We have a dedicated, talented and passionate Education Team at Stone King. Spread across all our offices nationwide, our team of specialist lawyers offer local support with the strength that comes from being part of a national firm which is rated in the Top 200 by The Lawyer and top ranked by Chambers and Legal 500. We have over 80 education sector lawyers focussed on supporting our education clients, with an ability to draw on the expertise of the wider firm.

Our Services
  • Supporting colleges in both positive and challenging situations
  • Helping with key stakeholder communications and conducting negotiations, including the ESFA at local and national levels, the OfS, Ofqual and Awarding Bodies
  • Negotiating funding arrangements, for example with DfE, local enterprise partnerships and banks
  • Student related issues
  • Shared and managed services
  • Collaboration/joint venture arrangements, social enterprise initiatives and place-based solutions
  • Mergers
  • Commercial contracts - e.g. with suppliers and employers
  • Education contracts - e.g. apprenticeships and subcontracted provision
  • Procurement
  • State Aid
  • Employment law
  • HR advice
  • Immigration advice
  • Equality and diversity advice
  • Estates issues - land sales, purchases, taking and granting leases, estate management
  • Construction and facilities management
  • Information law (data protection and freedom of information)
  • Project management
  • Innovative cost effective packaged services, including: - governance support - information law - employment law and HR retainer - legal retainer
Case studies from our national work
  • Refinancing of a large college with co-funding from the Government and a commercial bank, including with secured lending and performance related partially repayable grants
  • Several Transactions Unit-funded arrangements arising from Area Reviews
  • Apprenticeship contractual arrangements with apprentices and employers for several colleges
  • Proforma contracts for the delivery of subcontracted provision for several colleges
  • Advising on a number of sixth form college academisation projects
  • Supporting a consortium seeking to operate one of the first Institutes of Technology
  • Negotiating skills capital grant agreements with LEPs across the country
  • Disaggregation and double-merger of a college in distress
  • Supporting a college in its plans to help rescue another college in distress, including advising on due diligence, structure and risk
  • Negotiating with awarding bodies and the OfS in relation to issues which threatened the ability of a college to deliver certain higher education qualifications
  • Advising several colleges on managing highly financially distressed situations, including in relation to governor duties
  • Advising on senior employee/senior post holder issues
  • Advising on the proposed merger of an Awarding Body with a charity
  • Conducting a complex GDPR compliance audit for a college across five sites
  • Putting in place appropriate contractual and governance arrangements between a college and its service company as part of a new group structure
  • Advising on a novel governance structure for a group which incorporates a college, multi-academy trust and private training provider

 

What our clients say

"First and foremost they are excellent lawyers - they know the charity and education sectors really well."

Chambers - 2019

What our clients say

"Highlighted for its 'depth of expertise in education', Stone King LLP attracts praise for its 'extremely good response times' and 'outstanding level of service'."

Legal 500 - 2019

What our clients say

“I feel fellow school leaders need to be made aware that there is an absolutely brilliant company out there who will provide those key services at very competitive rates”

C A Wakefield - Maldon's Community Academy

What our clients say

Stone King is "probably the best education firm in the business," and "they lived up to the recommendations we received". Another source adds: "They've got undoubted expertise and good geographical coverage - a leading player."

Chambers - 2014

What our clients say

"They are excellent, the personalised service is superb as they understand our circumstances and advise appropriately."

Client feedback in Chambers - 2016

The law and practice referred to in this article or webinar has been paraphrased or summarised. It might not be up-to-date with changes in the law and we do not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided at the time of reading. It should not be construed or relied upon as legal advice in relation to a specific set of circumstances.