Education law barristers for children, parents and institutions
Our education law barristers represent parents, pupils, schools and their governing bodies (maintained and independent sector), academies, universities and FE colleges, NGOs including charities, students, teaching and academic staff and local authorities in all areas of education law.
Our work includes County Court, High Court, and disciplinary/Independent Review Panel proceedings across all areas of school and university life. The team also accepts instructions in appeals to the Upper Tribunal from decisions of the First-tier Tribunal. Members are frequently instructed in claims for judicial review arising out of the decisions of local authorities and other institutions exercising public functions in the field of education.
The team has a particular expertise in discrimination claims, acting for students, pupils, schools, universities and FE colleges in claims before the County Court, High Court, Employment Tribunal and all specialist regulatory tribunals. Members frequently advise and represent in school admissions appeals and challenges to school exclusions before independent panels. We are frequently instructed in judicial review proceedings arising from decisions of local authorities, independent panels and other public bodies exercising public functions in the field of education.
Our barristers are frequently instructed in breach of contract claims concerning universities and independent schools, as well as education negligence claims and other damages claims, frequently in combination with discrimination claims.
Our team has particular expertise in appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) (‘SEND Tribunal’) concerning Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans and education-related disability discrimination claims at all levels. Members act for Ofsted and Early Years providers in Tribunal appeals relating to the deregistration/disqualification of childminders and nurseries; we also have expertise in appeals relating to the cancellation of registration of care homes by the CQC.
Our casework covers advisory work and disputes arising from exam results, school complaints procedures, safeguarding/child protection issues, attendance issues, school closures and re-organisations as well as issues of governance and funding. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen members advise specifically on disability discrimination claims, video hearings in the SENDIST, judicial reviews, the impact on private schools, special education provision, A-Level, GCSE and Btec exam results, redundancy and the furlough scheme alongside flaws in the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill.
As a specialist education law team, members routinely accept direct access instructions from higher education and further education institutions, individuals and schools, academies and colleges/universities.
We are also able to provide mediators and legal assessors to advise and support institutions and independent lay panels dealing with a wide range of educational issues. Members also accept instructions to conduct investigations into allegations of misconduct between pupils or staff at educational institutions.
Team members are available to work from any of our six offices in London, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Oxford, and Winchester. We offer state-of-the-art technology for remote meetings.
Legal 500 describes 3PB's Education team as home to “genuine specialists in education law,” and a "very strong education set with counsel always available for support, no matter the level of complexity." Chambers & Partners reports that 3PB is "increasingly becoming a powerhouse in education law” with an “impressive offering in the education sector,” and “you can rely on the 3PB clerks to provide a prompt response and help progress a matter forward and throughout the entire case. They are unsung heroes and deserve a lot of credit for the work they do.” The education team are “experienced in the handling of a broad range of matters, including school admissions and exclusions, special educational needs and discrimination claims.” The set exhibits “very strong knowledge and experience in education work.” 3PB's education specialists are well-regarded for their understanding of education matters, with particular experience acting in tribunal claims and judicial reviews related to SEND matters and academic and disciplinary decisions in schools and universities. Chambers and Partners 2024 remarks that "the quality of legal advice, detailed submissions and clear sensitivity towards vulnerable clients have been impressive. 3PB also has strong and calm conduct of contentious cases."
Find back issues of our education law newsletter here.
Practice Management contacts are Tom Cox and Gemma Faulkner.
Our Education Barristers...
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3PB is delighted to report that its Education law team has retained its Tier 3 ranking in London. The team has attracted a total of eight rankings in the Legal 500’s 2025 edition published today: seven of our barristers are ranked in London, one of them is also recommended for their work in the Midlands. The directory acknowledges the team “cover[s] the complete range of education disputes, including acting in tribunal claims and judicial reviews...
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3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings), one of the UK's largest chambers, is celebrating this year again its rankings - totalling 167 - in the Legal 500 2025’s edition published today, a 15% increase on last year’s 145. The set is ranked in 23 areas of law, across 4 UK Circuits: London, South Eastern, Western and the Midlands. 3PB’s barristers are also ranked in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. The Legal 500 acknowledges 3PB...
