What the Spring Budget Means for Your Contracts

In light of the Spring Budget delivered earlier this month, education providers of all types should now be aware of the potential implications this announcements might have for them and particularly their consumer facing contracts.

One of the key proposals of the Budget is making terms and conditions in consumer contracts both simpler and clearer. Consumers are deemed as being those who receive goods or services for purposes other than those relating to trade and include students and their parents for example. These changes could therefore apply to a multitude of different circumstances from student agreements for Higher Education bodies all the way down to selling uniform in a school shop - both online and otherwise.

O’Brien v Bolton St Catherine’s Academy [2017] EWCA Civ 145

Consideration of the tests for Unfair Dismissal and Discrimination arising in consequence of a Disability together not an error of law.

Mrs O’Brien was Head of ICT at Withins School, Bolton and subsequently St Catherine’s Academy, Bolton after the School converted into an Academy. Mrs O’Brien was assaulted at the School by a pupil, which although she did not suffer grave physical harm, she began to feel unsafe at the Academy for a number of reasons. One of those reasons was her dissatisfaction at the Academy’s removal of a policy of automatic exclusion for violent and/or aggressive pupils.

Pleased to annouce that we are now sponsors of SYSLB - South Yorkshire School Business Leaders

Save the Date

Wednesday 17th May 2017

The next Lancashire Education Forum will be held at Samlesbury Hall, 8.00am - 10.30am on the 17th May.

Questions we have been asked this month

Q. If a member of our support staff team who is working over the normal retirement age requests to reduce their hours, are we able to discuss retirement?

A. Following the abolition of the compulsory retirement age in 2011, it would be discriminatory to make attempts to make them reconsider their decision and retire. If you have concerns about the employee's ability to carry out their role, it is always necessary to follow a clear capability policy and manage performance that way, so as to minimise liability for a claim under the Equality Act, which could be costly.