{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/68b04f352dd519b5b4708280/6985fed9ba7d04f1d417395b?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"ISBA BURSARCAST // Phones, Allergies, Scams & Budgets: This Week in ISBA (6th February 2026)","description":"<p><br></p><p>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 <em>now</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>This episode is designed for time-poor professionals who want clarity, context and practical next steps—without wading through long documents.</p><p><br></p><h2>What You’ll Learn</h2><ul><li>What the updated <strong>Department for Education</strong> guidance on mobile phones means in practice from April 2026</li><li>How <strong>Ofsted</strong> will factor phone policies into behaviour judgements</li><li>What’s coming in new statutory allergy guidance—and how schools should prepare now</li><li>The scale of fee-payment scams highlighted by <strong>IRIS Education</strong> research</li><li>Why catering budgets for 2026–27 need to plan for sustained inflation, based on <strong>Independent Schools Catering Consultancy</strong> benchmarks</li><li>Why participation in ISBA’s Data Navigator benchmarking with <strong>Barnett Waddingham</strong> matters</li><li>Key February and spring-term dates bursars shouldn’t miss</li></ul><p><br></p><h2>Resources mentioned</h2><ul><li>DfE: Mobile phones in schools — updated guidance</li><li>ISBA allergy policy template and webinar (4 March)</li><li>IRIS Education: <em>Protect your school – a practical approach to cybersecurity</em></li><li>ISCC catering budget benchmarks for 2026–27</li><li>ISBA Data Navigator (data entry deadline: 12 February 2026)</li><li>ISBA Annual Conference 2026 — bookings open with early-bird rates</li><li>Regional Group meetings and Newly Appointed Bursars programme</li></ul><p>(Full links available via the ISBA Weekly Bulletin and member resources.)</p><p><br></p><h2>Subscribe &amp; Follow</h2><p> <strong>ISBA Bursarcast</strong></p><p> New episodes every Friday at 4pm.</p><p> Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Acast to stay informed on the latest in independent school operations.</p>","author_name":"ISBA"}