04 Jun Schools as charities: legal and regulatory update Fri
07 Jun The New Art of Headship Tue
11 Jun Introduction to VAT for schools Tue
18 Jun Questions that Heads should be asking their team about VAT policy and detail Tue
18 Jun So you want to be a bursar? Tue
25 Jun Holiday Pay Update Fri
28 Jun Gender Questioning Pupils - unpacking the guidance, law and best practice Fri
28 Jun VAT on school fees update More Upcoming Events
Welcome to ISBA’s Weekly Bulletin 10. These bulletins will be sent to ISBA members regularly with the very latest on operational and regulatory issues impacting independent schools. If you have a question you would like us to answer in this bulletin please email us or call us on 01256 330369.
If you missed our last bulletin it is available here.
With Labour riding high in the polls, it is imperative that schools plan and prepare for how you would respond to proposals for VAT on school fees. In February, ISC sent an alert to member schools with insights gained from the ISC’s VAT preparedness survey and an updated version of its political and financial threats guidance, along with advice on how you and your school community can engage with politicians about the effects of VAT on your school and on your local area. To read the alert, please click here (for ISC association member schools only). Please ensure that your governors have seen the alert.
For information about contacting MPs and candidates about VAT policy please click here, (log in to ISC Member Zone to view). You will also find information about using the Economic Impact Tool which can be accessed here.
For further support and advice, please contact us here at ISBA or email Matthew Dent at the ISC: matthew.dent@isc.co.uk
VWV has published a useful article on the guidance published by the Government and ACAS on the statutory right to one week's unpaid carer's leave for employees in England, Wales and Scotland which came into effect from 6 April 2024.
The DfE’s non-statutory guidance was updated on 19 April 2024 to clarify the use of consent and the legal frameworks needed to support the sharing of information in relation to safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers.
Harrison Clark Rickerbys has made some further minor updates to ISBA’s model staff handbook since the revised version was issued on 12 April 2024. There are two changes within the flexible working policy which clarify how to treat formal requests for flexible working, even if a request is withdrawn. There is also a slight alteration to the recommendations for dealing with a request within the two-month timeframe. To view the tracked changes made please click here.
As an employer, you must protect your workers from manual handling injuries in the workplace.
You can find help with managing the risk of manual handling injuries in your workplace with the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) step-by-step guide.
The HSE’s manual handling website pages have a range of useful information and advice for employers, including sections on assessing manual handling and training for workers.
There are also links to a variety of useful resources. These include the following free-to-download publications:
The ISC is in the process of putting together the 2024 Celebrating Partnerships booklet and is keen to hear from you about your school’s partnership activity.
Your partnership might cover academic, careers and higher education support; sports; governance or bursaries. The ISC is particularly interested in featuring examples in these key areas:
- partnerships in areas with high levels of under-funding/deprivation;
- access to music and the arts;
- teacher training and development;
- mental health support;
- early language skills;
- STEM projects; and
- SEND partnerships and support for Alternative Provision settings (including partnerships with local councils).
This year’s edition will be published earlier than usual, so please email your case studies to to: press@isc.co.uk before the May half term to be considered for inclusion. Thank you.
Source: ISC
Please note the ISBA advice and guidance email address has now changed to: adviceatISBA@theisba.org.uk
We have been asked by a current parent if they can pay their school fees via a trust and we are unsure if there is anything we should be taking into consideration before making a decision.
At the outset you will need to run the anti-money laundering checks: – what is the trust, where did the money come from, why is it paying the fees and other questions along those lines. Hoping you are already familiar with AML advice but here’s a useful link: Money Laundering Guidance and Model Policy.
You should also issue a Parent Contract - 3rd Party Payer Letter.
Finally, you’ll need to set up fee billing in accordance with the wishes/requirement of the parents/trust.
Do you have any advice on pay freezes for teachers in TPS?
