Education Lawyer
| Posting date: | 29 May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £48,710 to £54,971 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 June 2025 |
| Location: | Reading |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | RES0640 |
Summary
Are you ready to make a meaningful impact in education law? We’re looking for a dedicated and skilled education lawyer to join our Adult Social Care and Education Team at Reading Borough Council.
Now is the perfect time to be part of our journey as we strive to be the best place to practice law in local government—close to our customers, investing in the best talent, leveraging legal technology, and expanding our business to new partners.
Reading’s Legal Service provides professional, high-quality legal advice and representation to support the Council and its partners. Our Joint Legal Team is a long-standing shared service for all Berkshire councils and a recognized centre of excellence for childcare, adults, and education law. We also lead an internal Corporate Legal Team handling a wide range of legal matters for the Council. The Joint Legal Team is a high performing team and has recently been shortlisted as Legal Team of the Year by Lawyers in Local Government (LLG).
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
We are open to flexible working patterns and can provide a hybrid working environment which utilises the best of both worlds with a mix of office working in central Reading and homeworking according to the needs of the Service.
About the role
As an Education Lawyer, you will manage a caseload of SEN appeals, providing expert legal advice while ensuring compliance with education law frameworks through judicial reviews. You will offer clear, strategic guidance to a diverse range of stakeholders and take responsibility for advocacy in SEND Tribunals.
Working within a dynamic and supportive team, you will thrive in a fast-paced environment, meeting tight deadlines while delivering effective and impactful legal solutions. Let me know if you'd like any refinements
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
About you
Our ideal candidate will have a strong working knowledge of key education legislation, with expertise in handling special education needs appeals and conducting advocacy at SEND Tribunals. They should hold a current practising certificate, qualifying them to practice in England as a Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, and possess post-qualification experience in education law, including SEN appeals.
The role requires the ability to perform effectively under pressure, meeting tight deadlines while maintaining high-quality legal support. A collaborative approach is essential, as the candidate will work closely within a team to provide strategic advice to a wide range of stakeholders. Additionally, strong advocacy skills and the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders will be key to success in this role
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
For more information on this position please contact Lindsey Marks, Strategic Lead for Adult Social Care and Education at Lindsey.Marks@reading.gov.uk
Closing Date: 22nd June 2025
Interview Date: To be confirmed.
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Now is the perfect time to be part of our journey as we strive to be the best place to practice law in local government—close to our customers, investing in the best talent, leveraging legal technology, and expanding our business to new partners.
Reading’s Legal Service provides professional, high-quality legal advice and representation to support the Council and its partners. Our Joint Legal Team is a long-standing shared service for all Berkshire councils and a recognized centre of excellence for childcare, adults, and education law. We also lead an internal Corporate Legal Team handling a wide range of legal matters for the Council. The Joint Legal Team is a high performing team and has recently been shortlisted as Legal Team of the Year by Lawyers in Local Government (LLG).
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
We are open to flexible working patterns and can provide a hybrid working environment which utilises the best of both worlds with a mix of office working in central Reading and homeworking according to the needs of the Service.
About the role
As an Education Lawyer, you will manage a caseload of SEN appeals, providing expert legal advice while ensuring compliance with education law frameworks through judicial reviews. You will offer clear, strategic guidance to a diverse range of stakeholders and take responsibility for advocacy in SEND Tribunals.
Working within a dynamic and supportive team, you will thrive in a fast-paced environment, meeting tight deadlines while delivering effective and impactful legal solutions. Let me know if you'd like any refinements
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
About you
Our ideal candidate will have a strong working knowledge of key education legislation, with expertise in handling special education needs appeals and conducting advocacy at SEND Tribunals. They should hold a current practising certificate, qualifying them to practice in England as a Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, and possess post-qualification experience in education law, including SEN appeals.
The role requires the ability to perform effectively under pressure, meeting tight deadlines while maintaining high-quality legal support. A collaborative approach is essential, as the candidate will work closely within a team to provide strategic advice to a wide range of stakeholders. Additionally, strong advocacy skills and the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders will be key to success in this role
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
For more information on this position please contact Lindsey Marks, Strategic Lead for Adult Social Care and Education at Lindsey.Marks@reading.gov.uk
Closing Date: 22nd June 2025
Interview Date: To be confirmed.
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.