This meeting of the Cornwall Schools Forum was scheduled to discuss a number of issues relating to the funding and operation of schools and early years providers in Cornwall. The reports pack included for discussion: the adoption of a revised Schools Forum Constitution; a review of progress against the Schools Forum Audit Action Plan; a discussion about Delivering Better Value (DBV) progress; the proposed Schools Funding Formula for 2025/26; a proposal for a Falling Rolls Policy; and a discussion about the Inclusion Fund.

Schools Funding Formula for 2025/26

The most significant topic scheduled for discussion was the Schools Funding Formula for 2025/26. This is the formula that the council will use to determine how much money each school in Cornwall will receive from the government.

The report pack stated that the local authority is required to submit a funding formula to the Department for Education (DfE) by 22 January 2025.

This report noted that,

For 2025/26 this process will continue to use the DfE’s National Funding Formula (NFF) which Cornwall adopted in full for the 2020/21 financial year.

The report went on to explain that the NFF is made up of 13 factors which allocate funding to schools based on criteria such as the number and type of pupils they have. The report included a detailed discussion of the impact of the NFF on school funding in Cornwall, and highlighted concerns that the NFF may be disproportionately benefitting smaller schools.

The reports pack included four options for how the Council could mitigate this, each involving a cap on the amount that any one school's funding could increase by, with the money saved used to support other schools.

The report also included a recommendation that the council continue to use two 'Exceptional Circumstances Factors' when calculating school funding:

• Rents - This factor will support schools that have to pay rent for their buildings, land or sports facilities.
• Additional Sparsity - This factor provides additional funding to small, remote secondary schools.

The reports pack also included for discussion budgets for the Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) which is used to fund central services that the council provides to schools. It was scheduled to be recommended that the Service Director for Education and Community Health be delegated responsibility for finalising the CSSB budgets.

The reports pack also included a discussion of a number of funds that maintained schools could choose to 'de-delegate' to the Council:

• Staff Costs/Supply Cover Maternity Leave fund - This fund is used to reimburse schools for the cost of providing supply cover for teachers who are on maternity leave.
• Trade Union Representation fund - This fund is used to reimburse schools for the cost of trade union representation.
• Schools in Financial Difficulty fund - This fund is used to provide financial support to schools that are experiencing financial difficulties.
• Free School Meals Eligibility fund - This fund is used to cover the cost of assessing eligibility for free school meals.
• Schools Based Redundancy fund - This fund is used to help schools cover the cost of redundancies.

Falling Rolls Funding: Proposal for Schools Forum

The reports pack also included for discussion a draft policy for allocating Falling Rolls funding to schools. This is money that the government provides to local authorities to help schools that are experiencing a decline in pupil numbers.

The draft policy, based on guidance from the DfE, proposed that:

Primary Schools: The total mainstream number on roll (NOR) at the school (R-Y11) must have dropped by at least 5% OR at least 5 pupils between October 2022 and October 2023

Secondary Schools: The total mainstream number on roll (NOR) at the school (R-Y11) must have dropped by at least 5% OR at least 25 pupils* between October 2022 and October 2023.

It was scheduled to be recommended that Schools Forum consider the draft Falling Rolls Policy and make any amendments.

Inclusion Fund

The reports pack also included a report about the impact of the Inclusion Fund. This is a fund that is used to provide support to children and young people who are at risk of exclusion from school or who are struggling with school attendance.

The report noted that:

The Inclusion fund is supported by a transfer of funds, £108k, from the schools block which is agreed on an annual basis.

It was scheduled to be recommended that Schools Forum continue to support the Inclusion Fund.

DBV Quarterly Report

The reports pack also included a report on the progress of the Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme. This is a national programme that is designed to improve the way that local authorities support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The report highlighted the work that is being done to improve communication with families and professionals, to increase capacity in the SEND system, and to implement new ways of working. It also included two anonymised case studies that demonstrated the positive impact that the DBV programme is having on schools and families in Cornwall.

Proposal for reviewed constitution for Cornwall Schools Forum

The reports pack also included a report on a proposal for a reviewed Constitution for the Cornwall Schools Forum. This was in response to an audit review that had recommended that the Constitution be reviewed to ensure that it is compliant with DfE regulations.

The reports pack included a draft revised Constitution, which set out the membership, procedures and functions of the Forum. It was scheduled to be recommended that Schools Forum consider the draft Constitution and make any amendments.