School Law for New and Aspiring School Leaders
Issues covered include:Managing Key Relationships, managing risk, Family law, Disciplining and Performance Managing, Workplace Bullying , Ill and Injured Employees
Description
You’re a newly appointed, aspiring or experienced school leader. You want to succeed in your role or mentor and support fellow leaders and colleagues at your school. How can you make the most of the opportunity while effectively managing the legal risks and pitfalls you might encounter? When you become a leader it’s crucial that you and your colleagues engage with and understand the fundamental, emerging and evolving legal framework in which schools operate.
For Lawyers: Attend and Earn 6 CPD Points in Substantive Law
For Teachers Attending this conference will contribute 6 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.
Session 1
Maintaining a Legally Compliant School
Chair: Dr Steven Middleton, Principal, St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School
9.00am to 9.55am: Legal Issues in Managing Key Relationships at the Top: The Principal, the Board & the Business Manager
- Key role descriptions: Who does what?
- Knowing what the Board should expect from its Chair
- Understanding the ‘special relationship’ between Chair and Principal
- Real life case studies (de-identified of course!) on strained relationships:
- Breakdown between Principal and Board/Chair
- Breakdown between Chair and the Board
- Breakdown between Business Manager and Principal
- Board members behaving badly
- Board members who think they’re management
- Hopelessly conflicted Board Members who are parents and contractors to the school (and married to a staff member)!
- When it may be appropriate for Board Members to work ‘in’ the school, e.g crises, major announcements and technical expertise
Presented by Cecelia Irvine-So, Practice Leader, Moores
9.55am to 10.50am: Your School’s Responsibility and Managing Your Risk
Effective strategies for ensuring your school is managing its risk in relation to:
- Injuries and incidents
- Off-campus activities
- Policy implementation and review
Presented by Marini Mann, Principal, Gilchrist Connell
10.50am to 11.05am Morning Tea
11.05am to 11.50am: Family Law and Your School: Your Comprehensive Guide
- Overview: When does a family's legal issues impact the school?
- Interpreting Family Law Orders
- What’s the difference between Orders and Parenting Plans?
- What if parents separated with nothing in writing?
- ‘Equal Shared Parental Responsibility’ vs ‘Sole Parental Responsibility’
- How ‘live with’ and ‘spend time with’ orders work
- Changeovers at the school gate
- Family violence and your school caught in the middle
- Family violence and stalking
- Orders to protect teachers, parents and/or children
- Intervention Orders, Family Law Act Orders & criminal law
- Information: rights and responsibilities
- What should/shouldn't be provided to parents or third parties
- What if there’s litigation involved?
- Subpoenas and affidavits
Presented by Nadine Udorovic, Partner and Catherine Giles, Senior Associate, Nicholes Family Law
11.50am to 12.15pm: Ask the Lawyers: Practical Q&A Break-Out Session
Take advantage this Q&A time with our panel of legal experts and have your specific questions and concerns addressed. Come prepared with issues that need answering or your questions arising from the morning.
Facilitated by Vernita Zigouras, President, Victorian Chapter, ANZELA
Panellists:
Cecelia Irvine-So, Practice Leader, Moores
Marini Mann, Principal, Gilchrist Connell
Nadine Udorovic, Partner Nicholes Family Law
Catherine Giles, Senior Associate, Nicholes Family Law
Session 2
Navigating Critical Workplace Law Issues in Your School
Chair: Vernita Zigouras, President, Victorian Chapter, ANZELA
1.15pm to 2.15pm: The Do’s and Don’ts of Disciplining and Performance Managing a Staff Member
Managing staff performance and conduct issues can be challenging even without complications like illness, injury or a workers’ compensation claim. Take away important insights into:
- Performance and conduct management best practice
- Common issues and stumbling blocks to be aware of
- Staff and School obligations
- Legal risks to bear in mind for you and your school
Presented by Jeremy Cousins, Principal, Whitehall Workplace Law
2.15pm to 3.15pm: A Practical Guide to Preventing and Managing Workplace Bullying in Schools
- What workplace bullying can look like in a school environment
- The difference between unpopular management decisions and bullying
- Proactive measures that can be taken to prevent workplace bullying
- Key considerations when a school is managing a bullying complaint
Presented by Ben Tallboys, Principal, Russell Kennedy Lawyers; Legal Consultant to Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA)
3.15pm to 3.30pm Afternoon Tea
3.30pm to 4.30pm: When Will I See You Again? An Employer's Guide to Managing Ill and Injured Employees
- What are an employer's rights and obligations in relation to managing a long-term ill or injured employee?
- Navigating the big legal risks
- Need more information? Independent medical examinations
- Practical guidance
- Communicating with an employee who is away sick
- Paid leave entitlements
- Providing suitable duties
- Impact of WorkCover
Presented by Lauren Townsend, Special Counsel, Thomson Geer
Venue
RACV City Club
Level 2, 501 Bourke St
Melbourne 3000
VIC
Australia
Parking Information
Parking is not included in your registration. Here are some options below. RACV City Club Car Park.
Directions