Following the Supreme Court's April judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has now (5 September 2025) shared its updated Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations with the Minister for Women and Equalities for approval. Katherine Anderson considers the legal and practical implications of the For Women Scotland Ltd judgment for schools.
Clerks Details
- Clerk Name: Russell Porter
- Clerk Telephone: 01865 793736
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
- Clerk Name: Tom Cox
- Clerk Telephone: 0117 928 1520
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
- Clerk Name: Gemma Faulkner
- Clerk Telephone: 020 7583 8055
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
Education
Katherine is an experienced education law specialist with a particular interest in special educational needs. She is familiar with the issues that may arise in relation to mental capacity in education cases.
She accepts instructions from local authorities, schools, parents, young people, students and universities, as well as employers/employees in the education sector, in relation to:
- Appeals and claims before the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability)
- School admissions
- School exclusions
- Equality Act 2010 claims in the civil courts
- Judicial review
- Employment tribunal proceedings (see also Katherine鈥檚 Employment law profile).
Recent cases:
Katherine has acted in many complex cases concerning special educational, health and social care for post-16 and post-19 year olds in Education and Health and Care plans, including under the National Trial.
She has recently acted in appeals to the Upper Tribunal regarding the special educational provision for a physically disabled child with a fluctuating health condition, and regarding the interrelationship between the social care and special educational provision in an EHC plan for a young person over 19 years of age.
Other recent cases have involved disputes around:
- Educational negligence
- Home education of a child for medical reasons
- Special educational provision for children outside of the normal school day
- The level of therapeutic provision reasonably required to meet a child鈥檚 special educational needs
- Sensory profiles as special educational provision
- Disability discrimination 鈥� school exclusions
- Disability discrimination 鈥� failure to make reasonable adjustments
- Disability discrimination claims against universities by students who were required to withdraw from their courses.
Katherine also provides training in education law to a variety of different audiences, including local authorities, solicitors, university student advisors, lay panel members and educational experts.
She is herself a parent of young children.
Reported Case:
RB v Calderdale MBC (SEN): [2018] UKUT 390 (AAC)
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Articles -
For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers 鈥� what are the legal and practical implications for schools?
15th Sep 2025View Article -
The Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Regulations 2023 in force from 1 January 2024
13th Feb 2024View ArticleKatherine Anderson gives an update on the amendments to the Equality Act 2010, in which the purpose of the regulations is to reproduce in domestic law certain interpretive effects of retained EU law which, under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, would otherwise cease to apply in the UK after the end of 2023.
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Disability Discrimination in Schools: recent case law on the duty to make reasonable adjustments
12th Feb 2024View ArticleKatherine Anderson considers the appeal聽A Multi Academy Trust v RR聽[2024] UKUT 9 (AAC), in which the issues around the application of the test in section 20(3) of the Equality Act 2010 as modified by schedule 13, particularly in its application to special schools.
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Is it lawful for an EHC plan to specify home education - and if so, how?
12th Feb 2024View ArticleKatherine Anderson聽reviews the appeal of聽London Borough Camden v KT聽[2024] UKUT 225 (AAC),聽in which Upper Tribunal Judge Jacobs analysed the legal position when a parent consents to the special educational provision in their child's EHCP being arranged in the family home.
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The Upper Tribunal's power to protect the confidentiality of certain proceedings
28th Mar 2023View Article海角破解版 experienced education law specialist聽Katherine Anderson summarises the case聽Re a Teacher (Rule 14 Order)聽which concerns the Upper Tribunal's power to protect the confidentiality of certain proceedings.
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Considering the Tribunal's approach to costs
28th Mar 2023View Article海角破解版 experienced education law specialist聽Katherine Anderson聽summarises the recent case聽JJ & EE v Buckinghamshire Council聽which concerned the Tribunal's approach to costs. This was an appeal to the Upper Tribunal arising out of parents' unsuccessful application to the First-tier Tribunal for a costs order against the local authority in a special education needs case.
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The First-tier Tribunal (SEND) has no power to stay a permanent exclusion decision pending the final hearing of a disability discrimination claim, the Upper Tribunal confirms
8th Aug 2022View ArticleKatherine Anderson considers DB v Academy Transformation Trust (SEND) [2022] UKUT 66 (AAC) in which the Upper Tribunal held that the First-Tier Tribunal (SEND) has no power to stay a permanent exclusion decision pending the final hearing of a disability discrimination claim and considered First-tier and Upper Tribunal powers to regulate procedures or decisions outwith their own procedures.
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The First-tier Tribunal (SEND) has no power to stay a permanent exclusion decision pending the final hearing of a disability discrimination claim, the Upper Tribunal confirms
8th Aug 2022View ArticleKatherine Anderson considers DB v Academy Transformation Trust (SEND)聽[2022] UKUT 66 (AAC) in which the Upper Tribunal held that the First-Tier Tribunal (SEND) has no power to stay a permanent exclusion decision pending the final hearing of a disability discrimination claim and considered First-tier and Upper Tribunal powers to regulate procedures or decisions outwith their own procedures.
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How the New National Restrictions to control the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19) impact education and school attendance
17th Nov 2020View Article海角破解版's specialist education law barrister Katherine Anderson reviews how the New National Restrictions to
control the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19) impact education and school attendance. -
Legal representation and cross-examination in university disciplinary proceedings and specific performance as a remedy - AB v University of XYZ
17th Nov 2020View Article海角破解版's Katherine Anderson reviews the case of AB v University of XYZ. Legal representation and cross-examination in university disciplinary proceedings and specific performance as a remedy.
