SAG -v- The Governing Body of Winchmore School (anonymity order)

Administrative CourtHigh CourtKing's Bench DivisionAnonymity Order

Claim number: AC-2025-LON-002221

In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
Administrative Court

8 July 2025

Before:

The Hon Mr Justice Calver

Between:

The King on the application of
SAG (by her Litigation Friend, ERV)

-v-

The Governing Body of Winchmore School

Order

On an application by the Claimant for expedition

Following consideration of the documents lodged by the Claimant

ORDER BY THE HON. MR. JUSTICE CALVER

  1. Anonymity:
    (a) Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4) and/or the Court’s inherent jurisdiction and/or s. 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998:
    (i) the Claimant’s name is to be withheld from the public and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in public; and
    (ii) the Claimant is to be referred to orally and in writing as SAG.
    (b) Pursuant to s. 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, there must be no publication of the identity of the Claimant or of any matter likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant in any report of, or otherwise in connection with, these proceedings.
    (c) Pursuant to CPR 5.4C(4):
    (i) the parties must within 7 days file a redacted copy of any statement of case filed, omitting the name, address and any other information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant;
    (ii) if any statement of case subsequently filed includes information likely to lead to the identification of the Claimant, a redacted copy omitting that information must be filed at the same time;
    (iii) unless the Court grants permission under CPR 5.4C(6), no non-party many obtain a copy of any unredacted statement of case.
    (d) Any person wishing to vary or discharge this Order must make an application, served on each party.
  2. Response to expedition:
    (a) The Defendant must state by 4pm on Friday 11 July (i) whether it opposes an expedited rolled-up hearing of this claim before the end of July 2025 and if so why; and (ii) whether or not it considers it to be necessary for Enfield Council to be joined as an interested party and if so why.
    (b) The papers are to be referred to a judge immediately thereafter so that an urgent decision can be made in relation to the matters in (a) above.
  3. Enfield Council shall be notified forthwith of this order

Reasons

(1) Anonymity: The Claimant is a minor and without an anonymity order this claim will reveal sensitive personal information about her private and family life, including parental loss and cancer treatment. There are accordingly compelling reasons for the limited derogations from the principle of open justice.
(2) Response to expedition: The Claimant seeks an order quashing the Governing Body’s decision and for the decision to be reconsidered ahead of the next academic year so that she has certainty about her education before starting her two-year GCSE programme. That is why she seeks a rolled-up hearing. There has been some delay to date as a result of the Independent Review Panel and reconsideration processes and the Claimant maintains that any further delay risks impacting the Claimant’s two-year GCSE programme which should start in September 2025. The Defendant’s response to this is required before the court reaches a decision on the matters in paragraph 2(i) above.
(3) Interested party: Enfield Council have been involved in pre-action correspondence and it may be appropriate for it to be added as an interested party: see paragraph 2(b) and 3 above.