Avanti Fields School

In the Hamilton area of Leicester, Avanti Fields School stands as a significant landmark in the city's educational landscape. Established in 2018, this all-through state school serves children from nursery through to age 16, successfully bridging the gap between primary and secondary phases within a single, cohesive community. The school moved into its purpose-built, £25 million campus in 2021, offering students access to contemporary facilities that include a four-court sports hall, dance studio, and professional-standard science laboratories.

The school's Hindu ethos remains foundational rather than peripheral, guiding daily life for students. In the current 2025 GCSE dataset, that ethos sits alongside a solid academic profile: Attainment 8 is 52.6, Progress 8 is +0.46, and 75% achieved grade 4+ in English and maths. Vanessa Bardsley has served as the Principal since late 2021, overseeing the school's growth and its first successful graded Ofsted inspection, which confirmed its status as a Good school.

The atmosphere at Avanti Fields is defined by a sense of calm and collective purpose. The physical environment is airy and light, with the architecture designed to facilitate a smooth transition for pupils moving from the primary phase into the more rigorous secondary environment. Unlike many all-through schools where phases feel separate, Avanti Fields prioritises a unified culture through shared values.

The school's identity is rooted in the Avanti Way, which focuses on educational excellence, character formation, and spiritual insight. While the school is Hindu-faith designated, it is inclusive in its daily operations, welcoming families from various backgrounds who are attracted to its emphasis on yoga, meditation, and a meat-free environment. Each morning begins with a collective moment of reflection or meditation, helping students settle into their learning with focus and intentionality.

The staff team is described as dedicated and high-performing, with a visible presence in the corridors and communal spaces. This active leadership helps maintain a respectful and orderly environment where bullying is rare and quickly addressed. Students appear genuinely proud of their school, often acting as ambassadors during open events and community gatherings.

Academic performance at Avanti Fields is robust, particularly at the secondary level. In the current 2025 GCSE dataset, the school achieved an Attainment 8 score of 52.6 across a KS4 cohort of 184 pupils. It ranks 1,424th of 3,895 schools for GCSE academic outcomes and 1,267th of 3,688 for overall GCSE outcomes.

A more significant indicator of the school's impact is its Progress 8 score of +0.46. This indicates that students at Avanti Fields make nearly half a grade more progress across their subjects than pupils of similar prior attainment. In Leicester's secondary rankings, the school is currently 15th locally, with an overall England rank of 1,267th.

In the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), 40.8% of students achieved a grade 5 or above and 50.5% achieved grade 4 or above. The EBacc Average Point Score is 5.1, with 88.6% entered for the EBacc, reflecting a curriculum that encourages students to pursue a broad range of traditional academic subjects, including modern languages and humanities.

The curriculum at Avanti Fields is designed to be ambitious and culturally rich. In the primary phase, the focus is on building strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, with a particular emphasis on the power of reading. Specialist teaching in Sanskrit and Yoga begins early, providing a unique linguistic and physical dimension to the standard EYFS and Key Stage 1 frameworks.

In the secondary phase, the curriculum becomes increasingly specialised. Teachers have expert subject knowledge and use it to plan lessons that challenge students to think critically. The school utilizes a Great Teaching Toolkit to ensure consistency across all departments. This approach includes regular retrieval practice to help students move knowledge into their long-term memory.

The school's commitment to the Hindu ethos is woven into the curriculum through Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics (PRE) lessons. These sessions encourage students to explore deep questions of existence and morality, encouraging a high level of empathy and intellectual curiosity.

Extracurricular life at Avanti Fields is vibrant and varied. STEM excellence is a particular focus, with the school hosting robotics clubs and coding sessions that utilize the high-spec IT suites. The annual Science Fair is a highlight of the calendar, where students present independent research projects to peers and parents.

Music and the arts are equally celebrated. The Krishna Avanti Choir and various instrumental ensembles provide students with opportunities to perform at trust-wide festivals. The school also makes full use of its dance studio, offering sessions in both contemporary and traditional Indian dance styles.

