Regulatory compliance for schools and academy trusts

Legal Update

Protecting children and their data in the online environment

Legal Update

The Schools Bill – law no more

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.

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.

Opinion

HSE inspection of asbestos in schools

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have announced they will be carrying out a programme of inspections to primary and secondary school establishments from September 2022. The inspections will assess how schools are managing the risks from asbestos and meeting the Duty to Manage requirements, set out in Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Legal Update

Browne Jacobson’s market leading Education expertise recognised again in latest Legal 500 rankings

The new set of Legal 500 directory rankings have been published and we are proud to once again be recognised as one of the country’s leading firms advising the Education sector.

Legal Update

Data reform in the UK

Since the UK left the EU and are now able to move away from the EU data protection regime, the UK government have implemented a national data strategy with the aim of reducing the burden on organisations but maintaining a high data protection standard.

Guide

How to carry out the KCSiE online checks FAQs

There is (understandably) some confusion about the steps schools and trusts need to take to discharge the new online check duty set out in paragraph 220 of KCSIE. I can’t completely clarify all of it for you, but I can help you find a sensible route through. These FAQs are a good place to start.

Legal Update

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022: updated Governor and Trustee training requirement

The two biggest changes in the new safeguarding guidance revolve around sourcing high quality governor and trustee training and the new requirement to carry out online searches for shortlisted candidates.

Legal Update

Academy Trust Handbook 2022 — Latest Edition

Whilst it may be late compared to previous years, the Educations and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has now published their latest edition of the Academy Trust Handbook (the Handbook), ready for implementation in less than a week, on 1 September 2022. The ESFA in their update to the academies sector, did apologise for the delay on issuing the Handbook.

Opinion

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

Whilst the weather conditions are predicted to be cooling down this week, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is asking employers and businesses to consider adapting to recurrent warmer weather conditions for the safety and benefit of their staff. It asks employers to ensure that extreme heat becomes a firm part of longer term risk management. Climate change in any event is something all businesses will need to consider as the warmer weather becomes more frequent - extreme heat is something that will impact employers on a day to day basis.

Legal Update

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022: Online searches for shortlisted candidates

The two biggest changes in the new safeguarding guidance revolve around sourcing high quality governor and trustee training and the new requirement to carry out online searches for shortlisted candidates. This article focuses on how and when to carry out online searches. In the coming week we will follow up with everything you need to consider when sourcing high quality governor or trustee training.

On-Demand

Building Safety Bill – what’s coming and how will it affect you?

In anticipation of the adoption of the Building Safety Bill, our specialist compliance and regulatory team will give an overview of the measures proposed in the Bill.

Published Article

Complex safeguarding allegations

Whilst Schools and Academies exist to educate and inspire young people, their primary obligation is their protection. Keeping Children Safe in Education (“KCSIE”) is at the heart of everything that educational institutions do and impacts on every decision, however big or small.

Press Release

Browne Jacobson’s C-suite exec level coaching team appoints two new education specialists

National law firm Browne Jacobson has grown its team behind its dedicated Space + Time executive coaching programme with the addition of two more qualified coaches who will work with clients in the education sector.

On-Demand

Complex allegations and safeguarding terminations: How to limit cost, risk and delay

Be empowered to take a realistic approach to risk by understanding the likely outcomes of a dismissal. And, learn how timely, strategic decision-making can limit costs associated with removing unsuitable employees.

Legal Update

Three main changes in draft Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 guidance

There are various minor updates to the 2021 Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) guidance and three main changes that you need to be aware of.

Legal Update

Health and safety successes at trial highlighting need for engaging staff compliance training

Our insurance litigation specialists have recently successfully defended claims brought against two schools for alleged health and safety failings.

Published Article

KCSIE: How to research applicants' online profiles

The Department for Education published the draft 2022 version of Keeping Children Safe in Education. A few changes caught the eye and the one that most of us in education are discussing relates to a new set of text that suggested checking the online presence of job applicants.

Published Article

Five top tips for strong data compliance in 2022

This article has five excellent top tips for strong data compliance in 2022, including; embracing near misses, leading from the top, outcomes-focused training, learning walks, consequences.

Opinion

Fines for unsafe removal of asbestos in schools

In order to reduce the risk of potential breaches, schools should follow this Health and Safety Executive guidance.

Published Article

Schools and Covid vaccinations - the legal landscape

The Government has decided that healthy 12 – 15 year olds can receive the Covid-19 vaccine and this autumn the first dose is being offered as part of the school based vaccination programme.

Opinion

Asbestos: Still the UK’s number one occupational killer

A ResPublica report highlighted that asbestos continues to be the UK’s number one occupational killer, with nurses and teachers 3 to 5 times more likely to develop mesothelioma than the general UK population. The House of Commons Work & Pensions Select Committee is investigating how the HSE manages the continued presence of asbestos in buildings.

Press Release

Browne Jacobson hosts UK’s largest virtual legal careers event to boost access to careers in law

Tomorrow, (Wednesday 27th October), national law firm Browne Jacobson will host its second FAIRE: virtual work experience and legal careers insight event, in partnership with Young Professionals.

Press Release

New benchmarking service now available to guide the remuneration of school trust executive teams

The Confederation of School Trusts (CST), as the sector body for School Trusts, today releases a salary benchmarking service for executive roles in School Trusts, in conjunction with partners XpertHR, Cendex and Browne Jacobson.

On-Demand

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021

The Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021 guidance includes a number of updates, the most significant of which is the creation of Section Two of Part Five. This introduces the concept of low-level concerns raised about staff, supply staff, volunteers and contractors.