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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Vanguard School - Kenington, London

58 replies

pamalova · 30/01/2023 15:56

Hi - I am trying find reviews of the beyond autism school, NAS Vanguard school off Kennington Rd from parents who have kids at the school. Have just read the Offstead report which was a little alarming, so wanted to get a parents perspective of the school!?

OP posts:
Aileen1972 · 19/02/2023 08:24

Hi Pamalova. I've sent you a private message on this subject. Just wanting to check you have received that. Thanks

Original poster
pamalova · 19/02/2023 18:14

No - not received any message thx Pamela

OP posts:
Boncuk · 21/02/2023 13:31

I am also trying to find a bit more about the school.

Sonoltay · 20/03/2023 14:22

Please think twice and look into the school before sending a child there. The ofsted report says it all. I had a child start the school on 5th September 2022 in year 7. He spent 11 days there out of the 20 he could have in September. He was very seriously bullied at the school, starting the first week he was there. I had several meetings each time he was bullied and nothing was done about it. It was physical bullying, so he was hit, kicked, punched from behind to name a few. The staff did nothing, despite the meetings i had and the promise of extra 1.1 care for him. He has been out of the school for 7 months and been at home. The school have supplied him with 2 pieces of homework during that time. They have failed to educate him and supply a tutor once a week. The safeguarding there is appalling. The deputy head left in December and nobody else could supply the LA with the paperwork to help him get a place at another school! It’s a shambles there, staff come and go like buses. Thankfully he started another school today, i had a meeting with the headmaster at Vanguard scheduled for weds 22nd March, but it has been cancelled because he is no longer on their register. They did nothing while he was on their register so i suppose why would they want to talk to me now that he has been taken off!! I am happy for anybody to contact me privately, i have nothing to hid

VickiMcD75 · 16/05/2023 06:32

Meant to be seeing it tomorrow. Am really concerned now. Please can people share comments with me please

Sonoltay · 16/05/2023 13:35

Be very careful, the Ofsted report is only the half of it. I thought i was doing the best thing for my son sending him there as it was ran by people who should know SEN children inside out. I went and viewed the school and thought it would be the making of my son, how wrong was i. Please be careful

SarahChapmen · 20/05/2023 20:21

Hi,
This school is unbelievable when my son first started he got bullied straight away knowing he had anger problems that he couldn't cope with they did nothing they just let him be out of control, I mean please tell me about this ofstead report was disgusting I'm sorry but they gave a waring for the school this needs to be shut down ASAP they are getting rid of staff that the pupils really trust and they don't see it well I'm reporting to ofstead today trust me the is ridiculous no child should feel unsafe of out of place!!😡

Sonoltay · 21/05/2023 09:25

My son was exactly the same, bullied from day one and it just got worse and worse. He is very placid and would not hit any of the children, not even the ones who hit him. His last day was when he was beaten in the playground by 4 year 10’s all because he picked a paper aeroplane up of the floor and threw it in the air. All 4 of them attacked him, punching him around the back of the head. Surprise surprise not one of the staff saw a thing!! He started last September 22, he spent 19 school days there and was hit, kicked, punched, had water thrown over him after pushing him in the bushes……..the list goes on. I reported the school to Ofsted, The Department of Education, my MP, my local councillor for education, the chair of the governors for the school. A lot of the staff an incompetent there and don’t have a clue, so how they ever got a job looking after SEN children is beyond me. Some left before christmas after the failings i reported for my son. Not once when he was hit, attacked etc, did the school contact me and let me know, they knew nothing about what had happened to him until i called them and asked what was going on. This didn’t happen once it happened several times. He was afraid to go to the school, he got so bad he asked about suicide, he has had an awful time and was without a school for 7 months because the staff at Vanguard did not complete any paperwork for the local education department and the Deputy Head who left before Christmas didn’t pass his case on to anyone else to complete. When someone new started they couldn’t find the paperwork. Not one person from the safeguarding team at the school contacted me or him. He was given 2 pieces of homework in 7 months and was not supplied a one to one tutor which he should have had. There is no safeguarding there and when you contact the department they didn’t even know all the things that had gone on at the school. I personally think the staff are leaving because they know whats going on with the children……..they need a whistle blower to show parents the truth and stop whats going on there with these children. They need to be safeguarded there but its not happening. Please report anything that happens to your child to Ofsted etc. They should be looked after at the school not bullied or treated badly. I’m still waiting for my meeting with the Chair of The Governors over what happened to my son, my complaint is at stage 3 which it has been for a while. But I’m not letting it drop, so please anybody who feels their child is not being cared for or is being bullied at the school, REPORT IT, take it higher than the school otherwise somebody else’s child could be in danger there and it may not end well. If your child has any marks or bruises from the beating take pictures of them. Our children need to be safe at school and we have to make sure they are. We need to speak up for them.

Unknow1 · 28/07/2023 23:19

decent school the teachers act so strict to kids who are Austic and the Teachers the have no clue about autism but the good things I heard from my son is that the lesson are more easy then his old school and he doing more work and he made close friends he struggle a bit when his favourite teacher left.

