Making Sense of the SEN System

The ways in which special educational needs (“SEN”) impact a person’s ability to learn depend largely on the SEN the person has. SEN can have a bearing on a person’s ability to comprehend, concentrate, read, write and/or do physical...

Your rights when choosing a school to be named in an EHCP

Choosing a school or educational setting that can meet the needs of a child or young person can be a difficult task. However, the right to choose is underpinned within the legal framework of the Children and Families Act 2014 ( CAFA) and the Education Act...

Moving to a new phase of education with an EHCP - transfer deadline day

Why is 31 March an important date if a young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and is transitioning from secondary school to a post 16 institution or apprenticeship? Local Authorities (LA) have a legal duty to review and amend EHCPs...

How specific does an EHCP have to be?

A lack of specificity negatively impacts on the ability of a parent or young person to enforce the provision stated in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). If the provision is not stated specifically enough, then it will not be enforceable under...

RSE and health education now mandatory 2020

Relationship education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education become a mandatory part of the school curriculum from September 2020. However, schools should be aware that due to the disruption caused by Covid-19, schools that...

The Academies Financial Handbook 2020 - The key changes

The Academies Financial Handbook 2020 (AFH) is effective from 1 September 2020. There are some key changes which may require action by academies and other clarifications which should be reviewed to ensure Trusts remain compliant. It is important that...

GCSE exam results appeals

Exams and assessments were cancelled this year due to Covid-19. Those that keep up with the news will have seen the changes that have been made to how examination results and assessment outcomes were to be determined. The matter of determining results and...

Having a contract in writing: why you need one and why it's a good investment

Many business deals are concluded by “Gentleman’s Agreements”. These can work for people and businesses - until there is an issue or uncertainty. Unfortunately, deals and relationships in business can, and do, go wrong for many reasons....

Personal injury and discrimination in education

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (“NASUWT”) has released the latest figures in respect of compensation payments for teachers. NASUWT experienced a significant increase in cases and last year, a staggering...

The dynamics of teacher redeployment

Research published in June relating to staff redeployment across multi-academy trusts (MATs), is certainly worth a read. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found in its research that staff movement between schools in the same MAT is...

Legislation update - school governance

Two sets of regulations were made in 2012 to deal with the issue of governance in maintained schools in England; both of these have now been updated.  Thomas Emmett explains how these are likely to affect your school.  The School Governance...

Dealing with property in an academy conversion

The property aspects of an academy conversion can be more complicated than you may expect.  There are a number of reasons for this. No matter whether the property occupied by the school is freehold/leasehold, or registered/ unregistered, there needs to...

St Cedd's School welcomes Alumni throughout the years

St Cedd’s School opened their doors last Saturday for the first ever alumni event, welcoming former staff members and ex-pupils with the opportunity to see the growth of the school over the past 84 years. The occasion celebrated the high standards of...

Maximum award ordered by tribunal via employer unaware of its legal obligations

When an employer proposes to make 20 or more employees redundant within a period of 90 days, it must fulfil its consultation obligations under S.188 of The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA). The aim of consultation is to...

The do's and don'ts of Ofsted inspections

Various myths surround Ofsted inspections and what the inspectors want to see.  As a result, Ofsted has recently provided some clarification due to the concern that these myths are resulting in unnecessary workloads in schools. For example: ...

Educational businesses - get to grips with immigration law

Through our professional adviser network we have access to UK immigration law specialists, and via our network of foreign lawyers we are able to provide immigration advice to our clients worldwide.  This article has been written by Sally Azarmi of...

Employment tribunals and the education sector

As I peruse the plentiful supply of decided employment cases emanating from the employment tribunal system, it seems to me that more and more involve educational establishments of one kind or another.  That may be because such establishments are...

Updates on education law

DBS application forms Don’t forget that from 28 March 2013 the Home Office began to accept only DBS application forms; applications made using the old CRB forms will be rejected and returned.  The Home Office had previously stated that the ...

All CHANGE for Notley and Clacton primary schools

Two Essex schools have joined forces to become a partnership, giving them more autonomy and helping to improve standards for the future. Notley Green Primary School in Braintree and Cann Hall Primary School in Clacton will now operate collectively under the...

Tribunal time limits

Employment Tribunal rules state that claims for unfair dismissal must be brought within three months of the effective date of the employee’s termination date; for example, if an employee was dismissed on 10 February 2012 the claim must have arrived at...

Don't get caned by school fees!

If you are one of the many parents who is a governor at their child's school, or has a child at an independent school, you may be aware that independent schools have started to recognise that the traditional system of making payments for school fees once...

The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and You

The compulsory Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (“the Scheme”) came into force earlier this year with the aim of making organisations which use a certain amount of energy a year more efficient. Many of the organisations which...

Student rent arrears

As the academic year has now drawn to a close, some universities may find themselves struggling to deal with the rent owed to them by students living in their accommodation. However, some courses of action in an attempt to reclaim that money from students...

Part-Time Workers - No Hypothetical Comparators

The Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (PTWR) established a minimum standard of fairness for part-timers so that they cannot be treated less favourably than comparable full-time co-workers, unless the treatment is...

Compensation for Diligent Security Guard

A security guard who suffered a broken collar bone and finger during a burglary has secured £13,000 in compensation. Gerard Darlington, 48, worked for the University of Manchester as a security supervisor. One night he was investigating a report of...