Education Conferences & Events | Schools North East

Driving School Success: The Employment Rights Bill – What Schools Need to Know

Zoom

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Wed 5 November 2025

15:00 - 16:00

Zoom

Join us for our first webinar in our Driving School Success series. These webinars will provide accessible, high-quality CPD focused on effective operations and strategic decision-making to help schools and trusts thrive.

In this session Womble Bond Dickinson will provide an overview of the Employment Rights Bill and where we are now.

This session will offer oversight of the key provisions and the likely impact on schools, including the proposed timeframe and, amongst other things, updates on the following:

Day-one rights to unfair dismissal
Statutory sick pay
Family-friendly rights
Flexible working
Discrimination (sexual harassment and equality action plans)
Zero-hours contracts

Womble Bond Dickinson will then cover what happens next and what schools need to do. They will also share recent cases of interest with “top tips” for the schools worker protection act.

Key Takeaways for Delegates:

Understand the scope of the main reforms set out in the Bill and when they’re likely to come into force
Be aware of the impact the Bill is likely to have on the education sector
Gain clarity on how the Bill affects different staff types, including agency and zero-hours workers
Learn how to prepare for compliance and minimise disruption

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Event Organiser

Event Costs

SNE Partner School DelegatesFree

NNoSS MemberFree

Non Partner School or NNoSS Member£25 + VAT

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Event Overview

Speakers

Hilary du Randt

Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson

Recognised in the legal directories for being "extremely knowledgeable in the field of employment law and a pleasure to work with", the "incisive and very able" Hilary is a Partner at WBD and heads up the North East Employment team and education practice. She provides legal advice and commercial support to schools and multi academy trusts, as well as further and higher education clients throughout the UK, on the full range of employment issues.

Hilary is valued by her education sector clients for being available as a sounding board not just for their legal issues, but also on strategic matters that affect the "people" aspects of everyday smooth running of schools and trusts. She advises on all aspects of employment law, from recruitment through to dismissal. Her practice includes advising on complex disciplinary and grievance matters, equality and diversity issues, and providing legal and tactical advice on handling issues of underperformance, absence and dismissals at all levels. She also advises on all aspects of reorganisations, including collective redundancies and restructuring as well as changing terms and conditions, assisting clients in their related consultations with trade unions.

Lorraine Heard

Legal Director, Womble Bond Dickinson

Listed in 'Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom' and recognised in the legal directories for being a 'very tactically astute' and 'very experienced' member of the Band 1 North East Employment team, Lorraine advises education clients on the full range of employment and people management issues.

As a result of her expertise in equal pay, Lorraine has handled many pay-related high value complex Employment Tribunal claims, also achieving success for clients in the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

Lorraine offers an investigation service in which she conducts fact finding investigations into complex grievances. This is viewed as a valuable service by education clients who need to have complex grievance situations handled independently and impartially, either due to the complexity of the legal issues or sensitivity relating to the subject matter or identity of those involved.