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ITEM EX10

EXECUTIVE - 15 OCTOBER 2002

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SCHOOLS FORUM

Report by Acting Chief Education Officer

Introduction

  1. The School Standards and Framework Act 1988 as amended by the Education Act 2002 requires that all LEAs introduce a Schools Forum by 15 January 2003.

  2. The Forum must be consulted by the LEA about a number of matters (mostly of a financial nature) all of which are detailed in the Annex. There is nothing, however, to prevent the LEA consulting the forum about a wider range of financial matters if it wishes. It should be noted that the Forum can only act in an advisory capacity (as originally conceived it had powers to, for example, determine whether the LEA could retain funding centrally for specific expenditure items).

  3. In order to establish the Forum by 15 January it is necessary for the Executive to agree its membership. Agreement is required at this relatively early stage in order to allow the elections (necessary for some members of the Forum) to be completed by the due date.

    4. Membership

  4. The Schools Forums (England) Regulations 2002 set out the rules concerning the constitution, meeting and proceedings of the Schools Forum. As far as composition is concerned:

    1. The Forum must have at least 15 members;

    2. At least four fifths of the membership must be ‘schools members’ (schools members being defined as Headteachers and Governors);

    3. The schools members must represent both primary and secondary phases and the number of these representatives must be proportionate to the number of primary and secondary pupils (in Oxfordshire the numbers are, to all intents and purposes, equal).

    4. The primary and secondary school representatives must be elected;

    5. There must be at least one special school representative;

    6. Up to one fifth of the membership may be ‘non-school members’ to represent ‘relevant bodies’. In considering non-school members the LEA are asked to consider seeking nominations from the relevant Dioceses - but are not obliged to seek such nominations;

    7. The local Learning and Skills Council is entitled to nominate one observer to the forum.

  5. The proposals as originally set out in the Education Bill 2002 would have resulted in a forum of some 50 members for Oxfordshire. One of the major concerns with the proposal as originally conceived was the unwieldy nature of such a large body. The requirement which eventually emerged (of a minimum number of 15) is altogether more practical.

  6. The proposed composition for the Oxfordshire Schools Forum seeks to keep as close to the minimum number as possible and is as follows:

    7. Primary Headteachers 3 (nominated and elected by all primary headteachers)
    Primary Governors 3 (nominated and elected by primary governing bodies)
    Secondary Headteachers 3 (nominated and elected by all secondary headteachers)
    Secondary Governors 3 (nominated and elected by secondary governing bodies)
    Special School representative 1 (nominated by special school headteachers)
    A representative appointed by the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership 1
    A representative appointed by the Council of Oxfordshire Teacher Organisations 1
    A representative appointed by the Oxfordshire Council for Racial Equality 1

    RECOMMENDATION

  7. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to agree to the composition of the Schools Forum as set out in paragraph 6 of the report and to ask the Acting Chief Education Officer to establish the Forum by 15 January 2003.

ROY SMITH
Acting Chief Education Officer

Background papers: "Schools Forums: Consultation, Procedural and Administrative Matters – Guidance to Local Education Authorities" (August 2002)

Contact Officer: John Mitchell, Education Officer and Assistant to the Chief Education Officer Tel :01865 815619

October 2002

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