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

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 in relation to these issues.  Read more

You may already be aware that last week the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruled on two very significant cases regarding overtime and commission payments, and concluded that in certain circumstances these should be paid during holiday periods. We have prepared a brief summary below outlining the effect of these rulings and what they mean for schools. Read more

Succession planning aims to secure effective leadership throughout the school hierarchy, with a plan extending into the future to cope with anticipated and potentially unexpected changes in senior personnel. An integral part of this is appointing a headteacher with the most relevant skill set to lead a school/academy on each stage of the journey of improvement. Read more

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) is a new right that is due to come into force on 1^st December 2014 and will enable eligible mothers, fathers, partners and adopters to choose how to share time off work after their child is born or placed. This could mean that the mother or adopter shares some of the leave with her partner, perhaps returning to work for part of the time and then resuming leave at a later date. Read more

On 1 September 2014, the Department for Education (DfE) published updated guidance on supporting pupils at school in England with medical conditions. Read more

The UK's headteachers are almost unanimous in saying they do not have enough time to implement their vision for schools, according to a poll by Judicium Education, the school support services company. Read more