Admissions appeal - Anyone recommend a good education solicitor in London please?

[TheFurryMenace]

Hi

In advance of offers day in March, I am anticipating that I may well need some legal support with an appeal. Could anyone please recommend a good solicitor please? The grounds for appeal are not health, it is that there has been an error in the admission process on the school's part that I wish to challenge, if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance.

@TheFurryMenace education lawyers to contest 11+ and 13+ results? seriously? Sounds like saber rattling to me.
If you feel that there is a genuine error, why not address it with the school directly first? Admissions officers are not evil people set to screw applicants over, especially if they have made a mistake they will try to fix it.
If, on the other hand, you discover that things had gone wrong at your end, at least you will save on making a random lawyer rich.

deep501, just to clarify, I am not contesting 11+ or 13+ results.

I fully intend to address the issue with the school in the first instance. I am merely asking for a good solicitor recommendation as I may well seek further advice if I dont get anywhere with the school (the school in question are not forthcoming with access to the admissions team).

What do you think the school will have done wrong in not ranking your DC as being eligible to be offered a place on March 2nd?

Have they actually told you why you didn’t get a place, or did you simply not get one having been convinced you were a shoo-in?

Oh, hang on - in advance of offers day? You’ve already decided that if you’re not offered a place it will be down to an error in the admissions process?? I’m genuinely confused 🤷🏻‍♀️

I too am struggling with the logic of this one. You think you won't get your first choice school and wish to contest this if so? It's the council that administer state school applications (unless it is a faith school, that seem to be a law unto themselves when it comes to admissions policy). In our area less than 5% of appeals are successful, because it's mostly people who are annoyed they didn't get what they wanted.

We appealed an admission decision. The school followed the procedure but my husband felt the criteria itself was biased. He was a lawyer. He requested certain evidence from the council and presented his case to the panel. A representative did the other side (he was totally blind sided by how prepared and professional my husband was). However, the panel said that though they could see my husbands point, the correct criteria was used, so we didn't get anywhere. We were prepared for that and really just wanted to make a point.

I think you can just get all the evidence you need and present your case yourself. Getting a lawyer seems extreme, though you haven't explained what the issue actually is.

@Pipandmum You should have made a complaint to the Office of The Schools Adjudicator if you felt the criteria was incorrect.

In general it’s a very useful place to find decisions about how schools incorrectly publish their Admissions Criteria. As a pp said faith schools are particularly poor at following the Code correctly.

You absolutely don't need a solicitor - a solicitor may well get their backs up. There are several 'experts' (one is in fact a solicitor as it goes) on MN, so if you think that the admissions criteria haven't been applied correctly post here for advice.

It hasn’t been applied at all, to date. Baffling.

You might find it helpful to look at the School Admissions Code and the School Admissions Appeals Code; both are available on-line

It can really help to have a legal eye on the published criteria, the implementation of the criteria and the outcome of the application.

That is how the MN education lawyers and experts are of invaluable assistance.

The lawyer doesn’t have to be there and represent the OP in the appeal.

Prh47Bridge has helped countless MNers with the legal basis of an appeal case.

Prh47Bridge has helped countless MNers with the legal basis of an appeal case.

I wouldn't wish to speak for prh but I'm sure he'd say his expertise is based on his extensive understanding of the admissions code, not his legal expertise!

I have sat on many 100s of appeals and would always answer on the basis of my understanding of the appeal code as I am sure PRH does.
Lawyers are a mixed blessing. For someone who is very nervous about the appeal, then having someone put across your case in a non-emotive sensible way can be very positive.
However decisions on admission appeal code are based on the balance of probability not beyond reasonable doubt. Many solicitors,if they are not experts on education law, think that if they can score a few points then they will win their case but it is not like that.
Some so called experts on admission appeals are not as good as they think they are. I have chaired a panel where one of the so-called experts who boasts that they loose very few cases, was leading on an appeal and they were fighting the case on totally the wrong basis. We allowed the appeal because of a mistake which they had not even recognised.

Thank you for the helpful responses, especially Titcy, I will bear your recommendation in mind should I need further advice. Hopefully I will not need it.

I wouldn't wish to speak for prh but I'm sure he'd say his expertise is based on his extensive understanding of the admissions code, not his legal expertise!

Only just spotted this thread but titchy is absolutely right.

I always recommend avoiding solicitors for admission appeals. In general you are best off putting your case yourself if at all possible. You will get plenty of free advice on here to help you prepare for your case. I'm always happy to give advice by PM if you want to discuss matters privately. I can't speak for her but I believe Admission is also happy to give advice in this way.