Regulatory compliance for schools and academy trusts
When managing regulatory compliance, academy trusts frequently face having to make significant, pressing decisions that require reactive and strategic advice. In addition to ensuring you understand the legal position, our role is to help you get to the heart of the issues. Our team will do this by supporting you to develop a robust strategy that you can have confidence in.
Regardless of size or maturity, academy trusts operate in a highly regulated environment. Whether it’s supporting with ESFA requirements, understanding your obligations under Health and Safety Law or navigating the world of data security and safeguarding. Our multi-disciplinary team of experts is here to guide and advise on the ever-changing and daunting area of regulatory compliance.
Examples of where we have supported with regulatory compliance issues include:
- Independent legal review of a large MAT’s health and safety governance arrangements to ensure legal compliance and good practice across the trust.
- Providing training to trustees on a wide range of compliance issues including directors’ duties, data law and health and safety.
- Advising trusts in respect of their duties under the Funding Agreement and Academy Trust Handbook.
- Supporting with strategic responses to ESFA investigations and requests for information.
Key contacts
Nick MacKenzie
Partner
.jpg)
Victoria Hatton
Senior Associate
.jpg)
Hayley O'Sullivan
Senior Associate
Testimonials
“Browne Jacobson were able to provide the necessary compliance advice that spanned safeguarding and property law but within the context of education … what Browne Jacobson were able to do was to help us to navigate the strategic steps which involved working with others to achieve a practical outcome."
You may be interested in...
Guide
Revisions to Ofsted’s complaints procedure: what you need to know
Legal Update
Understanding the ICO's new fining guidance
In Person Event
National Governance Conference for schools and trusts
Opinion
Can teachers personal and political views amount to misconduct?
Legal Update
ICO consultation on accessing care records: A legal perspective
Legal Update
Changes to academy conversion funding
Legal Update
All change at Companies House - Corporate Transparency Act
Online Event
Understanding the changing role of company secretary for academy trusts
Opinion
School attendance matters
Legal Update
Not quite a blanket ban on mobile phones in schools: DfE guidance insights
Opinion
Regulator warning on future dangers of asbestos
In Person Event
Child protection in Education – London
In Person Event
Leading Safeguarding 2024 - London
Legal Update
What does the new gender questioning guidance mean for schools?
Legal Update
HXA and YXA : Guidance from the Supreme Court on negligence in failure to remove cases
Legal Update - RAAC
RAAC: the tip of the iceberg for school building safety
Legal Update - RAAC
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete ('RAAC') implications for schools
Legal Update
Safeguarding judgements and school intervention
Legal Update
100+ schools told to close immediately due to threat of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
Legal Update
Work experience placements – commendable: have them, and be alive to the risk
Legal Update
School building safety is ‘a critical risk’
On-Demand
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 – implementing the key changes
Legal Update
Public Consultation on a Mandatory Reporting Regime for Child Sexual Abuse
Legal Update
Detailing safeguarding information in references- the outcome of Smith v Surridge and others
Legal Update
The Online Safety Bill – what does it mean for schools?
Legal Update
Cyber security and data breaches
Legal Update
Safeguarding at scale report published
Guide
FAQs - converting to academy status
Legal Update
Protecting children and their data in the online environment
Legal Update
The Schools Bill – law no more
In July, we published an update on the Schools Bill with the news that the proposed legislation relating to new academy standards and extended intervention powers for academy trusts would be removed. Last week, we received broader news of the dropping of the Bill, with education secretary Gillian Keegan announcing that it will not reach its third reading in the House of Lords.Guide
Good governance essential to avoid falling foul of the ESFA
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.
Legal Update
Children's commissioner recommendations for SEND reform
The Children’s Commissioner, Rachel De Souza, has recently published a report “Beyond the labels: a SEND system which works for every child, every time”, which she intends to sit alongside the DfE’s SEND Review (2019) and SEND Green Paper (2022) and which she hopes will put children’s voices at the heart of the government’s review of SEND system.
Legal Update
Top three training topics 2022-23
As well as providing day-to-day support to help you focus on managing your settings, we also provide training and professional development on a range of topics to keep you and your staff up-to-date.
Legal Update
Complaints management in schools - exploring a new way forward
Guide
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse - A guide for schools and trusts
Press Release
Law firm picks up record breaking sixth Education Investor Award
Browne Jacobson’s education team has been named as winner of the ‘Legal Advisors to Education Institutions’ category at the Education Investor Awards 2022 for a record sixth time.
Press Release
Thousands take part in virtual careers event to help increase diversity in the legal profession
Over 3000 young people from across the UK and Ireland took part in a virtual legal careers insight event, aimed at making the legal profession more diverse.
Opinion
Directors fined for unsafe removal of asbestos
Two directors of a construction company were fined after failing to ensure the safe removal of asbestos from a plot of land. On 14 and 15 November 2021, Directors Anthony Sumner and Neil Brown, of Waterbarn Limited were involved in the uncontrolled removal of asbestos material from a plot of land in Grasscroft, Oldham.
Opinion
Don't look down
An engineering company in Tyne and Wear was fined £20,000 after a worker fractured his pelvis and suffered internal injuries after falling through a petrol station forecourt canopy, whilst he was replacing the guttering.
Opinion
Insights from the DfE on pandemic recovery and major policies
On 21 September 2022, we had the pleasure of hosting a Whitehall & Industry Group (WIG) lunchtime briefing, delivered by the Director General for the DfE’s Strategy Group, Julia Kinniburgh.