For Devon maintained schools only
Devon County Council’s Legal team offers maintained schools based in the Devon County Council's administrative area who subscribe to our annual service access to a legal services e-mail helpline.
The service provides schools with access to a team of lawyers who can provide general advice and assistance to schools with the type of discrete, ad hoc queries that arise on a day-to-day basis, including:
Land: matters connected with title deeds of school premises, including boundary disputes, trespass, encroachments, rights of way and easements across property.
Employment: the exercise by governors and headteachers of the delegated powers they are given by both statute and common law (in the case of Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools) or the exercise of powers governing bodies have by virtue of being the employers of school staff (in the case of Foundation Trust and Voluntary Aided Schools) can give rise to a number of employment law issues and potential claims.
Discipline: matters connected with exclusion of pupils and other day-to-day issues regarding discipline faced by headteachers.
Civil Law: an almost infinite variety of problems can arise in schools generated by an increasingly litigious society such as claims by parents or their lawyers alleging negligence, quarrels between parents about access and dealing with unwanted visitors on school premises.
Advice is primarily provided via email (please submit queries to the dedicated email address legal.legalschools-mailbox@ devon.gov.uk) although, in cases where very urgent advice is needed, advice can be given by telephone. In such circumstances, in the first instance please telephone Liz Pyle (Executive Personal Assistant) on 01392 382285, who will redirect your call to the most appropriate lawyer.
For the avoidance of doubt, advice is provided directly to the school. Corresponding with third parties on the school’s behalf goes beyond the scope of this helpline.
Should the council need to incur disbursements to provide the above services, we will pass those costs to the school (with the school’s prior agreement before incurring any costs). Please note that more complex legal issues, that go beyond simply providing general advice, including for example cases involving litigation, employment Tribunals or land purchases or disposals, cannot be dealt with under the helpline. Assistance with defending employment tribunal or other employment related claims are not covered by the helpline. In the event that schools require assistance with matters outside the scope of the helpline, the legal team are happy to discuss options with you regarding such cases including fees. There is a fixed fee annual subscription charge to buy into this helpline service of £275 a year (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025). In order to be able to offer this low fee, we have a single subscription entry point. Therefore all maintained schools in the Devon County Council administrative area who wish to subscribe must do so before 1 April 2024. We regret that we are unable to accept new subscriptions part-way through the financial year.
For further information please contact [email protected]