Raising school leaving age to 18 ‘could breach human rights’ – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2008 in education, human rights, news by sally

“Making it illegal for children aged 16 to 18 to leave school could be a breach of their human rights, a parliamentary committee said today, creating yet another embarrassment for Gordon Brown.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th May 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Birkdale School v Revenue and Customs Commissioners – Times Law Reports

Posted April 23rd, 2008 in education, fees, law reports, VAT by sally

Birkdale School v Revenue and Customs Commissioners

Chancery Division

“Value-added tax was not payable by independent schools on charges made to parents for optional participation in fee refund arrangements; there was a single supply of educational services to parents when they participated in such schemes.”

The Times, 23rd April 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Anti-terror laws used to spy on family – The Independent

Posted April 11th, 2008 in education, investigatory powers, news, privacy by sally

“A family who were wrongly suspected of lying on a school application form have discovered that their local council used anti-terrorism surveillance powers to spy on them.”

Full story

The Independent, 11th April 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Schools named and shamed as crackdown launched to stop abuse of admissions law – The Guardian

Posted April 3rd, 2008 in education, news by sally

“Ministers launched a crackdown on schools covertly selecting pupils yesterday after government research confirmed that up to one in six schools could be breaking admissions laws. One north London school asked parents to commit to paying £895 a term when they applied, and another demanded £650.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd April 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘One out, one in’ law for schools which expel pupils – The Guardian

Posted March 27th, 2008 in education, news, school exclusions by sally

“All secondary schools will be forced by law to take in pupils that their neighbouring schools exclude, the education secretary announced yesterday.”

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The Guardian, 27th March 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prisoners were paid £730,000 in university grants loophole – The Times

Posted March 26th, 2008 in education, news, prisons by sally

“Prisoners have been paid student grants and loans totalling £730,000 while taking university courses in jail, the Government admitted yesterday.”

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The Times, 26th March 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Banned sex offender numbers rise – BBC News

Posted March 18th, 2008 in criminal records, education, news, sexual offences by sally

“The number of sex offenders banned from working with children has risen from 4,921 to 8,036 in the last year, Schools Secretary Ed Balls has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 17th March 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Charity rules illegal, say independent schools – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 12th, 2008 in charities, education, news by sally

“Independent schools are threatening legal action over new rules that would force them to offer more free places to children from poor backgrounds.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 12th March 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Birkdale School, Sheffield v Revenue and Customs Commissioners – WLR Daily

Posted March 6th, 2008 in education, fees, law reports, VAT by sally

Birkdale School, Sheffield v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2008] EWHC 409 (Ch); WLR (D) 74

“Value added tax was not payable by independent schools on charges made to parents for participation in optional fees refund arrangements. There was a single supply of educational services to parents when they participated in such schemes.”

WLR Daily, 5th March 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Watchdog attacks Jewish school in row – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 8th, 2008 in education, news by sally

“An ombudsman yesterday criticised a faith school’s ‘fundamentally flawed’ admissions policy after it refused to give a place to a four-year-old policeman’s daughter.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th February 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Private schools told, you can’t be an exclusive club – and a charity – The Times

Posted January 16th, 2008 in charities, education, news by sally

“Independent schools should not operate as exclusive clubs for children of the well-off but must show that they exist for the wider public benefit if they are to retain charitable tax breaks worth about £100 million a year.”

Full story

The Times, 16th January 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Public schools reject charity rules – The Times

Posted January 14th, 2008 in charities, education, news by sally

“Britain’s leading public schools have rejected as unworkable regulations that would force them to open their doors to pupils from poor families.”

Full story

The Times, 14th January 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Schools face ban on sex bias in careers advice – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2008 in education, news by sally

“Schools will be ordered to offer impartial careers guidance to pupils amid concerns that teachers’ ‘sexist’ attitudes are promoting hairdressing courses to girls and construction apprenticeships to boys.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th January 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Siborurema) v Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education – Times Law Reports

Posted January 10th, 2008 in complaints, education, law reports by sally

Regina (Siborurema) v Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education

Court of Appeal

“The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education was entitled to take into account the regulations and procedures of a higher education institution against which a student had made a complaint and was not obliged to conduct an investigation into the underlying facts.”

The Times, 10th January 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication. 

Jewish school told to change admission rules – The Guardian

Posted November 28th, 2007 in education, news, religious discrimination by sally

“The country’s top Jewish state school was yesterday found to be breaking anti-discrimination laws and ordered to delete part of its admissions criteria that favours ethnically Jewish children.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th November 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal duty planned for parents over children’s education – The Independent

Posted November 6th, 2007 in children, education, news by sally

“Parents will have a new legal duty to help make sure their children stay in education until the age of 18 under plans unveiled today.”

Full story

The Independent, 6th November 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Further Education and Training Act 2007

Posted October 29th, 2007 in education, legislation by sally

Further Education and Training Act 2007 published.

Full text of Act

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

Schwarz and Another v Finanzamt Bergisch Gladbach – Times Law Reports

Posted October 11th, 2007 in EC law, education, income tax, law reports by sally

Tax relief breaks EU law

Schwarz and Another v Finanzamt Bergisch Gladbach

Court of Justice of the European Communities

“The German law whereby tax relief on private school fees was available only for German schools was contrary to Community law.”

The Times, 11th October 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Al Gore’s inconvenient judgment – The Times

Posted October 11th, 2007 in climate change, education, judicial review, news by sally

“Al Gore’s award-winning climate change documentary was littered with nine inconvenient untruths, a judge ruled yesterday.”

Full story

Related link: Dimmock v Secretary of State for Education and Skills

The Times, 11th October 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Ministers remove barriers to faith-run schools – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 11th, 2007 in education, news by sally

“Ministers paved the way for more State-funded Muslim, Sikh and Hindu schools yesterday with a pledge to remove ‘unnecessary barriers’ to religious groups.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th September 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk