‘Investigating allegations against staff is one of the most challenging issues for schools and colleges. Some lessons can be learned from a recent case, writes Joanne Moseley.’
Local Government Lawyer, 10th November 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Can a school be vicariously liable for abuse perpetrated against a pupil by an adult on work experience? The Court of Appeal addressed this question in the above case and, unusually, overturned some of the findings of fact of the trial judge.’
Law Society's Gazette, 1st November 2023
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘In the ever-increasing cases concerning grooming/abuse, the Court of Appeal’s decision provides helpful guidance in the context of work experience employment and vicarious liability.’
3PB, 5th September 2023
Source: www.3pb.co.uk
‘Nine former members of staff at a school for boys with behavioural difficulties have now been convicted of physically and sexually abusing pupils over four decades. The BBC spoke to 10 survivors of the defunct Berrow Wood School about their ordeals, with questions remaining over how the abuse was able to continue for so long.’
BBC News, 3rd October 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A predatory paedophile responsible for a “campaign of rape against children” has been jailed for 27 years for abusing boys at a boarding school.’
BBC News, 3rd October 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘East Sussex County Council has submitted a request for permission to appeal a decision ordering it to pay school fees costs to the family of a young autistic boy.’
Local Government Lawyer, 29th September 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced to 14 months detention after stabbing a teacher in a school corridor.’
BBC News, 28th September 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Councils wasted £60 million in a year on “unsuccessful court disputes” with parents and carers seeking support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), according to research by Pro Bono Economics, commissioned by the Disabled Children’s Partnership.’
Local Government Lawyer, 27th September 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Councils in England have been accused of “wasting” millions of pounds in court disputes with parents and carers over disability and educational support for their children.’
The Independent, 26th September 2023
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has updated its technical guidance for schools in England and Scotland, outlining the obligations the Equality Act places upon schools regarding pupils with protected characteristics and the provision of their education.’
Local Government Lawyer, 26th September 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Scotland Yard has admitted overusing its power to strip-search children after four of its officers were told they would face disciplinary proceedings over allegations that their search of a 15-year-old black schoolgirl known as Child Q was inappropriate and amounted to discrimination owing to her race and sex.’
The Guardian, 14th September 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A private school has been fined £80,000 after a classroom ceiling collapsed, injuring 15 children and their teacher.’
The Guardian, 29th August 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Laura Martin and Theresa Kerr provide a legal perspective on how pupils with ADHD can be supported in school.’
Local Government Lawyer, 18th July 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Sarah Prager KC analyses the latest instalment in the great Covid refund saga.’
Local Government Lawyer, 18th July 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘A former deputy headmaster at a secondary school has been jailed for grooming two vulnerable female pupils before having sex with them.’
BBC News, 13th July 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has called for a “radical rehaul of the SEND system” and “swift implementation of the SEND Improvement Plan” after recent data from the Department for Education showed that nearly 1.2 million children in England have special educational needs support without an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), up 4.7% in 2022.’
Local Government Lawyer, 4th July 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘In Higgs v Farmor’s School [2023] EAT 89, Mrs Higgs worked as a pastoral administrator and work experience manager at Farmor’s School. Complaints were received about Facebook posts that she had made about relationship education in primary schools: in particular, she re-posted someone else’s post, heading it, “PLEASE READ THIS! THEY ARE BRAINWASHING OUR CHILDREN!” [5]. She also re-posted similar material. She accepted that her posts might have been seen by parents of pupils at Farmor’s School, though she pointed out that she had not mentioned the school itself [9].
She was suspended and, after a disciplinary investigation and an appeal, dismissed [16 & 17]. She took the school to an Employment Tribunal, arguing that her dismissal amounted either to direct discrimination because of her protected beliefs or to harassment relating to them.’
Law & Religion UK, 20th June 2023
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Ms UO and her 3 children, aged 11, 5 and 3, were homeless and had applied to LB Redbridge. The family had NASS accommodation in the Tottenham area since 2021, after NASS accommodation in Croydon and West Ham from 2019. Ms UO’s elder children were enrolled in school in Tottenham and the youngest in the nursery attached to the school. MS UO had connections in Redbridge herself. Following Ms UO’s grant of asylum in 2022, the NASS accommodation ceased. She applied to Redbridge. The application stressed how important the children’s school was to them. She then did not hear anything from Redbridge until the day before her eviction from the NASS accommodation.’
Nearly Legal, 18th June 2023
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘Campaigners against the Welsh government’s sex education curriculum have lost their bid to appeal against a High Court judgment.’
BBC News, 7th June 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The High Court has rejected a claim which questioned what matters an adjudicator may and must take into account in determining whether a school’s admission arrangements are “fair”.’
Local Government Lawyer, 5th June 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
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