Stone King LLP

Education Team.

Laura has practised in education law for almost 30 years.  She is a partner in the education team and advises state schools on a wide range of every day operational issues, usually pupil-focused, including:

• Admissions, admission appeals and objections to the OSA;
• Pupil behaviour and exclusions;
• Special Educational Needs, in particular in relation to schools’ responsibilities to make provision for pupils with and without an EHCP, SEN Funding, SEN related behavioural issues, responding to EHCP consultations;
• Disability and other Equality Act matters; Laura regularly defends disability discrimination claims in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal;
• School policies;
• Parental complaints;
• Safeguarding.

Laura regularly delivers training to clients on the above matters, in particular on exclusions and complaints.

Laura’s depth of experience enables her to help clients with contentious and non-contentious issues. She regularly defends judicial review challenges. She has specialist expertise in advising faith schools and also has significant experience assisting individuals with education law issues.

In addition, Laura manages and develops our Legal Support Retainer Service and oversees our retainer clients in London and the South East.

Laura read Management Sciences at the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology.  She completed her Law Conversion and Legal Practice Course at the College of Law (London Bloomsbury).

Outside of her legal practice, Laura delivers workshops and training. She is Chair of Governors at 2 primary schools close to her home. She is a member of the Education Law Association. She has also written a number of articles for the Education Law Journal.