Joe Orme-Paul

He is named in the Legal 500 as a key lawyer for his education practice and is the trusted advisor to large multi-academy trusts, single academy trusts, grammar schools, community and special maintained schools, and independent schools. His experience and expertise is broad; covering all aspects of academy governance and regulation. Joe has created academy trusts and supported them to grow into leading regional and national forces. He receives instructions on academy conversions and trust-to-trust transfers, supporting clients through what can often be novel or complicated issues. 

Joe also appears before independent review panels in exclusion cases on behalf of school governors, often taking issues from cradle to grave. His clients are supported from the point that behaviour raises the risk of exclusion and provides sensible and pragmatic advice to allow Heads to achieve the best outcome for their school. Joe also advices on all aspects of equality and diversity, acting for clients subject to claims of disability discrimination. He ensures that the depth of work undertaken for clients is articulated and presented to reach a favourable outcome.  

He has acted on behalf of institutions, particularly independent faith schools, following adverse Ofsted inspections. He robustly challenges the inspection process and compliance with established procedure to overturn unfair and unjustified judgements. Joe’s work in this area includes complaints to Ofsted and pursuing judicial review to ensure that his clients’ voices are heard. 

On admissions, he is a leading knowledge in statutory codes and regulations, supporting clients to develop compliant polices, prepare for appeals and to train independent panellists to meet their requirements to sit and hear appeals. Joe has a record of successfully defending clients before the Schools Adjudicator when admissions arrangements are subjected to objections, especially when such issues stem from faith-based objections. 

Joe routinely advises his clients on meeting their legal obligations to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and supports them to engage appropriately with support with their local authority. He supports clients in funding disputes with the local authority and on contentious consultations when they are named in section I of education, health and care plans. Joe routinely makes successful applications to the Secretary of State to challenge the decision to name clients in EHCPs.

Joe represents a wide range of charities, including religious authorities; especially dioceses of the Catholic Church. Joe assists religious authorities with handling complaints and vexatious complainants, including seeking injunctions for harassment. His wider charity practice includes governance and the creation of new charitable structures with applications charitable status. He regularly supports charities on regulatory issues including statutory inquiries and attending meetings under caution with clients.

Joe is an expert in data protection, advising public sector and commercial clients on all aspects of compliance. He regularly provides bespoke training for clients and is invited to address delegates at events due to his clear and deep understanding of sector application. He provides advices from desktop support to deep dive audits to give clients the action plans they need to be robust in their processing and regulatory compliance.