Richard Wright-Phillips

Richard specialises in advising education sector institutions, drawing on his experience working in schools to advise on operational and strategic matters.

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Richard trained at a leading law firm and then spent a decade teaching across several multi-academy trusts, with stints in senior and middle leadership.

Richard advises on commercial contracts, parent and pupil issues (including complaints, suspensions and exclusions, bans and social media), employment and HR matters (including TUPE), significant change, GDPR, health and safety, SEN (including potential discrimination), safeguarding, admissions, attendance and governance.

Richard graduated in Law with German Law from Balliol College, Oxford and completed his Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School. He spent a year studying German law at the University of Regensburg and holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from St Mary’s University.

Experience
Prepared a Deed of Variation and an amended Supplemental Funding Agreement to reflect a nursery closure at a Multi Academy Trust school, with an impact on determined admission arrangements.
Advised a Multi Academy Trust in relation to the establishing of a trading subsidiary, including whether it could be used as an alternative recruitment vehicle.
Advised a Multi Academy Trust in relation to a disputed supplier invoice, resolving it in favour of the client on the basis that it was not clear which contractual terms applied.
Advised a Multi Academy Trust in relation to dealing with a difficult former staff member, with safeguarding implications.
Prepared a Settlement Agreement with Reaffirmation, and accompanying advice, in relation to an outgoing Multi Academy Trust CEO.
Advised a Single Academy Trust as to how best to engage with a media organisation in relation to the use of footage of a school obtained via a drone.
Advised a Multi Academy Trust in relation to an improvement notice received from the Health and Safety Executive following an asbestos incident.
Advised a Multi Academy Trust in relation to matters arising from the treatment of a pupil with an EHCP, including a potential disability discrimination claim.
Advised a Multi Academy Trust in relation to the verification of parental identity and the information to which a parent is entitled.
Advised a Multi Academy Trust in relation to appropriate redaction in response to a Subject Access Request.
Affiliations
Member of the Law Society
Languages
French = Conversational
German = Fluent