St Ives Chambers is delighted to announce that Sarah Pritchard has returned to practice, bringing a rare combination of specialist family law expertise, frontline safeguarding experience and senior leadership insight from the education sector.
With more than 25 years of experience spanning family law, child protection, safeguarding governance, school leadership and professional training, Sarah offers instructing solicitors exceptional depth of knowledge in cases involving children, families and complex safeguarding concerns.
Recognised expertise in complex children cases
Sarah practised at the Bar for almost two decades, specialising in public and private law children work. She has represented local authorities, Children’s Guardians, parents and children at all levels of the Family Court, handling some of the most challenging and sensitive matters, including:
- Serious and multiple allegations of domestic abuse
- Child sexual abuse
- Fabricated or induced illness
- Shaken baby syndrome
- Non-accidental injury
- Child death cases
- Chronic neglect
She is recognised for her ability to analyse extensive and complex evidence, exercise sound professional judgement and deliver clear, effective advocacy.
Her expertise was acknowledged by Chambers & Partners, which described her as:
“Excellent in court, very impressive indeed… able to assimilate complex information very quickly and very clearly… extremely courteous, effective and always well prepared.”
Strategic insight beyond the courtroom
Sarah’s return to practice is strengthened by nine years spent in teaching and senior school leadership. As Director of Wellbeing and a member of an Extended Leadership Team, she held strategic responsibility for pupil wellbeing, safeguarding training, mental health provision and leadership-level decision-making.
This experience gives her a distinctive understanding of the environments in which safeguarding concerns arise and the practical realities that underpin many public law cases.
Leadership experience in safeguarding and governance
Alongside her leadership role, Sarah served as a Safeguarding Link Governor within a multi-academy trust, scrutinising safeguarding compliance, Prevent duties, RSHE provision and wider safeguarding frameworks.
Her governance responsibilities included supporting Ofsted inspections and participating in pupil discipline panels, providing valuable insight into institutional decision-making, safeguarding culture and organisational accountability.
This experience enhances her ability to identify and analyse safeguarding failures, policy shortcomings and systemic risks that increasingly feature within public law litigation.
A distinctive offering for instructing solicitors
Sarah offers a combination of skills and experience that enhance her return to the Bar:
- Extensive public and private law children expertise
- Frontline safeguarding and education leadership experience
- Governance-level safeguarding knowledge
- Postgraduate leadership and management qualifications
- Exceptional advocacy and communication skills
- Proven expertise in analysing complex, multi-agency evidence
Her unique professional background enables her to scrutinise school records, safeguarding files, multi-agency chronologies and professional decision-making with exceptional clarity. She understands not only what happened, but how leadership, policy, training and organisational culture can influence outcomes for children and families.
Commenting on her return to practice, Sarah said:
“I am delighted to be returning to practice at St Ives Chambers. Throughout my career, I have been committed to supporting children and families through some of the most challenging circumstances. My time in education and safeguarding leadership has provided valuable additional insight into the systems, decision-making and professional practice that underpin many family proceedings. I look forward to bringing this experience, alongside my advocacy and family law expertise, to support solicitors and clients across a broad range of children cases.”
St Ives Chambers is delighted to welcome Sarah back to practice and looks forward to supporting solicitors and clients with the benefit of her extensive expertise, strategic insight and long-standing commitment to child protection and family justice.
Solicitors wishing to instruct Sarah Pritchard in advance of her return on 2nd November 2026 are invited to contact the Family Clerks via familyclerks@stiveschambers.co.uk.
