Schools consider how budgets will stretch budgets this year In August, schools considered three or four-day weeks as a way to stay within budget in the face of massive pressures in the wake of unfunded staff pay increases and rising energy costs. Schools also considered shortening the school day and reducing the number of clubs and enrichment oppor...

Social media is something we can't live without, but it's important to sure that our staff and students use it responsibly. Our free social media template will set out how everyone can use social media safely.  Click below to download your free copy.   Keystone-Free-Social-Media-Policy 49 kb Download Files

Retainers can be a fantastic way to get support and advice from professional experts – without the cost of their salaries. Here are four reasons you should consider a retainer this coming school year. The best (and sometimes not so best!) thing about working in education is that no two days are the same. There is always a new project to oversee or ...

 In paragraph 215 of the new KCSIE guidelines, which came into effect on 1st September, schools and trusts carry out an "online search (including social media) as part of their due diligence on the shortlisted candidates." Conducting in conjunction with adequate DBS checks, a search should only be used to find any "incidents or issues" involvi...

The long-awaited updated Academies Trust Handbook has been released! Luckily there haven't been many changes to this edition but here are the amendments that you should know about and how they affect you. These changes came into effect on the 1st September and you should be aware of them as the 2022/23 year begins. Budget Forecast Return OutturnSta...

Fire risk assessments have been a legal requirement since 2005 when the Fire Safety (Regulatory Reform) Order was passed. Every non-domestic premises must have a "responsible person" carry out a fire risk assessment and should record any significant findings. The "responsible person" should have either total control or a degree of control over the ...

Although you should review your fire risk assessment every year, there are steps you can take in between to ensure you are as fire ready as possible. There are currently no statutory checks that you should take place but it's really important to conduct regular checks to ensure both you are well prepared. Here is our checklist with our suggested da...

We've moved a long way from having the "3Rs" as the main focus of education. We have been moving towards giving a more rounded education for a long time. As well as teaching our students essential life skills like reading and mathematics, we work to inspire a lifelong love of learning with lessons on history, geography, art and music. But is it pos...

Pip Lloyd is one of Keystone's resident HRexperts.An L7 qualified CIPD practioner, she has a passion for improving children's' education through effective strategic planning and positive employee relations. A skilled mediator with a knack for keeping HR simple, Pip makes sure that all colleagues across the organisation can thrive and that schools c...

On the 19th July, the government announced a pay rise for teachers starting in September. As part of the push towards a £30,000 salary for new teachers, Early Career Teachers (ECTs, formerly NQTs) outside of the capital will receive an 8.9% increase. More established teachers will receive increases ranging from 5% to 8% depending on experience, whi...

Appraisal time is approaching! Appraisals can be a time of high stress. It's normal for even the most confident, beloved teacher to feel some anxiety at appraisal time. Appraisals shouldn't be a rod to beat your teachers with but should be a part of a wider conversation around school improvement. A good appraisal should be thorough but supportive w...

Diversifying our income is key to being able to deliver what you want for children. A wise person once told me that, "you can cost control yourself out of a crisis, but it doesn't give you the long-term future". Never has this been truer than in the world of schools. The financial pressures we have experienced over recent years have seemingly becom...

Since 2016, the Academies Trust Handbook has detailed exactly what schools and trusts have to do in order to remain compliant. There are also requirements detailed in the Equality Act 2010 and Children and Families Act 2014. Websites are often fall to the bottom of the "to do" lists and it's easy for them to become out of date. To help you keep on ...

 We welcome the new education secretary July started with a flurry of activity after previous education secretary Nadhim Zahawi was promoted to Chancellor. Michelle Donelan was the first to be appointed into the vacancy, but resigned after just 36 hours in the job in protest of Boris Johnson's refusal to resign as PM. This makes her the shorte...

"Why do we do things this way or that way?" That is the question often goes through my mind whenever I enter a school or trust. Why is the status quo the status quo? Is it because it's the right thing to do, the best way to do things or the easiest way to do things? Academisation has given schools and trusts more freedom than ever to run as they se...