On the subject of pay freezes for teachers in TPS, the TPS calculation method for the ‘best consecutive three years in ten’ average salary only applies revaluation if the salary rate changes. This means a pay freeze leads to no revaluation of pension and potential losses for members. The recommendation is that salaries should be increased by £1 in the 2024-25 academic year to trigger the revaluation.
We have recruited and appointed a new finance assistant (subject to relevant recruitment checks!); however, I had a question surrounding the aspect of ‘individuals who have lived or worked outside the UK in the past 10 years’.
The candidate we have recruited lived overseas in Munich for a period of two years during 2020/22 but did not work as they were on maternity leave. They will be in non-regulated activity in their role, but I will request an enhanced DBS certificate with barred list check plus the usual recruitment checks as they will regularly have the opportunity to interact with children around the school site.
As they are not in a teaching position, I just wanted to confirm what overseas checks I am required to complete on them? Would I just be required to risk assess them to indicate our informed decision-making that supports our decision?
Do complete the overseas checks as they are applicable particularly given they “have the opportunity to interact with children around the school site”.
The best option is a police check but if this is not possible further references and a risk assessment are appropriate and helps to “demonstrate due diligence” and “a safe learning environment”.
We have been receiving a number of emails from schools which have suffered cyber breaches, particularly ‘brute force attacks’. More information on a recent incident can be found here.
Did you know that ISBA provides a free online programme for newly appointed bursars, that is not just for ‘bursars’? Other similar roles, such as operations manager, finance officer, estates manager, director of finance and operations, or other operational team members, are most welcome – particularly if they are new to the independent school sector.
The aim of the programme is to provide an overview of all the key areas that bursars and their operational teams will need to get to grips with in their first few months in post. Topics covered include finance, estates management, health and safety, inspections, the role of the clerk to the governors, the single central register, safeguarding and much more. This seven-meeting series includes time to ask questions about the topics covered, as well as about issues/scenarios at the attendees’ individual schools. It is also an excellent starting point for succession planning and career development at your school – ideal if you have an assistant bursar who would like to progress, for example, or someone who wants to move from another operations area to a more bursar-style role.
NAB Cohort #12 online meetings will take place on the dates below. Please contact ISBA’s membership co-manager C-J Ward-Askey on isbaadmin@theisba.org.uk if you or one of your operations colleagues would like to join this cohort.
- Friday 3 May 2024, 09.30 - 10.45
- Thursday 9 May 2024, 14.00 - 15.15
- Wednesday 5 June 2024, 10.30 - 11.45
- Thursday 13 June 2024, 15.00 - 16.15
- Friday 21 June 2024, 13.00 - 14.15
ISBA Annual Conference 2024 – Book Your Place Now
Bursars and their teams can book day delegate tickets at ISBA’s upcoming annual conference from 20 – 22 May 2024 at the ICC, Wales. We've discounted the price for any second or subsequent day delegate bookings for colleagues from the same school.
The conference offers a selection of professional development sessions for support staff to choose from, hosted by expert speakers who will share tips and advice on the latest issues affecting the independent school sector from financial planning, mergers and acquisitions, the new inspections framework, digital strategy, sustainability, HR (neurodiversity in the workplace, discrimination, flexible working and wellbeing), safeguarding, marketing and communications (and much more!). See the full programme and find out more about the ICC as a venue by listening to our podcast.
If you have an issue you’ve been grappling with for some time or one that has just popped up in your in-tray, this event will help. There’ll be numerous opportunities to network with peers and the chance to relax at our annual dinner hosted by popular comedian Marcus Brigstocke on Wednesday 22 May.
You’ll also get to visit our largest exhibition yet of suppliers to the sector, and for the first time this year we’re offering you the chance to book a place for any member of staff to come for the day to visit the exhibition free of charge. This is an unmissable opportunity to see over 180 companies supplying a huge variety of services all under one roof. To book free places for Tuesday exhibition tickets click here and for Wednesday click here.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Webinars
Details of the webinars in our professional development programme for the spring term are listed below and are available to book here. More webinars will be added to the spring term programme so please watch this space for more details each week.
