Education law

Today’s leaders in education face constant challenges with cost-management, pressure to deliver ever-improving results, staffing challenges, requests from parents – the list goes on. Our education law experts are on hand to help.

Our education law specialist, Polly Kerr, has a national reputation. Polly represents schools (maintained, academies and independent schools), colleges, universities, local authorities and other organisations related to education, as well as individual teachers - and at all levels from primary to further and higher education. 

Polly has been a governor of a special needs school for over two years and a governor at two mainstream lower schools for over a decade. A member of the Education Law Association, Polly has an in-depth understanding of the issues facing schools and colleges in today’s complex landscape.

Our services

We support education providers through many challenging situations, including:

• admissions appeals 
• school exclusion appeals
• Special Educational Needs (SEN) and disability issues 
• Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) 
• Judicial Review
• safeguarding concerns
• discrimination allegations and breach of the Equality Act 2010
• reputational and risk management, defamation and social media 
• allegations of professional misconduct, including allegations of educational negligence or bullying 
• complaints to local authorities and OFSTED 
• data protection and compliance, including GDPR compliance
• changes to the status of a school
• policy drafting and consultation – best practice advice
• (for independent schools) recovery of fees and allegations of breach of contract

Examples of recent education law cases

• exclusions - Polly has recently been instructed to challenge local and national policy and is currently involved in correspondence with the Department for Education and local authorities regarding clarification of the law surrounding the review of permanent exclusions.  
• Judicial Review – refusal to convene a Governors’ Disciplinary Committee, leading to challenge of a Local Authority and DfE
• particularly complex sexual assault case involving a vulnerable child attending special school
• damages arising from exposure of children to pornography or oversexualised behaviour at school.

Litigation and employment law knowledge

Polly is part of a larger litigation team and able to draw on her litigation experience when required, for example, in relation to social media and defamation. Tees is a full-service law firm and our specialists work seamlessly with one another to ensure you receive rounded legal advice. Our employment law specialists can advise on all aspects of employment law and contracts in a school or college setting. 

We’re here to help

You’ll find our team of education lawyers easy to talk to. We understand the needs of education providers and will work hard to meet your objectives - wherever possible - without the need to attend court or tribunal. Give us a call for a free and confidential discussion about how we can help. 

Our specialist lawyers are based in:

•     Cambridgeshire: Cambridge
•     Essex: Brentwood, Chelmsford, and Saffron Walden
•     Hertfordshire: Bishop's Stortford and Royston 

But we can help you wherever you are in England and Wales.