Principal's note

Welcome to Vanguard School, part of Liberty Trust. We are a specialist school for young people from 11 to 19 with Autism, providing a learning experience that enables our students to achieve the best outcomes, personalised to them. At Vanguard, you will discover a curriculum that builds upon a ‘Quality of Life’ framework, this is driven by a staff team of KeyWorkers, Teachers, Learning Mentors, Therapists and Leaders, that are all champions for young people with specialist needs. The team inspire and create a safe, friendly and supportive environment for young people to thrive.

My journey with the school began in March 2023 and during this time, we have been able to establish and embed strong, sustainable systems and approaches, which benefit the individual, whole school community and our stakeholders. A belief in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), are core values that have resonated throughout my 25 years of educational experience, seeking to always improve and provide the best opportunities for the students and families served. For me, Vanguard presents a unique chance to drive positive change at the heart of our country for autistic students, as part of a visionary Liberty Team, within a professional, modern and bespoke learning environment.

Our students and families are at the centre of everything we do, enabled through ‘unrelenting positive regard’, which leads us toward strong relationships and the trust to challenge and aspire alongside them.  Courage, Determination and Teamwork are the Trust and School values and ‘we walk the walk, as well as talk the talk’.

Whilst on our website, please take time to engage in our SEND video (on this page), it will provide plenty of helpful information. The curriculum page is also worth a visit, providing accessible overviews to understand our learning offer. Additionally, The team are always here to help and guide as required, so please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions and queries.

Stuart Parker-Tyreman, Principal

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 focusses 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.