Education Law

nplaw has a long history of advising schools on education law and on all other legal issues that affect the running of a school. Our expert staff continue to advise schools on all these issues on a daily basis. We believe that our levels of experience and expertise make us an excellent choice of legal adviser for local education authorities, local authority maintained schools and academies.

Matters of education law on which we help our clients include:

Academy conversions

The academisation of schools is the most significant development to affect the education landscape in decades and nplaw has been involved since the earliest academy conversions. Most of our work involves acting for Norfolk County Council (in its role as LEA) on the contractual, employment and property issues associated with each conversion. nplaw has worked with the LEA to successfully overcome many complex issues. We also act for schools on the creation of academy trusts and represent the academy trust on all aspects of conversion.

Schools improvement

Excellence in Education is the core objective of every LEA. Robust action may be necessary to improve schools but such action can sometimes be contentious. nplaw has advised on and supported complex school improvement interventions. Wherever possible, we seek to work together with all stakeholders to achieve the best possible outcome for the school and its pupils.

Complaints

The actions of an LEA or school may sometimes be the subject of complaint. nplaw advises both Norfolk’s LEA and schools on complaints processes, working with them to defuse and resolve complaints.

Admission appeals and exclusion reviews

nplaw has provided clerks to school admission appeal panels and exclusion review panels for many years. We also advise Norfolk’s LEA and schools on admissions and exclusions policy and actions.

Information law

Although a separate area of law not limited to the field of education, the sharing and protection of information is an increasingly significant issue for schools. nplaw advises schools on how to appropriately and pro-actively publish information and how to decline to do so, where publication of the information requested would be harmful.

School transport

This is often a politically sensitive area. nplaw advises Norfolk’s LEA on its policy for school transport and on particular difficult decisions against a background of increasing pressure on budgets.

nplaw’s schools subscription service

nplaw offers schools an annual subscription service under which schools pay a fixed annual fee for specialist advice on issues of:

For further information on education law or on our schools subscription service, please contact:
Louise Hartley – louise.hartley@norfolk.gov.uk – Tel: 01603-222974 or
Lorna Hall – lorna.hall@norfolk.gov.uk – Tel: 01603-222198
 

If you require legal advice, please send details of your enquiry to schoolenquiries.nplaw@norfolk.gov.uk and the duty lawyer will contact you directly.