School Law for New and Aspiring School Leaders
WEB213N02: As a newly appointed or aspiring school leader or a leader who wants to succeed, mentor & support fellow leaders and colleagues, it’s crucial that you can engage with & understand the fundamental, emerging & evolving legal framework in which schools operate. Gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in a leadership role by bolstering your ability and confidence to make legally sustainable and compliant decisions that enhance the safety & wellbeing of all in your school.
Description
For Teachers:
Attend and earn 7 Professional Development Hours (NSW)
Completing this conference will contribute 4 hours of NSW Education Standards Authority PD addressing 6.2.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW
Attend and earn 7 CPD points (QLD, WA, SA)
Attending this conference will contribute 4 hours of CPD addressing the standards as listed from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining teacher registration
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements: understand the implications of, and comply with, relevant legislative, administrative, organisational and professional requirements, policies and processes.
Attend and earn 7 hours of PD (VIC)
Attending this conference will contribute 4 hours of PD addressing the standards as listed from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining
Proficient Teacher registration in Victoria.
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements: understand the implications of, and comply with, relevant legislative, administrative, organisational and professional requirements, policies and processes.
For Lawyers:
Attend and earn 7 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States and Territories.
BOOK THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER WITH THE COMPLETE SCHOOL LAW SERIES AND THE SCHOOL LAW: THE NEW WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY LAWS IN WA (FOR WA ONLY) FOR JUST $1495.
To do so, call us on (02) 9387 8133 or email info@legalwiseseminars.com.au
Session 1
Essential Toolkit: Duty of Care, Safety and Workplace Law for Emerging School Leaders
Chair: Beth Ellerman, Director of Finance and Operations, Danebank
9.00am to 10.00am AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Writing Duty of Care Policies
In this workshop you will consider example policies and discuss their points of strength and their weaknesses. Utilise this valuable policy interpretation workshop to tighten your school’s duty of care policies. You will also discuss important points for your staff to know if a duty of care complaint is made against them. Master how to implement adequate and robust policies for:
- Excursions
- Before/after school
- Driving students
- Injuries
- Sport
- Playground duty
- Interschool vacations
Bring your questions and your insights for a lively and informative workshop and Q&A where you can find the answers to your most pressing duty of care and policy questions.
Presented by Wendy Blacker, Director, Wendy Blacker Lawyers
10.00am to 11.00am Gaining Practical Tips for Implementing Risk Management Systems in Your School
- What is risk management and why is it important
- Helpful risk concepts to understand and use
- Risk management ‘blockers’ and how to overcome them
Presented by Jonathan Oliver, Principal Consultant, Complispace
11.00am to 11.15am Morning Tea
11.15am to 12.15pm Understanding Workplace Health and Safety for Schools
- Overview of WHS obligations for schools and individual school leaders
- Emerging issues:
- Mental health
- Managing contractors and maintenance
- COVID-19 and the new normal
- Questions
Presented by John Makris, Partner, Kingston Reid and Benjamin Knox, Managing Director, Compliance OHS
12.15pm to 1.15pm Explaining Workplace Law Issues for Schools
- Understanding industrial instruments and associated employee entitlements, including flexible work requests
- Maintaining and enforcing appropriate performance and conduct standards for workers
- Changes and reforms in relation to casual employment
- Managing ill and injured workers
- Legal reform and lessons from COVID-19: remote work, vaccination requirements and the Jobkeeper Scheme
Presented by Ian Bennett, Special Counsel and Josephine Lennon, Senior Associate, Sparke Helmore Lawyers
1.15pm to 2.00pm Lunch
Session 2
Navigating Your Legal Liability to Protect Children, Support Students with Disabilities and When Families Break Up
Chair: Brad Swibel, Deputy Head of School (Secondary), St Andrew’s Cathedral School
2.00pm to 3.00pm Protecting Children in Your School
- Creating a child safe school
- Risk management responsibilities and reporting obligations
- Establishing a child protection framework: the NSW experience
Presented by Kathryn Element, Child Protection Advisor/ Investigator, Association of Independent Schools of NSW
3.00pm to 4.00pm The Rights of Students with Disability to Access Education: Schools Working Together with Students with Disability and their Families
- What is disability and how does Australian discrimination law apply to education providers?
- What can schools do to supports students with disability to access education?
- Participation in courses and programs
- Access to services and facilities, for example, assessment tasks, school excursions, camps, performances and concerts
- Practical tips on providing an accessible and inclusive curriculum and general and specialist support (e.g. specialised teachers and interpreters)
- An update on the work of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability and the implications of this for schools
Presented by Rebecca Haynes, Senior Legal Counsel, Knox Grammar School
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon tea
4.15pm to 5.15pm Managing Risk for Schools in Family Law: The Most Asked Questions about Parenting Orders, Urgent Family Violence Orders and Subpoenas
Address your knowledge gaps regarding the challenges facing schools when students are involved in family breakdown. Hear from our family law experts to find out about:
- The family law process in a nutshell
- The most pressing issues facing schools when students are confronted by family violence and what you need to know about the way courts respond to such allegations, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic affected families in crisis
- What you need to do to effectively manage parenting orders and reduce the many risks faced by schools
- Parental rights to information when court orders are on foot and when they are not
- What you need to know about responding to subpoenas
Presented by Alicia Elliott, Director, Holmes Donnelly & Co Solicitors and Melanie Stern, Managing Associate, Stern Law Solicitors
Presenters
Beth Ellerman
Beth Ellerman has a strong history in general management in non-government schools, early childhood and tertiary institutions. Whilst her passion is Governance and People and Culture, in her current role as Director of Finance and Operations Manager for Danebank, an Anglican School for Girls, She is responsible for all the non-teaching aspects of school life. Beth has served as a director on a number of school and tertiary boards, has started and closed schools and is the Vice President of the Association of School Business Administrators (NSW).
