Working Together. Supporting Academies FOOT ANSTEY

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1 Working Together Supporting Academies FOOT ANSTEY

2 ABOUT YOU We recognise that your priority is to continue to provide an excellent standard of education for pupils. Once you become an Academy we can help you to: Ensure a smooth transition Comply with good practice Manage your risks effectively ABOUT FOOT ANSTEY Foot Anstey provides legal services to a range of high profile clients on a national basis and we are proud of our roots in south west England. We attract employees with first class training and expertise from City and other national firms as well as developing home grown talent and are committed to ensuring that our people realise their maximum potential. We have almost 200 lawyers, including 39 partners, and a further 150 business support professionals, working out of offices in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset and are continuing to grow. What We Do We offer first rate advice across a full range of services including: Corporate and commercial Dispute resolution Employment, pensions and tax Private client, family and childcare Real estate Our approach is flexible and client-focused, and we often work with clients' other professional advisors such as accountants, consultants and architects to provide cohesive solutions. Our clients tell us we are down to earth and easy to do business with and we hope you will think so too. SUPPORTING ACADEMIES We currently work with schools and FE colleges in the independent and public sector and have an indepth understanding of the issues that affect you. Because we work with a wide variety of educational institutions we have excellent resources available that ensure our advice is tailored to the needs of a school rather than providing generic advice. 1

3 You will have two to three dedicated specialists who will get to know you well to ensure consistency and provide a supportive approach. Whether you have just converted to Academy status and want a helping hand through your first year, or need advice on specific issues, we have a package designed to suit you. Our Support Packages First Year Success - to support you in the first 12 months after you become an Academy. HR Support Services - a range of services including an HR helpline, review and tribunal services. We handle about 200 Employment Tribunals a year and have good working relationships with other professionals in this field including the judges, ACAS conciliators and trade union officials. Employment Protection Insurance Fixed-Fee Pick and Mix Menu / Create your own - we can add a wider range of legal support services to the packages above for a fixed fee. Alternatively we can offer any of these services as a stand alone arrangement if you do not opt for a First Year Success or HR package. FIRST YEAR SUCCESS This service will give you access to advice and assistance on legal issues arising immediately after you become an Academy. This is designed to complement other services that the school may have chosen to subscribe to such as HR advice via a service level agreement with the Local Authority, payroll services and advice on areas such as admissions, governance matters and health and safety. For a one-off fixed fee the School will receive: Initial Meeting Initial post-conversion meeting with a qualified solicitor to undertake a legal risk analysis and assess any immediate or on-going legal needs. Separate fee estimates at a preferential rate for subscribers to the service will be given in advance of any work being undertaken. General Information Helpline Telephone advice from qualified solicitors specialising in education, employment, governance and commercial matters. These will usually be the solicitors who advised you on your transfer to an Academy trust and will be familiar with your school. The service is designed for brief queries, advice or general guidance of up to 15 minutes. If you wish to instruct us on any ongoing matters, separate fee estimates at a preferential rate for subscribers to the service will be given in advance of work being undertaken. 2

4 Governor Support and Training Free attendance for all governors to attend termly training session on relevant and new legal issues, for example on the standard functions and obligations of Company Directors and Charitable Trustees. First Year Success: 1,500 (exc VAT) HR policies For an additional fixed fee, the School will also receive a suite of HR policies specifically designed to meet the needs of Academies incorporating all the latest legislative requirements and best practice models. We will also advise the Academy on how to implement these policies. HR Policies: 500 (exc VAT) HR SUPPORT SERVICES HR Helpline An annual support contract offering advice by telephone and . Contract and handbook reviews can be undertaken at the outset on a separate fixed fee basis. Defence of Employment Tribunals will be charged at an additional cost but a preferential rate will be offered for HR Helpline subscribers. HR Helpline: 1,800 basic + 18 per employee (exc VAT) HR Helpline and Review Service This annual support contract includes advice by telephone and and a termly visit to the school to advise on HR issues. The package includes the costs of contract and staff handbook review and update at the outset of the contract and as required during the year. Defence of Employment Tribunals will be charged at an additional cost but a preferential rate will be offered for HR Helpline and Review Service subscribers. HR Helpline and Review Service: 3,800 basic + 18 per employee (exc VAT) HR Helpline, Review and Tribunal Service This annual support contract includes advice by telephone and and a termly visit to the school to advise on HR issues. Also included are the costs of contract and staff handbook review and update at the outset of the contract and as required during the year, and legal costs for two employment tribunals per year. You can include more than two employment tribunals for an additional fixed sum. HR Helpline and Review Service: 3,800 basic + 18 per employee + 4,500 per fixed cost Employment Tribunal defence (exc VAT) 3

