Further Education Lawyers
Further education providers operate in a complex and fast-moving regulatory environment, while balancing budgets, compliance, learner needs and workforce pressures, often at pace.
Working by your side, we help you navigate challenges, seize opportunities and move forward with confidence, whether you are managing day-to-day issues or delivering major strategic change.
When issues arise you need advice that is clear, practical and aligned with how your organisation actually works.
Supporting college institutions, sixth form and specialist colleges, adult education providers and independent training providers across England and Wales, our approach is collaborative and proactive: we aim to reduce risk, prevent problems before they escalate and provide you with advice you can act on immediately.
We provide clear, pragmatic advice on student and equality matters (including SEND), safeguarding and the Prevent duty, corporate governance and group structures, DfE funding and subcontracting, procurement and competition law, general contracting, data protection and freedom of information, employment, estates and construction, and disputes.
From safeguarding concerns and data breaches through to mergers, university partnerships and capital programmes, we set out to help you take your next steps confidently.
Alongside legal advice, you also gain practical tools, briefings and tailored training to strengthen compliance and prevent issues before they escalate.
Our expertise
You need advice that is clear, pragmatic and grounded in a real understanding of how the FE sector works. With over 300 education specialists across the firm, you benefit from genuine joined-up support, bringing the right expertise together at every stage.
From devolved funding complexity and VAT non-recovery to curriculum reform, skills shortages and the need to align provision with Local Skills Improvement Plans, we understand the realities FE institutions face.
The direction of post-16 education is shifting in real time. As policy commitments, such as the Post-16 education and skills white paper, move into implementation and legislative reform begins to take effect, you are making decisions now that will shape your organisation for years to come.
How we support you:
End-to-end support on student matters including appeals, complaints, discipline, academic misconduct, fitness to study, freedom of speech, HSE and duty of care, OIA issues and judicial review.
We also advise on Equality Act and Human Rights Act duties, reasonable adjustments (including mental health), SENDIST participation, and Children and Families Act compliance.
Our safeguarding and Prevent expertise includes urgent referrals, information‑sharing, KCSIE duties and culture reviews, helping you balance rights and welfare while staying compliant.
For more information on how we can help, please get in touch with Kris Robbetts.
Pragmatic support for boards and executives on Instruments and Articles, constitutional change, charity and company law, and sound decision‑making.
We design schemes of delegation, conflicts management and assurance frameworks, advise on reporting to Department of Education, Office for Students, and help establish group companies, joint ventures and partnerships. We align governance, risk and financial controls across groups, and provide training for governors and governance professionals to strengthen accountability.
For more information on how we can help, please get in touch with Morag Roddick or Thomas Pollitt.
Support with funding agreements, subcontracting arrangements, apprenticeships and income-generating activity.
We advise on procurement strategy under the Procurement Act 2023, tendering and challenges, competition law and subsidy control, including grant opinions. We also advise across the entire lifecycle of student terms, SLAs and supplier contracts and strategic partnerships, focusing on value for money, audit-ready compliance and workable risk allocation.
For more information on how we can help, please get in touch with Graham Shaw.
Full estates support, from land ownership and title issues through to acquisitions, disposals, lease renewals and dilapidations.
We procure construction projects, appoint contractors and consultants, and prepare JCT/NEC contracts, collateral warranties, bonds and guarantees. Our planning lawyers advise on town and country planning and environmental matters. Property litigators handle disputes to protect operational continuity and asset value.
For more information on how we can help, please get in touch with Jo Burton.
We offer expert employment law and HR support tailored to the unique needs of FE colleges. We can assist you with:
- Employment contracts and policies: Drafting and reviewing contracts, policies, and procedures to ensure compliance with legal requirements and alignment with sector-specific needs.
- Employee relations: Providing practical advice on handling grievances, disciplinary matters, and disputes, with a focus on resolving issues efficiently and effectively.
- EDI: supporting positive EDI culture and prevention of harassment through training, risk assessment and advice.
- Safer recruitment & managing allegations: Ensuring robust recruitment practice and safeguarding compliance
- Training and development: Delivering tailored training for HR teams and managers on key employment law topics.
- Strategic workforce management: Advising on restructuring, redundancies, organisational change and TUPE transfer to support institutional goals.
- Tribunal representation: Offering effective and pragmatic representation in employment tribunal claims, minimising risk and protecting reputation.
- Industrial relations: Supporting you in managing relationships with unions and employee representatives, ensuring effective communication and negotiation.
- Navigating legislative changes: Providing guidance on adapting to upcoming changes introduced through the Employment Rights Act 2025, helping you stay ahead of legal developments and their practical implications for your workforce.
For more information on how we can help, please get in touch with Joanne Oliver.
Dedicated information law support covering subject access requests, data breaches and data protection related complaints, privacy notices, data sharing and police requests.
We manage FOIA and EIR responses as well as publication schemes. Where reputation is at stake, we advise on defamation, privacy/confidentiality, brand and IP infringement, and social media takedowns to reduce risk and maintain trust.
