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  • Agenda item

    MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

    • Meeting of Schools Finance Forum, Monday, 25th January, 2021 3.30 pm (Item 5.)

    Verbal reports by Kathy Bell (Schools’ Group Accountant) on:-

     

    ·         COVID – additional costs / loss of income 2020/21;

    ·         Additional Learning Needs Grant 2020/21

    Minutes:

     

              Item 9 - COVID-19 Financial Matters

     

    The Schools Group Accountant noted:-

     

    ·         It had been previously reported that we had claimed nearly £50,000 on behalf of schools due to the additional costs as a result of COVID, and a further application had been submitted to Welsh Government by now for a little over £100,000.

    ·         As a result of submitting a report on the Council's revenue budget to the Cabinet on 26 January, we will know if the grant to schools will be allowed to be transferred, in the hope that this could be done by the end of January. 

     

              In response to a request for an update regarding school meals, the Schools Group Accountant explained that individual schools did not claim the grant, but this happened at a strategic level by the Education Department. This had already occurred for the summer term, and a further application had been submitted by now for the loss of income with school meals.

     

              Item 11 - Additional Learning Needs (ALN)

     

    The Schools Group Accountant noted, via consultation with headteachers, that £160,000 of the ALN grant to support pupils in need had been shared between the secondary schools;   50% was based on the numbers who receive free school meals, and 50% was based on Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD), namely a special needs category.

     

    It was emphasised that if the BESD data is used for budgeting from now on, it was necessary to be certain that this basis was consistent across every school in Gwynedd. In response, the Assistant Head of ALN and Inclusion agreed that consistency was needed, and it was confirmed that the service and officers who support schools should address this.

     

    This one-off grant was welcomed, however, it was noted that the method of allocation raised a question regarding how the annual county allocation of nearly £1,000,000 was shared between schools.  It was suggested that this should be looked at again, and to consider how many children need consistent inclusion support, in order that the money is shared in an appropriate way to respond to the needs of those children.

     

    It was asked if it was necessary to spend the education grants by 31 March this year, although the schools had closed. In response, the Schools Group Accountant confirmed that the money must be spent by then.  Every school in Wales would be in the same position, and national guidance was likely on this.

     

    It was further asked if Gwynedd was discussing the matter with Welsh Government.  In response, the Schools Group Accountant noted that she had not been part of any discussions thus far, however, she could raise the matter at the Wales accountants meeting next week.

     

    The Head of Education noted that we were in unfounded territory, and bound to Welsh Government regulations.  According to the Government's interpretation, schools had not closed but were open and undertaking distance learning. The situation was frustrating for schools and education authorities, however, as noted this would be raised at the accountants meeting, and it had also been raised by authorities throughout Wales.  

     

    It was RESOLVED to conduct a discussion with secondary headteachers regarding the allocation basis of the inclusion strategy allocation in the formula, and report back on the results of those discussions to the next meeting.  

     

     

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