Education News

Specialist 3PB education barristers Matthew Wyard and Alice de Coverley hosted a webinar this morning for those affected by last week’s A-level results. Watch the recording for some useful guidance now that the government has announced its decision to let teacher-assessed grades stand instead of those generated by the central algorithm.

Specialist education law barristers Alice de Coverley and Matthew Wyard have issued urgent advice for students and schools regarding today’s A-level results. Since the Coronavirus pandemic started, the education sector has had to adapt to new ways of working. This has posed significant challenges for schools and students across the UK. Today (13th August 2020), A-level students will receive their long awaited results for exams they didn’t get to sit. The guidance is ever-changing and...

3PB’s specialist public law barrister Matthew Wyard has reviewed the draft Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) bill. The bill was introduced to the Senedd on 6 July 2020 without prior public consultation. Matthew concludes that whilst the background and the rationale to the Bill are admirable, the way in which the Bill is drafted and the lack of consideration given to how its provisions will work in practise are worrying features. He calls for revisions of...

More judicial appointments for 3PB

22nd June 2020

3PB is delighted to announce that public law barrister Matthew Wyard has been appointed as a Chair of the Valuation Tribunal for England as of 22 June 2020. Matthew will sit in the Valuation Tribunal for England hearing appeals against decisions of the Valuation Office in respect of both council tax bandings and business rates. To contact Matthew, please email him at [email protected] or to instruct him, email his clerk Tom Cox on [email protected].

3PB are delighted to announce that family barrister Hannah Bush has been appointed a Deputy District Judge and a part-time First Tier Tribunal judge after separate competitions, the latter of which was announced today Thursday 28 May 2020. Hannah will sit in the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber and will hear appeals concerned with Special Educational Needs and Disability and will sit as a Deputy District Judge on the Midlands Circuit. Hannah was called to...

3PB's Education Team has produced a newsletter featuring contributions from Matthew Wyard, Alice de Coverley, Naomi Webber and Faizul Azman with a foreword from team head Charlotte Hadfield. Read the newsletter here The team has chosen two topics that are related to Covid-19 that we think are here to stay (at least for the next quarter!) and reviewed two new authorities that are unrelated to the pandemic. On the Covid-19 front, Matthew Wyard considers the meaning...

3PB’s specialist Education and Regulatory Law Barrister Jennifer Agyekum has successfully appealed a decision made by Ofsted to cancel the registration of a child-minder. Judgement followed a five day hearing and the decision of SB v Ofsted concluded that it would be disproportionate to cancel the registration of the child-minder and imposed realistic conditions that were both proportionate and appropriate. To read the full decision please click here. This case follows soon after fellow 3PB...

3PB’s education law specialist barrister Emma Waldron has successfully supported a child-minder at the First-tier Tribunal in the decision of Mrs LR (A) v Ofsted (R). The case concerned an appeal of Ofsted’s decision to cancel the registration of a child-minder on the early years register under Section 68 of the Childcare Act 2006. Judgement followed a five day hearing and it was concluded that the Notice of Cancellation made by Ofsted was neither necessary...

Government guidance on vulnerable children published today (22 March). Children with EHCPs will *not* automatically receive a school place - their eligibility will be subject to risk assessment.

3PB Education and public law barrister Matthew Wyard examines the impact of the new Coronavirus Bill on the independent education sector and uncovers some unexpected roles and demands on private schools. Click here to read Matthew's analysis. Matthew Wyard has practised in the field of education law for 8 years and is happy to represent any party in educational disputes. He is currently writing for the forthcoming, inaugural edition of the new Education Law Handbook...

Charlotte Hadfield's brief(ish) introduction to temporary closure directions and temporary continuity directions, with a review of how special educational provision may operate if the Coronavirus Bill is enacted in its current form.

Education and public law barrister Matthew Wyard and Paul Wyard of Sinclairslaw review Nottinghamshire CC v SF and another, a case in which the Court of Appeal held that the First-Tier Tribunal  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 a child in accordance with an EHC Plan – even...