Polly Kerr

Polly Kerr is a Partner & Head of our Education and Children’s Rights team, based in London.

Professional Biography

Polly graduated from De Montfort University with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 2005 and went on to complete her Legal Practice Course (LPC) at the College of Law in London in 2007. She was admitted as a Solicitor on 15 September 2009.

Polly specialises in all areas of education and children’s rights law. She has particular expertise in cases involving special educational needs (SEN), Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), disability discrimination, school admissions, school exclusions, and safeguarding. Her work focuses on protecting the educational rights of children and young people and ensuring they receive the support and opportunities they are entitled to under the law.

She has extensive experience representing children, young people, and families in complex tribunal hearings and judicial review proceedings. Tribunal work often involves appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal, whilst judicial review cases challenge unlawful decisions made by public bodies such as local authorities or schools. Polly frequently advises on issues involving social care, and children’s services, and provides strategic guidance to schools and academies on how to comply with their legal duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010.

Polly combines her deep understanding of education law with a genuine commitment to promoting equality and inclusion. She is known for her clear, compassionate advocacy and her ability to achieve lasting, positive outcomes for her clients, even in complex and sensitive cases.

In addition to her day-to-day casework, Polly has built a strong reputation for successfully representing families in complex educational matters involving children with significant needs. This includes cases where children require residential educational placements or specialist provision outside traditional school settings, known as Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS). She regularly acts for families seeking Section 19 provision, which requires local authorities to arrange suitable education for children who cannot attend school because of illness, exclusion, or other reasons.

Polly also has extensive experience in exclusion cases, representing both pupils and schools at exclusion hearings and in the High Court. She frequently handles matters involving allegations of discrimination, including disability discrimination, supporting families to secure appropriate educational provision and assisting schools in obtaining additional funding where needed.

Her expertise also extends to higher education. Polly represents university students facing allegations of academic or behavioural misconduct, including cases involving plagiarism, harassment, stalking, or assault. Many of these cases involve neurodivergent students, and Polly is known for her sensitive, trauma-informed approach to supporting them through challenging disciplinary processes.

As Head of the Education and Children’s Rights department, Polly leads a specialist team of solicitors and paralegals dedicated to supporting children, young people, and their families across a wide range of education and welfare matters. She oversees cases involving special educational needs, exclusions, safeguarding, disability discrimination, and access to suitable education. Polly works closely with families to ensure that children’s voices are heard, and their rights are upheld. This often involves liaising with local authorities, schools, and government departments to secure fair and lawful outcomes.

Alongside her work with families, Polly also supports schools and academies in meeting their statutory duties. She helps them develop compliant policies, respond to regulatory issues, and manage complex situations such as exclusions, safeguarding incidents, complaintsand allegations of discrimination. Her approach ensures that schools can maintain best practice and deliver positive outcomes for all pupils.