School mediation
WMS is a not-for-profit set up by renowned mediator Stephen Ruttle KC. For over 20 years we’ve been supporting state and independent schools to resolve conflict through mediation – a confidential process where an impartial mediator helps people reach an agreement they can all accept.
Our areas of expertise:
- Community: Parent-parent, Parent-school disputes
- Workplace: Conflict between staff, governors, SLTs
- Commercial: School fee, bursary disputes
- Commercial: Supplier disputes, contract disputes
What is school mediation?
Mediation is a way of resolving conflict through conversation, facilitated by a neutral third party — a mediator. When dealing with a school-related dispute, it’s important that everyone involved has the chance to express themselves without feeling confronted. An experienced mediator offers impartial support and helps people find a resolution they can all agree to. The process is confidential, effective, and keeps everyone involved in control of the outcome.
5 reasons to choose WMS as your School mediation provider:
1. High success rates for school mediations.
Every single school mediation we’ve been involved with has reached an agreement – saving time, cost and stress for everyone involved.
2. The right mediator for your case. Commercial and workplace cases are supported by our panel of highly acclaimed, accredited mediators, many of whom are leaders in their field. They volunteer their time with us, allowing us to offer exceptional mediation at charitable rates. Parent-parent and parent-teacher disputes are supported by our trained community mediators, skilled specifically in navigating personal and family relationships. Whatever the nature of your case, we will match you with the mediator best placed to help.
3. Fast and confidential. We aim to set up the first meeting within two weeks of referral, and most mediations are resolved in a single day. Everyone signs an Agreement to Mediate, committing to keep the details of the case private.
4. Good value, free where it matters. As a charity, we don’t currently charge VAT, and parent-parent and parent-school mediation is free for Wandsworth residents. Income from our commercial and workplace mediation helps fund free mediation for local families and communities.
5. Award-winning. We’re recipients of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, and proud members of the Civil Mediation Council.
How does school mediation work?
Getting started
- The school can refer a case to us by sharing any relevant background information and the contact details for the parents. We’ll then reach out to the parents and invite them to mediation.
- Alternatively, parents can contact us directly. We’ll take the background information from them and then get in touch with the school.
- After an initial phone call to explain the process, we’ll arrange individual meetings with everyone involved.
Individual meetings
- The mediator meets with each person separately. These usually take between one and one and a half hours.
- It’s a chance to talk through concerns and what everyone hopes to achieve. Everything discussed is confidential, unless there is a safeguarding concern that requires it to be shared.
- If everyone agrees to go ahead, a joint meeting is arranged.
Joint meeting
- The joint session is a round-table meeting of 1.5-2 hours, where everyone involved can share their concerns, explore options and work towards a resolution.
- The mediator remains impartial. They won’t take sides or impose solutions. The outcome is decided by the people in the room, not the mediator.
- Everything discussed in mediation is confidential and cannot be shared outside the session without everyone’s agreement, except where there is a safeguarding concern that requires action.
School mediation Questions
- Mediation of school-related disputes that don’t involve financial issues is available to all Wandsworth residents for free.
- Mediation of disputes about school fee payments is a paid-for service. The cost depends on the amount in dispute. For example, if the disagreement is over one term’s fees of £7,500, the mediation would cost £320 per party for a 3-hour session. Fees are usually covered by the school, but they can also be split between the parties. For disputes under £50,000, our pricing follows the Civil Mediation Council’s fixed fee scheme. All fees do not include VAT which is not currently payable.
- Workplace mediation is a paid-for service. The cost of workplace mediation starts at £800 for a 5-hour session for two parties, including preparation. This is a fixed fee, not per person, and is usually covered by the employer. VAT is not currently charged.
Our mediators are fully trained to conduct mediation sessions online, and many clients now prefer this for its speed and convenience.
Online mediation means you can resolve disputes quicker, and from the comfort of your home. All you need is a computer or mobile phone, a webcam and a quiet location. Our dedicated case managers will provide detailed instructions and guide you through the set-up.
If you have more questions, please visit our FAQs or contact us.