CONTENTS
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Key Actions for Schools
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NQT/RQT Conference
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The Mayor’s Twin Town Challenge
Key actions for schools
Applies to-All schools
Key actions for schools, academy trusts and local authorities
Pulled out below, for ease, are the key actions schools should take. However, it is still important to read the full guidance to make sure you are aware of all potential implications.
School food
The Government is already engaging with a wide range of school food stakeholders, including working directly with suppliers, to support industry preparedness and ensure continuous supply ahead of 31 October.
Schools should contact their food supplier(s) if they procure food directly (and the same goes for local authorities and academy trusts where they arrange food on behalf of schools) to ensure they are planning for 31 October. This is to ensure that suppliers are making the necessary arrangements to continue the supply of food to schools, and to make sure that schools can continue to meet nutritional standards, accommodate special dietary needs and manage allergies, for example when introducing any substitute products.
Food suppliers will need to be familiar with the guidance the Government has published for the food and drink sector on leaving the EU without a deal:
www.gov.uk/guidance/the-food-and-drink-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
Medicines and medical products
The Department of Health and Social Care has been working with trade bodies, product suppliers, and the health and care system to make detailed plans that should ensure continuation of the supply of medical products to the whole of the UK and its Crown Dependencies in the event of leaving the EU without a deal.
Schools should continue with their normal arrangements for medical supplies to support pupils with health conditions. If schools have any concerns about being able to meet statutory duties relating to SEND, health and safety, or safeguarding, they should work with their local authority or academy trust to ensure there are robust contingency plans are in place.
For specific advice on medicines please refer to the NHS guidance: 3
Data protection
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK will not have in place an Adequacy Agreement for processing personal data and will be classed as a third party under GDPR. There is therefore a chance that a narrow interpretation of the provisions in GDPR could lead to a regulator in an EU country restricting the transfers of UK personal data in the EEA.
It is important, therefore, that schools review their current data protection contracts and policies before 31 October, as they will need to ensure that they have the correct Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) or other Alternative Transfer Mechanisms to continue to legally receive and process personal data from the EEA. If schools do not complete this action, they may be unable to access personal date stored in the EEA that they require to operate and may find that organisational partners restrict relationships due to regulatory concerns.
For more information please see the Department’s guidance, at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-exit-guide-data-protection-for-education-providers
Further information
The Department will be setting up an Operations Centre to provide guidance and manage any systematic issues across the sector. In the weeks leading up to and after 31 October, local authorities will be given contact details of the Department’s Operations Centre. I will contact all local authorities with details of these arrangements in due course. Individual schools should report any issues arising as a result of Brexit to their local authority using their usual lines of reporting, who will be best placed to then notify the Department.
If schools have any questions while preparing for Brexit, further to the published advice noted on page one of this letter, they can contact the Department directly here:
https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe
The Department for Education (the Department) has already made extensive preparations for Brexit and will continue to work with local authorities, academy trusts and independent schools to ensure all schools have appropriate plans in place to ensure a smooth transition. The latest, comprehensive advice remains the published guidance for all schools, available here:
NQT/RQT Conference
Applies to-All Schools
attached NQT/RQT Conference Flyer, it takes place on 10 October 2019
The Mayor’s Twin Town Challenge
Applies to-All Schools
For more information about the Mayor’s Twin Town challenge click here