Education: Recent Matters

• Advising on the establishment of the first single-gender boys' academy in the country, which also included the establishment of a temporary academy on another site in partnership with the local council. We have acted on all real estate, planning, litigation and employment issues leading to the successful establishment of the site.
• Advising an independent school in obtaining planning consent for a controversial school expansion, which involved the redevelopment of an adjoining site and part of the school's existing site to provide state-of-the-art sports facilities for mixed educational and community use.
• Successfully defended an application for permission to apply for Judicial Review of an academy's complaints procedures, which were alleged to be unlawful. The judge refused permission and observed that there was "no arguable case for judicial review."
• Advising on all legal issues relating to the establishment and operation of a new academy aimed at science with a tie-in to the museum sector, which includes circular pods and renewable energy sources such as a biomass boiler and wind-power.
• Advising a major academy sponsor on commercial matters relating software licensing and outsourcing arrangements.
• Advising a school on a range of litigation matters, including employment issues, disputes with parents and property disputes.
• Advising a group of schools in relation to issues arising out of the departure of a headmaster with long-term stress related sickness.