16/12/15
Employment and HR queries we have received from schools this month: Q: If an employee refuses to sign an occupational health referral consent form can the school still make the referral? A: No, in order for an employee to attend an Occupational Health referral and for the information to be…
16/12/15
When you think of consumer rights protection an educational setting doesn't immediately spring to mind, with the media spotlight tending to fall on major retailers such as supermarkets. Schools are, however, service providers, and as sellers of services independent schools are particularly…
16/12/15
The recent flooding in large parts of Cumbria and Lancashire has affected many homes and businesses, including schools and education centres. If your school has been without electricity as a result of the flood waters, you may be able to make a claim to Electricity North West under a piece of…
16/12/15
The Department for Education have published a new re-branded version of the Governance Handbook for Governors in maintained schools and academies. The handbook has been updated to 'reflect changes to the law affecting boards of governors and changes to education policy'. The change in the…
12/11/15
1. Who can request flexible working and can the employer reject the request? This has been a hot topic this month and we have been inundated with questions regarding flexible working. Despite the new rules coming into force in 2014, it appears that many employers are still unsure of how to deal…
12/11/15
There have been a number of high profile cases recently where dress code has been in the headlines. Working within the education sector and with children requires suitable and practical attire and a lot of institutions have policies to govern staff uniform. In Begum v Pedagogy Auras UK Ltd the…
13/10/15
Whilst it may not appear obvious, as all schools deal directly with consumers, it is important to be aware of the new Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA). This is particularly going to be the case where schools are selling goods to consumers, e.g. through a school shop or online. The CRA is a new piece…
15/09/15
For those Schools which are due to embark or are thinking of embarking on conversion to Academy status - whilst all Academies are charitable in nature, many Schools may not be aware that they cannot register with the Charity Commission for registered charity status. Academies will hold what is known as…
15/09/15
Following the recent water contamination scare in Lancashire, schools are advised to make a record of any losses they may have suffered as a result of being unable to use tap water recently. These losses could be the expense in purchasing bottled water, the cost of having to boil water to use and…
15/09/15
Back to School - The New STPCD for September 2015 A new School Teacher's Pay and Conditions Document has landed in time for the new school year. As per the 2014 guidance, the requirements contained within apply to all maintained schools and must be followed by all such schools and local…
15/09/15
1. During a DBS Safeguarding and Data Protection session, we were asked about the level of DBS checks required of contractors. Under the "Keeping Children Safe in Education" statutory guidance 2015 the response to this question is that they must at least have an enhanced check without…
18/06/15
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has been increasingly active in enforcing the Data Protection Act and many public bodies have been in its sights. It has enforced penalties of up to £200,000 for data security breaches including allowing customer information to be…
15/05/15
Businesses of all shapes and sizes enter into contracts with third parties on a regular basis. Whilst schools, academies and education authorities alike may not consider this to be of great importance, there are numerous issues and pitfalls that should be borne in mind when entering into contracts with…
23/04/15
As of last month employers requesting applicants to provide evidence of the results of a subject access request disclosing their full criminal record (including spent convictions), became unlawful. This does not just apply to job applicants as section 56 of the Data Protection Act 1998 makes it a…
20/04/15
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has lost his fight to continue on the payroll of a school where he has not worked for two years. The Claimant had been employed as a learning mentor at the school by Sefton Council, whilst at the same time being an elected councillor in neighbouring Liverpool. He had…
02/02/15
The recent Employment Appeal Tribunal decision in Old v. Palace Fields Primary Academy reviewed the procedural fairness in the dismissal of a teacher who had given 21 years service to her school. It was alleged that Mrs Old encouraged the bullying of a pupil with special needs by inviting a number…
28/01/15
Forbes Solicitors is delighted to announce our sponsorship of The Enterprise in Education Award at the inaugural Hive Blackburn and Darwen Business Awards. The award is for schools and colleges which can demonstrate their commitment to developing an entrepreneurial attitude in their pupils…
Video length: 3m 59s
04 Apr 2018
Education
With the 4 April 2018 deadline for submitting gender pay gap information looming, of 181 primary and secondary…
Forbes Solicitors worked alongside our year 13 Law students to support and challenge their understanding of the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales.
Chris Atkinson
Assistant Principal
Saint Wilfrid?s C.E Academy
Ruth Rule-Mullen and her team from Forbes Solicitors provided our students with a unique insight into careers in Law.
Lucy Diffley
St Bede's RC High School
Without doubt Jonathan Holden is like a security blanket. He understands that schools need to act in the best interest of school as a whole
Brenda P Allen
FCIPD
I will keep promoting you and your services because I'm fully committed to the quality of your work and the impact that it has in school.
Sharon Asquith
Principal
Ashton Community Science College
