Avanti House School

Inspection of Avanti House School Wemborough Road, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 2EQ

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good

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The principal of this school is Simon Arnell. This school is part of Avanti Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Nitesh Gor, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mike Younger. 10 and 11 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The community at Avanti House School work together to inspire pupils to be ‘spiritually compassionate changemakers’. This vision is fulfilled through an ethos of high expectations and mutual respect. Pupils behave impeccably, and lessons are undisturbed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a palpable love of learning. Pupils are tenacious in the face of challenge. Their commitment to their learning is unwavering. Pupils perform exceptionally well, in their work across subjects, and in national assessments at the end of their time at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school virtues of respect, self-discipline, courage, integrity, empathy and gratitude are woven through the curriculum. For example, opportunities for affirmations and meditation underpin the rhythm of the school day. These support pupils to apply their religious values and encourage self-reflection. There are a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including filmmaking, cricket and chess. Pupils, including sixth formers, take pride in their leadership roles as form captains, prefects and mentors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a sense of joy around the school, which is seen in pupils’ interactions with each other and with staff. The school eats communally, and pupils can use the extensive space outside to play games, walk with friends or study. Pupils are kept safe and know how to raise concerns if they need to.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum pupils learn is ambitious, engaging and extends beyond what is expected nationally. Teachers are given precise clarity about what to teach. This means that pupils can swiftly secure the most important concepts and broaden their learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils secure their understanding of algebra before having opportunity to complete additional qualifications. Similarly, in art and design, pupils develop foundational skills using different media before progressing to photography, advanced digital art and graphics. Beginning in Year 7, all pupils have Sanskrit, Philosophy, Religion and Ethics, and yoga as part of their timetable. This supports pupils to further deepen their understanding in modern and ancient languages, humanities, as well as in dance, respectively.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers have extensive subject expertise, which supports them to present new knowledge clearly. The school has shared teacher ‘habits’, which creates a consistent approach across lessons. For example, teachers use questioning and feedback to skilfully help pupils, including those in the sixth form, to cement new learning. Teachers check how well pupils learn important concepts. They make sure that pupils have opportunities to consolidate learning, through ‘feedforward’ questions, for example. As a result, pupils make strong progress across the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is prioritised across the school. The school identifies readily the pupils that need the most help to catch up with their reading. Opportunities for reading are frequent across the school day. The school’s actions support a reading culture to flourish. 10 and 11 June 2025

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported excellently at the school. The school identifies carefully pupils’ needs so that their individual support plans provide clear guidance for teachers. Pupils speak about their needs with confidence and how their peers and staff can get alongside them best. This means that teachers can help pupils through their teaching, using bespoke approaches when needed. Pupils with SEND achieve very well over their time at school through effective teaching, high aspirations and a culture of support.

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Pupils behave excellently. They are taught how to respect and value themselves and others. This means that pupils are polite and highly motivated to achieve, and they display resilience in their endeavours.

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Pupils benefit from excellent careers provision. This includes access to apprenticeship providers, visitors and a programme of ‘retreats’ to help pupils to explore future options. Students in the sixth form are supported to explore a range of future destinations and careers, including law, dentistry, degree apprenticeships and applications to a range of universities.

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Pupil leadership is thriving, providing opportunities for pupils in all year groups to serve the school community, for example through setting up a student newspaper. Sixth-form students play a key role in the life of the school. For example, they organise festival days, lead collective worship sessions, and run whole-school initiatives where every member of the student community undertakes a good act.

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Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive in their support of the school. They value the academic rigour coupled with the pastoral care offered to their children. The school works with alumni to maintain connections with the community, and to provide a network of role models for younger pupils. Trustees and the school stakeholder committee are ambitious for pupils’ futures as ‘changemakers’ and work with the school to serve pupils’ best interests.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 10 and 11 June 2025

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked-after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 10 and 11 June 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,189

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form

Website avanti.org.uk/avantihouse-secondary

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Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Avanti House School is an academy free school with a Hindu religious character. The last Section 48 inspection was in July 2017, and its next inspection is scheduled for this year.  The school uses one registered and one unregistered provider of off-site alternative provision.  The school runs its own after-school clubs.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 10 and 11 June 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (sixth-form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the principal, senior leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with the CEO and the CEO designate, the chair of the trust and the chair of the school stakeholder committee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, physical education, history, computing, art and design, and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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Information about this inspection

record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by leaders, including their priorities for improvement.  The inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Matea Marcinko, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gareth Cross Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 June 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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