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Council wins Judicial Review challenge to academy order
21st Sep 2020View ArticleCouncil wins Judicial Review challenge to academy order
Katherine Anderson reviews Somerset County Council v Secretary of State for Education [2020] EWHC 1675 (Admin).
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Recommendations Katherine Anderson is a well-respected education law barrister who specialises in special educational needs and discrimination law cases. Her client base includes individuals such as parents, young people, and students, and educational institutions from secondary schools all the way up to universities.
"Katherine Anderson is amazing, particularly in extended appeals."
"Katherine is a great barrister."
"Katherine is very helpful and very clear in her advice. She helps us achieve great results."
Chambers UK 2026/Education/Leading Junior/London BarKatherine Anderson is a strong advocate who enjoys a varied caseload which covers employment and education law. She is active in discrimination claims and EAT appeals.
"Quietly spoken such that opponents do not expect such crushing advocacy; she's a future star."
"Katherine grappled with concepts and ideas that were new and different and presented them eloquently to the Employment Tribunal."
Chambers UK 2026/Employment/Leading Junior/Western Bar鈥楰atherine is a calm and organised barrister who is really helpful and clear with clients managing their expectations appropriately and helping to reassure them.聽 She is responsive to queries and goes out of her way to help.鈥�
Legal 500 2026/Education/Leading Junior/London Bar鈥楰atherine is a fantastic barrister. A superb attention to detail and ability to translate complex issues easily, as well as to interrogate a case for the client鈥檚 best answer. 鈥�
Legal 500 2026/Employment/Leading Junior/London BarKatherine Anderson聽impresses particularly for her experience handling claims relating to disabilities, mental health issues, and personal injuries.
Legal 500 2026/Employment/Leading Junior/Western CircuitStrengths: "She is always helpful and friendly and puts clients at ease."
"Katherine Anderson's knowledge of the health and social care sectors is second to none."
"Katherine is knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with."
Chambers UK 2025/Education/Leading Junior/London Bar鈥楰atherine is extremely personable and knowledgeable instilling confidence in both instructing solicitors and clients. She goes above and beyond in supporting instructing solicitors with any issues that may arise during the course of proceedings and is eloquent in her advocacy skills balancing the need to address the law and have the clients position heard.鈥�
Legal 500 2025/Education/Leading Junior/London BarStrengths: "She is very able in court, concise and provides well-thought-through written work. I highly recommend her."
"Katherine has phenomenal attention to detail and technical knowledge."
"Katherine is a superb advocate and my personal choice for complex EAT cases."
"Katherine is reliable and tenacious in how she advances her advocacy."
Chambers UK 2025/Employment/Leading Junior/Western Bar'Katherine has good attention to detail, is diligent, and has a good client manner.'
Legal 500 2025/Employment/Leading Junior/Western CircuitStrengths: 鈥淜atherine was very helpful. I would recommend Katherine to colleagues.鈥�
鈥淜atherine is a very skilled advocate with substantial legal analytical skills.鈥�
鈥淜atherine's very responsive; she provided particularly useful written submissions, and gave helpful advice in relation to strategy.鈥�
Chambers UK 2024/Employment/Western Bar鈥楰atherine is forensic in her approach. She looks at all angles and considers all options. A very diligent advocate. 鈥�
Legal 500 2024/Education/Leading Junior/London BarStrengths: 鈥淪he is diligent and has great attention to detail.鈥�
鈥淪he is technically excellent and a great advocate.鈥�
Chambers UK 2023/Employment/Western Bar鈥楰atherine is extremely bright, client-friendly and meticulous in her preparation and written work.聽鈥�
Legal 500 2023/Education/Leading Junior/London BarStrengths: "She has excellent attention to detail on difficult cases and responds extremely promptly." "She is diligent and has very great attention to detail. We consider her a very technically adept lawyer, who can really drive down into conflicting case law."
Chambers UK 2022/Employment/Western Bar鈥楰atherine has a wealth of experience in SEND appeals and is very thorough in her approach; she is a robust advocate and her preparation is always meticulous.鈥�
Legal 500 2022/Education/Leading Junior/London BarStrengths: "She is extremely thorough and detailed in her preparation and advice. She is meticulous in her attention to detail and excellent for complex cases."
Chambers UK 2021/Employment/Western Bar鈥楬ighly intelligent, thorough in her work and is a tenacious barrister.鈥�
Legal 500 2021/Education/Leading Individual/London Bar
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海角破解版's barristers Katherine Anderson and Jim Hirschmann acted in the case London Borough of Hillingdon v AP & Anor [2026] EWCA Civ 216. Jim was led by Kath and represented the respondents in this Special Educational Needs (SEN) case before the Court of Appeal (CoA). This case concerned two main issues consisting of whether the child needed residential provision and the extent to which section 9 of the Education Act 1996 imposed a positive duty...
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It's been such a busy year, but as always, the Employment and Discrimination Group would like to take the time to share their thanks for the great work we've received this year. Naturally, we look forward very much to working with you in 2026 as well.
And with that, our attention turns to the final edition of our newsletter for 2025. In this bumper edition, we've covered news as always, and there are articles from Mike Smith, Simon Tibbitts and Mark Green, as well as a longer read from Katherine Anderson, who has had a good look at the decision in Peggie.