Brad Swibel
Brad Swibel was appointed as Deputy Head of School at St Andrew's Cathedral School in 2013. Brad is responsible for all four divisions of the school - Gawura (K-6 indigenous school), Junior School (K-6), Middle School (Years 7-9) and Senior College (Years 10-12). He works closely with this team to manage events, wellbeing and student management across the school. Brad is also responsible for policy and staffing. Brad works with the senior executive team on vision development, alignment and strategy and is involved in cocurricular, marketing and budgetary planning. Brad works closely with the Deputy Head (Teaching and Learning) to oversee curriculum, professional development and academic tracking of students.
Wendy Blacker
Wendy acts for some of Australia's leading insurers and self-insureds advising on a broad range of matters, including those involving professional negligence, public liability and product liability. In the area of life sciences, Wendy has an extensive practice in the education sector; her clients include schools and tertiary institutions. She has undertaken legal work for leading Sydney independent schools and the Department of Education and acted in a range of matters including those involving child protection matters, bullying, negligence, breach of contract, discrimination and general commercial matters.
Jonathan Oliver
Jonathan is a Principal Consultant working with CompliSpace education clients. He has more than 10 years experience in the school sector as a teacher, compliance and legal adviser and more recently as a Business Manager. Jonathan has been a solicitor for nearly 30 years and worked in both private practice and community legal centres.
John Makris
John Makris is a workplace health and safety and environmental law practitioner. He devotes a significant amount of time to proactively addressing health and safety and environmental compliance, including educating and training his clients on a range of safety, environmental and workers compensation topics, presenting regular education seminars to his clients and industry. He regularly conducts workplace safety and environmental compliance training to ensure that his clients and their responsible individuals are compliant with legislation. Mr. Makris is actively involved in a number of industry specific groups and regularly provides advice and representation to industry bodies.
Benjamin Knox
Benjamin initially worked in occupational rehabilitation following the completion of his degree in Occupational Therapy. Further study in Work Health and Safety led to the establishment of Compliance OH&S in 2004. Over the past 10 years Benjamin has worked across most industries providing expert advice in WHS. Benjamin is an accredited RABQSA Lead Auditor for WHSMS, QMS & EMS. The main focus of the business is in development of safety systems, training and project management.
Ian Bennett
Ian Bennett is an experienced workplace lawyer specialising in employee relations, work health and safety (WHS) and coronial inquests. He provides practical and pragmatic advice to help employers effectively manage complex legal issues arising in the workplace with strategies that look at the bigger picture and mitigate potential flow-on effects (such as public relations, commercial arrangements, insurance and regulatory compliance. Because of his broad practice, Ian has a diverse client base spanning government (local, state and Commonwealth) and statutory corporations and authorities, as well as organisations in the private sector across all industries. Ian is a regular contributor to Sparke Helmore’s Workplace publications.
Josephine Lennon
Josephine is a specialist employment lawyer at Sparke Helmore Lawyers and has experience across a range of employment law, including restraint of trade proceedings, unfair dismissal and general protections claims, discrimination, sexual harassment, workplace investigations and contractual disputes. She holds a Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Communication studies from the University of Technology, Sydney and University of New England, Armidale, respectively.
Kathryn Element
Rebecca Haynes
Rebecca Haynes is the Senior Legal Counsel at Knox Grammar School. She has over 15 years’ experience in education law, child protection, health law and social justice law. She has worked in litigation and in-house roles for several large not for profit organisations, government and a community legal centre.
Alicia Elliott
Alicia Elliott is a family law specialist accredited by the Law Society of New South Wales. She practises exclusively in family law and provides clear guidance and advice on all aspects of family law, including divorce, property matters, parenting issues, child support, spouse maintenance and de facto relationships. Alicia has successfully represented clients in all areas of family law. She has acted in complex financial cases, including high net worth matters, valuation disputes and those relating to family companies and trusts. Alicia was previously employed at the Serious Fraud Office in London and brings a forensic and investigative approach to all of her matters.
Melanie Stern
Melanie Stern is a family law accredited specialist and joined Stern Law Solicitors in 2019 after years of working in top family law firms and as a legal associate to Judges of the Family Court of Australia where she gained invaluable experience. In 2018, Melanie was recognised in the Doyle’s Guide as a “Rising Star” in family law. Melanie provides expert advice and representation in a broad range of legal matters, including family law (divorce, parenting matters, property, complex financial issues, child support, spouse maintenance and de facto relationships) and estate matters (including family provision, wills and probate). She holds BLArch(Hons); DipPM; LLB; Master of Applied Law (Family Law) and is a member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and the Eastern Suburbs Law Society.
Kathryn Element
Kathryn Element is a Child Protection Advisor and Investigator at the AISNSW. Kathryn has been with the AISNSW since February 2017. Kathryn has extensive experience (19 years) in the area of Child Protection, having worked as a Senior Child Protection Caseworker in the Joint Child Protection Response Program in Chatswood (formerly known as JIRT) for 10 years, and an additional 4 years with FACS. Kathryn provides high-level advice, support and guidance to AISNSW member schools in child protection related matters and conducts extensive child protection investigations. Kathryn is a highly skilled facilitator and trainer in child protection risk management and safeguarding.