Lawyers within our Education team advise both local authorities and the promoters of new schools (including parent groups and educational and other organisations) on the establishment of new schools (including academies). This may involve the running of a competition.

Our lawyers have considerable experience advising on:

• the role of the local authorities as commissioners of education services (and their associated duties)
• the requirement to run a competition and exemptions
• the process for running a competition
• the requirements of the School Organisation (Establishment and Discontinuance of Schools)(England) Regulations 2007 and the associated statutory guidance
• consultation processes
• liaison with the Department for Education and local authority
• submission of formal proposals
• formal decision making and the role of the Schools Adjudicator
• admissions arrangements and
• associated land and staffing issues.

We are able to support the local authority or the new promoters, be it parent groups, teachers or educational organisations on all legal aspects of the school going forward.

For further information, please contact Chloe Brunton on 0117 314 5301 or Martha Burnige on 020 7665 0835.