Category: Management
Changes to regulated activity and DBS checks for volunteers
From 1 September 2026, an important change to the definition of regulated activity with children has come into force under section 139 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026. The change removes the previous ‘supervision exemption’. This means that people who work closely and frequently with children are in regulated activity, even where their work is supervised by someone […]
Read MoreMartyn’s Law – preparing schools for the new requirements
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law, introduces new requirements aimed at improving preparedness for, and protection from, terrorist attacks at certain publicly accessible premises, including schools. The legislation has received Royal Assent, but the substantive requirements are not yet in force. The exact implementation date has not been confirmed, although […]
Read MoreSocial media ban for under-16s
The House of Lords has recently voted in favour of banning social media for under-16s in the UK. An amendment has been proposed to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that will enforce the government to ensure that social media sites use ‘highly effective’ age checks to make sure no person under the age of […]
Read MoreICO – keeping employment records
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published new guidance on collecting and keeping employment records. The guidance is designed help employers understand their obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). The guidance covers the kinds of records kept, how much personal information can be held and how they can […]
Read MoreDates and deadlines
The following are known dates and deadlines for the spring and summer terms of the academic year 2024/25. This list is probably not exhaustive, since the current government is still relatively new and may bring in additional changes of which we are not yet aware. RISE January 2025. The government is set to launch its […]
Read MoreConflict between a teacher’s religious beliefs and professional duty
In the case of Sutcliffe v Secretary of State for Education, Joshua James Sutcliffe appealed the Secretary of State for Education’s decision to ban him from teaching due to allegations of professional misconduct. This included referring to a student by incorrect gender pronouns in the classroom, together with expressing controversial views on social media and […]
Read MoreDates and deadlines
As usual there are a number of changes for schools, which come into effect by or on 1 September 2024. There are also some known recurring dates and deadlines for the spring and summer terms 2025. From 1 September 2024 Updated attendance guidance The DfE guidance document ’Working together to improve school attendance’ became statutory from 19 August 2024. New requirements include: […]
Read MoreDates and deadlines
By far the most usual date when changes and innovations are brought in by the DfE is 1 September of each academic year. But there are some dates and deadlines that occur in the spring and summer terms. Here is a reminder for this calendar New Year. Early years foundation stage New EYFS frameworks come into […]
Read MoreData sharing for child safeguarding
On 14 September 2023, the Information Commissioner’s Office released new guidance to address concerns about breaching data protection legislation when sharing information to protect at-risk children and young people. The UK Information Commissioner, John Edwards, stated: “My message to people supporting and working with children and young people is clear: if you think a child […]
Read MoreNew or updated DfE guidance
At the beginning of a new academic year, the following information about new or updated DfE guidance may be useful. This list is probably not exhaustive! We have also included reminders of policies that schools are required to review annually. New statutory guidance and updates Keeping children safe in education has been updated as of […]
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