Events List

This session will cover:

• Spotting a SAR: How to recognise a valid request and know when the clock starts ticking.
• Managing the Process: Practical Steps for gathering, reviewing, and responding efficiently.
• Avoiding Common Pitfalls: Learn where things often go wrong - and how to stay on track. 
• Best Practice Tips: Tried-and-tested ways to handle SARs with confidence and compliance.

This course will provide an overview of the key areas for consideration and potential pitfalls when planning a restructure/redundancy process. The course is CPD accredited for 2.5 hours and is aimed at those that will be involved in planning, running or overseeing a restructure or redundancy process. This could include Governors, Trustees, members of SLT, SBMs or HR team members.

This CPD accredited 5-hour course equips DSLs and their deputies to fulfil their role in line with statutory guidance and gives practical tips to Safeguarding Leads for their settings.

This CPD accredited 3-hour course provides school leaders e.g. Head teachers, Senior Managers, Directors, Academy Trust Boards, Governors, etc., the information needed to effectively manage Health and Safety in educational environments. Providing a thorough understanding of the legal requirements and how to implement a Health and Safety Management system.

Protected characteristics are a fundamental pillar of employment legislation and it is important that all employers and senior staff have an understanding of these characteristics and how they may impact on HR processes.

This CPD-accredited session is suitable for Governors and Trustees within schools and MATs. The course has been designed for school governors who sit on exclusion panels to effectively consider and reach a decision on the exclusion of a pupil.

Many senior and middle leaders will spend much of their time dealing with difficult HR matters. This session is designed to provide some top tips to reduce the time spent on HR matters and help leaders grapple with tricky complex HR issues.

There has never been a greater need for understanding and support for mental health in the workplace. This course will provide guidance on how to support the mental health of your employees at work, your responsibilities as an employer, how to spot early signs of a concern, the types of reasonable adjustments that can be put in place to support staff with their mental health and any practical steps that can be taken where absences cannot be avoided. The course is CPD accredited for 2 hours and is aimed at members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members and line managers that may be involved in managing and supporting staff with their mental health.

This session provides clear, practical guidance on how schools should identify, assess, and respond to data breaches. It aims to build confidence in recognising what constitutes a breach, understanding when and how incidents must be reported, and ensuring appropriate steps are taken to protect individuals and the organisation.

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of a school’s statutory requirements in relation to carrying out DBS checks. The course is made up 2 x 2 hour modules.

This CPD accredited 2-hour course provides training on safer recruitment in line with Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Return to work meetings are often perceived as meetings that are a ‘waste of time’ or meetings that staff are ‘too busy’ to hold. However, they can be crucial in helping to reduce short term intermittent absences, flag attendance concerns or spotting signs of ill health at an early stage. This briefing provides a practical overview of how to make the most of these crucial meetings and flags pitfalls to avoid.

Fixed term contracts are regularly used within the sector, but are not always used correctly or in line with best practice. In this session we will explore the best ways to utilise FTC and ensure that you are aware of (or minimise the risk) of any claim where they are not being used or terminated in accordance with best practice.

The course is intended to provide understanding of when an investigation into a grievance may be required, who might undertake this investigation, what the investigation process might involve, and how and when the findings and recommendations may be presented and to whom. The course is CPD accredited for 3 hours and is aimed at members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members and line managers and may also be of interest to Governors who may be asked to investigate grievances.

This course provides an overview of the full process for managing short term, intermittent sickness absence, from the early welfare stages of a process, up to and including dismissal and appeals due to concerns about attendance. The course will also highlight the potential pitfalls that employers must be mindful of when managing absences. The course is CPD accredited for 2.5 hours of CPD. This course is aimed at members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members and line managers that may be involved in the management of short-term, intermittent sickness absence. It may also be helpful for Governors or Trustees to have an overview of the management of short-term sickness in the event they are asked to consider an appeal against a decision in the process or a dismissal of a member of staff due to concerns about attendance.

This course focuses on the practicalities of a disciplinary investigation from the perspective of the Investigating Officer. This includes when/how such investigations should be undertaken, preparing for interviews and how the investigation findings should be presented. The course is CPD accredited for 3 hours and is aimed at members of the Governing Body or trustees, SLT, SBMs, HR team members and line managers that may be asked to undertake a disciplinary investigation into conduct concerns.

This CPD accredited 5-hour course equips DSLs and their deputies to fulfil their role in line with statutory guidance and gives practical tips to Safeguarding Leads for their settings.

Briefing back by popular demand! The Education Sector is one of the few remaining sectors that relies heavily on more than purely factual references. We receive questions and queries from clients daily about the content of references, both in terms of what can be provided/responding to requests and things that have been said (or possibly worse, not said!) within a reference. Please join us to discuss the potential pitfalls when giving and receiving references and how best to avoid these.

