Russell Cooke Kingston Upon Thames

About Lenka

Understanding your child’s rights and entitlements is fundamental to ensuring they achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes. Combining my professional expertise and lived experience as a SEN parent, I work in partnership with our clients to ensure they are fully empowered and no stone is left unturned in finding the most effective solution for any challenges encountered.

Lenka qualified as a solicitor in 2015 and joined Russell-Cooke in 2020.

Lenka secures EHC plans, highly specialist school and college placements, and comprehensive education and therapy packages otherwise than in school including and personal budgets. Lenka conducts her own advocacy at tribunal hearings affording continuity of client care. This includes cases where there are additional layers of complexity such as birth injury arising from clinical negligence.

Lenka tenaciously challenges breaches of statutory duty by local authorities, be that for missed education and therapy or unlawful school transport decisions.

Lenka also has a strong track record of conducting successful school admission and exclusion appeals.

Lenka adopts a robust approach to challenging disability discrimination such as unfavourable treatment and failure to make reasonable adjustments, as well as other injustices in independent and maintained sector schools. She has overturned suspensions, site bans, and directions off site.

Lenka asserts children and parents’ right of access to their personal data and to rectification of that data where inaccuracies are exposed.

Lenka speaks fluent Slovak and Czech. 

Lenka is a strong associate and very detailed in her approach. She is very experienced in the area of SEN law and disability rights.
Chambers UK (2024)

Experience

  • R (on the application of HA) v Hampstead School Governors [2016] EWHC 278 (Admin) – advised parent of a pupil transferred by his school to a college for the purposes of improving his behaviour
  • Successful judicial review challenge to a secondary school's refusal to admit a pupil contrary to a Fair Access Panel decision and subsequent direction of the pupil to a pupil referral unit in order to improve his behaviour; pupil permitted to continue his studies at the school following settlement of proceedings
  • Local authority compelled to secure occupational therapy provision specified in a young person's Education, Health and Care Plan following settlement of judicial review proceedings
  • Decision of governing board to uphold exclusion of a pupil from Wymondham College immediately prior to GCSEs quashed by independent review panel
  • GK v North Somerset [2018] UKUT 259 (AAC) - successful upper tribunal challenge to a first-tier tribunal's refusal to order speech and language therapy to be delivered to a child during summer holidays
  • Local authority ordered by tribunal to secure an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment for a young person with refugee status and history of very poor progress at college; the same local authority subsequently ordered by tribunal to secure a robust package of special educational provision for the young person
  • Placement at the Orpheus Centre, independent special college specialising in performing and visual arts, secured by settlement of tribunal appeal for a young person with a sight impairment and learning difficulties
  • Level 3 course place at Queen Alexandra College, independent special college, named by tribunal for a young person with autism and speech and language disorder
  • Placement at Foxes Academy, independent special post-16 institution, secured by settlement of tribunal appeal for a young person with moderate learning difficulties
  • Placement at Moor House School & College, non-maintained special school, secured for a child with specific language impairment following settlement of tribunal appeal
  • Placement at Aurora Hedgeway School, independent special school, named by tribunal for a child with high functioning autism and a speech and language disorder
  • Following settlement of a tribunal appeal, extension of placement at Orchard Hill College secured until the end of the academic year for a young person who had reached the age of 25
Lenka Wall – goes above and beyond to assist in getting results for parents and children. Builds up knowledge of a child’s complex needs and experiences and then effectively uses that information to successfully facilitate results.
Legal 500 (2023)
  • Placement at Centre Academy, independent special school, named by tribunal for a child with high functioning autism
  • Placement at the Moat School, independent special school, named by tribunal for a child with severe dyslexia and history of non-engagement at school
  • Placement at a small independent mainstream school secured for a child with a rare congenital disorder following settlement of tribunal appeal
  • Placement at Priory Lodge School, independent special school, secured for a child with autism, challenging behaviour and complex health needs following settlement of tribunal appeal
  • Placement at a special school with a hydrotherapy pool secured for a child with complex mobility needs following settlement of tribunal appeal
  • Placement at a very small independent special school secured following settlement of tribunal appeal for a child with severe dyslexia and a history of failed placements and school refusal
  • Substantial special educational provision ordered by tribunal for two brothers with severe dyslexia and associated difficulties
  • Local authority ordered by tribunal to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for a child with autism and depression
  • Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment secured by way of settlement of tribunal appeal for an asylum seeking young person with a history of poor progress at college
  • Successful admission appeal for a place at a secondary academy with enhanced science provision
  • Successful admission appeal for a faith-based primary school
  • Decision of Student Finance England to refuse student funding to a young person reconsidered and funding awarded following judicial review pre-action correspondence
She was extremely knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of my case. She would always advise me of all the options and scenarios that were possible. Lenka was very honest and transparent. She had expert knowledge of recent and relevant case law.
Chambers UK (2023)

Education

  • Master's degree in law from the Law Faculty of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
  • Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course at London Metropolitan University

Awards and accreditations

Lenka's highlights

News

29.12.2022

School admission deadline 15 January 2023 – busting the myths

Lenka Wall, Senior associate in the Russell-Cooke Solicitors, family and children team.
Lenka Wall
5 min Read
News

29.04.2022

Top five tips when applying for an education, health and care plan

Lenka Wall, Senior associate in the Russell-Cooke Solicitors, family and children team.
Lenka Wall
4 min Read
News

12.02.2021

Legal Questions About Education During And Post Pandemic Answered

Lenka Wall, Senior associate in the Russell-Cooke Solicitors, family and children team.
Lenka Wall
2 min Read
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