Mark Blois

Browne Jacobson

Mark is a Partner and Head of the Education team at Browne Jacobson, a leading national education law firm. Mark personally has over twenty years' experience as an education lawyer and has been recommended as a Leader in his field in the industry bibles 'Chambers UK' and 'Legal 500' for more than fifteen years. 'Chambers UK' has dubbed him 'an industry leader' and includes him as one of only three lawyers ranked in Band One nationally for recommended education lawyers. 'Legal 500' has described him as 'exceptional'. He was named Lawyer of the Year at the Nottinghamshire Law Society Awards in 2012 and designated a National Leader of Governance by the NCTL in 2015.

He has previously served as a member of the Regional Council of the Learning and Skills Council, as a Director of the National Governors' Association and on the Board of a 157 Group FE College. For the last six years Mark has been the Chair of the L.E.A.D Academy Trust, a large multi-academy trust in the Midlands. He is a Trustee of NASEN and also a Non-Executive Legal Advisor to the National SEND Forum.

He regularly speaks at national conferences including those of the Association of School & College Leaders, National Association of Head teachers, Institute of School Business leadership, National Governance Association and the Freedom and Autonomy for Schools - National Association.

Contributed to

2

Education Act offences

Practice notes

This Practice Note covers the criminal offences created by the Education Act 1996 (EA 1996). It includes the procedure for instituting proceedings, elements of the offence of failing to comply with a school attendance order and the meaning of 'parent'. It covers school attendance orders, the statutory defence for failing to comply with school attendance orders and sentencing for such offences. It also covers action following acquittal of an offence of failing to comply with a school attendance order.

Local Government

Failure to secure attendance at school

Practice notes

This Practice Note covers the two separate offences of failing to secure regular attendance at school under the Education Act 1996 (EA 1996). It covers what the prosecution must prove for a person to be convicted of each offence, including whether a mental element is required, the meaning of 'fails to regularly attend', what is proof of regular attendance, the statutory exceptions to a child failing to regularly attend including the school not being within walking distance of the child's home and the meaning of 'unavoidable cause'. It also includes the law relating to boarding schools and pupils of no fixed abode. Finally it covers sentencing for such offences and alternatives to prosecution.

Local Government