Issue - meetings

To consider an amendment to the current arrangements for funding pupil growth in secondary schools. The attachment marked Item 4 refers.

 The Forum considered the amended arrangements for allocating resources to schools that were expanding, Appendix A of the report included in the agenda papers referred.

DA affirmed that some secondary schools would be required to increase their Pupil Admission Number (PAN) from the academic year 2016-17 and consideration should be given to the extent to which additional pupil numbers could be absorbed before additional funding was allocated.; Some schools were already at a tipping point and often too limited with their resources to take on additional students.  MP stated that funding an increase only when there was additional financial demand was more preferable for Havering as it would be at nil cost at a time when the authority had limited funds.

Members of the Forum were directed to example figures in the report and asked to make a decision as to whether or not additional funding should be allocated to secondary schools through the pupil growth contingency only above an additional one pupil for every year group. Secondary head teacher representatives queried the need for growth in any PANs for September 2016.  The decision was deferred to the next meeting of the Forum in order that the matter could firstly be discussed at a meeting due to be held in January 2016 between all secondary schools and Council officers.