5 EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION INSURANCE You can add employment protection insurance to the package you choose. Employment protection insurance covers the cost of both legal fees for defending Employment Tribunal claims and the cost of any award made to the Claimant. The Academy can benefit from an indemnity of either 50,000 or 100,000 depending on the premium you select. Please contact us for further details and a quote if you are interested in this option. FIXED-FEE PICK AND MIX MENU / CREATE YOUR OWN You can add additional legal support services to the above packages from a fixed fee menu. We can also offer any of these services as stand alone support packages if you do not want a First Year Success or HR package. Our services include: Admissions and exclusions Charity law Company/corporate support Data security Debt recovery Freedom of Information Governance matters Health and safety Insurance and tax Other student related matters Property and planning Special educational needs (including statementing) Where individual issues look likely to exceed the scope of the fixed-fee package, separate fee estimates at a preferential rate will be given in advance of work being undertaken. Up to 6 hours Up to 12 hours Up to 20 hours 810 (exc VAT) 1,500 (exc VAT) 2,300 (exc VAT) 4

6 ADDED VALUE Training We are happy to provide hands-on training for school leaders, managers and governors. Please contact us for further details. Discounts for parents and staff We are pleased to offer the parents and staff of subscribers to our Supporting Academies packages a discounted rate on our personal legal services, including conveyancing and wills. Work experience for secondary school students We will guarantee that students from your school will be given places in our annual work placement programmes. Newsletter and legal updates We provide you with paper and e-newsletters covering issues of interest to you: employment, property and planning etc. Our work with schools Some of the work that we are doing with other schools includes: Regular attendance at governors meetings, for example attendance at an employment committee to provide training and guidance on employment issues, policies and risk management. Supporting and getting involved with the school life, for example we have run workshops for pupils attending The Girls' Schools Association Headgirls conference, played a key part in the Jobs for the Girls careers event, take part in the You re Hired Plymouth competition and supported the Debt Literacy Project and Devon Education Business Partnership in Exeter. In addition, many of our lawyers are trustees and governors of primary and secondary schools, academies, FE colleges and specialised colleges, giving us a unique insight into your needs. 5

7 CONTACT US Julia Green, partner and head of education T: E: julia.green@footanstey.com Julia has particular experience in advising schools on conversion to trust and academy status and has acted for over 40 schools. She has worked with a range of clients from state schools, further education colleges to special schools and independent schools including Stoke Damerel Community College, Pool Business and Enterprise College and Kelly College. Outside the south west, Julia has advised schools in Warwickshire, Kent, the Isle of Wight and London. She has also advised Cornwall College, University of Plymouth and South Devon College. Julia is a governor at a local secondary school, being chairman of the site and buildings committee, vice chair of governors and a governor of the country s largest further education college. One thing you d never guess about me: I have sailed across the Atlantic WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT US The Education Team has experience of working with independent, state primary and secondary schools, special school sectors and further education establishments. They have developed niche expertise in the field of trust and foundation schools further to recent enabling legislation. Clients extend across the country and include well respected institutions within the sector. Chambers Guide Welcoming and supportive instead of bookish and arrogant. Chambers Guide The service is of equal depth and professionalism to the bigger national firms. Chambers Guide Foot Anstey has shown that the legal system can cope with creativity. I have been very pleased with their adaptability to our way of working and their proof and understanding that everything isn t always black and white. Leah Brewer, Eden Project Streets ahead in terms of price and approach. Legal 500 Foot Anstey demonstrates an instinctive understanding of our organisation and its culture. We trust and respect their advice and guidance. Adele Cope, HR Director, RSC Excellent legal advice in a commercial context. Rather than being told what you can t do, the focus is on the solutions with minimum fall out. Louise Tilly, Employee Relations Manager, Screwfix It is impossible to ignore the skills and experience of the Foot Anstey employment team. Quality is still foremost, and clients recommend the lawyers well-tuned understanding of the requirements of business and their responsive, pragmatic approach. Chambers 2010 Foot Anstey LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and registered in England and Wales no. OC Supporting Academies FINAL.doc

8 Foot Anstey LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and registered in England and Wales no. OC Supporting Academies FINAL.doc