Welcome to the latest edition of our Schools Briefing for independent schools, where we provide updates and insights on accounting, tax, employment, reporting, governance and wider issues affecting the sector.
To begin, Rakesh Vaitha, Risk Assurance and Advisory Services Director, considers the growing challenge of AI governance for boards and audit committees. He looks at the importance of understanding where AI is being used, the risks involved and the controls organisations should have in place.
Our first guest author, Davide Persechino, Relationship Director at Barclays, shares a lender’s perspective on what makes an independent school resilient. He considers why strong governance, local market insight and joined-up strategic decision-making can be just as important as financial performance.
Phil Salmon, Partner and Co-Head of VAT, provides an update on changes within the VAT system, including proposals around supplementary data and Direct Debit payments. He also looks ahead to electronic invoicing and considers recent changes to the Capital Goods Scheme.
Our second guest author, Alice Reeve, Employment Partner at VWV, looks at changes to workplace harassment legislation from October 2026. She considers the strengthened duty to prevent sexual harassment, new protections against third-party harassment and the practical steps schools should be taking now.
Nick Bustin, Employment Tax Director, looks ahead to the phased introduction of mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind from April 2027. He outlines what the changes will mean for employers and why schools should begin reviewing their systems, processes and employee communications ahead of implementation.
Finally, Jackson Berry, Director, considers the new company size thresholds and what they mean for independent schools. He looks at how the changes interact with charity reporting requirements and the revised Charities SORP, and what schools should consider as the financial reporting landscape evolves.
We hope you enjoy this edition and find the articles both useful and of interest. If you have any questions about the topics covered, please feel free to reach out to the authors, your usual HaysMac contact, or me for further information and guidance.
