Christopher Jones
Senior Associate - Chartered Legal Executive

Chris is a Senior Associate in the Education Team advising Trustees and Senior Teachers in Academy Trusts on a wide range of education law issues that impact on the operation of schools. He is an experienced trainer and regularly delivers seminars on complaints, exclusions and admissions. 

Increasingly his work involves the successful defence of claims in the First tier Tribunal (disability discrimination), resolving complex and vexatious parental complaints and challenging Local Authorities on their inappropriate placement of pupils with EHCPs.

Prior to joining the firm, Chris worked for the in-house legal team of a large Local Authority where amongst a varied case load of contentious and non-contentious work he acted as clerk for admission appeal and exclusion review panels. He also appeared in the Magistrates’ Court to prosecute school non-attendance offences.

Chris advises Academies on the operational aspects of education law including:

  • Admissions and admission appeals;
  • Exclusions & Behaviour (including Head Teacher’s decision permanently exclude to Governor and Independent Review Panel stages, including complex incidents of sexual and physical assault and drugs);
  • SEND (including responding to EHCP consultations and representation in the First tier Tribunal in disability discrimination cases);
  • Equality Act duties and issues;
  • Attendance (including removal from roll and education welfare);
  • Policies;
  • Family law issues and parental responsibility in a school context;
  • Parental Complaints and referrals to the ESFA;
  • School Leadership Support;
  • Funding;

As well as representing schools in the First tier Tribunal, Chris also works with schools in responding to judicial review claims.

Chris read Politics and American Studies at the Universities of Keele and Maryland. He obtained a Masters degree in International Law from the University of Hull before becoming a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX).

Chris sits on the Firm’s Wellbeing Strategy Group which sets the agenda for firm-wide wellbeing policy and initiatives. He is also a Mental Health First Aider and takes an active role in promoting wellbeing in the Cambridge office and across the Firm. For example, this includes for example running the Firm’s Book Club.

  • Advised school governors on their decision to uphold the permanent exclusion of a pupil who had committed a serious physical assault against another pupil; successfully represented the governors at the Independent Review Panel which agreed with their decision to uphold the permanent exclusion. Included dealing with subject access request, the use of CCTV and a parallel police investigation;
  • Represented a school at the First tier Tribunal involving issues of reasonable adjustments for mock exams held in classrooms to ensure Covid-19 safety measures. The Claim was withdrawn by the parents;
  • Guided school on resolving complex complaint process involving an independent investigation and related subject access requests brought by non-resident parent who disagreed with others’ views of his SEN child’s placement;
  • Responding to a pre-action judicial review claim over a grammar school’s decision to refuse admission for failing to meet the required standard; successful in persuading the court that the claim should not be given permission to proceed;
  • Advised an oversubscribed school on the redrafting of its written statement to the admissions appeal panel to enable it to successfully resist further over admissions

What our clients say

"Thank you very much for your help...I feel a lot better about how we’re going to respond. The wording looks great, also much appreciated."

Emma Bell

What our clients say

"Thank you for your excellent support and advice throughout the tribunal case and process. We felt very well prepared and I know we had good, clear advice throughout a very difficult time for the school."

Siobhan Campbell, Hackney New Primary School

What our clients say

"Your advice is always thorough, comprehensive and clear.  Very valuable."

Sabin Qureshi, Folio Education Trust

What our clients say

"This is very helpful and will give me something to work from. Thank you so much for taking the time – and so quickly."

Olivia Cole, The Petchey Academy
 

What our clients say

"Many thanks for your swift response, much appreciated and very helpful."

Sam Strickland, The Duston School

What our clients say

"Thank you Chris for...your advice. We appreciate your wisdom as this helps us understand the wider situation."

Caroline Pryer, Ponteland Community Middle School

What our clients say

"Thank you for your support and advice earlier, most helpful. It’s very reassuring to have such sound advice"

Fiona Hims, Keresley Newland Primary Academy, Coventry