Esther Farnham

Areas of Expertise – Education Law

• Securing an Education Health Care (EHC) needs assessment 
• Appeals against a refusal to make an EHC needs assessment 
• Appeals against a refusal to make an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• Appeals against the content of an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• Appeals against content of a Statement of Special Educational Needs (Wales)
• Appeals against content of an Individual Development Plan (‘IDP’) (Wales) 
• Exclusion Appeals
• Disability Discrimination claims 
• Admissions Appeals
• Home to School Transport Appeals
• Judicial Review for failure to provide education and SEN provision
• Judicial Review for education and social care issues. 

Education and Qualifications:

• European and International Law LLB, University of the West of England
• International Law LLM, University of Bristol

Background and Experience:

• Esther has worked in Education and Public Law since 2019

Joined HCB

• October 2022

About

Prior to joining HCB, Esther gained experience in various areas of Public Law, including Education Law, Social Care and Housing. Esther has experience in Public Law cases against Local Authorities, the Home Office and other public bodies. 

Esther is passionate about assisting individuals to obtain the support they need, and in particular in education cases. Her broad Public Law experience greatly assists to the work she has been undertaking with Education Law, particularly where clients issues overlap with Social Care. 

Esther has been working in Education Law since 2019, assisting with a variety of cases including assisting with families with the Education, Health and Care Plan process from requesting and securing Education Health Care Needs Assessments (‘EHCNA’), to securing an EHCP. Esther also assists in appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) in challenging refusals to carry out an EHCNA, refusal to issue an EHCP, and when an EHCP is issued, the content of a child or young person’s EHCP. 

Additionally, Esther has experience in challenging Local Authority where the provision set out within an EHCP is not being implemented, or the child is not receiving education they are entitled to. Having not had a straight forward journey through education herself, Esther is driven to assist others to obtain the educational opportunities they are entitled to, and to receive the right support to thrive in education.

Esther also has experience in challenging home to school transport decisions and school admission appeals.