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Education Law Solicitors
Watkins Solicitors is a long-established, multi-award-winning law firm, founded in 1998, with a national reputation for specialist SEN Education Law advice.
Our dedicated Education Law team supports children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities across England at some of the most important moments in their education.
We are ranked number one in the UK for Education Law on ReviewSolicitors, based on independent client feedback, and are widely recognised for our expertise across SEN, Education, Family and Public Law.
Our Education Law team guides parents through EHCP assessments, provision, placements and appeals. We provide clear, compassionate advice to help families understand their rights and secure appropriate support for their child.
To discuss your child’s situation, please call 0117 939 0350 or email education@watkinssolicitors.co.uk.
A dedicated Education Law team focused on SEND, EHCPs and related education disputes.
A 97% success rate in EHCP appeals during the past year.
Advice for families across England, wherever they are based.
Transparent fees, fixed-fee options and flexible arrangements where appropriate.
We specialise in SEND and support children and young people through every stage of the EHCP process. We also advise on wider education law issues where access to suitable education is at risk.
Advice from the earliest stages, including EHC needs assessment requests, challenges to refusals and securing properly drafted EHCPs that accurately reflect a child’s needs and required provision.
Ensuring Sections B, C, D, F, G, H and I clearly and lawfully describe educational, health and social care needs, specify and quantify provision, and name a suitable placement.
Representing families in appeals about EHCP refusals, contents and placements, disability discrimination claims, and extended appeals involving health and social care provision.
Advising whether a SEND Tribunal decision may contain a legal error and whether an Upper Tribunal appeal is realistic and proportionate. These appeals are complex and time-sensitive.
Supporting families through primary to secondary and post-16 transitions where delays or unsuitable placements may seriously affect a child’s education.
Advice on Annual Reviews, proposed amendments and decisions to amend or cease an EHCP where this is not in a child’s best interests.
Advice where a child cannot attend school because of unmet needs, anxiety or exclusion, including support with bespoke education packages.
Helping parents secure speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, mental health support and other specialist provision through an EHCP or associated appeal.
Advice on fixed-term suspensions and permanent exclusions, including cases involving SEND, disability discrimination and failures to make reasonable adjustments.
Preparing school admission appeals and supporting or representing families at appeal hearings where a preferred school place has not been offered.
Supporting families where serious bullying, safeguarding failures or wider systemic concerns require formal complaints or legal escalation.
Bringing SEND Tribunal claims where a child has been treated unfairly because of disability, including failures to make reasonable adjustments.
Challenging local authority delays, refusals or failures, including cases where education or support is not being provided and urgent action is required.
Whatever the issue, our Education Law solicitors provide clear, compassionate advice focused on practical outcomes and helping parents secure the education and support their child needs.
Our Education Law team can explain the next steps, relevant timescales and the options available to secure suitable support.
Choosing the right solicitor can make a significant difference in achieving a positive outcome for your child.
Navigating the SEN process can feel overwhelming. Our nationally recognised team has decades of experience helping children secure the support they are entitled to.
We help families obtain EHC needs assessments, secure properly drafted EHCPs and challenge inadequate provision or unsuitable placements.
We regularly support parents of children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, learning difficulties, physical impairments and complex needs.
The Education team is led by Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner, who has over 25 years’ experience specialising in SEN and education law.
Where your child has not been offered a place at your preferred school, we can advise on the appeal and represent families at hearings across England.
We advise on appeals involving academies, local authority schools, faith schools, grammar schools and other selective schools.
Infant class appeals can be especially difficult because strict class-size rules apply. We will give an honest assessment and advise on the best available strategy.
Where an appeal is unsuccessful, we can advise on complaints or, in appropriate cases, judicial review.
Whether your child has been permanently excluded or suspended for a fixed period, there may be rights to challenge the decision.
We ensure the school and governing body follow the law and that your child is treated fairly.
Where SEND or disability issues arise, we will consider whether reasonable adjustments were made and whether a disability discrimination claim may be appropriate.
Early advice can make a significant difference to the outcome.
Where a child is experiencing severe bullying, harassment or a failure in care, legal support may be needed to protect their safety and wellbeing.
We help parents use school and local authority complaint procedures, including drafting complaints and escalating unresolved concerns.
Schools must make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and must not discriminate in admissions, exclusions or the services they provide.
We can assess whether a child has been treated unlawfully because of disability and advise on a possible Equality Act claim.
Watkins Solicitors is committed to keeping costs fair, transparent and manageable.
We offer private funding arrangements, fixed fees for many education matters and payment plans where appropriate.
Fees are discussed openly from the outset so that you can make informed decisions with confidence.
Our SEND TikTok channel features short videos from the Education Law team answering common questions about EHCPs, appeals, annual reviews, exclusions and phase transfers.
Each video is intended to help parents understand what should be happening, what their options may be and when it may be sensible to seek legal advice.
Alongside legal casework, our Education Law team contributes to SEN-focused events, webinars and online talks designed to inform, support and empower families and the SEND community.
Topics include EHCP assessments, appeals, phase transfers, exclusions and Tribunal processes. We also work with charities, support organisations and professional networks to share practical guidance.
Getting early legal advice can make a significant difference in resolving an education dispute quickly and effectively.
If you need help securing an EHCP, challenging a school or local authority decision, appealing a placement or understanding your rights, our specialist Education Law solicitors are ready to help.
We support families across England and have offices in Bristol, Bath and Hereford.
Read verified reviews from people who have used Watkins Solicitors.
SEN Information Week: Video Playlist
“Thank you – very useful. Have learned a lot and had some misinformation corrected!”
“Many thanks for supporting parents in this way”
“I wish I’d had this three years ago as school has been evasive”
“Very useful to meet other parents in the same boat – with kids with SEND”
“This was very useful (if exhausting) event. Thank you!”
“Thank you so much for offering all your expertise and advice. I feel so much more confident about starting the EHCP process”
“Very informative, given me more confidence in starting our EHCP application”
“Very obvious that you all really care about SEN and gaining the right plans and placements for our children, some very good information, I have attended a number of events but this was the most entertaining!”
“Watkins Solicitors are very knowledgeable and friendly and absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much, this will make a huge difference to my two autistic children. Very funny too, loved it.”
“Spot on. Should be run more often”.
“Great! Thank you.”
“Very informative.”
“Would like similar events on any aspect of the SEN provision, difficulties faced within the education system by SEN kids and their families!”
“I could listen to you all day!”
“Fab day!”
“Very appropriate insight. Would appreciate more about 19-25 process. Thanks for sharing so much information I spent hours on the internet trying to find!”
“Cornwall Needs SEN Support! So a great event. I know many parents who also have children with CFS/ME who need this advice also”
“I found this event very helpful, I learnt some very useful information”
“It was fantastic, thank you!”
“Very informative. Lots of great advice. In a fun informal setting”
“Very informative. I will be passing details onto other parents, many could not make today”
“Great answers to questions which could be asked throughout the day, very respectful of all attendees, good opportunities to question and ask for clarity on points delivered”
“Was good to be able to answer individual needs”
"I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all, for the informative SEN Information Day, at the Melting Pot Cafe in Redruth on Friday 22 September.
I attended with a group of friends and we all felt that it was a brilliant day, where we learned a lot more about SEN processes. I know it was the best presented and most factual advice and information session that I have attended, so I hope you continue with these sessions."
80% of attendees rated the Conference excellent, 20% very good!