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Education & Judicial Review News
Phase Transfer Deadlines – What Parents Need to Know If your child is transitioning from Primary to Secondary school for September 2025, this is your reminder to make sure the Local Authority issues you with an Amended Education, Health and...
Watkins Solicitors is representing families in a pivotal Judicial Review case against Devon County Council and Bristol City Council’s Safety Valve Agreement, due to be heard at the Bristol High Court from 28–30 January 2025. This significant...
Watkins Solicitors Announces Court Date for Landmark Judicial Review Against Bristol City Council’s Safety Valve Agreement Watkins Solicitors is preparing for the upcoming court hearing of its judicial review challenge against Bristol City...
The Law Commission has launched a public consultation to review the legal framework governing social care for disabled children in England. This important consultation aims to modernise outdated laws, ensuring that children with disabilities receive the...
Watkins Solicitors is representing parents in a critical judicial review challenge against Bristol City Council over the controversial Safety Valve agreement, which raises concerns about cuts to Special Educational Needs (SEN) support. The challenge, led by...
Watkins Solicitors is featured in a recent Bristol Live article covering our involvement in a high-profile legal challenge against Bristol City Council’s Safety Valve agreement. The case, led by our Managing Partner Beverley Watkins ,...
An Afternoon Packed with Expert Insights On 27th September 2024, Watkins Solicitors hosted a highly informative SEN (Special Educational Needs) Information Day at The Kindle Centre in Hereford. The event was designed to equip parents with the knowledge and...
We are excited to announce that Emma Thompson has qualified as an Education Solicitor at Watkins Solicitors, marking a significant milestone in her legal career. Since joining Watkins Solicitors as a Paralegal in October 2018, Emma has shown a deep...
To PAP or not to PAP Use of judicial review pre-action protocol (PAP) during the EHC process Please note the below is ‘ some ’ of the times you may need to consider pre-action and will be dependent on individual circumstances and whether...
Understanding Autism: Key Insights Autism Awareness Week shines a spotlight on ASD, revealing crucial statistics and evolving terminology. Only 26% of autistic pupils feel happy at school Only 29% of autistic people are in any form of employment 70% of...
10 things parents need to know about EOTAS Due to the shortage of special school places, many parents today are asking the Local Authority to fund Education Otherwise than at School (known as EOTAS ) packages. Some parents think that if...
For primary to secondary school – DEADLINE IS 15 FEBRUARY 2024 For secondary to post-16 placements – DEADLINE IS 31 MARCH 2024 Currently, SEND tribunals are being listed for hearings in early 2025; whilst the SEND Tribunal has indicated...
The link between Judicial Review and the annual review process We are regularly contacted by clients who have had an Annual Review of their child’s Special Educational Needs, but the review process has not been fully completed by the Local...
In a landmark judgment issued today (8 March 2022) the High Court has made it clear that every local council must keep to fixed legal time limits when reviewing the needs of children and young people with special educational needs . Councils have been...
High Court rules that student finance regulations discriminated against students who were unable to prove their immigration status in time due to pandemic delays Re Jawad Naeem v Secretary of State for Education and Kyra Morris [2022[ EWHC 15...
What happens when the Local Authority does not name the school or college of your choosing? For those with EHC plans there are specific rules relating to phased transfers where children either start primary school, move to secondary school or move to post...
In late 2019, Emma Grimbly (Education Paralegal) was working on numerous cases whereby Devon County Council were neglecting their duties to issue an Annual Review Decision Notice within the required 4-week period and neglecting to...
A judicial challenge against Devon County Council brought by Watkins Solicitors on behalf of three children with special education needs has succeeded in the Court of Appeal this week. All three appeal judges agreed that there are important issues that the...
As everyone will be aware the UK entered a further national lockdown on 5th January 2021, which resulted in the closure of schools across England and Scotland (schools in Wales are scheduled to return on 18th January 2021, however a further Welsh Government...
Managing Partner Beverley Watkins features in the latest edition of the Law Society Gazette, where she discusses representing three families in a test case in the Court of Appeal that could significantly impact on local authority procedures for children with...
