Background to the Project

Warwick LinC have recently been approached by Warwickshire County Council to explore the issues surrounding school exclusions, and what could be done to support families and pupils going through this process to better understand their rights and advocate for themselves.

This past summer, two of our student interns undertook research and shadowed a team at the Council to learn more about the issues. We identified that a significant gap in knowledge exists amongst parents and students within the school exclusions process. Many parents and pupils are unaware of their rights and are often left with no option but to accept the position they find themselves in.

The aim of this project is to bridge this gap by creating a series of informative videos that would help families and students to understand the process and what to expect, their rights and options, and the kinds of help that they can access. Drawing on best practice in public legal education, this will involve consulting with parents and other local stakeholders, as well as experts in the field, and conducting further research on key rights and aspects of the process and how they work in practice. Then, we will create a script or series of scripts for the videos, produce them and disseminate them.

The work aims to make a complex area of law accessible for those who need it. Students participating in this project can expect to

• develop research skills, learn about this area of law and how it works in practice for those who are most directly impacted by it;
• work as part of a team to create an innovative and accessible resource that will be shared with the wider community
• develop valuable transferrable skills in public legal education

Eligibility

Due to the sensitive nature of the school exclusions process and the issues involved, we are looking for students who can demonstrate an ability to commit to the project.

The project will take place both remotely and in-person. Students would be expected to commit 3 – 5 hours per week with at least one weekly meeting determined by students’ availability. There may be weeks when there are two meetings, one in a smaller group and another as a whole team.

This opportunity is open to first, second, third and fourth year students as well as postgraduate law students (including current Warwick LinC associates).

Please note students who are currently participating in one of our projects (SPLC, I&A, PLE) are not eligible to apply.

How to Apply

Students should submit their CV along with a cover letter (no more than 300 words) in one document to WarwickLinC@warwick.ac.uk  

The deadline for applications is Thursday 25th November at 5pm.

Students are welcome to join our MS Teams information session on Friday 19^th November between 12 – 12:30pm to learn more about the project. The session can be accessed here.Link opens in a new window

Key Dates

• The application deadline is Thursday 25^th November at 5pm.
• Group interviews will take place on Tuesday 30^th November.
• Successful applicants will be informed on Wednesday 1^st December.

Those successful will be invited to a project briefing and preliminary training session on the week commencing 6^th December. The project work is due to start at the beginning of Term 2 in January 2022, with aim aim of having a finished project by June 2022.

We look forward to reading your applications!