ISBA BURSARCAST

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast brings you a focused newsbeat on employment law timelines, payroll changes, smartphone policy research, inspection readiness and key sector deadlines—centred on what bursars and senior leaders need to know now.
We cover the delay to ‘fire and rehire’ reform under the Employment Rights Act 2025, the postponement of mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind, new research into the operational cost of smartphone policies, and the launch of ISBA’s new Bursar’s Guide to ISI Inspections.

This episode is designed for time-poor professionals who want clarity, context and practical next steps—without wading through technical notes and legislative updates.

What You’ll Learn
What the delayed implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025 means for contract variations and restructuring timelines
How the postponement of mandatory payrolling for benefits in kind from HM Revenue & Customs affects payroll planning
What new research from the University of Birmingham suggests about the time and cost of restrictive vs permissive smartphone policies
How to use ISBA’s new Bursar’s Guide to ISI Inspections as a practical compliance tool
What the forthcoming statutory allergy guidance means for senior leadership accountability
Why now is the moment to review nursery sustainability in light of funded-hours pressures
Key February deadlines and professional development opportunities
Resources Mentioned
Employment Rights Act 2025 — revised implementation timeline
HMRC technical note on mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind
University of Birmingham study on smartphone policy economics (BMJ Mental Health)
ISBA Reference Library: The Bursar’s Guide to ISI Inspections

(Full details and links are available via the ISBA Weekly Bulletin and member resources.)

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ISBA Bursarcast
New episodes every Friday at 4pm.
Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Acast to stay informed on the latest in independent school operations.

Email: [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

The Bursarcast is produced by RAFIKI STUDIO
www.rafikistudio.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast brings you a rapid newsbeat on the latest operational and regulatory developments affecting independent schools—focused on what bursars and senior leaders need to know now.

We cover tightened expectations on mobile phone policies, forthcoming statutory allergy guidance, continued cyber-fraud risks, budget planning pressures for catering, and key ISBA deadlines and events, including the Annual Conference.

This episode is designed for time-poor professionals who want clarity, context and practical next steps—without wading through long documents.

What You’ll Learn
What the updated Department for Education guidance on mobile phones means in practice from April 2026
How Ofsted will factor phone policies into behaviour judgements
What’s coming in new statutory allergy guidance—and how schools should prepare now
The scale of fee-payment scams highlighted by IRIS Education research
Why catering budgets for 2026–27 need to plan for sustained inflation, based on Independent Schools Catering Consultancy benchmarks
Why participation in ISBA’s Data Navigator benchmarking with Barnett Waddingham matters
Key February and spring-term dates bursars shouldn’t miss

Resources mentioned
DfE: Mobile phones in schools — updated guidance
ISBA allergy policy template and webinar (4 March)
IRIS Education: Protect your school – a practical approach to cybersecurity
ISCC catering budget benchmarks for 2026–27
ISBA Data Navigator (data entry deadline: 12 February 2026)
ISBA Annual Conference 2026 — bookings open with early-bird rates
Regional Group meetings and Newly Appointed Bursars programme
(Full links available via the ISBA Weekly Bulletin and member resources.)

Subscribe & Follow
ISBA Bursarcast
New episodes every Friday at 4pm.
Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Acast to stay informed on the latest in independent school operations.
Email: [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

The Bursarcast is produced by RAFIKI STUDIO
www.rafikistudio.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second part of our deep-dive with Jo Hall and Hayden Hibbert from allmanhall, we unpack how a detailed partnership with Royal Russell School led to measurable cost savings and operational improvements in their in-house catering.

This episode goes beyond theory—focusing on what bursars, finance leads, and catering managers can actually do to manage budgets, improve quality, and build long-term value through catering provision.
Plus, we round off the episode with this week’s ISBA news and insights.

What You’ll Learn
How to benchmark supplier pricing effectively
The impact of inventory management tech like Saffron Control
Practical examples of sustainability in school catering
The strategic role of menu design and community feedback
What key questions bursars should ask about catering performance and contracts

Resources mentioned:
Foodsight magazine: https://issuu.com/allmanhall/docs/foodsight_-_independent_education_january_2026
Hero Recipes: https://issuu.com/allmanhall/stacks/1739dd65f7af4aab8ec6e802ae9b3484
Independent Education brochure: https://issuu.com/allmanhall/docs/digital_independent_education_4pp_2025-26
Royal Russell case study: https://youtu.be/ou8Cb6L6u5s?si=PxHPE8w6SDq4GDEh
allmanhall website: https://allmanhall.co.uk/

Subscribe & Follow
New episodes every Friday at 4pm. Follow to stay informed on the latest in independent school operations.
Email: [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

The Bursarcast is produced by RAFIKI STUDIO
www.rafikistudio.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s less likely that this year will be a return to normal and more a year for managing persistent and underlying inflation using insights and an understanding of the food and commodity markets to plan both budgets and menus.”

In part one of this two-part conversation, Jo Hall and Hayden Hibbert from allmanhall join us to explore food procurement trends and inflation pressures facing independent schools in 2026.

We cover:
Inflation outlook for food through to 2027
Core drivers of cost
Strategies for better menu planning and budgeting
The role of plant-based and seasonal ingredients
How catering quality links to student experience and retention
Plus:
Your monthly regulatory newsbeat—from the Employment Rights Act to restrictive interventions reporting, and key dates for spring term events.

Resources mentioned:
Foodsight magazine: https://issuu.com/allmanhall/docs/foodsight_-_independent_education_january_2026
Hero Recipes: https://issuu.com/allmanhall/stacks/1739dd65f7af4aab8ec6e802ae9b3484
Independent Education brochure: https://issuu.com/allmanhall/docs/digital_independent_education_4pp_2025-26
Royal Russell case study: https://youtu.be/ou8Cb6L6u5s?si=PxHPE8w6SDq4GDEh
allmanhall website: https://allmanhall.co.uk/

Part 2 continues next week with more on supply chain dynamics, benchmarking catering performance, and practical tips for procurement.
Email: [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

The Bursarcast is produced by RAFIKI STUDIO
www.rafikistudio.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when pupils are given a voice in the dining hall — and their feedback drives real change? In this episode, we speak with Patrick McDermott from DigiTally, Michelle Howard, Sustainability and Energy Officer at Woodhouse Grove School, and Kevin Grant, the school’s Head Chef.

Together, they explore how Woodhouse Grove took part in DigiTally’s Food Waste Challenge, using real-time pupil feedback to track what was left uneaten, identify what worked (and what didn’t), and make targeted changes to reduce waste and improve satisfaction.

This short, practical conversation covers:
How feedback tools helped the school understand and cut food waste
The role of student voice in shaping more effective menus
Operational changes made by the catering team based on the data
Financial and sustainability benefits already being realised
The wider educational impact on pupils’ awareness of food and waste

Whether or not your school uses digital tracking, this episode offers a clear case study in how data and dialogue can help align catering, sustainability, and budget priorities — without adding complexity.

Resources Mentioned
Digitally Website
ISBA Reference Library (Members only)

Email: [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

The Bursarcast is produced by RAFIKI STUDIO
www.rafikistudio.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.