Category: Management
DfE updates its statutory guidance on school suspensions and permanent exclusions
New guidance has been issued by the DfE to support schools and academies dealing with suspension and permanent exclusion. The main changes include: Guidance on a headteacher’s ability to cancel an exclusion before a governing board meeting to consider reinstatement. Allowing governing board reinstatement meetings and independent review panels (IRPs) to be held remotely (virtually) […]
Read MoreAcademies regulatory and commissioning review
One of the aspects of the last year’s abandoned Schools Bill 2022 which has survived has been the proposed review of the academies regulatory and commissioning system. This work was carried out over the summer of 2022 and the final outcome of that review has just been published (28 March 2023). Baroness Barran In her introduction to the […]
Read MoreNFER data dashboard – teacher recruitment and retention
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 […]
Read MoreOfsted inspection handbooks September 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 […]
Read MoreDfE school governance update – July 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 – […]
Read MoreFailure to take reasonably practicable measures to control COVID-19
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 […]
Read MoreData protection and COVID-19 updated guidance
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: […]
Read MoreFreedom of information decision notice
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 […]
Read MoreFree checks to protect against cyber attacks
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, […]
Read MoreSpecial consideration – key stage 2 SATs guidance
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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