The Schools Forums (England) Regulations 2012

Meetings and proceedings of schools forum E+W

8.—(1) The schools forum must meet at least four times a year.

[F1 (1A)  A meeting of the schools forum is not limited to a meeting of persons all of whom, or any of whom, are physically in the same place and includes meetings held through remote means.]

(2) All meetings of the schools forum must be public meetings.

[F2 (2A) “ public meeting” includes a meeting of the schools forum that the public can access through remote means.]

(3) The meetings are quorate if at least two fifths of the total membership is present at the meeting.

[F3 (3A)  For the purposes of regulation 8(3) reference to being “present” at the meeting includes members being present through remote means. A member will not be considered to be present through remote means unless the conditions in 8(3B) are satisfied.

(3B) A member accessing the meeting by remote means must be able to–

(a) hear and be heard by, and where practicable, see and be seen by any members present;

(b) be heard and, where practicable, seen by any members of the public at the meeting.]

(4) The following persons may speak at meetings of the forum, even though they are not members of the forum-

(a) the director of children's services at the authority or their representative;

(b) the chief finance officer at the authority or their representative;

(c) any elected member of the authority who has primary responsibility for children's services or education in the authority;

(d) any elected member of the authority who has primary responsibility for the resources of the authority;

(e) any person who is invited by the forum to attend in order to provide financial or technical advice to the forum;

(f) an observer appointed by the Secretary of State; and

(g) any person presenting a paper or other item to the forum that is on the meeting's agenda, but that person's right to speak shall be limited to matters related to the item that the person is presenting.

(5) The members of the forum must elect a person as chair from among their number and determine the chair's term of office.

(6) The members of the forum may not elect as chair any member of the forum who is an elected member or officer of the authority.

(7) The chair of the forum must decide upon an agenda for the meeting of the forum following consultation with members of the forum.

(8) The authority must make arrangements to enable substitutes to attend and vote at meetings of the forum on behalf of schools members, Academies members and non-schools members, in consultation with members of the forum.

(9) Apart from as provided for by [F4 paragraphs (9A) to (10)] all members are entitled to vote on all matters put to a vote.

[F5 (9A)  Only the schools members of the schools forum who are representatives of primary schools may vote to decide whether or not to authorise the matters referred to in regulation 12(1)(d) of [F6 the School and Early Years Finance and Childcare (Provision of Information About Young Children) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024] where they relate to primary schools.

(9B)  Only the schools members of the schools forum who are representatives of secondary schools may vote to decide whether or not to authorise the matters referred to in regulation 12(1)(d) of [F6 the School and Early Years Finance and Childcare (Provision of Information About Young Children) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024] where they relate to secondary schools.

(9C)  Only the schools members of the schools forum who are listed in regulation 5(2)(b) to (e) may vote to decide whether or not to authorise the matters referred to in regulation 12(1)(e) of [F6 the School and Early Years Finance and Childcare (Provision of Information About Young Children) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024].]

(10) Non-schools members, other than those who represent early years providers, must not vote on matters relating to the formulae to be used by the local authority to determine the amounts to be allocated to schools and early years providers in accordance with regulations made under sections 47 and 47ZA of the Act.

(11) Subject to paragraphs (8) to (10), the members of the forum may determine their own voting procedures.

(12) The proceedings of the forum are not invalidated by—

(a) any vacancy among their number;

(b) any defect in the election or appointment of any member; or

(c) any defect in the election of the chair.

(13) The authority must promptly publish all papers considered by the forum and the minutes of their meetings on their website.

[F7 (14) “ Remote means” means access to a meeting to enable persons to attend or participate simultaneously by electronic means, including (but not limited to) telephone conferencing, video conferencing, live webcast, and live interactive streaming.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 8(1A) inserted (18.6.2020) by virtue of The Schools Forums (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/540), regs. 1(2), 2(2) (as amended (11.2.2021) by S.I. 2021/59, regs. 1, 35(2)(b))

F2 Reg. 8(2A) inserted (18.6.2020) by virtue of The Schools Forums (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/540), regs. 1(2), 2(3) (as amended (11.2.2021) by S.I. 2021/59, regs. 1, 35(2)(b))

F3 Reg. 8(3A)(3B) inserted (18.6.2020) by virtue of The Schools Forums (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/540), regs. 1(2), 2(4) (as amended (11.2.2021) by S.I. 2021/59, regs. 1, 35(2)(b))

F4 Words in reg. 8(9) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2991), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(a)

F5 Reg. 8(9A)-(9C) substituted for reg. 8(9A)(9B) (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/44), regs. 1(1), 3

F6 Words in reg. 8 substituted (13.2.2024) by The School and Early Years Finance and Childcare (Provision of Information About Young Children) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/66), regs. 1(2), 3

F7 Reg. 8(14) inserted (18.6.2020) by virtue of The Schools Forums (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/540), regs. 1(2), 2(5) (as amended (11.2.2021) by S.I. 2021/59, regs. 1, 35(2)(b))