Vanguard School

Vanguard School is a special academy for pupils aged 11 to 19 with autism spectrum disorder, all of whom have an education, health and care plan. After a previous Requires improvement judgement and a period of leadership disruption, this inspection found the school has improved, with good judgements across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision; safeguarding is effective. Leaders have established a caring, supportive culture with high expectations, positive staff-pupil relationships and pupils who work hard and feel safe. The ambitious curriculum is comparable in breadth to mainstream and, in most subjects, is implemented effectively, with attention to vocabulary and prior knowledge; reading has a raised profile. Pupils benefit from clubs, work experience, careers guidance and trust-wide student leadership, and attendance typically improves. Sixth-form students value guidance and many progress to education, employment or training. However, curriculum content and sequencing are not sufficiently detailed in some subjects, and communication of the school’s vision and recent changes is not consistently understood by all staff and parents. Some staff feel behaviour management still needs work, and parent satisfaction is mixed. The trust and governors have monitoring systems in place, and leaders demonstrate capacity to develop the school further.

Strengths

• Caring and supportive culture with positive staff-pupil relationships
• Pupils feel safe and are closely supervised
• Pupils work hard and show positive attitudes to learning
• Ambitious curriculum with breadth similar to mainstream
• Most subjects implement the curriculum effectively with attention to vocabulary and prior knowledge
• Raised profile of reading with frequent opportunities during the school day
• Strong careers guidance and sixth-form next-step support
• Many sixth-form students gain places in education, employment or training
• Clubs and work experience develop communication and resilience
• Attendance typically improves once pupils join the school
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Leaders have made substantial and enduring improvements
• Trust, governors and leaders monitor school effectiveness carefully
• Trust-wide student executive team promotes confidence and pupil voice

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum in some subjects lacks precise detail on knowledge and vocabulary and logical sequencing
• Leaders’ vision and strategic direction are not clearly understood by the whole community
• Communication with staff and parents about progress and rationale for changes needs strengthening
• Some staff feel behaviour management requires more work
• Parent satisfaction is mixed, partly due to frequent leadership changes and lack of continuity

In 2024–25 pupils at Vanguard School attended 82.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 50.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 14.3% of pupils at Vanguard School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Vanguard School had 6.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Vanguard School had 71 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: autistic spectrum disorder.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Vanguard School received £55,634 and spent £59,576 for each of its 63 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £732,000 (£11,625 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Liberty Academy Trust Ltd., income was £52,000 and spending £52,311 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Lambeth · Lambeth local authority: places and applications

Vanguard School is part of Liberty Academy Trust Ltd., which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Thames Valley School Reading
• Church Lawton School Stoke-On-Trent

What is Vanguard School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Vanguard School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Vanguard School last inspected by Ofsted?

Vanguard School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Vanguard School have?

Vanguard School has 71 pupils on roll.

What age range does Vanguard School cover?

Vanguard School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Vanguard School's GCSE results?

In 2025 its average Attainment 8 score was 21.2, and 15% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Vanguard School?

Vanguard School is at Lollard Street, Kennington, London, SE11 6QH.