Schooling &
Education Disputes
Which school, whether to move school, who pays for what, and who the school actually talks to. Education decisions have deadlines attached, and a court application will rarely be decided before the one you are up against. Our family mediators help you reach a decision in time, and keep both of you involved in your children's school life afterwards.
- Reach a decision before the application deadline
- Avoid a specific issue order application
- Both parents stay involved in school life
Choosing a school is one of the biggest decisions the two of you will make, and it is one neither parent can properly make alone. Where you both have parental responsibility, a school place, a change of school or a move to private education should be a joint decision, and schools and local authorities increasingly expect to see that both parents are on board.
What makes education different from most co-parenting disagreements is the clock. In England, secondary applications close on 31 October and primary applications on 15 January, with offers made on 1 March and 16 April. In Wales the dates are set by each local authority. A contested court application will not usually be decided inside those timescales, so mediation is often the only route that gets you an answer in time. School decisions are one of the issues covered by our wider child arrangements mediation service.
Schooling and education at a glance
- What it covers: choosing a primary or secondary school, moving school, faith schools, private education and fees, tutoring and the 11 plus, additional needs support, home schooling, subject choices and sixth form.
- Who decides: everyone with parental responsibility should be part of the decision. One parent moving a child’s school without the other is a common cause of urgent court applications.
- The deadlines: 31 October for secondary and 15 January for primary in England, with national offer days on 1 March and 16 April. Welsh dates are set locally.
- How long it takes: usually one or two joint sessions, and we can move quickly where a deadline is close.
- What it costs: free if you qualify for legal aid, or up to £500 towards your joint sessions through the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme.
- If you cannot agree: a specific issue order to decide the school, or a prohibited steps order to prevent a move, applied for on a C100 form at £270 as of July 2026.
Why settle a school decision in mediation rather than in court?
You keep control
It is faster than court
It costs far less
Better for your children
Regulated and insured
Can be made legally binding
Get up to £500 towards your mediation
Do we have to be in the same room?
No. 95% of our mediation sessions happen online, and where being in the same space would be too difficult, we use shuttle mediation, where you stay in separate rooms and the mediator moves between you.
You join from home by video, so there is no travel, no waiting room, and no chance of arriving awkwardly at the same time. Shuttle mediation goes further. You are in separate rooms, or on separate calls, and your mediator carries the questions, offers and replies between you. The hourly rate is the same, though a shuttle session usually runs to two hours rather than 90 minutes, because everything has to be relayed twice.
That is why we suggest a joint session first where it is safe and comfortable to do so, as it is usually quicker and costs less. Your mediator will talk this through with you at your MIAM, and you decide together which format suits you, so nothing is arranged without your agreement.
How does the Mediation Process Work?
Your MIAM
Joint sessions begin
Build Arrangements
Your written agreement
Make it legal
Start the process now
Book your first appointment online in a few minutes, at a time that suits you.
Can the agreement be made legally binding?
Yes. It can, though most families never need it to be. A decision you reach together is usually recorded in your parenting plan, and that is enough for the school and the local authority, who simply want to see that both parents agree.
Where you want certainty, the decision can be put to the family court as a consent application for a specific issue order, which records which school the children attend. If the new school changes the weekly routine, those changes can go into a child arrangements order at the same time, which is enforceable. Our solicitor partners can draft and file either for you. You can read more in our guide to child arrangements.
How much does child arrangements mediation cost?
Free
Up to £500
£120 +VAT
Most families need two to four joint sessions to agree a full parenting plan.
Making your plan legally binding is charged separately.
All members of the Family Mediation Council
What families say about working with us
“The entire process was very friendly and supportive, I received an appointment and all necessary documents very quickly, I felt I was listened to, understood and I felt that the mediator had a genuine ability to help me. I was treated in a fair way, without prejudice, with warmth and will to help me and my son.”
“Had free initial consultation with Ali and he was most helpful gave me the advice I needed and was able to answer all questions as well as listening to my long story, this was a child contact matter and I now have a clear vision of what I need to do.”
“A very professional service – highly recommended for family mediation. They were calm and helpful throughout.”
Schooling and education: common questions
They should not. Where you both have parental responsibility, a change of school is a decision for both of you, and schools and local authorities are increasingly careful about this. If a move is already under way and you do not agree, act quickly, because a prohibited steps order can prevent it but is far harder to unpick once a child has started somewhere new.
You can apply for a specific issue order and ask a judge to decide, on a C100 form costing £270 as of July 2026. The practical problem is timing. Private law children cases took an average of 37 weeks to be decided during 2025, according to Ministry of Justice figures reported by Today’s Family Lawyer, so an application made after the closing date is unlikely to be resolved before offers go out. That is why mediation is usually the only route that works to the deadline.
Admissions authorities use the child’s permanent home address, which is normally where they live for the majority of the time. Where care is genuinely shared, the local authority will have its own rules and may ask the two of you to confirm which address is being used. Agreeing that between you before you apply avoids an application being withdrawn or a place being taken back later.
Normally yes. A parent with parental responsibility is generally entitled to information about their child’s education, whether or not the children live with them, unless a court order says otherwise. If the school is not sending you anything, ask to be added to their records as a parent with parental responsibility, and give them your contact details directly.
There is no automatic answer, and it usually needs to be looked at alongside the rest of the finances rather than on its own. In mediation you can agree how the fees are split, what happens if they rise, who pays for extras and trips, and what you both do if one of you can no longer afford it. Where it forms part of the divorce settlement, it can be dealt with in a financial consent order.
These are worth agreeing early, because they involve money, time in each household and a fair amount of pressure on the child. Parents usually settle who arranges and pays for tutoring, whether it happens in both homes, and, most importantly, what happens if only one of you thinks the child should sit the exam.
Yes, and by secondary age most children have strong views. Through child-inclusive mediation, a specially trained mediator can talk to your children so their views come to you directly rather than through either parent.
Mediation is a good place for the two of you to reach a joint position on what your child needs, so you can approach the school or local authority together rather than at odds. A disagreement with the local authority about an EHCP is a separate process with its own statutory mediation service, so if that is what you are facing, we will point you in the right direction.
Ready to agree the school decision?
Most parents settle this in a session or two, and many pay nothing at all. If a deadline is coming up, tell us when you book and we will get you in quickly. Book your MIAM to get started, or take a free 15-minute call first if you would rather talk it through.
Need something specific? Book an urgent MIAM, check your legal aid eligibility, or call us on 0330 999 0959.
Related child arrangements services
Holidays, Christmas & Special Occasions
Holiday mediation helps separated parents agree who has the children at Christmas, over the school holidays and on birthdays, before the arguing starts. Together you set out how the year is shared, how alternating works and what happens with trips abroad, passports and consent. You leave with dates in the diary and no last-minute standoffs.
Children’s Name Changes
Name change mediation helps separated parents reach a decision about a child's surname or first name without going to court. Together you look at what the change would mean for school, passports and medical records, and what feels right for your child. You leave with a written agreement you have both signed, rather than a stalemate that drags on for months.
New Partners & Blended Families
Mediation helps separated parents work out how new partners fit into their children's lives. Together you agree when introductions happen, what role a step-parent plays day to day, and how you handle stepsiblings, house rules and time as a bigger family. You both leave knowing where you stand, and your children get a calmer start in both homes.