Recognised Expertise in the Higher Education Sector
In a highly regulated and politicised sector, we can truly offer full-service advice. We have built a high profile in the Higher Education sector, working closely with sector bodies on key sector issues and being actively involved in helping to shape the “universities of the future” through thought leadership and through our presence on and contribution to sector commissions, such as the Higher Education Commission and the Skills Commission. These activities directly influence government policy and sector strategy.
We value our relationships with our clients and invest time in building a long term partnership with them, so that we can truly become an extension of their team. As well as ensuring your received value for money, our added value offering is focussed on training and empowering teams. Our clients have access to free of charge:
- Seminars and networking opportunities
- Legal updates covering issues affecting higher education
- Helpline to quickly access advice
- Bespoke training and student benefits, such as employability workshops, mentoring and budding schemes
We also have a dedicated team focused on private universities and alternative providers. Our team is able to draw upon our education expertise while understanding the particular challenges faced by the independent tertiary education sector, providing advice that meet the sector’s needs from adapting to student requirements to partnering with traditional universities and consolidating mergers with other institutions.
How Our Higher Education Experts Can Help
Higher education is an increasingly complex environment and it is important for universities to ensure they are complying with all governance requirements. Our team have a wealth of experience in advising our university clients on the full range of governance and regulatory issues.
Student Issues
Our specialist education team advise our university clients on the full range of needs and requirements of their students, including areas such as disputes, complaints and appeals, discrimination, student union matters, regulation and immigration.
Listen to our Going Further & Higher Education Podcast
In each episode, we’ll discuss topical issues impacting the further and higher education sector, aiming to spark debate, engage and inspire those working in the sector.
Our Higher Education Experts
Why Choose Us?
We have a highly experienced team with a number of specialists who work exclusively with our education clients. Also, our values of ‘unlocking potential’ and ACTBrave resonate with those in the sector
Our Green Campus initiative, which combines our education and energy expertise to support education institutions achieve their sustainable goals
Our involvement in helping to shape the ‘university of the future’ with activities that directly influence government policy and sector strategy, e.g. supporting the Student Futures Commission
Our Work
Staffordshire University
Campus Redevelopment
We have been advising Staffordshire University on its £55 million campus redevelopment, including flagship building The Catalyst, a state-of-the-art nursery and forest school, the Cadman Building and a new student campus.
Catalyst Building
The works have involved the demolition of the existing structure and development of the new building, which will house an Apprenticeships & Digital Skills Hub, a new library, social learning spaces and a restaurant and café.
We have been working closely with the university’s project director and its external project managers to provide timely advice throughout the whole .
Nursery and Forest School
At the end of 2020 we completed negotiations with a contractor in relation to a new £4.4m woodland nursery and forest school. On completion the building will become the university’s first net-zero carbon facility on its campus, having been designed using passive and highly efficient technologies for heating, cooling, and ventilation.
University Client
Intellectual Property
We are advising a university client on how best to exploit the intellectual property of an early patent filed by a group of employees which relates to increasing the efficiency of diesel particulate filters in vehicles, and how this could be particularly relevant for use within developing countries.
The university has found an external investor for this project and we got to grips with the project very early on so that we could produce a useful heads of terms document in order to facilitate discussion.
University Client
Group Creation
We advised a university on the options available to create a group including further education colleges and potentially other universities and/or private training providers.
We prepared a paper for the university’s governing body outlining the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions, including the implications under charity law, staffing and pensions issues, and regulatory requirements.
A key issue was how the proposed group would fit within the university’s existing group structure. We set out a number of options for the new structure, including how to accommodate the existing (separate) multi-academy trust arrangements of the university and one of its proposed college partners.
The university and the college are now undertaking due diligence.
Our Other Education Services
Further Education
As a full-service law firm with a focus on the education sector, we’re able to tailor our service offering to fit your needs. Our track record speaks for itself. We’re proud to have education as one of our firm’s longest standing key sectors, acting for over 100 further and higher education institutions.
Academies
We understand that what is important to you is that your pupils be the best they can be. Each school and group of schools have their own culture and ethos, and we work with you to get to know your institution and to support you in achieving your aims.
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Our Higher Education experts are here to answer any questions you might have
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