Cornwall Schools Forum - 13 June 2025

The meeting began with a declaration that no members had any interests to declare. The Chairman moved, and Lee Moscato seconded, a resolution that the minutes of the 14 February 2025 meeting were correctly recorded, subject to an amendment noting that the Head of Education Effectiveness Cornwall confirmed an upcoming ARB at Perranporth School pending government confirmation. It was also recorded that a letter to MPs had been sent and that the Clerk would distribute the letter to members of the Schools Forum.

The Head of Education Effectiveness Cornwall gave a verbal update on progress against the work plan. A draft letter was prepared to be sent before the end of term to CAPH, CASH and CACE requesting confirmation of their recruitment arrangements for new Schools Forum members; the Clerk will record the response. A Forum member suggested that this letter be incorporated into the Heads’ induction material to familiarize new leaders with the Forum’s landscape and opportunities for contribution. The evaluation of the work plan, based on key audit areas, will be shared with Forum members for comment and is slated for early Autumn to encourage engagement ahead of the December Schools Forum and the national funding‑formula consultation.

An update on the Induction Programme was also provided. The Head of Education Effectiveness Cornwall has drafted both the programme and its evaluation and will email them to Forum members for feedback. The drafts are scheduled for discussion at the October meeting.

The Head of Education Effectiveness reminded members to complete their register of interests forms, and the Clerk was tasked with following up on any outstanding returns.

The Finance Analyst presented the latest figures on the January 2025 schools funding formula submission and the final Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budgets for 2025/26. Table 3 was clarified: the total available growth fund is £463 k, comprising a £142 k falling‑rolls allocation and a £321 k pupil‑growth allocation; the total income figure does not include the falling‑rolls allocation or the balance line. The report noted a spending review that announced an additional £4.7 bn of funding through 2028/29, and the authority’s intention to establish a working group to examine a revised capping and scaling process for 2026/27, with members invited to join. Minor points raised included a request for a detailed breakdown of Table 6 at a future meeting and clarification on how the Primary and Secondary High‑Needs Protection payment thresholds might affect small schools; an update on this will be provided in October. Finally, the Service Director for Education & Community Health reported that resources have been allocated to meet the 20‑week target for processing EHCPs, and members acknowledged the report.