Management

NFER data dashboard – teacher recruitment and retention

Posted on December 13th, 2022

Recent figures show that the government has missed its target for recruitment of secondary school teachers this year – 41% below target. Also, for the first time, the recruitment of trainee primary teachers is 7% below target. It is against this background of trainee teacher shortage that a data dashboard has been created by NFER […]

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Management

Ofsted inspection handbooks September 2022

Posted on July 25th, 2022

This summary gives the main changes to the Ofsted Schools Inspection Handbook, which are effective from 1 September 2022. It refers to the handbook for the inspection of schools. The layout of the handbook has been somewhat realigned so that it better follows and reflects the flow of an inspection from start to finish. On 11 July […]

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Management

DfE school governance update – July 2022

Posted on July 11th, 2022

This update sets out the DfE’s long-term vision for the English school system. This vision is an ambition that by 2030 every child will receive ‘the right support, in the right place, and at the right time’ in order to fulfil their potential, founded on achieving world class literacy and numeracy. Schools White Paper – […]

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Management

Failure to take reasonably practicable measures to control COVID-19

Posted on June 20th, 2022

Following the death of an employee in January 2021, who had tested positive for COVID-19, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently fined Burnley College for failing to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety and welfare of its staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. The HSE investigated the circumstances surrounding the […]

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Management

Data protection and COVID-19 updated guidance

Posted on May 19th, 2022

Following the relaxation of government measures, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has set out guidance for organisations to consider relating to the use of personal information. The ICO advises organisations to review their practices, in order to decide whether the information they have been collecting is still necessary. The questions the ICO recommends asking are: […]

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Management

Freedom of information decision notice

Posted on May 12th, 2022

This recent case (Decision Notice against Batley Grammar School) sets out the obligations on a public authority when a freedom of information (FOI) request is made. On 14 December 2021, the complainant requested the minutes of governors, committee, and academy member meetings for the school from September 2018 to present. The complainant wrote to the school […]

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Management

Free checks to protect against cyber attacks

Posted on May 4th, 2022

Two National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) cyber security services, which are already helping thousands of organisations to protect their websites and email servers from cyber attacks, are now available to all UK schools. Both tools are available free of charge, are quick to set up, and thereafter run automatically. Free website check The first service, […]

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Management

Special consideration – key stage 2 SATs guidance

Posted on April 27th, 2022

The DfE has just updated (25 April 2022) its guidance for schools on the circumstances under which pupils can be given special consideration when they sit their KS2 tests later this term because their results could be affected by traumatic circumstances at the time of the tests. The guidance makes it clear that there is […]

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Management

Do governors have a contract of employment?

Posted on April 21st, 2022

In Mr D B Clarke v Governing Body of Lakeview School, the employment tribunal (ET) considered whether the claimant had a case for claiming race discrimination. Facts of the case Mr Clarke applied for the role of a governor at Lakeview School. His application was unsuccessful and he was notified of this on 9 October 2020. On […]

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Management

SEND review – government green paper

Posted on April 7th, 2022

The government green paper SEND review – right support, right place, right time was jointly presented to parliament on 29 March 2022 by the Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi and the Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid. It represents the culmination of a review of SEND provision that began nearly three years ago. Builds on 2014 […]

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