• A multi-disciplinary team of lawyers from across our firm work together to provide specialist expertise for the education sector.

    We support schools, colleges, universities, academies and MATs, spanning areas of expertise such as property, employment, corporate, commercial and regulatory law.

    Why choose our Education team?

    Our lawyers deliver added-value solutions that will help protect your establishment and support your needs so that you can focus on your primary objective; education.

    We take the time to get to know your establishment, working in collaboration. This enables us to provide you with strategic and effective tactics that are tailored to your organisation.

    Many of our Education team are also school governors, so we understand the specific challenges that educational establishments and governors face. This knowledge informs our legal work so that we can deliver enhanced support that meets your needs.

    We use systems that support time, resource and cost efficiency. We structure our fees in a way that best suits our clients, with total transparency, and often work on retainer arrangements.

    As a Brachers client, you will also have access to a programme of free education-focused forums, seminars and training courses. These deliver valuable legal updates and practical solutions to make sure you stay ahead of changes in your sector.

    We also have the benefit of the significant education sector experience within our sister company Kent HR, a specialist HR consultancy. This allows us to offer a wider range of services to educational establishments.

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    Retained Legal and HR Services for the Education Sector

    Recognition of our expertise

    We are a regional market leader in the education sector and have been ranked in the top tier of leading legal directory The Legal 500 for our work in the public sector, including education.

    Partner Catherine Daw and other team members Colin Smith and Abigail Brightwell are rated as ‘Recommended Lawyers’ in the 2024 directory.

    Catherine Daw has also been recognised in the Chambers and Partners 2021 directory for her expertise in employment law, including her work in education.

    We are one of very few firms who are appointed to supply employment and HR services to schools in London and the South East through our 2buy2 accreditation. The accreditation process assesses our ability to provide legal support that reaches a high standard of quality and expertise and recognises our specialist commitment and knowledge.

    Find out more about our awards, accreditations and partnerships.

    Meet our clients

    Hear from our client Five Acre Wood School about why they work with us.

    How we can help

    Simply expand the sections below for more information on the services and support available to you.

    • Academy conversions and free schools

      Development and expansion

      Education Matters Forum

      Freedom of Information and data protection

      Governance, complaints and appeals

      Purchasing goods and services for schools

      School premises

      Staff management

    • How to contact us

      Our Education solicitors are based in Maidstone and Canterbury and are ready to help with any legal advice you need.

      You can call us on 01622 690691, email us or use the contact form on this page.

  • Get in touch

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  • Expertise

Useful Resources

  • Case Studies

     

  • The Harvey has a distinguished history since it was first founded by the family of Dr William Harvey in 1674, originally to serve “20 poor boys of Folkestone”. It is now a well-known East Kent institution with a school community of 1026 pupils aged between 11 and 18. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, the school remains committed to its founding principles to serve pupils from the local community regardless of their social background.

    At Brachers, our specialist Education Sector team is entering into its tenth year of working alongside the Harvey since the school’s academisation in 2012. The decision for the Harvey to become an academy was one of the most significant dates in the school’s proud history. It was a process that we at Brachers are proud to have supported through providing expert corporate, property and employment law support.

    The Harvey prides itself on its highly qualified, enthusiastic staff who are entrusted with the development, education and pastoral care of the school’s pupils. In turn, since 2012 Brachers’ team of employment law and HR specialists have provided advice and guidance to the school’s governing body and leadership teams. This has contributed to the maintaining and growth of the school’s exceptional staff.

    Throughout our relationship with the Harvey, our education sector specialists have also continued to provide expert advice to the school in areas as diverse as property law, health and safety and data protection. Our work with the Harvey is a good illustration of the breadth of services that are available to our clients in the education sector via specialist lawyers based in both Maidstone and Canterbury.

    Antonio Fletcher, Partner and head of our Education Sector team commented: “We are very proud of our relationship with the Harvey and the work we have undertaken together over the last 10 years. At Brachers, we are committed to providing both our clients in the education sector and those based in East Kent with a first-rate service on their doorstep, delivered from our Canterbury office.”

    If you are a school or academy looking for legal advice, please get in touch with our education specialist lawyers today.

     

  • We advised on the use of TUPE regulations for an employee seconded to a community company, where the employee had been for approximately five years with no contractual documentation. The application of TUPE was also being opposed by the community company.

    We worked closely with the Trust to develop a strategy to put them in the strongest position, ensure compliance with relevant legislation and persuade both the community company and employee that TUPE applied.

    If the TUPE position were not accepted this potentially could have been costly for the Trust in terms of management time spent on the matter and likely financial costs of notice, holiday and even a potential redundancy payment.

    However, the transfer successfully took place and risk of redundancy was avoided.

  • Our Employment Law team have worked closely with an Academy Business Manager to advise on a sensitive Data Subject Access Request.

    This included advising upon disclosure requirements, assessing documentation against legal tests and drafting a response to the request.

    The work was completed under time pressure as instructions were received close to the deadline for compliance.

    It had also been a complex case as the staff member involved had been the subject of allegations of bullying and harassment, and had raised a grievance.

  • Our commercial property experts are acting for a college on its disposal of part of its site to a housing developer, and the re-development of the remaining part of the campus. The re-development is also being part-funded by a local authority grant.

    It is an important move for the college, as it will enable it to redevelop the site into a modern facility.

    We are supporting the college with all real estate aspects of the transaction, including preparing and negotiating the documentation.

Key Contacts - Education Law:

Meet the Team:

  • I was well informed throughout, his advice was excellent

  • The empathy and reassurance provided during proceedings was of a highly personal nature.

    Chambers High Net Worth Guide

  • They have a very friendly and personal style. They are always professional, helpful and available.

    Chambers High Net Worth Guide