Anyone with recent experience of Vanguard School Lambeth?

[KittyO1]

Hi all
Wondering if anyone has had recent experience of Vanguard school in Kennington? Saw it's pretty shocking OFSTED from 2022. My 13 year old daughter has a draft EHCP (only taken 7 years to get to this point) and trying to find a suitable placement after main stream school she attends told us that it doesn't have suitable provision for her. According to Educational psychologist, she does not have a learning disability. She is autistic, has anxiety and finds a classroom of 30 children too overwhelming. She struggles with disruptive behaviour from other children and refused to attend school at all for about a year. She began accessing the SEN dept for morning sessions only after starting on anti-anxiety meds 3 months ago. A bit worried that Lambeth are going to push for Vanguard and that we won't be able to argue against it. Does anyone have any recommendations for a child with ASC working at age related expectation? Thank you in advance. Kitty

Vanguard has a very mixed reputation. Lots of negative experiences. Some positive ones. If DD is anxious and finds disruptive behaviour overwhelming, Vanguard will not be suitable.

You could look at Odyssey House in Bloomsbury. There’s also Roehampton Gate. That also has a somewhat mixed reputation but some parents with DC there like it.

Is alternative provision in place?

How about an ARP? There are ARPs at Deptford Green and Thomas Tallis. I'm also told La Retraite in Clapham (all girls) is opening an ARP soon but they don't seem to have advertised that yet.

I had hoped Vanguard would be an option for DD (yr 6)- there's so little if they don't have LDs but need additional support for other reasons, with the additional factor that travelling even quite small distances can be complicated and time consuming in London (we're not that far from Tallis as the crow flies but it would take nearly an hour on public transport with 2 changes and probably similar to drive it).

Quite a lot of kids who do a sports club with DD (asd, no LDs) seem to go to riverston, but it's wholly independent so might be a bit of a battle. They have an open day this week I think. But it's out in Lee so again a journey. Depending on where you are in Lambeth would any of the more central places (e.g. Euston) work?

Oh there's also cornerstone in Bexley and Woodview in Bromley but they are probably too far out for you.

Thanks for the info - will take a look. The school she's in have an Additional Provision room. Meant to be a stepping stone back into classroom for children with EBSA, but DDs been using it to access qualified teachers - they run English and Maths sessions there in the morning and Science in the afternoon. She comes home at lunchtime, so no access to anything other than Maths and English.

An SENDCo from another specialist school recommended La Retraite (said the SENDCo there was brilliant) and Treasure House (Old Kent Road). DDs pretty much given up on mainstream school - refusing to consider them at the moment (but I might be able to persuade her to have a look at least). She did a bit of research herself a year ago, found Limpsfield Grange and decided that's where she wants to go. Emailing/calling everywhere trying to find something that would work for her and who have a space.

IPSEA has a model letter you can send to the LA to request alternative provision. The LA has a duty to ensure DD still receives a suitable full-time education. It should be more than just English and maths.

and who have a space.

For non-wholly independent schools, on its own being full isn’t enough of s reason to refuse to name your preferred placement. The LA has to prove the school is so full admitting DD is incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others or use of resources. The bar is higher than many LAs and some schools claim.

Could you look into Limpsfield Grange if that is DD’s preference? It may be on further investigation it wouldn’t work for DD. It doesn’t work for all.

Thank you - I'll look at the IPSEA page. Limpsfield Grange does look great, but DD has an older sibling, also autistic and struggling with anxiety in the same mainstream school. Older sibling wants to stay on for A levels (some of the teachers have been amazing) and is gradually finding ways to cope. Tricky to balance both their needs but will keep exploring options until we find something that works.

If there isn’t a suitable school nearby, you could still look at Limpsfield Grange as a boarding option (and other residential options such as Unsted Park because while LG’s approach works for some, it doesn’t work for all). DC1 wouldn’t have to move schools, etc.

Limpsfield looks lovely in lots of ways (alpacas!) but I don't think they offer a full clutch of GCSEs (which might not be the most important thing at the moment anyway). I think there have been some previous posts on it worth looking out.

Don't Limpsfield only do boarding shorter-term, e.g. as part of a theraputic intervention?

I'm sort of keeping it in my back pocket if mainstream doesn't work out.

Residential provision can be longer term. It depends on what is in the EHCP.

Check Garry’s park in garret lane

Appreciate that this comment might come in too late for the OP, but wanted to add that our son started at Vanguard in September 2025, and despite initially feeling wary due to having seen bad reviews, our experience over the past 3 months has been really positive. Vanguard staff have taken the time to really get to know our son and his needs, communication has been excellent, support has been tailored to his individual needs, and the few concerns we have raised (around interactions between our son and another pupil) have been taken seriously and responded to appropriately. I know that every child is different, but I feel like we've hit the jackpot in finally finding the right school for our son, after many years of difficulty.

Just to add - they had another Ofsted inspection this summer, and received 'good' for every category, which is in line with our experience of them