If you missed any from the autumn term all of our free of charge webinars are recorded and are available to view in the multimedia section of the ISBA reference library.
- 26 April 2024 from 11.00 - 12.00: Treasury Management
Rathbones will explain a range of options available to manage and invest school income and cash holdings.
- 30 April 2024 from 11.00 – 12.00: Inspections Update
This webinar will focus on feedback from recent inspections offering an overview of how they have gone in the first term. Durell Barnes from RSAcademics will be joined by Rex Sartain and Clare Moore from ISBA’s advice and guidance team to share the significant strengths identified and how the failings are reported. Areas of particular interest for bursars include self-evaluation, risk, health and safety, safeguarding and governance.
- 4 June 2024 from 11.00 – 12.00: Schools as Charities: Legal and Regulatory Update
Aimed at schools that are run by charities, Elizabeth Jones from Farrer and Co will provide a legal and regulatory update focused on charity law and regulation.
- 7 June 2024 from 11.00-12.00: The New Art of Headship
Russell Speirs and Lucy Robins will share the findings of RSAcademics’ recent Art of Headship Report, looking specifically at the changing nature of leadership in UK independent schools and what this means for bursars.
- 11 June 2024 from 11.00 – 12.00: Introduction to VAT for Schools
This session is designed for schools which have yet to become VAT registered. Chris Bentley-Mawer, finance director at Eastbourne College, will cover the process for becoming VAT registered, and how to set up or reorganise internal accounting systems and administrative processes for managing VAT.
- 18 June from 14.00-15.00: Questions that Heads Should be Asking their Team about VAT Policy and Detail
The session will provide headteachers and their senior leadership teams with an overview of policy on VAT and assist them in monitoring the school fee debt levels and required pupil numbers to remain viable. Speakers include John Murphie from ISBA and Kieran Smith and Josie Morgan-Jones from Crowe UK LLP.
- 25 June 2024 from 11.00-12.00: Holiday Pay Update
Oliver Daniels and Rachel Parkin from HCR Law will provide an update on the latest government guidance on the holiday pay and entitlement reforms that came into effect from 1 April 2024.
- 28 June 2024 from 11.00 - 12.00: VAT on School Fees Update
Kieran Smith and Josie Morgan-Jones from Crowe UK LLP will cover some of the issues and challenges around VAT for schools. The session will include information on how VAT impacts schools, when returns are due and which areas of the school services and estate are VAT chargeable. Understand what actions are needed now in order to prepare for potential VAT legislative change. This session is for all schools and will assume that the school will be VAT registered and paying VAT on school fees from April 2025.
- 28 June 2024 from 14.00-15.00: Gender Questioning Pupils - Unpacking the Guidance, Law and Best Practice
James Garside from VWV will offer his insight into the current legal frameworks on gender questioning pupils and how to apply them in practice. The session will explore the [final] DfE guidance, law and current thinking to support and assist independent schools in navigating an area of legal and practical complexity.
Data Protection Basics (for Independent Schools) Online Course - 27 June 2024 from 09.30-13.00
This half-day course provides a practical approach to understanding data protection in the independent school setting. Naomi Korn Associates will guide you through key areas of compliance, such as data subject requests, data protection principles, and response strategies to data breaches. Cement your knowledge of the UK's data protection legislation whilst learning skills which will help you navigate data protection in real-world scenarios. This course is suitable for delegates working at any level within the independent school sector with limited previous training or experience in data protection matters.
Cost: £258 including VAT. Please book your place here.
So you Want to be a Bursar?
- Sessions 1 and 2 on Tuesday 18 June at 11.00 - 12.15 and 16.00 – 17.15
- Sessions 3 and 4 on Thursday 20 June at 11.00 - 12 noon and 16.00 – 17.00
This course is for those looking to become a bursar or a member of the support staff management team who are not currently working in the independent school sector and are looking to progress their career.
