Disputes with Independent or Private Schools

For initial advice call our Education Law Solicitors.

We're rated‘Excellent’

Has your child been excluded from school and you would like to challenge the decision? Contact us for advice and guidance. Find out how we can help.

Resolving school disputes and guaranteeing the best outcome for your child needs a mixture of tact, diplomacy, and legal expertise that our Education Lawyers can help with.

Our specialists have significant experience in representing parents of children in independent or private schools. Most importantly, we understand how difficult disputes can be, especially when you’re arguing over something as important as your child’s education.

We can take on the hard work for you and use our legal expertise to reach your desired outcome, no matter what your dispute is about.

Get in touch with your Education Lawyers for initial advice today.

Call our team today0808 239 9764

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We're rated‘Excellent’

Why Choose Simpson Millar?

Speed of Resolution
We always aim to resolve disputes as quickly and as amicable as possible. We believe that early identification of both the underlying facts and your options at the outset is key to achieving a resolution that everyone is happy with, saving you time and making sure your money is spent wisely.
Adapting to Your Needs
Our Education Lawyers will always adapt our advice to your situation, to guide you through the options that are open to you. We know in some cases it’s really important to hear your child’s perspective and, where appropriate we give them the opportunity to explain what has happened, however awkward the facts may be.
Making You Comfortable
It’s never pleasant for parents and children to have to confront these situations, but we are here to help you. Our advice will depend on the facts of your case but we are happy to work in any way you feel most comfortable.
Discrete Advice
We can either provide discrete behind the scenes help and advice to parents looking to resolve their issues, or our Education Lawyers can formally deal directly with the school if you’d like us to.

Independent School Disputes We Can Help With

We can help if your dispute with your child’s private school involves:

Exclusion from school – We can help if your child has been, or is at risk of exclusion. Sometimes that means aiming to keep your child’s school place, and sometimes it’s looking at the other ways forward if you can’t see which route to take.
Pressure to withdraw a child from school – No matter what your child’s circumstance is, you should never feel pressured to take them out of school if they don’t need to be. We can help assess your situation and speak to the school on your behalf and advise you on your options.
Problems with drugs, alcohol and social media - Drugs and alcohol can cause issues for teenagers, especially if misuse is documented on social media. As experienced Lawyers, we are in contact with many legal professionals so in some cases we work alongside criminal lawyers.
Appeals and complaints – Independent and private schools have to publish a complaints procedure, but we know complaints aren’t always heard or dealt with properly. If you’re appealing a decision on a school place, appealing your child’s grades, or have another complaint, we can advise you and could help you successfully put your concerns to the appropriate body.
Disability discrimination - Disability discrimination in the independent and private school sector is another area that we work on, both to make sure that reasonable adjustments are made for children with SEND and that children are not excluded from a school because steps haven’t been taken to make the adjustments they need.
Bullying - We have helped victims of bullying and cyber-bullying in situations where the issue was not taken seriously enough by the school, leading to significant detriment to the child. This includes cases that have led to the involvement of mental health and social services. With the rise of social media, everything is more accessible, including bullying, but we can work with schools to stop this from happening.

We look at each case individually, assess how likely it is that we can reach your desired outcome and work out the best way of getting there with you.