Sharonpotter · 13/08/2023 19:58

Oh my I was supposed to be viewing this school but from seeing all these messages I am a bit concerned. How on earth is teachers working in a SEN school not noticing anything. This shows they are not clearly doing there job properly and not looking out for the students. They should really understand some of the students really can’t control what they do or say. I am now huffing about should I send my child there or not as I do not want to experience any of this happening to her. I do not want my child to come home not saying anything to me and I’m thinking everything is normal. The ofsted report also had me worried why it is so terrible. They should really consider to do their job properly before the school ends up shutting down. If anyone has anything else to add about the school please private chat me if you like as I would like to know before sending my child there. Thank you

VickiMcD75 · 14/08/2023 06:38

The scheool has been under new management since Feb 23 si I would be interested to know how many of these issues are current. I was impressed by the head and the vision at the open day. It's a question if whether I want to risk my child in a not yet established settings

Aileen1972 · 14/08/2023 11:38

VickiMcD75- my daughter had a horrendous time at Vanguard. BUT the new headmaster Stuart Parker Tyreman came in and did a very impressive salvage job with her education, allowing her to sit enough GCSEs to hopefully get into her college of choice (fingers crossed for the result day on the 24th). We had such an abnormal relationship with the school that I can't really recommend it but we really felt the new headmaster was very smart, understood the issues we had very quickly and put solutions in place for our daughter with immense efficiency. But there is no doubt there is an enormous job ahead before the school is the place of excellence it needs to be but I think the headmaster is more than capable of getting the school there. Would I send a child to the school now? I think I would but with the caveat that A LOT of communication is needed with the management team. And I would monitor the situation very carefully. Hope that helps.

VickiMcD75 · 14/08/2023 15:55

Thanks that's what I thought. I think I have other options closer to home that I will prioritize, though I wish the leadership there had the same vision

19MS · 19/08/2023 08:45

My son is due to start this school against my better judgement. I am teacher at a main stream comprehensive and was really dismayed at the Ofsted and empty promises when I first visited the school. My fear is that I know he will be left behind with potential bullying at a main stream so I felt I had no other viable choice than vanguard.
Reading the previous messages has placed me again in a malaise. I can only beg with all the available gods that this new super head can turn it around. I refuse to purchase full uniform as I don't know how long he will be there. I am learning other syllabi in preparation of home schooling a route I don't want to take.
I will welcome any further insight and additionally can share anything to help other families with their decision.

VickiMcD75 · 19/08/2023 16:37

Hi. Which area are you in?

19MS · 20/08/2023 11:29

Hi not sure if message was for me or original post but I live in Waterloo/ Blackfriars SE1 area.

BeaBeabusy · 13/09/2023 17:16

I would strongly advise against sending your child to the vanguard school, Loddard street Kennington. The school is not fit for purpose, withdrew my child in May 2023
after a serious sexual assault took place. A toxic culture which is perpetuated by the new principal who knows what has gone on but has decided to keep the status quo with certain members of staff that should not be working with children. All the brilliant staff are long gone.. out of control students, assaults and bullying like I have never witnessed before.. January 2023 after a damming ofsted report, Liberty trust has taken to over and The national autisic society no longer supports the school…

Sonoltay · 13/09/2023 20:29

I thought the school had got better with the New Head………..sounds like nothing has changed 😡

19MS · 13/09/2023 22:32

Hello my son has just started and I hate it. What school did your daughter eventually find as I feel I need to know where to send him before asking him to move. Also how did you facilitate the move? Who do you speak to?

Sonoltay · 14/09/2023 07:35

As you know i took my son (grandson) out because he was bullied very badly. I’m sorry to hear that nothing has changed there. I agree that quite a lot of the staff there should not be working with our children. I was led to believe that the safeguarding team had all changed since the problems i had, but i see they are still there. If you want to move your child you will need to ask for an urgent EHCP review, ask whoever is your child’s EHCP officer at Southwark council. Have a meeting with the head and the safeguarding team and Southwark but don’t back down. They tried to tell me that things would change for him there, but there was no way anything would change, so i stuck to my guns and they agreed the move, very reluctantly as it doesn’t look good on them. Also contact the chair of the governors and raise your concerns and make a formal complaint, they then have to look into it.

BeaBeabusyy · 14/09/2023 08:40

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Original poster
pamalova · 21/09/2023 11:58

Hi - Lambeth are trying place my son at this school, which reading all these comments is very concerning, I wanted to ask BeaBeabusy, have the reported the sexual assault on your son to the police and if so do the police take it seriously and press charges?

OP posts:
BeaBeabusyy · 21/09/2023 14:03

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Original poster
pamalova · 21/09/2023 16:54

wow - it all sounds very traumatizing for your child and you :(.... has your child gone to a new school?
So was police report filed or did the school insist that they would handle it internally?

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BeaBeabusyy · 21/09/2023 17:17

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