Education law
Our 3PB education law team represents parents, pupils, schools and their governing bodies (both from the maintained and the independent sectors), academies, universities and colleges, NGOs including charities, students, teaching and academic staff and local authorities in education law. Barristers also specialise in other complementary areas of law, notably public law, personal injury, human rights, employment and discrimination and misconduct and compliance.
In relation to schools and academies, the team has particular expertise in Appeals to the first-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) (‘SEND Tribunal’) concerning statements of special education needs and education-related disability discrimination claims at all levels, including but not limited to SEND Tribunal proceedings and Independent Review Panel proceedings within the context of school exclusions. The team also handles Upper Tribunal Appeals arising from decisions of the SEND Tribunal.
The team routinely handle claims against schools and academies for all other forms of discrimination – for example in county court, employment tribunal proceedings and before specialist regulatory tribunals – and frequently advise and represent on school admissions and exclusion/reinstatement appeals before independent panels. The team has an outstanding record in judicial review proceedings arising from decisions of local authorities or independent panels.
As a specialist education law chambers our casework increasingly covers advisory work and disputes arising from school complaints procedures, attendance issues, school closures and re-organisations as well as issues of governance and funding. Our barristers act on breach of contract claims concerning independent schools and education negligence claims and other damages claims arising at schools and academies.
We routinely accept direct access instructions from individuals and schools, academies and colleges/universities and are also able to provide legal assessors to advise and support independent lay panels dealing with a wide range of educational issues.
Our Public and Regulatory Barristers...
King's Counsel
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Junior Counsel
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3PB Barristers’ (3 Paper Buildings) specialist education, equality and public law barrister Alice de Coverley has spoken to RPC Legal’s The Work Couch podcast as part of their neurodiversity mini-series ahead of ADHD awareness month in October. In the first episode of the series, which looks at the lived experience on neurodiversity, Alice joins host Ellie Gelder, alongside Auticon’s Ashlea Cromby and Tracey West and Victoria Othen of RPC Legal. The conversation covers a range...
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3 Paper Buildings (3PB) is delighted to announce that leading public law, education and employment barrister Ben Amunwa (2013 call) has joined chambers, from The 36 Group. Ben is a popular choice for high profile and landmark litigation, often involving multiple parties and novel points of law. He provides practical advice on resolving disputes to a wide range of clients. He has been ranked in the Chambers UK Bar Guide for Public and Administrative Law...
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3PB (3 Paper Buildings) Alice de Coverley (pictured here), a specialist education, equality, and public law barrister with the national chambers, has been named as Lawyer of the Week by The Times today. This follows her involvement in the widely-reported case of Mermaids v (1) the Charity Commission and (2) LGB Alliance [2023] UKFTT 563 (GRC). Alice acted successfully for the LGB Alliance and was instructed by Peter Daly of Doyle Clayton. The charity’s legal...
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3PB education barrister Emma Waldron (pictured here) recently saw her client, a registered childminder, successfully appeal against her continued suspension by Ofsted. Emma was instructed by Francesca Snape at Markel Law in Manchester. The First-tier Tribunal Care Standards hearing was held in front of Tribunal Judge Ian Robertson and two specialist members, Michele Tynan and Dr David Cochran. The tribunal were taken by Emma to the Upper Tribunal decision in Ofsted v GM & WM...
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3PB education and public law barrister Matthew Wyard (pictured here) has succeeded in an important Upper Tribunal appeal in which the tribunal has confirmed that appeals can be brought against review decisions of the Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales. The decision was published yesterday 1 August. The appeal in AB v Newport City Council [2022] UKUT 190 (AAC) concerned a decision by the Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales (“SENTW”) to uphold Newport City...
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3PB public law barrister Matthew Wyard, pictured here, recently acted in a judicial review for the claimant in R(on the application of EP, through her litigation friend MAP) v Norfolk County Council and successfully secured home to school transport for them, as well as an agreed quashing of multiple decisions refusing this support. The claimant, EP, is a disabled child with physical and mental disabilities. At secondary transfer she secured a place at T School....
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Five barristers from 3PB’s specialist education law team recently joined forces with Oxfordshire County Council to host a SEND mock tribunal as part of a training session. Barristers Lachlan Wilson, Katherine Anderson, Matthew Wyard, Jennifer Agyekum and Naomi Webber presented the mock tribunal to over 80 attendees. 3PB’s education law team represents parents, pupils, schools, and their governing bodies (both from the maintained and the independent sectors), academies, universities and colleges, NGOs including charities, students,...
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3PB Barristers’ specialist education and regulatory law barrister, Matthew Wyard (pictured here) has released the third article in 3PB’s Cyber Law Series. The feature covers data protection for schools and the higher education sector. Matthew highlights the rights of access to data from schools and colleges and specifically what constitutes ‘education data’. The new Data Sharing Code of Practice from the ICO is also scrutinised for how it assists the higher education sector in situations of crisis...
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3PB education and public law expert Alice de Coverley acted as Junior Counsel for Ofsted, led by Sarah Hannett QC, in this major public inquiry. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has found "shocking failings" and "blatant hypocrisy" in the way major UK religious groups handle child sex abuse allegations. IICSA concluded some religious organisations in England and Wales were "morally failing" children. IICSA set this all out in its report arising from their...
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Two of 3PB’s specialist education law barristers Matthew Wyard and Katherine Anderson joined forces with John Roberts at BLM Law to provide three webinars for Lawyers across the country in a snappily-named series, ‘‘SEN (Special Educational Needs) in Wales, the Current and Future Legal Landscape’’. The webinars covered various topics including dealing with the more adversarial tribunal claims and appeals including the role of experts; the most important aspects of Parts 2, 3 and 4...
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3PB’s specialist education and regulatory law barrister Charlotte Hadfield (pictured here) was successful in a recent judicial review challenge against Nottinghamshire County Council, in a case brought under s42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 whilst acting for the parents. The High Court Judgment, which was handed down on the 20th May 2021, is already a “must-read” for those lawyers practising in the field of education law as it includes some helpful and insightful...
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Chambers & Partners 2021 UK Bar directory lists a record five of our education barristers as leading Juniors or Up and Coming barristers in its latest edition. The directory acknowledges ‘3PB Barristers is a well-regarded set with a growing presence in the education sector. Members are experienced in the handling of a broad range of matters, including school admissions and exclusions, special educational needs and discrimination claims. The team also offers expertise in disciplinary matters arising...
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