The STPCD 2015 was published last week and will become effective on 1 September 2015.  Read more

As the holidays draw closer we thought we'd provide a brief update on recent developments regarding educational employment matters, please see a summary of these below. Read more

If your school uses a tallescope or a scaffold tower you should be aware of the following HSE prosecution. Stafford Borough Council was fined after an incident at a theatre in which a worker suffered fractured bones in his back and as a result was unable to bear weight on his right leg for four weeks. Read more

There are some significant changes to employment law as of 5 April 2015, particularly in the area of family leave. The headline news is the introduction of shared parental leave, but various other changes have also taken effect. Read more

The governors of a school in Kent have been prosecuted after a pupil was severely injured when he was hit by a shot put during a routine multi-sport PE lesson in June 2014. Read more

The Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 have been amended and CDM 2015 will be released on 6th April 2015.  Read more

Electronic cigarettes have become increasingly popular in the last 12 months but most employers are unsure of how to treat them. On the one hand employers want to be seen to assist employees who use them to stop smoking. However, some also feel that if they don’t treat e-cigatettes in the same way as normal cigarettes, it may undermine the existing smoking restrictions in force on the employer’s premises.  Read more

As a result of the high volume of complaints and criticisms which followed the DfE guidance issued in October 2014 regarding the Childcare Act 2006 and specifically the implications of the disqualification sections, the DfE have recently issued new guidance. Read more

All schools are likely to have at least one pupil or employee who is severely food-allergic, and many schools will have more. Peanut allergy is particularly common, with one in 70 children nationwide thought to be affected.  Read more

This is one of the employment-related ‘hot topics’ which Ofsted are currently interested in. You may wish to amend your single central records to include a section which allows you to demonstrate regular checks are being carried out to identify whether any teachers are disqualified.  Read more