Met to review role of school police officers after legal challenge – The Guardian

‘The Metropolitan police are to review the role of officers in schools after a legal challenge raised concerns that they could have a disproportionately negative effect on pupils from black and minority ethnic groups.’

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The Guardian, 20th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Package Travel and Educational Institutions – 39 Essex Chambers

‘Is a field trip provided by a university to undergraduates as part of a degree course a package tour? The court considered the question in McCulloch v University of Leicester (HHJ Hedley, 27 February 2020).’

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39 Essex Chambers, 8th April 2020

Source: www.39essex.com

Councils face legal action over access to education during lockdown – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Good Law Project is to take legal action against councils over access to education by children from low income families during the lockdown.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 9th April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Coronavirus: How Will Exam Cancellations Affect Students? – Each Other

Posted April 14th, 2020 in coronavirus, education, examinations, news, school children by sally

‘With the cancellation of all GCSE and A level summer exams amid the coronavirus pandemic, the system for awarding student grades been transformed beyond recognition.’

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Each Other, 9th April 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Court of Appeal rejects appeal over changes made by county council to SEN transport policy affecting 16-18 year olds – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal over a council’s decision to amend its Special Educational Needs Home to School/College Transport Policy for the 2019/20 academic year.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

UK councils face lawsuits over access to education in lockdown – The Guardian

‘The UK government must ensure pupils from poor backgrounds have computers and internet connections during the coronavirus lockdown or face legal action for depriving children of their education, according to a group of legal activists.’

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The Guardian, 6th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Privately educated lawyers dominate corporate work – Legal Futures

‘The proportion of solicitors who attended state schools is creeping upwards, but those who went to fee-paying schools dominate corporate work, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).’

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Legal Futures, 31st March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

COVID-19 and family courts: Links in one place to new arrangements – Transparency Project

‘There’s been a flurry of new guidance in response to the pandemic. We’ve gathered some useful links (with key definitions) to help families, advice workers and professionals find and use practical information more easily.’

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Transparency Project, 21st March 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Issuing an EHC Plan—the meaning of ‘necessary’ (Nottinghamshire County Council v SF and another) – 3PB

‘The Court of Appeal held that the First-Tier Tribunal (FTT) had correctly construed the meaning of ‘necessary’ in section 37(1) of the Children and Families Act 2014 (CFA 2014) in finding that it was necessary for special educational provision to be made for HD in accordance with an EHC Plan. This was despite his school having identified his needs, made provision to meet those needs and HD making progress at school. The court considered and affirmed the approach to making a determination under CFA 2014, s 37, determining what is ‘necessary’ requires an evaluative judgment based on the facts of each case.’

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3PB, 9th March 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Council to review decision on admission of summer-born child after criticism from LGO – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 19th, 2020 in children, delay, education, families, local government, news, ombudsmen, school children by sally

‘Warwickshire County Council has said it will review its decisions in two cases in which it denied parents’ requests for deferred summer-born children to start school in reception class rather than year one after receiving criticism from the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Equalities watchdog launches inquiry into use of restraint in schools – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission has launched a formal inquiry into how schools are monitoring and recording their use of restraint, “following widespread concerns about its use and the lack of data available”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Compulsory religious education ‘may breach human rights’ – BBC News

Posted February 10th, 2020 in education, human rights, news, religious discrimination, school children, Wales by sally

‘Making all pupils take part in religious education classes could see the Welsh Government taken to court for breaching human rights, a legal expert has warned.’

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BBC News, 8th February 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

VAT on; VAT off: Martial Arts and the Education Exemption – 3PB

Posted February 6th, 2020 in chambers articles, education, news, sport, VAT by sally

‘In the 1984 film Karate Kid, Mr Miyagi admonished Daniel: “I say; you do. No questions”. However, with VAT, there are always questions.’

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3PB, 29th January 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Child cruelty case triggers call for home schooling review – The Guardian

Posted January 30th, 2020 in child abuse, child cruelty, child neglect, domestic violence, education, news by tracey

‘Child protection experts have called for a national review of home schooling following an inquiry into a case in which a violent stepfather and his partner subjected their young son to extreme neglect and abuse.’

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The Guardian, 29th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Welsh parents lose opt-out for sex, relationship and religious education – The Guardian

Posted January 22nd, 2020 in children, consultations, education, families, news, parental rights, school children, Wales by sally

‘Parents in Wales will soon lose the right to withdraw their children from lessons on sex and relationships or religion, provoking concern among both church groups and secular campaigners.’

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The Guardian, 21st January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Supreme Court allows appeals by land-owning public bodies in dispute over statutory incompatibility and village green registration – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 12th, 2019 in commons, education, health, land registration, local government, news, Supreme Court by tracey

‘The Supreme Court has by a 3-2 majority allowed appeals by Lancashire County Council and NHS Property Services over whether statutory incompatibility defeats an application to register land as a town or village green where the land is held by the public authority for statutory purposes.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

School launches legal proceedings after receiving ‘inadequate’ rating from Ofsted – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 6th, 2019 in appeals, education, news, standards by sally

‘A school in Trafford has issued a legal challenge to regulator Ofsted in a bid to overturn being rated as ‘inadequate’.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Education Newsletter – 39 Essex Chambers

‘The Winter edition of 39 Essex Chambers’ Education Newsletter is now available.’

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39 Essex Chambers, November 2019

Source: www.39essex.com

Education, street protests and injunctions: Afsar – Law & Religion UK

‘Birmingham City Council v Afsar & Ors [2019] EWHC 3217 (QB) was a claim by the Council for injunctions to restrict street protests about Anderton Park Infant and Junior School and to prohibit online abuse of teachers at that school.’

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Law & Religion UK, 2nd December 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Home Office concedes unlawful imposition of study restriction as a bail condition on individuals who are ‘appeals rights exhausted’ – Garden Court Chambers

Posted November 26th, 2019 in appeals, asylum, bail, education, news by sally

‘On 20 November 2019, the Home Office conceded in the settlement of two claims for judicial review that it had acted unlawfully in imposing a study restriction as a condition of bail on two individuals simply because they had failed in their initial asylum claims and exhausted their appeal rights. The concession has come less than a week before the substantive hearing due to be held on 26 November 2019.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 21st November 2019

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk