ambitious school reorganisation
the challenge:
Our client, a London borough, required advice in relation to a
borough-wide school reorganisation project, which involved the
amendment of transfer ages within its school system. Advice was
required on all aspects of the proposed reorganisation – from
initial consultation through to issuing of statutory notices.
our approach:
We worked in close partnership with the client’s in-house legal
team to ensure prompt and efficient delivery of our advice.
Critically, we balanced the risk of legal challenge throughout the
project, demonstrating compliance with proper legal procedures,
while ensuring that the council was not subject to decision taking
processes that were unmanageable. We also advised on linked issues
such as the approach the council should take to voluntary aided
schools who wished to reorganise, admissions in the reorganisation
year and the duty to consider equality in reaching decisions.
the result:
A clear understanding of the issues and problems likely to
be encountered; early targeting of issues; elimination of the
requirement for individual resolutions for each of the 69 schools
involved; no judicial proceedings launched to challenge the
reorganisation; legal advice delivered under budget.