Andrew Lika

My DPhil research looks at how schools, local authorities and Magistrates' courts respond to persistent school absence, with a particular focus on the use of legal measures against parents under the Education Act 1996. Through interviews with school leaders and local authority attendance professionals, alongside observations in Magistrates’ Courts, I explore how decisions about school attendance are made in practice, including when and why formal legal measures, including fines and prosecutions, are pursued. My research seeks to understand how legal frameworks operate in practice, the role of professional discretion in decision-making, and the relationship between schools, local authorities and the criminal justice system.

I hold a BA in Law from St John's College, University of Cambridge, where I earned the Larmor Award and Gold Pro Bono Award for my voluntary work with Level Up and Advocacy After Domestic Abuse. Since 2019, I have been an Ask Me Ambassador for Cambridge Women's Aid, raising awareness of domestic abuse through community outreach and fundraising. I have gained valuable legal experience as a trainee solicitor with Vardags and a Public Law and Human Rights paralegal with Irwin Mitchell. I have recently worked as a SEND Teaching Assistant at Impington Village College and a Guest Lecturer in Criminal law at UCL. These diverse experiences in the legal world and the education sector have significantly contributed to shaping my research project.  I am currently on the 1+3.5 pathway and am deeply grateful to the ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership for their generous support in funding my postgraduate studies.