Employment & HR for Independent Schools

Employment issues are one of the most common legal concerns for independent schools. We offer employment advise on contentious and non-contentious matters and our employment lawyers have a vast amount of experience of successfully representing schools at the employment tribunal.

We recognise the issues confronting a school when reorganising its workforce and developing career opportunities for its rising stars. Our employment law solicitors have extensively advised on the appointment process for new staff and the current safeguarding regime.

Our understanding of the operational context within which employment decisions are made in schools enables us to offer a full range of advice including:

• Recruitment advice;
• Employment of non-EEA nationals;
• Preparing contracts of employment and policies;
• Appraisal systems;
• Disciplinary, grievance and capability procedures;
• Age, disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religious discrimination;
• Working time rules and calculations;
• Part time and fixed term employees;
• Advising on access to pension schemes;
• Assisting in relation to capability issues;
• Family friendly working issues;
• Whistle blowing;
• Dismissals, including advice on unfair, constructive, wrongful, and redundancy dismissals;
• Settlement agreements;
• Advising in relation to Transfer of Undertakings;
• Representation at employment tribunals.

We offer regular training opportunities in the employment field and bespoke training when required. We also have a fully developed HR consultancy service and Education Retainer Service which provides at a reasonable cost full support to assist or enhance your in house HR manager. The HR advise we offer includes but is not limited to bespoke Workplace Mediation and Strategic HR support.