Many schools will be working with staff that are disabled for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. However, many staff that support and manage absences are unclear on what may amount to a disability and the legal definition of a disability. It is crucial that staff involved in managing absence and supporting staff have an understanding of this definition, as this may impact on how the colleague should be managed and supported. This briefing will provide an overview of the definition of ‘disability’ in line with the Equality Act 2010. The briefing will also confirm or deny some key myths and misconceptions surrounding disabilities, to help in managing absence and supporting staff moving forward.

This session provides an overview of a fair recruitment process and the potential pitfalls to avoid. The session also covers the key requirements in terms of KCSIE throughout the full recruitment process. The session would be suitable for members of SLT, SBMs and HR staff that may be involved in the recruitment process.

This course focuses on the importance of having difficult conversations, how to prepare for these discussions and how to deal with difficult responses from staff. The course will include the opportunity to work through a number of example scenarios, where difficult responses have been given by staff, to allow managers to best prepare should they be faced with this type of response in a real-life management situation. The course is CPD accredited for 2.5 hours and is aimed at members of staff that are involved in line management who may, at times, need to hold difficult conversations with members of their team or colleagues that they line manage. This could include members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members or middle managers.

The course is intended to provide an overview of the capability process, understand when this process should be implemented and how, explore how to effectively manage the process and capability meetings to support staff and address concerns. In addition, the session will also explore the potential outcomes of this process and identify when an employee might be able to appeal against any decisions made. The course is CPD accredited for 3 hours and is aimed at members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members and line managers that may be involved in managing and supporting staff performance.

We know that settlement agreements are not a new concept, but we have seen an increase in the frequency with which settlement agreements are being requested or suggested by trade unions. We regularly receive questions on the practicalities of these agreements and this briefing is intended to answer the most frequently asked questions and dispel some myths surrounding settlement agreement. This briefing is aimed at those that may be involved in settlement discussions or decisions in regard to whether a settlement is entered into. This could include Trustees, Governors, members of SLT, HR Team members or SBMs.

This CPD accredited 2-hour course covers all there is to know about allegations of abuse made against staff from low-level concerns to LADO investigations.

Sickness absence is the biggest problem the majority of our clients face, and we regularly receive questions and queries from schools who are unclear about sick pay entitlements under the Burgundy Book (for teaching staff) and Green Book (for support staff). This session will provide a breakdown of Occupational Sick Pay and advice on how to apply this in practice.

This session will provide practical advice and guidance on how to prepare for and hold a conversation to raise performance concerns informally for the first time. The session will also look at how to progress those conversations to the early stages of a capability process where any informal support has not successfully addressed the concerns. This will ensure line managers feel as confident as possible to handle these difficult conversations and support staff to make the required improvements.

This course is designed to help delegates get a greater understanding of HR best practice, including statutory requirements related to pay and conditions of service that are specific to education. It focusses on introducing key HR administrative processes, procedures needed to ensure best practice and statutory compliance in education settings. Delegates will work through practical exercises, focussed on possible scenarios around the management of staff in schools. The course is made up of 4 x 3 hour modules delivered over 3 weeks

This CPD accredited 5-hour course equips DSLs and their deputies to fulfil their role in line with statutory guidance and gives practical tips to Safeguarding Leads for their settings.

This CPD-accredited session is suitable for Governors and Trustees within schools and MATs. The course has been designed for school governors who sit on exclusion panels to effectively consider and reach a decision on the exclusion of a pupil.

Although employers do try to deal with conduct concerns informally, when the conduct issues are minor, there will unfortunately be occasions where this is not possible and a formal disciplinary hearing, following an investigation must take place. This session will focus on how the School should prepare for a disciplinary hearing from a practical point of view – from both the perspective of the Investigating Officer and the wider Panel/decision maker.

Many employees will refer to or request ‘reasonable adjustments.’ In this briefing we will explore when the duty to make reasonable adjustments is actually triggered, when you may choose to make adjustments and some common adjustments that could be explored with an employee on a temporary or more permanent basis. This will include flexible working, phased returns and adaptions to the workspace.

Although employers do try to deal with conduct concerns informally, when the conduct issues are minor, there will unfortunately be occasions where this is not possible and a formal sanction or decision to terminate employment may be taken. As part of a fair process employees should have the opportunity to appeal this decision. This session will focus on how the School should prepare for a disciplinary appeal from a practical point of view – from both the perspective of the original decision maker and the Appeal Panel.

