Be prepared for the 2025-26 school year

Back to school... are you ready for what this term has in store?

As we enter a new academic year there’s lots that schools and trusts need to do to prepare. That's why we’ve brought together a range of support, guidance and tools to help you handle everything the new year throws at you. 

We expect to see changes in policy, such as a new Schools White Paper, the long awaited overhaul of the SEND system, a new Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSNB), developments relating to exclusions and suspensions, and changes to Ofsted inspections. There’s updated safeguarding guidance and a new iteration of the Academy Trust Handbook, with further policy developments to come.  

There’s also new legislation to factor in, including the new Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 having implications for the way in which you may need to handle Subject Access Requests (SARs), while The Procurement Act and The Corporate Transparency Act are both now in force which will have implications for many trusts. 

We’re committed to keeping you abreast of these developments as they unfold, providing practical support so you can handle changes as efficiently, effectively, and safely as you can. 

Here's how we can help you be prepared for 2025-26: 

• Staying up to date with the latest developments. 
• Improving leadership and governance. 
• Keeping children safe. 
• Managing complaints. 
• Managing suspensions and exclusions. 
• Supporting pupils with special educational needs.  
• Protecting personal data. 
• Getting the best from your people. 
• Merging with, taking on, or joining an academy trust. 
• Accessing expert advice on demand. 

Contact us

Be prepared... with the latest updates and advice

Take a moment to bookmark the content you find useful and subscribe to future updates via your preferred channels and you can be among the first to benefit from the advice we share: 

• Subscribe to be connected.
• See the latest updates on our website. 
• Get live updates via our RSS feed. 
• Connect on LinkedIn or X. 
• For bespoke advice on demand, check out Quickcall or MAT PartnerPlus. 

Be prepared... by improving your governance

We offer a range of advice and guidance to help you to enhance your leadership and improve your governance: 

• CPD and coaching opportunities for school and trust leaders. 
• Improving diversity in school governance.  
• Setting executive pay and the latest DfE guidance. 
• #EdInfluence podcast: Gain insight from inspiration leaders. 

Be prepared... to keep children safe

Make sure you’re up to date with the latest KCSiE guidance and benefit from high quality safeguarding training and resources, tailored for: 

• Governors and trustees. 
• Trust Directors of Safeguarding. 
• Safer recruitment training. 
• Safer recruitment support pack. 

Upcoming safeguarding events

Dai Durbridge will be chairing the Child Protection in Education 2025 (#CPinEd) Conferences in London and Manchester early this term, where you can access a range of safeguarding support, guidance and expertise in person.

Safeguarding support

Be prepared... to manage parental complaints

Many schools are still inundated with complex complaints from parents, often involving third parties such as a local authority, Ofsted or the ICO which inevitably take up valuable time and resource.  

Our team has been working hard to support you in offsetting the impact this has, preparing best practice resources, support and training to enable you to handle complaints, efficiently and effectively: 

• Complaints management support and insight. 
• Managing parental complaints CPD programme. 
• Complaints management support pack. 
• Parental behaviour support pack. 

Managing complaints and problem parents

Be prepared... to manage exclusions effectively

School suspensions and exclusions continue to be at an all-time high, and many schools are struggling to grapple with this process while attaining their commitment to inclusivity. We can support you with the behaviour, suspension and exclusion framework, your duties under the Equality Act and advise on any changes as and when they’re brought in. 

Available support includes: 

• School exclusions: A review of the latest developments and a look to the year ahead.  
• Equality Act CPD for school leaders: Supporting pupils with protected characteristics. 
• Exclusions support pack: Resources to manage the whole process. 
• Bespoke exclusions training for senior leaders and governing boards. 

Exclusions support

Be prepared... to support SEND pupils

One of the biggest challenges facing schools is capacity and funding to effectively support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  

Our new SEND support pack for schools offers resources and templates to use throughout the EHCP process and beyond, helping ensure that legal obligations are met within their respective timescales.

SEND support pack

Be prepared... to protect data and handle SARs

Our expert data protection lawyers assist on the approaches you should be taking, advising on all areas of information law from the implications of data protection and GDPR to the Freedom of Information Act and handling subject access requests (SARs). 

Available support includes: 

• Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 - what schools need to know (webinar). 
• Data protection support pack. 
• CPD for Data Protection Officers (DPOs). 
• Empower DPO: One to one mentoring, coaching and development. 
• DPO helpline. 
• Be protected: Free data protection magazine download. 

Data protection and GDPR support

Be prepared... to innovate with AI

We’ve developed a suite of adaptable resources to help you navigate the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) so your school can safely benefit. We’ve also brought together advice from leading innovators from across the sector to show what’s possible and what to consider when developing your AI strategy.    

Available support includes: 

• AI at the coalface webinar: Navigating the practicalities in education. 
• AI governance support pack.  
• Empower DPO: One to one mentoring, coaching and development. 
• Be protected: Free AI and data magazine download. 

AI governance resources

Be prepared... to get the best from your people

Your people are your most valuable asset and we know you’ll want them to hit the ground running, come the start of term. Here’s our our range of CPD and training opportunities available this academic year.   

Our HR services for schools and academies offer high-quality employment advice and with fixed-term, pay as you go or bespoke support as you need it, we have a solution to meet your needs. 

Other support includes: 

• HR policies: Best practice policy documents so you can be compliant and consistent. 
• Template support pack: Hundreds of ready-to-use documents to support your processes. 
• HR Pathways Academy: HR CPD for new and aspiring trust leaders. 
• Executive coaching: For CEOs and trust leaders keen to take leadership to the next level. 

All HR services and support

Be prepared... for growth

If you’re considering a merger, taking on another school or joining a multi-academy trust, we can make this manageable and support you with a smooth transition. Having handled one in five of the nation’s academy conversions, we’re well placed to advise schools who are still to embark on this journey. 

• Converting to academy status: Step-by-step guidance. 
• Understanding academy trusts (guidance developed with the NAHT) 
• A guide to MAT mergers (developed in collaboration with the NGA) 
• ‘Taking the next step’ guidance (developed in collaboration with the NGA and ASCL) 

Forming or joining a multi academy trust

Be prepared... with expert support

While good preparation is integral to success, there are inevitably some things that will take you by surprise and requires specialist expertise that goes beyond what you’re likely to have readily available on-site.  

We have you covered, with on-demand, fixed fee annual support services providing you with immediate access to bespoke, specialist advice as you need it. 

• Quickcall and MAT quickcall. 
• MAT PartnerPlus.