This week’s Bursarcast focuses on safeguarding, security, complaints, estates compliance and end-of-year operational readiness for independent schools. We cover the DfE consultation on the new information-sharing duty under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, including the potential implications for safeguarding practice, policy, training, local partnership working, record-keeping and professional judgement. We also flag the Home Office’s statutory guidance on Martyn’s Law, now the main source of information on requirements for premises in scope. Education-specific guidance from the DfE is still awaited, and the law is not expected to come into force until spring 2027. For schools managing parental complaints, we look at the growing use of AI-generated correspondence, including the risk of longer, more legalistic and sometimes inaccurate complaints. The episode highlights the importance of proportionate processes, clear communication boundaries and inspection-ready complaints handling. The end-of-year checklist is another major theme, with finance, payroll, HR and compliance tasks now coming into sharp focus. We cover charity reporting, P11Ds, PAYE Settlement Agreements, audit planning, budget finalisation, payroll updates, National Minimum Wage and mileage-rate checks, SORP preparation, VAT, employment contracts, staff accommodation documents, SCR checks, policy review and strategic risk-register updates. We also look at inspection readiness on water supplies, including drinking water, scalding risk, washing facilities, legionella risk assessments, flushing records, temperature monitoring and maintenance evidence. Digital risk features too, with the launch of the DfE Cyber Security Hub and ISBA’s updated guidance on parent WhatsApp groups, covering data protection, reputation, safeguarding and parent communications. A focused update for bursars, heads, governors, COOs, DSLs, HR leads, estates teams and compliance leads preparing for the final weeks of term and the start of the next academic year. Resources Mentioned DfE consultation on the information-sharing duty under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act — available via GOV.UK Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 — available via GOV.UK Home Office statutory guidance on Martyn’s Law / Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — available via GOV.UK Security Industry Authority consultation on Martyn’s Law regulatory guidance — available via GOV.UK Stone King guidance on AI and parental complaints — referenced in the ISBA bulletin ParentKind guidance on effective complaint resolution and AI use — available via ParentKind ISBA end-of-academic-year advice and guidance checklist — available in the ISBA bulletin and member resources Charity Commission annual return and accounts filing services — available via GOV.UK Charity Commission for Northern Ireland annual reporting guidance — available via CCNI OSCR annual reporting guidance — available via OSCR HMRC P11D and P11D(b) guidance — available via GOV.UK HMRC PAYE Settlement Agreement guidance — available via GOV.UK ISBA template employment contracts — available in the ISBA Reference Library ISBA staff accommodation contracts — available in the ISBA Reference Library ISBA Bursar’s Guide to ISI Inspection — available in the ISBA Reference Library HSE guidance on Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease — available via HSE Standards for school premises — available via GOV.UK ISBA Approach to Parent WhatsApp Groups guidance — available in the ISBA Reference Library DfE Cyber Security Hub for schools — available via GOV.UK DfE AI support materials for schools and colleges — available via GOV.UK Chartered College of Teaching AI case studies and research articles — available via the Chartered College of Teaching Subscribe & Follow New episodes every Friday at 4 pm on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Acast. Email: podcast@theisba.org.uk – we’d love to hear from you. The Bursarcast is produced by RAFIKI STUDIO www.rafikistudio.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
