SEND Tribunal - barring notices and barring orders
Received: 29 January 2026
I am writing to request information regarding the use of barring notices and barring orders by the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) in appeals involving Barnet Borough Council. Barring notices and barring orders are exceptional judicial sanctions and are issued only where serious and / or persistent non-compliance with Tribunal directions has occurred. Please provide the following information for all SEND appeals involving Barnet Borough Council, reported separately for each calendar year: 2023, 2024, 2025 1. Barring notices (issued) The number of cases in which the Tribunal issued a notice proposing that the Council be barred from further participation in the appeal. 2. Barring orders (issued) The number of cases in which the Tribunal issued a barring order, whether partial or full, preventing or restricting the Council's further participation in the appeal. If possible, please distinguish between: * full barring orders; and * partial barring orders. 3. Status of barring orders Please also indicate: How many barring orders issued were subsequently withdrawn, lifted, or varied prior to final determination of the appeal. For the avoidance of doubt this request relates to the issuance of all barring notices and barring orders. It must not be limited to those which remained in force at the final hearing. We request that it includes all instances where a barring notice or barring order was issued, regardless of whether it was later withdrawn, lifted, or reversed following late compliance. Given the severity and importance of extraordinary judicial interventions of this nature, it would be reasonable to expect that this information is clearly recorded and readily accessible within the Council's records. However, if the information is not held in a single dataset, please confirm whether it is held within Tribunal correspondence, individual case files, or other legal services records. This request is made in the interests of transparency and public confidence, given the exceptional nature of these sanctions and the substantial public expenditure associated with SEND appeals. Please note that this request is separate from any other Freedom of Information requests submitted concurrently.
Outcome / Documents
- Response (cost exceeds limit) - application/pdf - Download