Online safer recruitment course
ISBA’s online Safer Recruitment course is available exclusively for our members, priced at £60 per person. Booking details are here and those attending may attend the self-paced course which lasts for approximately two to three hours depending on knowledge. The online course will benefit those new to recruiting, individuals selected to conduct interviews and require revision or a three yearly update.
The online course is designed to ensure school staff are able to safely recruit new staff and comply with safeguarding regulations, Keeping Children Safe in Education and of course, most importantly, ensuring that young people learn in a safe environment. The course includes a range of commissioned videos from experts in the safeguarding field, including legal expert David Smellie from Farrer & Co.
You will get a CPD certificate on completion of the course, and the content is suitable for all staff and governors involved in the recruitment and interview process.
Astin Consulting is holding two partnerships events for schools next month as follows:
1 May 2024 from 08.00 – 08.30: #PartnerChat Breakfast Briefing
This is the latest in the monthly series of network meetings for partnership leaders and the focus of this month’s meeting is funding for partnerships with guest expert Louise Bennett from the IDPE. Register here.
8 May 2024 from 08.00 – 12.00: #PartnerChat Symposium hosted jointly by Astin Consulting and School Partnerships Alliance
This virtual event is for heads and partnership leaders from state and independent schools interested in hearing from others and sharing ideas about partnerships, especially cross-sector. Talks will be led by pairs of speakers from partner schools. There is a keynote, a virtual exhibition where delegates can meet organisations that support school partnerships and an opportunity to network with other delegates. Read the full programme and register here.
The ISBA Business Directory continues to grow as more and more companies join this invaluable online resource which provides details of suppliers and professional advisers to independent schools across the country. It offers schools the opportunity to search for specialist suppliers across the UK quickly and easily.
The directory provides suppliers to the sector the chance to demonstrate the commitment they have to quality service to independent schools and to highlight any special offers or discounts they may have for ISBA member schools. The directory is fully searchable by business type, region or by location of the supplier. We do hope you find an opportunity to make use of the directory and that it will help you find the right solutions for your school.
If you’re starting to plan summer or longer-term projects why not check the directory now to see whether there are suitable companies in there for you and don’t forget we’d love to hear from you if you have a favourite supplier you’ve used or currently use, whose services you feel other schools might be interested in and would benefit from being in the directory. Please do drop us a line with their details to office@theisba.org.uk
ISBA has weekly podcasts designed to be easy ‘on-the-go’ listening via Spotify, Buzzsprout, Apple and the multimedia section of the ISBA website. Recent episodes have included:
- Increasing market share and enhancing awareness of self and others with Audrey Pantelis and Duncan Murphy
- ISBA tool updates, reasonable adjustments, fire and rehire and holiday pay with Rachel Parkin
- Navigating change and coming out on top with Jo Twiselton
- ISI inspections, inspected with Durell Barnes and Neil Walne
- How smart is your bus platform? Pre-conference special with Luke Ryan of Zeelo
- How’s your influence? Pre-conference special with Trudy Lewis
- Edtech insights with Class Technology Solutions
- Fire and rehire, navigating difficult conversations
- Is flexible working the key to boosting performance and teacher wellbeing?
- Budget updates, BSA/ISBA conference, allergies and flexible working
- Getting to know the ICC Wales with Danielle Bounds
Burgess Hill Girls - Director of Finance and Operations – Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill Girls School is a leading day and boarding school for girls aged four to eighteen. The school stands in 14 acres of beautiful grounds within a conservation area and only a five minute walk from the railway station.
Click here for further information on this job vacancy
Kent College - Bursar and Clerk to the Governors - Canterbury
Kent College is a co-educational day and boarding school with a Methodist foundation. Located in Canterbury, just one hour from the centre of London by train, there is a Senior School (11 – 18 years) with 600 pupils, and a thriving Junior School and Nursery along with two sister campuses in Dubai and West Cairo.