Case Study: Loughborough Endowed Schools

Fountaindale Special School in Nottinghamshire
Cases that had dragged on 2 years were resolved in less than 2 months
with FBeducation
The Client
Fountaindale is a Specialist SEN school based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. It provides an
inclusive education for pupils aged 3 to 19, who have complex physical and sensory needs.
The school’s main aim is to provide a stimulating, challenging and caring environment,
allowing each child to develop to their full potential educationally, physically, socially and
personally.
It has over 120 full-time and part-time employees serving the school and the external services
that the school provides.
The Challenge
The school had used Nottingham County Council’s HR service for many years and in many
aspects it had proved very helpful. However, when it came to having to deal with three
particular members of staff, the process had proved slow and unresponsive.
Headteacher Mark Dengel explains: “We were dealing concurrently with three employment
cases, one for long-term absence, one for capability and one was a disciplinary issue.
“With the Council’s service I had to speak to a different person about each case and as they
were all part-time they could be difficult to get hold of. I had paid all three staff for 2 years and
the cases still hadn’t been resolved.
Case Study: Loughborough
Endowed Schools
“This was a common issue for all of the special schools in our soft federation, so we decided to
look at what alternative providers could offer. That’s when we started talking to Flint Bishop.”
Our Solution
We advised Mark to sign up for the unlimited FBeducation package giving him as much oneto-one legal support as required, either in person or over the phone.
As part of our service, Mark was allocated a dedicated solicitor, Laura Evans, to answer his
queries, provide legal advice and draw up any documentation required.
Flint Bishop’s Senior HR Advisor, Jessica Hannan, was also allocated to Mark to provide oneto-one HR advice and support.
Loughborough Endowed Schools
in Leicestershire
Invaluable mock tribunals, first rate training and good legal advice
The Client
Loughborough Endowed School is a charitable foundation of three independent schools
operating under a single Board of Trustees/Directors. The Foundation is composed of
Loughborough High School for Girls, Loughborough Grammar School for Boys and Fairfield
Preparatory School, which are all located within a leafy, 40 acre campus. The Foundation
employee 500+ staff and educates some 2200 pupils. There is also a joint Music School which
is used by all three Schools.
The Challenge
Loughborough Endowed Schools’ HR Manager, Norma Stubbs, is responsible for all HR issues
relating to the Schools’ 540+ employees, so getting the correct legal advice is a top priority.
Although used to using the expertise of a legal firm from the South with extensive experience
of independent schools, Norma decided she wanted to supplement this with a more local
service and one that would provide a flexible programme of support. That’s when she turned
to FBeducation.
Our Solution
We advised Norma to sign up for the 24-hour FBeducation package, giving her 24 hours of
one-to-one legal advice per year, either in person or over the phone.
As a fixed-fee package this means Norma can always keep a handle on this aspect of her
budget. What is more, being located only half an hour away from the Schools, we can be with
her for face to face legal advice as and when required.
Client Benefits
As part of our service, Norma has been allocated a dedicated solicitor. That way, whenever
she has a question she can get quick legal advice that she knows she can rely on. What is
more, in the main she can talk to the same point of contact, rather than being passed between
a team who do not know about her particular needs.
As an FBeducation user, she also has access to the FBeducation website archive of 70 HR
policies, contracts, legal documents and step by step guides to employment law.
However, it is the free training days and mock tribunals that Norma feels are the real strength
that sets FBeducation apart from other HR legal services.
She says: “The training arm of FBeducation has been really useful. I have been to three free
seminars so far and they have been good for getting insight into legal issues and networking
with fellow HR professionals”.
“As you can now claim CPD points for these training sessions, they are also proving useful to
my new HR Assistant as they are an accessible way of learning the basics of employment law
whilst working towards her CIPD qualification”.
“But for me, the real highlight of using the FBeducation service is the new free mock tribunals,
which have been really useful. They show you how important it is to get your procedures
right and keep evidence to show that this has been done. They also show you what to expect
when going to tribunal, which is very formal and far more judicial than people may realise”.
Client Satisfaction
Norma says “Advice has always been spot-on, even when I have thrown them quite obscure
questions they have always come back to me with an answer”.
“Coupled with the free seminars, including sessions structured specifically for the education
sector and mock tribunals, FBeducation will suit other education sector HR practitioners.”
DERBY
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St Michael’s Court
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DE1 3HQ
Tel: 01332 340211
Fax: 01332 207 601
A list of partners names is available for inspection at the address above.
Flint Bishop LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales. Registered number
OC317931.
Registered office: St Michael’s Court, St Michael’s Lane, Derby DE1 3HQ.
Authorised & regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.