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.