Insights

Subsidiaries are widely used in the higher education sector to open up the range of activities universities can undertake, diversify income streams, manage risk and access more agile operational and staffing models.  While the legal and commercial reasons for structuring a new venture through a subsidiary may be varied, charity law compliance will often be a key driver. This article explores how charity law impacts decisions to use a subsidiary and the structuring of the relationship with the parent university. 

While the higher education (HE) sector has been abuzz with news of a new 'super-university', it may have paid less attention to the recent upticks in new overseas branch campuses and transnational education (TNE) students.

The Department for Education (DfE) reported on 12 June 2025 that over 1.7 million pupils in England have special educational needs (SEN), which is an increase of 93,000 (5.6%) since 2024. 

Schools have a responsibility to ensure that their policies are up-to-date, compliant with current legislation and reflective of best practices. This is essential to maintain legal compliance, safeguard pupils and staff and to provide clear guidance for all.   

Key steps to maximise recovery and avoid underclaims.

The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) continues to progress through Parliament, with the House of Lords recently concluding the second, third and fourth sittings of the Report Stage on 16, 21 and 23 July 2025.