Introduction to This Month's Schools Law Brief

We anticipate that schools will be considering how best to support members of their community affected by these events and will be making arrangements to monitor other potential impacts of the political situation as it unfolds. We attach our thoughts about the key issues to be considered in that context.

Safeguarding is in the spotlight once again with the consultation on updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education, which opened on 13 January and closes on the 8 March. We review the key changes which are proposed. It is possible that we will see further change following the publication of the residential schools investigation report by IICSA on their website next Tuesday. We will report on the detail of that in our next edition.

We also have a host of other articles for you, covering may of the issues you will be facing on a day to day basis:

• Data breaches are a perennial concern for schools, who like many, are continually reviewing how systems can be optimised to address this issue and the risks it poses. We offer some thoughts on how to achieve that.
• As many schools have struggled post Brexit to fill Language Assistant vacancies, we ask if the immigration system can help to address this.
• Following a significant holiday pay decision, handed down by the Court of Appeal recently, in the case of Smith v Pimlico Plumbers Ltd, we consider the implications for employers.  
• Also on staff matters, with a public consultation due to close on 8 March, we examine the changes the TRA is proposing to make to teaching standards regulation. 
• Questions for schools persist concerning legal requirements and best practice for schools supporting transgender pupils. VWV has developed a note on the law relating to single sex admissions for ISBA, which members can access in their reference library. We are also hosting a free webinar for independent schools on 10 March which will explore some of the key legal and practical considerations for schools concerning gender identity. You can register here.

Should you have any queries regarding these or any other issues, please do contact us, or complete the form below.