As an education or training provider, it’s essential that you have all your legal obligations sorted. Whether it be drafting the right contracts, choosing the best business structure or ensuring you’re compliant with the relevant laws for your industry, our legal team can assist you. Contact us today to learn more!
To set up an education or training business in the UK, you will need to prepare and register a variety of legal documents. Key requirements include:
- Registering your business name with Companies House (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house).
- Obtaining Employers' Liability Insurance and business insurance (e.g. public liability, professional indemnity).
- Securing Local Authority approval (if operating from a commercial premise) and a lease agreement (if renting premises).
- Having Health and Safety policies and procedures in place, in compliance with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines (https://www.hse.gov.uk).
- Complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 for privacy and data protection policies and procedures (https://ico.org.uk).
- Registering with relevant industry bodies (e.g. Ofsted for early years and childcare providers, the Office for Students for higher education providers).
The qualifications you may need will depend on the type of education business or services you are providing. Additionally, these requirements can vary depending on the region or country within the UK where you are conducting business.
Generally speaking, however, if you are going to be working closely with young students and children, you'll need to obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. For more information, visit the official government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service.
Furthermore, you need to consider IP laws that apply to you, especially if you'll be reproducing content for educational purposes. In these cases, it's wise to include copyright disclaimers in your content and T&Cs for students to sign when they engage with your business. For more details on copyright laws in the UK, visit the Intellectual Property Office website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office.
If you're looking to become a teacher, you'll need to hold the relevant degree and other specific qualifications to teach in a certain area or at a certain level. For more information on becoming a teacher in the UK, please visit the Get Into Teaching website: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/.
Like many other businesses, there are specific regulations that will apply to your education or training business. For instance, it's worth familiarising yourself with the UK Consumer Rights Act which regulates the way you represent your services to clients and customers. This law protects the interests of customers in light of unfair business practices.
Furthermore, you also need to comply with your employer obligations, such as those under the Employment Rights Act. This includes ensuring your employees are paid correctly (for example, in accordance with their contract of employment or National Minimum Wage) and maintaining a safe workplace in line with Health and Safety Executive's requirements.