Sporting provision is strong, with the four-court sports hall and extensive outdoor pitches supporting teams in football, cricket, and netball. The school's emphasis on Yoga is not just a curricular requirement but also a competitive and performance-based activity, with students often participating in national yoga festivals.

Securing a place at Avanti Fields should be treated as a planning exercise rather than judged by older application ratios. The school spans primary and secondary entry points, so families should check Leicester's latest admissions guidance and the school's current oversubscription criteria before relying on historical demand figures.

The secondary phase also needs careful research. Admissions are coordinated by Leicester City Council, and families should check the latest Leicester guidance and the school's current oversubscription criteria before making assumptions about priority, distance, or available places.

Parents should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise distance from the school gates compared to historical offer distances. As an all-through school, many students in the primary phase have the security of knowing they have a pathway through to Year 11, which further limits the number of places available to external applicants at Year 7.

Pastoral care is a standout feature of the school. The Avanti Way places character formation on an equal footing with academic success. Each student belongs to a tutor group that acts as their primary support network. The school employs a dedicated pastoral team that includes non-teaching year leaders who are available throughout the day to support students with emotional or social concerns.

Wellbeing is also addressed through the daily practice of meditation and yoga, which provides students with practical tools for managing stress and anxiety. The school's vegetarian policy is linked to its ethos of Ahimsa (non-violence) and environmental stewardship, creating a culture of compassion that extends to the treatment of peers and the wider world.

As the school currently only provides education up to age 16, transition at the end of Year 11 is a key focus. The school provides extensive careers guidance, including one-to-one sessions with independent advisors. Many students progress to local sixth form colleges such as Beauchamp City Sixth Form or Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College (WQE).

The school's current Progress 8 score of +0.46 means students are making clearly positive progress from their starting points. Because there is no sixth form on site, families should ask how GCSE options, careers guidance and local post-16 partnerships support the move to A-level or vocational courses.

The school day begins at 8:15am and finishes at 3:00pm for secondary students, with primary hours slightly adjusted to manage traffic flow. Wraparound care is available for primary-aged pupils through a breakfast club starting at 7:30am, though details for after-school provision should be confirmed directly with the school as they are subject to termly change.

The school is located on Bhaktivedanta Marg, with transport links provided by local bus routes serving Hamilton and Belgrave. There is limited parking on site, and the school strongly encourages walking or cycling, providing secure bike storage for students.

Fees & Financial Aid

As a state-funded academy, Avanti Fields School does not charge tuition fees for its primary or secondary phases. However, the nursery provision operates on a different financial model. While all children are entitled to 15 hours of free universal nursery education, and many qualify for the 30-hour entitlement, additional costs apply for sessions beyond these hours and for lunchtime supervision.

For the nursery, a full-time place (beyond the 30-hour entitlement) typically incurs a charge of approximately £92.50 per week. There is also a weekly lunch club fee of £25.00, which covers both the meal and the required supervision. Families are encouraged to check the latest nursery parental charges document on the school website for the most current figures.

• Strong Religious Ethos: The Hindu character is pervasive and genuine. Families who are uncomfortable with daily meditation, yoga, and a mandatory meat-free environment may find the school is not the right fit.
• Admissions planning: Historical application ratios should not be treated as current guarantees. Families should check Leicester's latest admissions guidance and the school's current oversubscription criteria for the relevant entry route.
• All-Through Logistics: While the all-through model offers stability, the campus is busy and caters to a wide age range from 3 to 16. The school manages the separation of phases well, but it remains a large and bustling environment.
• Secondary Only (for now): Currently, there is no sixth form on site. Students must be prepared to transition to a new environment at age 16, which requires careful planning starting in Year 10.

Avanti Fields School is a distinctive institution that balances a deep spiritual ethos with modern academic rigour. In the current 2025 GCSE dataset, it combines Attainment 8 of 52.6 with Progress 8 of +0.46 and ranks 15th among Leicester secondary schools. It is best suited to families who value a structured, values-driven environment and are supportive of the Hindu-inspired lifestyle.