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3PB Barristers’ (3 Paper Buildings) specialist education, equality and public law barrister Alice de Coverley has spoken to RPC Legal’s The Work Couch podcast as part of their neurodiversity mini-series ahead of ADHD awareness month in October. In the first episode of the series, which looks at the lived experience on neurodiversity, Alice joins host Ellie Gelder, alongside Auticon’s Ashlea Cromby and Tracey West and Victoria Othen of RPC Legal. The conversation covers a range...
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Matthew Wyard, public law barrister at 3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) specialising in education, health and social care, has written for Special Needs Jungle on Mental Capacity and the Send Tribunal. In the article Matthew discusses his case of MM v Royal Borough of Greenwich and the First Tier Tribunal’s role in giving health and social care recommendations, as well as how it should address the issue of a young person’s mental capacity. Please click...
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Chambers is delighted to announce that Naomi Webber has been appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel (London) for a period of five years, commencing on Sunday 1st September 2024. She joins seven other 3PB barristers on the Attorney General’s (AG’s) panel of counsel including A Panel members of William Hansen, Richard Wheeler and Mark Green. Naomi is now one of 19 3PB barristers on the Attorney General's London and Regional Panels and undertaking "Junior...
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Jim Hirschmann edits the 11th edition of our education law newsletter, packed full with team news, awards, book launches, events and analysis from our barristers Charlotte Hadfield, Lachlan Wilson, John Friel, Alice de Coverley, Matthew Wyard, Emma Waldron, Alex Leonhardt, Caroline Stone, Mark Green, Sunyana Sharma, Katherine Anderson, Ben Amunwa and Rosa Thomas, to name a few.
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We are delighted to announce that 3PB (3 Paper Buildings) has been shortlisted for 8 awards at The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024, including 4 Juniors, a Silk, 2 Sets of the Year and Chambers Leader of the Year, in the following categories: "Intellectual Property Set of the Year": Victoria Jones, Nicole Bollard, Mark Wilden, Faizul Azman "Set outside London of the Year" : Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Oxford, Winchester "Chambers Leader of the Year": CEO...
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Matthew Wyard (pictured here), specialist education law barrister at 3PB Barristers, instructed by Geldards LLP, represented the successful appellant in MM (as alternative person for C) v Royal Borough of Greenwich [2024] UKUT 179 (AAC). Matthew writes about the Upper Tribunal's decision in this case, and the important points the judgment raises in relation to the conduct of proceedings before the SEND Tribunal when impaired litigation capacity is being considered. UTJ Stout grappled with two...
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3PB Barristers' (3 Paper Buildings) is proud to announce that its education/public law/equality barrister Alice de Coverley last night won the "Disability/Neurodiversity: Bar Champion of the Year" at the Legal 500 ESG Awards 2024, held in Park Lane, London. Alice de Coverley regularly acts for children and young people with disabilities, mental health conditions and special educational needs. Alice is a Trustee of Neurodiversity in Law (NDIL), an organisation specialising in raising awareness and providing support...
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3PB's education law barrister John Friel recently successfully acted in Re: Case No. 2024 EWHC 584 (Admin), The King (on the Application of LS) v The London Borough of Merton and The Residential School, before Mr Justice Freedman. The case is significant and changes the law on SEN provision in schools and local authorities' responsibilities. In the SEN Tribunal, John's residential school client won its case and saw recommendations for its school to be supported...
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3PB are pleased to announce that barristers Rosa Thomas and Lucy Bill (pictured here, left to right) have successfully completed their twelve-month pupillages today and become tenants with the 250-barrister, national chambers. Former Oxford University graduate, public affairs specialist and researcher Rosa Thomas (call:2023) is joining 3PB's London office and will be focusing on employment and discrimination claims as well as disputes in the education sector, following her specialist pupillage at 3PB in these two...
