About us - National Autistic Society

Browser.OldBrowserMessage

Hello and welcome to Vanguard School, where each child is treated as an individual. Vanguard school is an ambitious, forward-thinking specialist school, which seeks to advance thinking on what autistic people can achieve and how vital their place is in society.

We take enormous care to give our pupils the support they need to learn well and to develop their confidence and independence. Small classes, committed and experienced specialist teachers, and a wonderful learning environment all make our school an exceptional place to be. We are encouraging and supportive, and always celebrate achievement. We also ask pupils to work hard, and help them to enjoy the success that this brings.

Our pupils receive an ambitious, highly-personalised education at Vanguard School. We are specialists in autism, and our aim is for your child to lead a successful, fulfilling life in society. Our doors are open to all our families and we want them to feel as much a part of our school community as their children.

As the founding Headteacher of Vanguard School, I am delighted to be leading such a forward-thinking, ambitious and inclusive school. My vocation has always been supporting young people of secondary school age to develop the skills, confidence and qualifications they will need to progress further in education or go on to meaningful employment. I believe that autistic young people should be empowered to do this and families should never feel unsupported through this journey. We know the journey is not always easy, but we are here to support all of our fantastic young people and their families to reach their potential.

I hope our website is helpful and you can get to know more about our wonderful school community – which we call ‘The Vanguard Family’.

Warm wishes,
Antonia Evans
MA, MA, PGCE, NPQH
(Headteacher)

School facts

Autism specialists
Students aged 11-19 years
78 places, with a phased intake
Brand new purpose-built school opened in January 2020
Secondary school and sixth form shadowing the national curriculum
One-to-one support offered
Calm, nurturing environment
Clear and open communication with parents and families

What makes us different?

At Vanguard, we have built a new kind of school. A school which focuses on young people’s futures and puts skills for life and employment at the heart of the curriculum.

A need for improved special education needs provision in the borough of Lambeth and neighbouring Greater London was identified and the call for a new specialist school to meet this need was spearheaded by local parents. Vanguard School helps reduce out-of-borough and independent placements, which reduces education costs for the Lambeth authority. This has the added benefit that children who attend the school are educated and build connections in their local community.

Designed by Pozzoni Architecture, the specialist autism school occupies an urban plot in Lambeth, close to modern residential developments and a variety of local amenities. As well as high-quality learning facilities, the two-storey, 2,500m2 building also contains 14 classrooms, a soft play area, a sensory room, a library and two therapy rooms.

A National Autistic Society Academies Trust school

Vanguard School is a free school owned and operated by the National Autistic Society Academies Trust.

The National Autistic Society Academies Trust was established in 2012 as a subsidiary of the National Autistic Society. Its purpose is to establish and operate autism-specific free schools and academies. We’ve run autism-specific schools for over 50 years and continue to innovate all the time. We now have a thriving employment offer too, helping 1,000 employers last year to understand autism better. We are committed to developing outstanding schools that improve outcomes for young people with autism.

Free schools represent a new model of education. You can read more about them on the Department for Education's website.

A key factor in this vision is that children and young people receive the right education, one which equips them to make informed choices. Vanguard School is hence the realisation of the National Autistic Society Academies Trust vision, since we increase the achievement, choice and opportunity for our young people.