This course provides an overview of the full process of managing long term sickness absence, from the early welfare stages of a process, up to and including ill health retirement/dismissal due to ill health. The course will also highlight the potential pitfalls and key areas of discrimination that employers must be mindful of when managing trickier long-term absences. The course is CPD accredited for 3 hours. This course is aimed at members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members and line managers that may be involved in the management of long-term sickness absence. It may also be helpful for Governors or Trustees to have an overview of the management of long-term sickness in the event they are asked to consider the dismissal of a member of staff due to ill health or any appeal against such a decision.

This CPD accredited 2-hour course provides training on safer recruitment in line with Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) is not a new family friendly right. However, we have seen a huge increase in the number of requests received by clients for this type of leave, particularly since the pandemic. This session will provide any overview of how to deal with a SPL request, so that you are far more equipped to deal with any questions or requests from staff moving forward.

This CPD accredited 2-hour course provides training on safer recruitment in line with Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

In previous Breakfast Briefings (‘Reasonable adjustments and when to make them’) many participants asked for a more focused session, looking specifically at special schools. In this session we will briefly re-visit the legal requirement to make reasonable adjustments, but then focus on the difficult issue of how to balance the support for staff against the requirement to meet pupil needs, where these pupils also have additional needs.

This course is designed to provide participants with a thorough understanding of the key requirements of The Control of Asbestos Regulations and the best practice to manage asbestos. It will provide guidance on the key management requirements within a school environment.

The course is intended to provide an overview of employee wellbeing, the importance of this, the obligations on the employer to support wellbeing and how to utilise and make the most of any welfare meeting if concerns regarding staff wellbeing do arise. The course is CPD accredited for 2.5 hours and is aimed at members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members and line managers that may be involved in managing and supporting staff wellbeing.

This course is designed to provide the required training for a member of school staff to be an Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC). The course covers all key areas required to enable the attendee to carry out the EVC role within a school.

This briefing will provide guidance on dealing with both informal and formal flexible working requests and the reasons for which requests may fairly be refused. This briefing is aimed at those involved with day-to-day management of staff. This could include Governors, Trustees, members of SLT, SBMs, HR team members or line managers.

The majority of schools follow the School Teacher’s Pay and Conditions Document (either contractually or more generally). This document sets out details of what amounts to directed time for members of teaching staff. For staff that work part time there can often be confusion around how to utilise this time (and therefore pay) for INSET days, parents’ evening and other more unusual days. This briefing will explore these issues, with a view to supporting planning moving forward.

This course is suitable for persons responsible for fire safety and / or persons who are responsible to implement or carry out fire safety functions. Designed to ensure attendees recognise fire safety requirements to ensure their school meets key legal requirements.

Understanding the Single Central Record - Designed with those who oversee and update the SCR, this session is great for anyone looking to know more about the SCR and those seeking assurance that their SCR is compliant.

This CPD accredited 2-hour course provides training on Domestic Abuse. Domestic abuse remains a pervasive issue in the UK, affecting individuals across all demographics. Recent statistics reveal that approximately 2.3 million adults in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024, comprising 1.6 million women and 712,000 men. Despite these alarming figures, it is estimated that less than 24% of domestic abuse crimes are reported to the police.

This CPD-accredited session is suitable for Governors and Trustees within schools and MATs. The course has been designed for school governors who sit on exclusion panels to effectively consider and reach a decision on the exclusion of a pupil.

This CPD accredited 5-hour course equips DSLs and their deputies to fulfil their role in line with statutory guidance and gives practical tips to Safeguarding Leads for their settings.

This CPD accredited 1-day course has been designed to inform Premises / Site Managers their responsibilities and how to ensure compliance with current workplace legislation – including the fire safety and CDM regulations.

This CPD accredited 1-hour course provides training on Online Safety. In today’s digital world, young people face increasing risks online. From cyberbullying and inappropriate content to online grooming and radicalisation. It’s more important than ever to equip staff with the knowledge and skills they need to keep students safe.

This CPD accredited 5-hour course equips DSLs and their deputies to fulfil their role in line with statutory guidance and gives practical tips to Safeguarding Leads for their settings.

This CPD accredited 2-day course provides attendees with the information needed to effectively manage Health and Safety in their educational environment. Providing a thorough understanding of the concept 'managing safely' by focusing on: the relevant legislation, implementing a Health and Safety Management System, Identifying Hazards, Risk Assessment and Accident Management

This CPD-accredited session is suitable for Governors and Trustees within schools and MATs. The course has been designed for school governors who sit on exclusion panels to effectively consider and reach a decision on the exclusion of a pupil.

This CPD accredited 5-hour course equips DSLs and their deputies to fulfil their role in line with statutory guidance and gives practical tips to Safeguarding Leads for their settings.