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Two of 3PB's Education Law team appeared opposite each other in the Upper Tribunal, with Alice de Coverley acting for the Appellant, the parents of a disabled child who had been permanently excluded, and John Friel acting for the Respondent, an independent school. The case of SS v Proprietor of an Independent School [2024] UKUT 29 (AAC) is a significant and useful decision for those acting in the education and discrimination field. UT Judge Stout...
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Recommendations
Chambers UK 2022
3PB Barristers is a well-regarded set with a growing presence in the education sector. Members are experienced in the handling of a broad range of matters, including school admissions and exclusions, special educational needs and discrimination claims. The team also offers expertise in disciplinary matters arising in the higher education sector. The set's varied client base encompasses several education institutions, such as schools, universities and academies, as well as pupils, governing bodies and NGOs, and its barristers regularly appear before the First-tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal.
Client service:
"The clerks are very efficient and friendly. They are always willing to help and try to accommodate our requests." Chris Mitchell directs practice management at the set and is ably assisted by Tom Cox and Gemma Faulkner for education work.
Legal 500 2022
‘3PB are an excellent source of specialist education law barristers, whose expertise also crosses over into relevant and often complimentary areas such as public law, community care and mental health. They are one of my go-to sets.’
‘Lots of education experience which we really appreciate. They always manage to find an expert who can provide top quality advocacy in education law.’
‘3PB is an excellent set of chambers with a wealth of expertise in SEND appeals.’
'3PB is highly regarded for its members' 'wealth of expertise in special educational needs and disability appeals' and are 'an excellent source of specialist education law barristers'.
Legal 500 2021
3PB is an 'excellent set with strength-in-depth' in the education field with members described as 'approachable and committed'.
"A set that is 'increasingly becoming a powerhouse in education law'"
The team has a total of 9 barrister rankings, including 7 in London where the team is listed in Tier 4, one in the Midlands and one in Wales and Chester.
Legal 500 2020
3PB has a 'strong education practice', where it 'offers a good choice of counsel'. Its members are 'efficient, friendly, and expert in their field'. Charlotte Hadfield acted for an interested party in an application for judicial review of a refusal to carry out an assessment of an individual's education needs. Aimee Fox successfully represented a local authority in a major judicial review on the application of section 19(1) of the Education Act 1996.
"The combined clerks’ room across the set’s six offices is a ‘well-oiled machine’."
Chambers UK 2021
3PB Barristers is a well-regarded set with a growing presence in the education sector. Members are experienced in the handling of a broad range of matters, including school admissions and exclusions, special educational needs and discrimination claims.
The team also offers expertise in disciplinary matters arising in the higher education sector. The set's varied client base encompasses several education institutions, such as schools, universities and academies, as well as pupils, governing bodies and NGOs, and its barristers regularly appear before the First-tier Tribunal, Upper-tier Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
Client service: "The clerks are very user-friendly, open, engaging and extremely accommodating. They will always try to find someone for you." "The clerks are all very helpful and will go out of their way to deal with enquiries." "The clerking team really go the extra mile for their clients."
Chris Mitchell directs practice management at the set and is ably assisted by Tom Cox and Gemma Faulkner for education work.
Chambers UK 2020
3PB Barristers is noted for its expert handling of a wide range of education disputes. Its members act for a varied client list which includes governing bodies, schools, pupils, local authorities and parents. The team is called upon to act for and advise on matters arising across all levels of the education system, and offers expertise in special education needs, school exclusions and both pupil discipline and professional discipline matters.
The set's tenants are also regularly instructed in complex discrimination claims, and have experience appearing before the Court of Appeal, as well as the Upper Tribunal and the Administrative Court.
Client service: "The clerks are very efficient, helpful and quick to respond to queries." "The clerks offer a very good service. They're so responsive and ensure that instructions and papers get to counsel without delay."
Chris Mitchell directs practice management at the set and is ably assisted by Tom Cox and Gemma Faulkner for Education work.
excellent setChambers and Partners