Making your child go to school: teenager’s chaotic lifestyle and parent’s inability to control not a defence to prosecution – Education Law Blog

Posted May 13th, 2013 in interpretation, news, parental responsibility, school children by tracey

“As all education lawyers know, the parent of a child who fails to attend school regularly commits a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £1000 (section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996). If the parent knows her child is failing to attend school and fails to cause her to do so, the ‘aggravated’ form of the offence (section 444(1A)) is committed which is punishable by a fine of up to £2500 and/or up to 3 months’ imprisonment. One of the statutory defences to both charges is that the child was prevented from attending ‘by reason of sickness or any unavoidable cause’ (section 444(2A)). It is a defence to the aggravated charge to prove reasonable justification for the failure to cause the child to attend (section 444(1B)).”

Full story

Education Law Blog, 10th May 2013

Source: www.education11kbw.com

Kent Council Council pays £700k in compensation to pupils – BBC News

“Nearly £700,000 has been paid out in compensation to pupils by Kent County Council following accidents in schools over the past five years.”

Full story

BBC News, 6th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Parents ‘treated like felons on remand’ by school CRB checks – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 25th, 2013 in criminal records, news, school children, volunteers by sally

“Thousands of parents are still being forced to undergo ‘suspicious and hostile’ criminal record checks to volunteer in schools despite Coalition reforms designed to introduce common sense into the child protection system, according to research.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Back to school for the OFT? – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted January 21st, 2013 in competition, complaints, licensing, news, school children by sally

“On 25 October 2012 the Office of Fair Trading announced that it had written to the head teachers of almost 30,000 State schools to draw attention to the high price of school uniforms. The high price is caused in part by 74% of schools requiring parents to purchase uniforms from a single, named retailer or from the school itself. This has created a captive market for chosen suppliers, allowing them to charge an additional £52 million per year (see para 2.3 of the OFT’s 2006 school uniforms review).”

Full story

Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 20th January 2013

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Man spared jail after punching son’s headmistress – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 21st, 2012 in assault, community service, news, racism, school children by tracey

“A father who punched a primary school headmistress when she suspended his son
for swearing and racially abusing another pupil was spared jail yesterday.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 21st December 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

School teaching assistant Emma Webb jailed for pupil sex offences – BBC News

Posted December 4th, 2012 in news, school children, sentencing, sexual grooming, sexual offences, teachers by sally

“A school teaching assistant who had sex with teenage pupils after grooming them on Facebook and sending them indecent text messages has been jailed.”

Full story

BBC News, 3rd December 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

16-year-old schoolboy’s hockey ball death ruled ‘tragic accident’ – The Independent

Posted November 30th, 2012 in accidents, inquests, news, school children by tracey

“The death of a 16-year-old Dorset schoolboy after being hit by a hockey ball thrown by another pupil was a tragic accident, an inquest jury has found.”

Full story

The Independent, 29th November 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Matthew Higgins: Guilty of hacking at Eirias High School – BBC News

Posted November 5th, 2012 in computer crime, internet, news, school children by sally

“A sixth form pupil accused of hacking into his school computer system and attempting to do it again two months later has been found guilty.”

Full story

BBC News, 2nd November 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

OFT intervenes over £52m ‘tax’ on school uniforms – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 26th, 2012 in competition, consumer protection, news, school children by tracey

“Head teachers are being told to overhaul school uniform policies after it emerged that parents were being hit by a punitive ‘tax’ on sweaters, shirts, blazers and ties.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 25th October 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Drama teachers sacked over sex abuse play which made audience vomit – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 26th, 2012 in news, professional conduct, school children, teachers, tribunals, unfair dismissal by tracey

“Two drama teachers were sacked for letting GCSE students perform in a play involving depictions of rape and child abuse.”

Full story 

Daily Telegraph, 25th October 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Teacher sacked over ‘lewd act’ with broomstick may have been set up – Daily Telegraph

“Science teacher Patricia Davies has been granted permission to take her case to the Appeal Court six years after she was sacked for allegedly simulating a sex act in class.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 16th October 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Teaching assistant flashed 13-year-old boy on webcam – Daily Telegraph

“A woman teaching assistant who bared her breasts on a computer webcam to a 13-year-old schoolboy and later had sex with him in a field has been jailed for three-and-and-a-half years.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st August 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Advice of scoutmaster was to blame for death of teen on Ten Tors challenge, judge rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 29th, 2012 in accidents, negligence, news, personal injuries, school children by tracey

“The advice of a well meaning but ill-advised scoutmaster was to blame for the death of a 14 year old girl training for the Ten Tors Expedition, a judge has ruled.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th June 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘Atmosphere of mistrust’ created by CRB regime: case studies – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 23rd, 2012 in child abuse, criminal records, inquests, news, school children by sally

“Campaigners believe that mass vetting through Criminal Records Bureau checks has created an ‘atmosphere of mistrust’ that leaves children at greater risk. Here are two cases that back up their claims.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd April 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Is a school responsible for assault on foreign expedition? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 27th, 2012 in assault, duty of care, news, rape, school children, vicarious liability by sally

“In 2005 a group of schoolgirls were taken on a school trip to Belize. While working on a resort, three girls, aged between 15 and 17, were violently raped by the manager of the site.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 26th March 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Court dismisses Belize rapes action – The Independent

Posted March 13th, 2012 in duty of care, news, rape, school children by sally

“Two women who were raped as schoolgirls on ‘the trip of a lifetime’ to Belize have lost their High Court damages action.”

Full story

The Independent, 13th March 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Pupils sue school over rape during character-building trip to Belize – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 29th, 2012 in damages, duty of care, news, rape, school children, victims by tracey

“Two teenage girls who were raped on a character-building trip to Belize are suing for damages, but their school is denying liability because the victims allegedly invited the attacker into their jungle cabin.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 28th February 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Strategy to drive out transgender prejudice – Home Office

“Tougher sentences for hate crimes, support for transgender pupils in schools, and tailored recruitment advice for businesses are just some of the actions in the first transgender equality plan launched by the government today.”

Full press release

Home Office, 8th December 2011

Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Independent Schools, the contract for Education and some litigation issues – 11 KBW

Posted November 23rd, 2011 in duty of care, education, news, school children by sally

“There are numerous cases about the duties of care in tort which schools, whether independent or maintained, owe to their pupils. Most of them – though not all, as we will see – concern physical injury in the playground, during sports or on school trips.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 16th November 2011

Source: www.11kbw.com

Five guilty of schoolboy stabbing – The Independent

Posted November 15th, 2011 in gangs, murder, news, school children by sally

“Five teenagers were today convicted of killing a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death as he arrived at school.”

Full story

The Independent, 14th November 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk