For Action by 14 October 2011

Benchmarking is a requirement for all schools as part of new Schools Financial Value Standard, Section C 'Value for Money'. An analysis of your ratios and figures with those of similar schools will enable you to fulfil the key Best Value principle 'to Compare' - which is a key element to ensuring your school is using its resources effectively to meet the needs of pupils.

The local 2010-11 benchmarking data for all Barnet schools is now available on the Local Benchmarking page on Barnet Online. 

I am also pleased to inform you that national CFR data for 2010-11 has now been uploaded on to the Schools Financial Benchmarking Website. 

As with last year's data and in line with the Coalition Government's commitment to make data more accessible, CFR data for 2010-11 will be published online by the end of January 2012 for members of the public to view.  The data will be published at individual school level using grouped categories of income and expenditure. The full raw data will also be available to download. 

We would be grateful if schools could view their CFR data as currently uploaded on the website, consider whether there are any errors in the data and where appropriate, inform the Schools Accountancy Section by
14 October 2011. 

Nick Adams
Schools Finance Services Manager

For Information

The Barnet Safeguarding Children Board would like to invite all headteachers and/or designated safeguarding and child protection staff in schools to a breakfast forum together with colleagues working in social care on Tuesday 11 October 2011.

Venue: Conference Room 2, Building 2, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London N11 1NP
Time:  8.15am - 10am 

The forum will provide an opportunity to explore practice issues and challenges alongside managers in safeguarding. This will include input on the inspection framework 

The aims are:

• to establish dialogue with managers in social care and consider what helps in working across the professional network
• to provide an opportunity to raise issues and concerns that impact on schools
• to enable sharing of good practice 
• to provide an update on safeguarding matters and new developments.

The meeting will be chaired by Tim Beach, the Independent Chair of the Safeguarding Children Board and we hope you and/or the safeguarding representative from your school will be able to attend.

To book a place, please complete the booking form in this week's enclosures section.

Helen Elliott
Safeguarding Children Board Development Manager

For Information

Further to the consultation earlier this year following revised DfE Guidance in December 2010, changes to the Scheme have now been agreed by the Schools Forum and the council.

The revised Scheme for Financing Schools is available on the council's website using the following link: www.barnet.gov.uk/financial-framework

There are a number of changes but the main issues of note are:

• Best Value Statement and Checklist deleted.
• Expenditure on community facilities is to be treated as for the purposes of the school and schools can spend funds on pupils on the roll of other schools.
• Financial Management Standard in Schools requirement deleted.
• Bank accounts - approved bank accounts must be consistent with the authority's Treasury Management policy unless specific arrangements are made with the agreement of the Chief Finance Officer.
• Claw-back of surplus revenue balances requirement deleted. 
• Responsibility for redundancy and early retirement costs - new clause and Annex giving guidance.
• Responsibility for repairs and maintenance and capital work - de minimis level for the purchase of IT equipment reduced to £2,000.

Any questions about the changes should be referred to Nick Adams on 020 8359 7203 or nick.adams@barnet.gov.uk. 

Nick Adams
Schools Finance Services Manager

For Information

Barnet Youth Board
Barnet Youth Board is Barnet's Youth Council for 13 - 19 year olds. We have representation from secondary schools, colleges and community groups and aim to have as wide a range of young people as possible. We are currently missing reps from a number of schools and will be sending letters out to the heads of these schools asking for reps to be elected.  Please look out for the letters and get in touch if you would like help with the election process.

UK Youth Parliament
On the 4 November 2011 the elected members of the UK Youth Parliament, including students from Barnet will come together to debate in the House of Commons. They will be deciding on the most important issues that the UKYP members will campaign on for the year ahead.  We are asking the young people of Barnet to take part in the 'Make Your Mark' campaign which will decide the top five debate questions. Ballot papers and instructions for participation are being sent out to schools for the Heads attention from the 26 September 2011.

If you have any questions on the above or would like more information please contact Suzy Naish on suzy.naish@barnet.gov.uk or 07771 995127.

Christian McMullen
Partnership Coordinator - Voluntary Sector Lead

For Information

To aid schools in their end of September forecasting, revised funding allocations will be released to the website www.barnet.gov.uk/school-funding on Wednesday 28 September 2011. Changes include:

• revised Devolved Formula Capital allocations
• corrected sixth form funding.  This is now shown broken down into three elements:
  • learners
  • bursaries (formerly EMAs)
  • Teachers Pay Grant
• apportioned allocations for schools which have converted to academies
• additional funding for primary schools opening new reception classes to meet increased pupil numbers
• adjustments to some special school place numbers
• early years free entitlement funding based on actual pupil numbers for the summer term.

Statement top-ups will not be revised until the December adjustments when the SEN department will have full details of autumn term changes.
 
Autopayment - second payment
September autopayments should reach school bank accounts by 30 September 2011. These will cover the first six months funding for the Pupil Premium, Devolved Formula Capital, statements at academies and EASEN. The reports detailing the amounts schools can expect to receive will be released to the website above on 28 September 2011.

If you have any queries on either of these two items, please contact me or one of the School Funding Team at schoolfunding@barnet.gov.uk.

Carol Beckman
School Funding Manager

For Information

Would you like your school to visit Central Communications Command (CCC) at Hendon Police?

Find out about the police what happens when you call 999.

What to do when you need help?

Any school who would like to visit please ring Sharon Baldwin-Mitchell - Briefing and Communications Officer on 020 7109 6125 or email sharonbaldwin2@met.police.uk.

Lauren Burbidge
School Business Officer 

For Information

Please note that correct fax number for Fairway School is 020 8359 3359 not the number that appears in the September 2011 version of the Schools and Educational Settings booklet was sent out in last week's school bags.

Please check www.barnet.gov.uk/information-schools for updated versions.

Lauren Burbidge
School Business Officer

• Mayor of London music scholarships for KS2 pupils
  All Primary Schools
  Response required by: Friday 14 October 2011

  Details regarding the Mayor of London's music scholarships for children attending London maintained schools (including Academies and Free Schools) at KS2 - reply needed by Friday 14 October 2011. Please click on the above link for further details.

• Brochure re: Educational visits at Knebworth House 2012
  All Primary Schools
  

  A brochure and booking form for educational visits to Knebworth House for 2012. Please click on the above link for further details.

• Booking form re: Education and Social Care Safeguarding Forum
  All Schools
  

  An invitation and booking form from Barnet Safeguarding Children Board for all headteachers and/or designated safeguarding and child protection staff in schools to a breakfast forum together with colleagues working in social care on Tuesday 11 October 2011. Please click on the above link for further details.

• Flyer re: Free Solar Electricity for your School
  All Schools 

  A flyer from Echome offering the Feed-in export Tariff and a Free energy consulatation to help the school become greener and make further savings on fuel bills. Please click on the above link for further details.

Please click the relevant links below for all of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Flyers.

All CPD Flyers organised by Programme Strand

CPD Flyers organised by Issue Date

Early Years' Training & Development Guides