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A Friendly Guide from Our Conveyancing Experts Buying a house is one of the most exciting, and sometimes daunting, experiences in life. Whether you're a first-time buyer or moving up the property ladder, knowing what to look out for when buying a home...
In recent years we have seen possibly the biggest change in the family law system for some time with the No Fault Divorce system. With that issue now dealt with the government are now due to publish a consultation on the rights of cohabiting couples next...
On 3 March 2025, parents across England and Wales received secondary school admission results. If your child didn’t get your preferred school, you can appeal the decision. Why was my child not offered a place at our preferred school? Under the School...
By Saturday the 15th of February 2025, Local Authorities must comply with their statutory duty of issuing final Education, Heath, and Care Plans (EHCP) for every child going through a phase transfer at school. These EHCPs must name in Section I the...
Local Authorities are not meeting their statutory deadlines for assessing a child’s special educational needs, and thereafter if agreed, issuing Education, Health and Care Plans (‘EHCP’). A recent BBC Report into Local Authorities missed...
Understanding Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014 As specialist education law solicitors, we regularly help parents and professionals navigate the complex world of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). One of the most common questions we...
As the number of children with SEND who are not in full-time education continues to rise, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has released plans to visit local authority areas to assess the support in place for these children. Ofsted intends to...
Under proposed legislation recently introduced in Parliament, the right to home education would no longer be automatic for parents of the most at-risk children, under the current proposals. Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, unveiled the...
Recent tribunal statistics published for the 2023 – 2024 academic year (which can be found here ) undoubtedly signify the increasing pressures encountered by the SEND Tribunal and the growing concerns shared by parents of children with Special...
Moving house and to a new area can be a stressful process. The difficulty of this can be exacerbated if you have a child or young person with special educational needs who is supported by an EHCP. Questions can understandably arise as to who will...
Statistics suggest that the first quarter of the year is where the most divorces are started. January 2nd typically is termed “Divorce Day” Whilst the Office of National statistics show that there were 27,908 divorces commenced in England and...
The Government have recently released figures concerning the number of children who are now electively home educated as of the autumn term 2024/2025. Local authorities report that 111,700 children are in elective home education. This is an increase from an...
Transitioning to the next key stage of education is a daunting time for any child or their parents. However, for those children or young people with special educational needs and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), this big step into the next phase of...
In light of the current wait times for a matter to proceed to a Hearing within the Tribunal, the Tribunal Procedure Committee have recently submitted a proposal to amend Rule 23 of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health Education and Social...
Contrary to myths in the special educational needs world and much misinformation rife amongst Local Authorities, there are strict deadlines governing the process of an Annual Review. If a Child or Young Person has the benefit of an EHCP, the...
HCB to Host A Free Question and Answer Session Regarding the Special Educational Needs System in England for Parents On 11 November 2024, between 7.30pm and 9pm Holly Blacklaws and Mark Glen of HCB Widdows Mason are teaming up with Chris Wade of Wade...
Recent reports have highlighted alarming failures in the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process, which have contributed to tragic outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). A recent inquest in to the tragic death of...
As parents, you want the best for your child’s education, and sometimes decisions made a public body may seem unfair or contrary to your child’s needs. Whether it’s about school placements, support for special educational needs (SEN), or...
When the school is not the right fit; Navigating challenges for children with Special Educational Needs and associated Learning Difficulties Every child deserves an education that not only meets their unique needs but aids them to thrive within the...
Hundreds of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs are Missing from Education You may have seen the news Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has commissioned a report looking at the number of children who are out of or...
What is Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014? Section 41 of the Children and Families Act (S41 CFA) 2014 is a key piece of SEN law. It provides the Secretary of State for Education with authority to approve independent special and special...
B uckinghamshire County Council Informally Notifies Parent Forum it Will No Longer Provide Top-Up Funding for Pupils without an EHC Plan A Buckinghamshire parents’ forum has advised they have been informally notified by Buckinghamshire Council it...
Research brief.pdf (senedd.wales) A recent research brief published by the Senedd Cymru has highlighted the unforeseen consequences that have arisen due to the implementation of the Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Code for Wales 2021, which is currently...
As September 2024 approaches, many parents are preparing their children for the new school year. For parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), this period can be particularly challenging, especially when it comes to ensuring...
On 15th August 2024, students across the country who have taken A-Level examinations will be receiving their results. It will be a stressful day for many, especially because University offers for admission are often conditional upon receiving certain...
