A cross-sector team from law firm Stone King has recently supported The Mulberry Bush Charity on an important independent special school merger. The team advised on the integration of The Corner School (a therapeutic primary school in Wembley run by Unlocking Potential) into The Mulberry Bush Charity.
Both organisations are dedicated to improving the lives of children with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs who have experienced trauma. The Mulberry Bush, based in Oxfordshire, has been providing therapeutic care and education since 1948, and the addition of The Corner School strengthens the charity’s offer. They can now expand their provision of integrated therapy and personalised learning for children aged 5–11.
The project team was led by Kenji Batchelor (Partner, Education) and included Stephen Ravenscroft (Partner, Education), Sophie Pughe (Senior Associate, Charity), James Barron (Senior Associate, Employment), Penny Walters (Principal HR Consultant), Andrew Small (Consultant, Property) and Katherine Hall (Associate Solicitor, Education). Working together, they helped to bring the merger to a successful conclusion.
The work has been warmly received by Chris Pugh, Chair of The Mulberry Bush Charity. He shared his appreciation for the team’s approach and expertise, in particular noting that working with them had been “a pleasure.” He said: “I just wanted to say what a superb job the team are doing. I’ve led on projects and transactions all of my professional life, and dealt with dozens of firms of lawyers… Every now and again I come across a team that’s a pleasure to deal with – and Kenji and his team are just great.”
Reflecting on the project, Kenji Batchelor highlighted the collaborative effort and support of colleagues across the firm, stating: “It’s been a joy working with The Mulberry Bush on this important strategic project. I’m also grateful to the fantastic team here at Stone King – joining this transaction late last year, I’ve had such a warm welcome from the team and can only echo Chris’s comments about them – they are great!”
Independently recognised as a leading firm for education and charity law in the UK, Stone King operates nationally with offices in London, Bath, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, and Manchester. The firm is consistently top-ranked by independent legal guides Chambers and the Legal 500, and has been named a Best Law Firm for 2026 by The Times.