collaborative Committee and provided comments and feedback from the Committee on LA spends. The Committee discussed using de-delegated funding to fund mandatory school improvement and development, such as DSL training. The Committee also agreed key development priorities and actions for the LA’s de-delegated funding.

Phil Lewin questioned paragraph 14 on page 32, which highlights activity to be funded separately through de-delegated funding, which Rebecca Wakeley explained and agreed to amend in any future reports. 

The LA recommends that representatives from maintained schools approve the de-delegation of £18 per pupil for LA school improvement functions from maintained schools’ budgets.

Jenny Lawrence presented the Schools Budget report, which fulfils the LA’s roles as per the schools’ budget, sets out the decisions required from Schools Forum, and builds upon several reports presented during 2024-25. The LA sought permission from Secretary of State to transfer 0.5% from the Schools Block to a SEND Investment Fund, which the Secretary of State approved. Jenny sought information on how other LAs have undertaken Schools Block transfers and other requests for approval from the Secretary of State, but the Department for Education (DfE) could not provide this information.

The report outlined an affordability gap caused by an increase in Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility, in which schools are funded from the October 2023 census, but LAs are funded from the October 2024 census. This left the LA with a financial gap of approximately £700k between the funding received and that required to deliver the National Funding Formula (NFF).

The report noted eleven primary schools experiencing falling rolls which will experience reductions in 2025-26 budgets. Jenny Lawrence noted it would be useful for a non-headteacher from Forum to be involved in discussions in developing the SEND Investment Fund.

David Warwick questioned whether the £2.75bn increase in schools spending announced by the Secretary of State in October was reflected in budgets. Jenny Lawrence confirmed all funding provided by the DFE had been factored into 2025-26 budgets.

Phil Lewin questioned whether there would be communications with schools to outline deductions to funding. Jenny Lawrence confirmed that schools will observe their deductions in Section 251 or GAG funding statements, so would see the impact of the capping to enact the Schools Block transfer and the affordability gap. The LA will include reference to this in the school 2025-26 budget briefing aimed at maintained schools but partially applicable to academies.

Dr Jude Mellor questioned whether the LA could financially support schools impacted by declining birth rates and decreasing rolls in primary schools. The Growth fund is used to fund school growth from September to March, as well as fund opening schools. Jenny Lawrence confirmed that the growth fund can be used to fund falling rolls. However, the criteria set for schools to be eligible for this funding is specific; it is triggered by sudden drops in pupil numbers and requires numbers to return to that level within three to five years. Statistics show a steady decline in pupils, but no Leicestershire schools qualify for declining numbers funding.

Rebecca Jones questioned how the LA sets criteria for falling rolls funding, this is a policy agreed by Schools Forum. In relation to housing growth Jenny Lawrence clarified that the DfE compares school capacity with future pupil forecasts. The data provided by the DfE shows that there are no schools within the authority that meet these criteria. Rebecca questioned whether schools could address this funding with the LA to discuss their eligibility. Jenny confirmed that a school could raise this with the LA.

Suzanne Uprichard noted that housing rates may takes years to reflect actual need; houses built may not create expected pupil numbers, which makes this an unreliable factor. Simon Grindrod also questioned the requirement for building developers to consider school placements as part of planning. Jenny Lawrence confirmed that significant housing developments must consider additional infrastructure as part of planning and the Section 106 agreement between the County Council, District and Borough planning departments, and the developer, which includes roads, medical provisions, and schools. Jenny referred to the Planning Obligation policy on the LA website which requires developers to consider the number of houses to be built, the type of houses, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Suzanne Uprichard requested that agendas and minutes from Schools Forum are shared with schools through the Headteachers Briefing and through the Governors Bulletin once live on the LA website. This was agreed by Jenny Lawrence.

Jenny Lawrence and Alison Bradley are leaving the LA. Tim Brown will replace Alison Bradley at the end of February 2025. Nerinder Samari and Heidi Webb will replace Jenny’s Schools Forum functions.

The date for the next Leicestershire Schools’ Forum is Tuesday 10^th June 2025 from 2pm – 4pm.

1.    Previous Schools Forum minutes to be amended to reflect David Warwick’s question on the discrepancy in Element 3 funding.

2.    Schools Forum clerk to ensure agendas and minutes are shared through the Headteachers Briefing and Governors Bulletin.