For more information on how we can help, please get in touch with Andrew Gallie.
AI brings great opportunity to the sector as we see its role expand to provide skills-focused pathways aligned to labour market needs but it also brings an increase in vexatious AI written complaints. We work hand in hand in with our clients to navigate these so these opportunities and challenges.
For more information on how we can help, please get in touch with Andrew Gallie.
FAQs
We support FE organisations with the legal issues that affect daily operations and long‑term strategy. Typical work covers student and equality matters (including SEND), safeguarding and Prevent, governance and group structures, funding and procurement, contracts and disputes, estates and construction, data protection and FOI, and regulatory engagement with DfE, Ofsted and (where relevant) the OfS.
Key frameworks include the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Education Act 2011, Equality Act 2010, Children and Families Act 2014 (and SEND Code of Practice), Procurement Act 2023, UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, charity and company law, the Prevent duty and regulator guidance from DfE/Ofsted/OfS.
Specialist advice saves time and reduces risk. We combine legal expertise with sector insight, giving you clear options aligned to your governance, funding, procurement and safeguarding duties.
Common issues include complex student complaints and exclusions, Equality Act and SEND challenges, safeguarding concerns, contract reviews and procurement, DfE funding and subcontracting compliance, campus projects, data protection/FOI requests, workforce changes, and disputes. We provide fast, pragmatic support tailored to your timelines and risk appetite.
It depends on scope and complexity. Many clients choose a fixed‑fee retainer for day‑to‑day queries, with fixed or capped fees for defined projects and discounted hourly rates for other work. We agree budgets and timelines upfront and operate a ‘no surprises’ approach to costs.
Yes, from structuring and due diligence through to approvals and implementation.
Yes, including briefings, webinars and tailored training, plus policy/toolkit support.
Yes, urgent matters are triaged quickly with clear next steps.
Our work highlights
Employment - Retainer
Since winning a competitive tender four years ago, our employment retainer has become trusted day‑to‑day support for a merged FE college. We helped integrate two workforces by centralising HR policies, auditing terms and conditions with TUPE in mind, and delivering on‑site training and annual updates (most recently on preventing sexual harassment and preparing for the changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025). An authorised HR helpline and regular Teams check‑ins provide quick, practical guidance, backed by how‑to guides and templates. For higher‑risk or more complex matters we guide strategy and draft or review documents.
We’ve supported cases spanning whistleblowing, safeguarding, grievances, capability and restructures, and advised on conflicting protected characteristics and freedom of expression online. We also defended a high‑profile discrimination claim. The retainer offers responsive, value‑for‑money support, with sector‑specific advice on issues such as DBS referrals and regulatory considerations for termination payments.
Education - Disability discrimination claim
We supported a large further education college when a student brought a disability discrimination claim that the Tribunal had mistakenly accepted under school‑specific Equality Act provisions. Because of a miscommunication, the college was initially barred from taking part. We mobilised quickly to restore the college’s participation, de‑escalated the dispute and achieved a mediated resolution. We then helped the leadership reflect on duties to younger learners and embed a clearer understanding of Equality Act obligations in an FE context, which is legally distinct from schools. The matter highlights how procedural and jurisdictional issues can escalate rapidly - especially with litigants in person - and the importance of fast, technically accurate advice and strong internal processes to protect learners, staff and reputation
Property - Campus development and leaseback
Advised a specialist college on a development agreement, lease for new facilities and leaseback of part, including allocation of landlord and tenant works, payment mechanisms and grant related community use restrictions. Secured appropriate protections in respect of the works, enabling timely completion, operational continuity and continued public access to shared spaces as funders required contractually.
Concise and pragmatic legal advice that weighs up risk both financially and reputationally.
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Discover more
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The impact of the Education Estates Strategy on colleges and post-16 education
The Department for Education (DfE) published its Education Estates Strategy: A Decade of National Renewal in February 2026. This strategy outlines the government’s long-term approach to managing and improving education buildings across England. It includes further education (FE) colleges and sixth-form colleges within the national education estate, which collectively account for 9 million square metres of publicly funded internal space.
The strategy marks a significant shift in addressing decades of underinvestment in school and college buildings. It introduces a systematic approach to estate governance, lifecycle planning, and data-driven investment, aiming to improve not only capital funding but also governance structures, estate management capabilities, and the alignment of infrastructure with skills policy.
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SEND reform and the Schools White Paper: implications for the further education sector
The Government’s Schools White Paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving (2026), alongside the wider SEND reform programme, represents one of the most significant proposed changes to SEND provision since the Children and Families Act 2014. While the policy narrative is largely school-focused, the reforms will have substantial legal and operational implications for the further education (FE) sector, which supports thousands of young people with SEND aged 16–25 as they transition into adulthood. The White Paper should lay the ground for improvement in young people's journeys through the education system into the future.
