Pastoral Support for Schools: Admissions, Exclusions & Appeals.

We are able to advise schools and academies on compliance with admissions law and the School Admissions Code of Practice and School Admissions Appeal Code of Practice. This includes specialist legal advice on:

• Determining admission arrangements;
• Drafting your school admissions policy;
• Oversubscription criteria; and
• Admission appeals.

We can support you to avoid or manage referrals to the Schools Adjudicator or parental complaints to the EFA.

Our education team is experienced in supporting schools dealing with behaviour and bullying incidents and can work with you to manage risks to seek to avoid any such incidents. This support includes:

• Drafting or updating your behaviour policy;
• Drafting your anti-bullying policy including cyber-bullying; and
• Advice on appropriate sanctions.

As a maintained school or academy, we can support you in complying with statutory guidance on exclusions. This advice covers:

• Advising on fixed term and permanent exclusions;
• Drafting or reviewing your exclusions policy;
• Representation at an Independent Review Panel; and
• Advising on challenging IRP decisions.

Academies must have in place a written complaints policy for parents that complies with the Education Independent School Standards Regulations. Our education team can work with your school to support you in dealing with complaints from parents and other members of the public. This includes:

• Drafting a parental complaints policy;
• Drafting a complaints policy for members of the public;
• Advice on managing complaints (including dealing with vexatious and unreasonable behaviour);
• Support at the formal panel stage; and
• Advice on referrals to the EFA.

The DfE has highlighted the importance of effective governance in its new Governance Handbook. At Lanyon Bowdler, we are experienced in advising schools on governance issues, including on conversion. We are currently working with SGOSS on a handbook for academies that considers the key responsibilities of governors and provides case studies from academy trusts. The support we can offer includes:

• Establishing a single academy or MAT;
• Converting a single academy to a MAT;
• Expanding a MAT;
• Establishing a Free School;
• Advising governors on their responsibilities as charity trustees and company directors; and
• Drafting and revising Schemes of Delegation

We are able to support schools providing an education to pupils with SEND and in situations where placements are being sought at your school. We can help with:

• Drafting a SEND policy;
• Advice on seeking an assessment or EHC Plan;
• Advice on complaints relating to SEND pupils; and
• Referrals of a local authority’s decision to place a child at your school to the Secretary of State,

The importance of ensuring your pupils wellbeing is of course fundamental and at Lanyon Bowdler we are well placed to support you in managing any safeguarding incidents. Our support covers:

• Drafting safeguarding policies;
• Advice on parental requests for information;
• Advice on the Prevent duty; and
• Managing allegations against staff.