Education has become the focus of intense legal activity over the past decade, resulting in the development of a comprehensive package of rights for pupils and their parents. However, the legal position in relation to almost any issue which a child or parent may wish to have considered, is now so complex that the lay or unrepresented parent of a school aged child may really struggle to gain any access to the system. This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible guide to the law and procedures relevant to the school system, including: admissions, exclusions, special educational needs, negligence, and transport. The authors present a clear analysis of the statutory framework, case-law and government guidance and give practical and detailed step by step guidance on the areas most commonly in dispute. Advisers will save valuable time with the inclusion of detailed precedents and checklists and will avoid potential pitfalls in managing cases with the benefit of guidance from the experienced authors. This book features: case summaries, precedents, letter and checklists; detailed analysis of the law and practice; and practical guidance on procedures, strategies and client care issues.

Deborah Hay is a barrister in Hardwicke Buildings. She is a co-author of Special Education Needs and the Law (1996) and was chair of governors of a mixed needs special primary school for over ten years. Angela Jackman is a partner at Fisher Meredith. She co-facilitates the Education Law Practitioners Group, and has recently co-edited a chapter of the Handbook Support for Asylum-Seekers (2001). Pat Wilkins is a partner at Bennett Wilkins Solicitors, co-founder of the Education Law Practitioners and contributor to Legal Action magazine.