Forbes Solicitors
Education eNews
May 2020

Preparing for the return of staff post-lockdown

 

Covid-19: Exams and Subject Access Requests

 

Covid-19: School Admissions



Preparing for the return of staff post-lockdown

Although we are yet to hear the specifics of how this phased return would work, or the Government's wider strategy for reintegration of society post-lockdown, we have set out below some practical steps for schools to consider when making preparations for the return of staff when the current restrictions end, highlighting also some legal risk areas to be aware of during these uncertain times.

Health and Safety
Keep up to date with both the government's latest guidance on health and safety and the provision of PPE, as well as Public Health England guidance and any sector specific advice issued by the Department of Education to ensure that your internal procedures are compliant. As employers, schools have legal duties in relation to the health and safety of staff and should ensure they regularly review health and safety measures in place so they can be updated in light of any further advice and guidance issued. The Health and Safety Executive has published specific guidance relating to Covid-19, which can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/coronavirus.htm.

 

School Letter Breached Data Protection Act

Last week, the High Court published a judgment where a school that sent a letter to parents regarding the disruptive behavioural issues of a disabled pupil, designed to reassure them that staff were able to deal with the behaviour appropriately, was liable for breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998, misuse of private information and breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998.

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Covid-19: Exams and Subject Access Requests

Following the announcement that the government has cancelled this summer's exams due to the coronavirus pandemic, the exam regulator, Ofqual, has launched a consultation on proposals to award pupils with a calculated grade. Ofqual proposes to award GCSE and A-Level grades by a combination of teacher assessment, class ranking and the past performance of the school.

 

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Covid-19: School Admissions

Despite the unprecedented situation with Covid 19 and lockdown, the Education sector, in some respects, appears to be making the most of the situation. A series of legislative provisions have been introduced since the UK was hit by the pandemic, especially in relation to offers for primary school places. This article will highlight the new changes which will be important for those within school management.

Despite many schools being subject to lockdown measures and some closed altogether, National Offer Day for primary school places went ahead as scheduled on 16 April 2020. Shortly following this deadline, new regulations came into force on 24 April 2020, which were seen to relax some of the current requirements in the School Admissions Appeals Code 2010.

 

COVID-19 FAQs

In a time of ongoing public uncertainty, we here at Forbes are committed to helping individuals and businesses with ongoing change.

We have developed an area on our website to provide you with a mine of information including Q&A's and articles during the COVID-19 crisis.

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The content of this e-alert is merely informative and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice