Local authority round-up 7 November 2025
7th November, 2025
Our Local Authority round up provides brief summaries of topical information on a weekly basis, to keep you aware of the changes and updates relevant to you.
Education
High Court refuses permission for judicial review over new regime for assessing schools following inspections.
The High Court have refused school leaders’ union NAHT permission to bring a judicial claim over Ofsted’s new regime for assessing schools following inspection. In National Association of Head Teachers v Ofsted, the Court concluded the merits of an Ofsted report were no matters for the Court.
By way of background, the case follows Ofsted proposing from the 10th November 2025 to introduce a new education inspection “report card” grading system comprising a 5-point scale. The claimant’s (NAHT and a headteacher at a primary school) advocated that a ‘narrative-only’ approach was preferable as opposed to any form of Ofsted grading such as the system adopted by Northern Ireland and Wales.
The core of the Claimant’s challenge was that they saw a failure by Ofsted to conduct a legally sufficient consultation in relation to the decision or to give any adequate consideration to the serious negative effects of the new framework, if it is implemented, will have on the well-being and mental health of school leaders and teachers. The Court recognised the merits of the claimant’s case; however, ultimately concluded that the well-being issued raised were no matters for the Court.
For more information, please click here.
Health and social care
Government pledges scheme to get children healthier and tackle rising childhood obesity epidemic.
The Health and Social Care secretary has recently pledged that the government will not “look away as kids become unhealthier” and underlined the government’s commitment to getting children healthier. The initiative comes from the release of data that revealed over 1.1 million children measured across state-maintained schools in England during the academic year 2024 to 2025 showing that while the majority of children remain a healthy weight (75.4% in reception, age 4 to 5 years, and 62.2% in year 6, age 10 to 11 years), 10.5% of children in reception and 22.2% of year 6 children are living with obesity.
Excluding the pandemic peak, this is the highest prevalence of obesity seen in reception since measurements began in 2006 and 2007. In order to combat this, the government intends to implement measures such as: restrictions on junk food advertising and high-caffeine energy drinks before 9pm and online, expand free school meals and introduce universal free breakfast clubs.
For more information, please click here.
Housing
HM Land Registry launches its ambitious new Strategy 2025+ to deliver better services and unlock a faster property market.
This week, HM Land Registry published its Strategy 2025+ which outlines how it will continue working with the government, customers and stakeholders to deliver more efficient digital services. This will allow more accessible access to property information which will unlock a better, faster and less stressful property market.
In order to do this successfully, HM Land Registry is investing in new technology and working in partnership with the government and property sector to agree data standards. This will ensure everyone can be confident in the information they are using and sharing. Strategy 2025+ emphasises investments in automation, artificial intelligence and secure digital services enabling the unlocking of data, and continuing to digitise local land charges faster than before. These investments are intended to directly support innovation, helping drive economic growth and making it easier for people to make better, more informed decisions about land and property.
For more information, please click here.
Upcoming events
Commercial Property Autumn Seminar
Join us on Wednesday 19 September from 1.30pm – 6pm as we highlight some of the hot topics which will continue to face the industry in the year to come. This seminar is for surveyors who are looking to gain expert knowledge and advice from our skilled Real Estate lawyers.
We will be covering a range of topics including:
- Landlord and tenant: applications for consent with Helen Hill and Christina Kettlewell
- Lease renewal issues with Sarah Stockdale and Richard Noble
- Overview of the use of Permitted Development to convert office use into residential use and issues of your property being an Asset of Community Value with Matthew Hills
- Property law round up with Laura Gooddy
Register your interest here.
Seminar: Procurement and Public Law Update
The challenge everyone in the public sector is facing is bedding in the new procurement rules with their increased transparency requirements.
This seminar will look at what those changes have meant in practice since both the new Act and the new NHS regime came into force and will give practical tips on how to manage procurements now.
In our Procurement and Public Law Update we will be covering a range of topics such as:
- Highlights from the transition to the Procurement Act 2023 and the NHS Procurement Selection Regime
- Latest case law
- The Transparency agenda
- Avoiding or defending a challenge
- Update on Subsidy Control
- Update on Local government reorganisation
Register here and join us for our in person Procurement and Public Law Update on Thursday 20th November between 9.30am – 12.30pm.
Webinar: Ward Hadaway Housing Management Law School – Autumn Term 2025
Join us for our Autumn 2025 Housing Management Law School, covering hot topics like the Renters’ Rights Act, which is expected to come into effect in 2026, as well as helping you ensure that your practices and procedures are fit for purpose.
You’ll also have the opportunity to put your questions to our speakers – either in advance via the registration form, or during the session using Zoom’s Q&A feature.
Book your place here to join us on Thursday 27 November 2025 between 10:00 am – 11:30 am.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
This page may contain links that direct you to third party websites. We have no control over and are not responsible for the content, use by you or availability of those third party websites, for any products or services you buy through those sites or for the treatment of any personal information you provide to the third party.
