Beth has been advising parents of children with special educational needs since 1998 when she worked for a leading education law firm as well as volunteering for IPSEA. She moved to the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), where she was the Principal Education Lawyer responsible for several ground-breaking disability discrimination cases. Beth is a firm believer in equality, and this has inspired and influenced her career. Beth left the Disability Rights Commission to move to IPSEA to focus more on SEN work for children and young people. She ran their training and volunteering support as well as managing their disability discrimination in education project. Beth also worked for one of the largest claimant education law firms before moving out of formal legal practice to set up Education Law Experts with Sarah, who she has worked with since 2010.
Beth is a Trust Director for Seashell Trust which is a charity based in Manchester providing education and residential care for children and young people complex needs across the UK.
When Beth is not working, she and her husband are kept busy by their teenage children and labrador. She has recently reignited her love of sailing and skiing but is at her happiest walking by the sea, particularly on the Northumberland coast.
Sarah studied Law at the University of Durham and subsequently trained and qualified as a solicitor at a leading boutique education law firm (later acquired by Simpson Millar). Sarah later spent several years working as part of Irwin Mitchell’s Public Law team, heading up their Newcastle team, before returning to Simpson Millar where she most recently worked as national Head of their Education and Children’s Rights department.
Sarah is most passionate about ensuring children receive the quality education they deserve. She achieves great results for her clients and her work has been consistently recognised in legal directories.
In addition to her paid work, Sarah works with several charities across the country providing support for those with disabilities and special needs. She was a trustee of Northeast Special Needs Network which merged with Skills for People in 2017. Until very recently, she remained on the Board of Skills for People which provide much needed support to those with disabilities throughout the Northeast. She is also a SEND Governor at her local primary school.
When Sarah is not working, she is generally found facilitating the various social activities of her young daughters. Sarah’s family are what is most important to her and it is her lived experiences of the education system which allow her to use her legal skills and knowledge in a way which is effective, practical and empathetic.
Georgia graduated from Northumbria University with a degree in Law with International Business before joining what was then the country’s largest public law team at Simpson Millar LLP. She began her career as an Education Law Advisor and was later promoted, working across multiple teams providing advice and representation to vulnerable families experiencing a range of challenges with public bodies and local authorities.
After qualifying as a solicitor, Georgia specialised in appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) including, refusal to assess appeals, refusal to issue appeals, disputes about the contents of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCPs), including placements, and advice and assistance with appeals concerning education otherwise than in school or college (EOTIS/EOTIC).
Although no longer practising as a solicitor, Georgia now represents and supports families as a specialist advocate, enabling her to deliver more flexible, personalised and cost-effective assistance. She has been involved in reported cases, including , BDH, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Lambeth and continues to work closely with external solicitors, drawing on her experience of judicial review to carry out pre-action work for potential judicial review claims when required.
When Georgia is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and travelling worldwide to a range of different places much to the envy of others. The eager eyed may think that we have accidentally included Georgia’s photograph twice on this website, but Georgia continues to work alongside her identical twin, Jessica Wake.
Jessica graduated with a degree in Law with International Business at Northumbria University before qualifying as a solicitor. She began her legal career at Simpson Millar in 2018 as an Education Law Advisor, supporting families in securing special educational support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Since then, Jessica has developed a varied caseload which included securing Education, Health and Care Needs assessments (EHCNAs) and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) through appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST). She has successfully supported numerous families in obtaining specialist support within mainstream schools, assisted in designing bespoke education packages (EOTIS) for children and young people unable to attend school or college, and helped secure specialist placements including independent residential settings.
Although Jessica qualified as a solicitor, she chose to move away from traditional legal practice to represent parents as a specialist advocate, enabling her to deliver more diverse, personalised and cost-effective support. Jessica continues to work closely with external solicitors and is able to use her experience of judicial review to carry out pre-action work for potential judicial review claims when required.
When Jessica is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling across the globe whenever opportunities arise. The eager eyed may think that we have accidentally included Jessica’s photograph twice on this website, but Jessica continues to work alongside her identical twin, Georgia Wake.
We are expanding! If you’re an experienced education advocate with a strong background in handling SEN appeal caseloads, we want to hear from you.
We’re a growing business dedicated to providing expert education law advice to parents. As part of our dynamic team, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by supporting families navigating the SEN process.
What We’re Looking For:
To apply, please send your CV to beth.holbrook@educationlawexperts.co.uk.
We look forward to hearing from professionals who share our commitment to making a difference.