SCHOOLS URGED TO ENSURE LEGAL POLICIES ARE FIT FOR PURPOSE

Schools are being urged to make sure their policies are up to scratch after a Stockport law firm noticed a rise in the number of enquiries from education institutions.

SAS Daniels LLP has seen an increase in recent months in the number of primary and secondary schools seeking advice on whether they have the correct, most sensible policies in place to deal with employment law issues.

       Partner in the firm’s employment team, John Cook, said:

       “We’ve seen a number of cases in recent months where
       schools have not been able to deal with situations due
to difficulties with policies that are simply too detailed. Policies need to be effective and fair to both the school and the staff.

“An increasing number of schools are becoming academies.  This brings with it more autonomy over budgets and schools are beginning to realise that while the freedom academy status brings can be beneficial to the learning environment, it also comes with an increased opportunity to obtain employment legal advice that can empower and help a school achieve their goals.”

One school which has recognised the value of a good policy is Hilbre High School in West Kirby, Wirral. The school has converted to an academy and has felt the benefit of more streamlined policies under the new structure.

Headteacher at Hilbre High School, Jan Levenson, said:
“Schools are having to run much more like businesses now, and that includes making sure the best policies are in place for our staff and students. With choice comes duty and having a trusted source of advice and level of support is as invaluable for schools as it is in the rest of the business world.”

John Cook added:
“Without good advice schools can be frightened into taking no action.  Employment law should never be seen as a barrier to running a school or any other business.  There are very few grey areas in employment law really, but schools especially tend to get caught out on basic employment matters without good advice behind them.”

SAS Daniels offers a fixed-fee employment law and HR service to schools called SAS Protect and HR Solutions. The services include onsite services and cover for individual employment law issues such as grievances and disciplinary procedures, as well as personal representation at tribunals.