The Newham Schools Forum meeting scheduled for Monday 28 February 2022 was set to cover a range of financial and operational matters concerning the borough's schools. Key discussions were expected to include the High Needs Block budget, school improvement grant de-delegation, and updates on the Central School Services Block.

High Needs Block Budget

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the High Needs Block budget for 2022-23. The report pack indicated that the allocation for Newham was set to increase by 8.18% compared to the previous year, reaching £65,035,000. This increase included a supplementary allocation of £2.6 million announced in the autumn spending review, intended to address additional costs faced by local authorities and schools, such as those arising from the Health and Social Care Levy.

The proposed allocation of this supplementary funding was detailed, including a 2% uplift for staffing inflationary pressures, which would translate to a 2% increase in top-up funding for mainstream schools, resourced provisions, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), and special schools. The total cost of this uplift was estimated at £0.765 million. The remaining balance of the supplementary funding was earmarked for a contingency fund to address unanticipated demand, further inflationary pressures, and mandatory local area improvement priorities identified through Ofsted CQC inspections. The Schools Forum was requested to note and comment on these updated budget proposals.

School Improvement Monitoring and Brokerage Grant De-delegation

The meeting was scheduled to consider proposals for the de-delegation of funding for school improvement support for maintained schools. This followed a Department for Education (DfE) consultation that proposed phasing out the School Improvement Monitoring and Brokering (SIMB) Grant by 2023-24 and allowing local authorities to fund all school improvement activities, including core activities, through de-delegation from schools' budget shares.

The report indicated that for the financial year 2022-23, the SIMB grant would be reduced by 50%. In Newham, this would translate to a proposed de-delegation rate of £1,995 per school. The report highlighted that if this de-delegation was not agreed, it would significantly impact the Local Authority's ability to provide core school improvement services, particularly to schools experiencing high levels of challenge.

Central School Services Block (CSSB)

An update was planned on the CSSB, which funds services that must be available to both maintained schools and academies. The report detailed the CSSB's retained earnings contribution, outlining planned expenditure for services such as education welfare, asset management, and statutory/regulatory duties. The total planned expenditure for 2022-23 was £1,950,012. The report also provided a breakdown of the CSSB's contribution to retained duties for 2021-22 and the budget for 2022-23.

Other Discussions

The agenda also included updates from the High Needs Working Party and the Schools Funding Working Party, covering topics such as the deficit recovery plan for the High Needs Block, inflationary pressures on school budgets, and the falling rolls fund. Discussions were also scheduled regarding the Early Years Block, including central spend details and funding allocations. The meeting was also to review the terms of reference for the High Needs Working Party and discuss the Inclusion Fund.

The report pack also contained a summary of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2022-23, detailing the allocations for the Schools Block, CSSB, Early Years Block, and High Needs Block, along with information on delegated budgets, formula factors, and central budgets.