Agenda item

10.10am

Carole Thomson, Chair of Schools Forum has been invited to talk about strengthening the relationship between scrutiny and schools forum (ESC6).

Carole Thomson, attended for this item in her role as Chair of Schools Forum and gave a presentation, on the composition, role and work of the Schools Forum, as part of a discussion about strengthening the relationship between scrutiny and schools forum. Following the presentation Carole Thomson addressed the question of strengthening the relationship between scrutiny and Schools Forum and referred to the Somerset model. This was a compact on collaboration across wider matters than finance and would be welcomed by the Schools Forum. She commented that most of the academies seemed to be keen to continue to work in partnership with local schools. Continued hard work would be needed to develop relationships. The possibility of a compact was currently being investigated by officers and there would be a report to a future meeting of the Schools Forum.

Asked about the allocation of funding between different phases of schooling Carole Thomson agreed that it could be confusing but that in Oxfordshire it worked well. There was a general agreement to keep budgets as stable as possible. Councillor Tilley, Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families agreed that despite disagreements things worked better together and they supported one another. It was suggested that one way to strengthen relationships would be for members of the Committee to attend meetings of the Schools Forum to better understand their working.

There was some discussion of fairer funding and Councillor Tilley explained that the County Council was part of the F40 group of Councils lobbying Government for a fairer deal.

During discussion of the compact it was generally seen as a good thing although a member was wary about the proliferation of groups. Asked about its impact on externalisation Frances Craven indicated that with any externalisation there was a need for robust connections with a partner understanding that working together was critical to the school improvement agenda. A member expressed concern at the direction of travel of some academy policies and was keen that a similar message went to Academy Trusts that there is a common concordat. A compact if it could achieve that would be beneficial but he felt it would become more difficult as the picture fragmented. It was suggested that going forward consideration of a compact be done jointly. Frances Craven undertook to co-ordinate discussions with groups about a compact and to work with the Chair of the Schools Forum, the Cabinet Member and the Chairman of this Committee.

Asked if there was a place that Schools Forums could share best practice with one another it was noted that there were no longer national Conferences arranged by the DfE. Frances Craven added that there were networks of officers supporting the budget processes around schools. Members expressed an interest in learning more .

Responding to questions about whether the compact would enable the Schools Forum to take forward some of the issues identified at the last meeting around teacher recruitment and development, Carole Thomson replied that these were  was not matters for Schools Forum. The money was within the schools themselves. The Schools Forum was constrained by legislation. A member commented that he was aware as a governor himself that CPD work was going on in schools.

Following the discussion it was AGREED:

(a)               to circulate the presentation slides to members of the Committee;

(b)               to ask Gillian McKee to a future meeting to provide a briefing on school funding; and

(c)               to note that Frances Craven would co-ordinate discussions around the introduction of a compact and would work with the Chair of the Schools Forum, the Cabinet Member and the Chairman of this Committee.