Following our article last month regarding the proposed removal of VAT exemption for private schools and the subsequent success of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party at the latest general election, the government has now published a technical consultation...
As the school year comes to an end, Department of Education latest figures report record numbers of school suspensions and exclusions in England for the academic year 2022/23. Persistent disruptive behaviour was the most commonly reported reason, accounting...
According to the UK Government website, in the academic year 2022/23, the Tribunal Service recorded 14,000 registered special educational needs appeals, highlighting the increasing number of appeals lodged with the SEND Tribunal, which has gone up by a...
Deciding between taking over an existing lease through an assignment or entering into a new lease is a significant decision for any tenant. Each option comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages and understanding these can help you to make an...
The County Councils Network (CCN) and the Local Government Association (LGA) recently commissioned a 166-page report exploring the need for fundamental reform of the SEND system in England; ‘Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to...
The Children and Families Act 2014 (CFA 2014) is fundamental in governing Special Educational Needs (SEN) law in England. Some aspects of the CFA 2014 are widely known, for example the sections relating to EHCP’s. However, a lesser known, but still...
If your Child has Special Educational Needs, you may have made a request to your Local Authority for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) or, you may already be in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which provides Special...
Each Local Authority has a legal duty to provide suitable education to all children of compulsory school age who are not able to access school.
As most will be aware by now, the UK will be heading to the polls on the 4th of July to vote in a general election, which many predict will see Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party replace the Conservative party in Government. Labour’s proposal...
Councils in England forecast a shortfall of almost £1bn in school funding for supporting children with special needs: - A recent BBC Report into local authorities’ budgetary shortfall for supporting children with special needs has cast light on...
Going through a relationship breakdown can be an extremely stressful situation. However for those either serving in the armed forces or married to someone in the armed forces, there are additional considerations to factor in. This blog aims to set out these...
The short answer is yes. In 2022 the law changed to a no fault divorce system. This means that, provided you have been married for over a year, parties can apply for a divorce without one party having to blame the other for the breakdown of the marriage....
Parents, advocates and lawyers have co-produced a guidance document – which can be downloaded here – for families to use when deciding if they need a representative, what type of representative they need and who specifically to use. The...
As a parent the summer holidays can be a chance to spend quality time with the children ahead of the new school term. Often it’s the time most families plan their annual trips away. This process can become difficult for separating couples as the...
Sunday 31st March 2024 was the final date for Local Authorities to fulfil their statutory duties in finalising all Education Health Care Plans (EHCP’s) for young people with special educational needs and disabilities who plan to transition to Post-16...
The phase transfer deadline for Local Authorities is fast approaching. This means that, if your child has an EHCP and is due to transfer to another phase of education in September 2024, your Local Authority should finalise their decision in respect of your...
The government’s annual SEND statistics for 2022/23 have recently been released, revealing overwhelming figures and somewhat alarming results. The statistics can be accessed directly here . As a starting point, in the 2022/23 academic year, 14,000...
Parents may have seen the recently released campaign from the Government targeting children’s attendance at school. This is further to the announcement that school non-attendance is now a key concern for the Government following the news that there are...
We have all heard that the government is considering scrapping inheritance tax in their spring budget of 2024 with some suggesting this is a move to win over voters ahead of the next election. But don’t get our hopes up just yet, this isn’t the...
With January, a sad trend known as Divorce Day happens on the first working day of the year. This article aims to answer some of the key questions you may have and hopefully provide some reassurance. How long will a Divorce take? Will I be...
With Christmas just around the corner it’s really important to start the preparations early, making sure everything for the special day is in place. For separated couples, one of the most important considerations will often be the arrangements for...
In August 2022 we published a blog post detailing what was known at that stage of the Government’s plans to abolish ‘no fault’ evictions under Section 21 Housing Act 1988. That post can be accessed here and also summarises what...
It is sad to say that in many relationships domestic abuse is becoming a more common feature. Sadly, this does not always end on the relationship breaking down. This article aims to help identify the 7 different types of abuse that can happen after a relationship ends and what can then be done to assist people.
It has recently been revealed that the government has signed a contract targeting 20% cuts to the number of new Education, Health and Care Plans (“EHCPs”) being issued for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities...
A REFUSAL TO ATTEND SCHOOL – WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES The Guardian recently published an article titled “Children are holding a mirror up to us’: why are England’s kids...
