To note the three separate but linked reports which seek the views of Schools Forum to the DfE consultation on capital, the Council’s draft School Organisation Plan 2011-16 and guidance and supporting documents that have been developed to provide a mechanism by which proposals to extend age ranges in LA maintained schools will be managed.

(i)                 DfE Consultation on the ‘Implementation of the 2010/11 Review of Education Capital (The James Review)

(ii)               Draft Central Bedfordshire council School Organisation Plan 2011/16

(iii)             Guidance on statutory consultations on proposals for Schools’ change of age range

Approximately 19.30 – 19.40

The Forum received and considered three reports which were linked and sought the views of the Schools Forum on the DfE consultation on capital, the Council’s draft School Organisation Plan 2011 – 16 and guidance and supporting documents that had been developed to provide a mechanism by which proposals to extend age ranges in Local Authority maintained schools would be managed.

The DfE Consultation on the ‘Implementation of the 2010 – 11 Review of Education Capital (The James Review)’

The Forum were reminded that they had received an overview of the consultation document at the meeting of the Schools Forum held on 20 June 2011 (Minute CBSF/11/6 refers) to which the Government published its response on 19 July 2011.  The Government’s response focussed on three specific recommendation areas that are now subject of further consultation.

·        Use of Basic Need and condition data to determine local budget allocations

·        Flexible Capital Budgets with Local Decision Making

·        National Contracting and Procurement

It was noted that the Government would be preparing to tender a national survey of schools to obtain consistent school condition data.

In addition, proposals to enable local prioritisation of a flexible capital allocation to meet the challenge of new school places and priority maintenance are included in the consultation.  This may be a phased implementation starting with ringfenced funds held at local authority level for VA, Academy and maintained school condition issues, plus basic need for new school places.

Options for national, versus local contracting and procurement are being considered.

The consultation concludes on 11 October 2011.  The DfE have invited views from Local Authorities, Academies, Diocesan bodies and other responsible bodies.

Draft Central Bedfordshire Council School Organisation Plan 2011-2016

The statutory requirement for the Local Authority to produce a School Organisation Plan (SOP) are no longer in place although the rationale is still valid as outlined in the report.

Central Bedfordshire will be facing significant housing growth over the coming 10 - 15 year period.  The SOP attached at Appendix B to the report would ensure that future provisiion of school places were planned and delivered to match the planned growth. 

The Forum noted that the Education Vision referred to in the document was now out of date and that a refreshed vision had been created and will be circulated shortly.

Guidance on statutory consultations on proposals for Schools’ change of age range

As a result of the outcome of the Dunstable and Houghton Regis area review there was a need to develop guidance for maintained schools who were considering proposals to make changes to age ranges.  Local guidance, mirroring DfE published statutory guidance has been produced.  A copy of the guidance was attached to the report at Appendix C.

The guidance also includes a process by which the Local Authority, as decision makers fro proposals of this nature, can undertake an initial evaluation against the key factors that it must have consideration of in any decision.  The process was detailed at Appendix D attached to the report and a quick reference guide to the statutory provisions for these proposals were included in the flowchart at Appendix E to the report.

The national consultation on the admission code may also greatly impact the Council’s ability to undertake strategic evaluations of proposals in future.  

The Forum questionned the layout of the forms and why they had to be completed by each individual school rather than one form for each group.  It was noted that the forms were part of the statutory process and as such each school had to confirm its intention to change their age range and identify specific issues.

The Forum confirmed that they wanted schools to think of what was best for the students.

RESOLVED

1.            that the recently announced consultation that has arisen from the DfE sponsored ‘James Review’ of schools capital, originally reported to Schools Forum on the 20 June 2011, be noted.

2.            that the Central Bedfordshire’s draft School Organisation Plan 2011 – 2016 and its use as a planning tool for the future prioritisation and allocation of Basic Need funding to the Council be noted.

3.            that the guidance document and supplementary documents adapted from the DfE Decision Makers Guidance for making alterations to the upper and / or lower age limit of a maintained mainstream school.