Please sign in with your existing account details.
Register to access exclusive content, sign up to receive our updates and personalise your experience on brownejacobson.com.
Privacy statement - Terms and conditions
Forgotten your password?
You have exceeded the maximum number of login attempts for this email address and your account has been locked. An email has been sent to member of Browne Jacobson's web team and some one will be contacting you over the next two working days with details of how to change your password.
Are you sure you want to remove this item from you pinned content?
The DfE have published a new Governors’ handbook which makes a number of important changes to the September 2014 edition. The DfE have summarised these on page 128.
In relation to governance, the new handbook builds on the dual themes of increased professionalism of governing bodies and regulation of governor conduct. A new section has been added on ‘attracting the right people’ (section 1.8.2) and an interesting and potentially controversial link has been drawn between local authority/foundation/parent/staff governors and conflicts of interest (1.7). Governing bodies of academies and schools are also required to provide greater transparency by ensuring that the register of governor interests includes details of any relationships between school staff and members of the governing body.
In addition, the handbook includes important new guidance on local authority governor appointments (2.1), cultural education (3.1.4), sex education (3.1.5), SEN (3.5.1) and employment checks (5.2.2). Guidance on admissions has also been updated to reflect the revised School Admissions Code issued in December (6.5).
There’s been little evidence of interventions or financial management reviews this year and it appears the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has re-focussed on financial delivery. It’s also telling that there were no discernible changes to the reporting of financial irregularities in the Academies Trust Handbook 2022.
View
We’re pleased to collaborate with Lloyds Bank, who recently asked us and audit and risk specialists Crowe UK to offer guidance that academy trusts would find helpful when considering setting up a trading subsidiary.
The words “Grammar schools” are once again being whispered in government and the question of whether the creation of new grammar schools will finally be implemented as a central focus to DFE policy has re-surfaced.
As a result of a recent Charity Commission legal action, the former trustee of a Welsh charity was ordered to pay over £117,000 to Wrexham charities which support cancer patients.
Senior Associate