About

Welcome To Avanti

Avanti Schools Trust is a family of schools that share the ideals of educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight. Our inclusive approach to spirituality means that students with or without a faith background are always welcome at all Avanti Schools.

Whether you are already involved in education or have an interest in doing so in the future, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your details so we can contact you about vacancies that fit your profile. Avanti Schools Trust also operates a catering division called Govinda’s. If you would like to stay informed of vacancies in either Avanti or Govindas, please click on the link below

Keep me informed about Avanti & Govindas vacancies >> CLICK HERE

What is Avanti?

About us

Avanti Schools Trust is a significant but focused multi-sponsor/proposer of high quality education for all with a growing number of schools, including VA schools, Academies and Free schools.

The Trust is differentiated by having very strong community links, supported by grassroots parental demand, and positive working partnerships with the local authorities where we work.

Our Trust and each of our Hindu-faith schools are all based on developing the ideals of educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight.

The Avanti Philosophy

Our Strategy

Our five strategic aims are:

All AST schools are outstanding in every Ofsted category
The creation of a national family of schools
All services provided by the Trust to schools are excellent
The AST family make a positive contribution to the country’s school system
AST provides outstanding leadership in spiritual and ethics based education

Avanti Snapshot

8 Schools

2,500 Pupils

300 Staff

Meet Our Team

Ian CraigChairman

Professor Ian Craig CEd, BA, DPA, MBA, PhD

Ian Craig is Trust Chair. He is Visiting Professor at the Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and at the Institute of Education, University College London (IOE). After training as a teacher he became a head teacher, inspector, Director of Education and the Government’s Chief Schools Adjudicator for England. During the past three years he has undertaken disparate assignments both in the UK and abroad. He has worked for the World Bank and DFID, assisting in the restructuring of teacher education in Pakistan and Rwanda, with other national and regional education administrations, providing strategic development and support, and undertaken management reviews of several higher education organisations. In 2012/13 he was the IOE’s Interim Director of Initial Teacher Education and in 2013/14 he was Interim Executive Director of The College of Teachers (UK). His main interests are in education policy, systems and structures, particularly relating to basic/compulsory education and the professional training and development of teachers. He has lectured, broadcast and written widely in these fields throughout his career. He also currently tutors and supervises on various higher level degree courses for the IOE and the University of London’s International Programmes.

Nitesh GorCEO

His experience encompasses CEO and director roles across the exploration, management consultancy and investment banking industries. He is a published author (Dharma of Capitalism, Kogan Page 2011) and a contributor to publications such as Forbes. Nitesh has a broad business strategy background gained as a result of working for two leading corporate strategy consultancies and as an independent advisor to corporate boards. His primary corporate focus is on leadership, strategy and entrepreneurship. Nitesh has an MBA from London Business School and an undergraduate degree from the University of London.

Usha Sahni OBEEducation Director

As an HMI for twelve years she has served with Ofsted in many senior roles including that of Regional Director and Deputy Director for the Early Years national policy team. As a distinguished headteacher, she has served in many inner London schools and has made a strong contribution to national initiatives in raising standards for children from poorer backgrounds. She is a trustee of two national charities engaged in promoting the well-being of children and families in vulnerable circumstances. Usha was a founding member of the National College for School Leadership, and a Board member for the University Of London Institute Of Education. Her experience includes leadership training and coaching for headteachers and teachers as a mentor, an external examiner and an assessor of the National Professional Qualification for Headship. Usha has Masters Degrees in Psychology and Education & Management. In 1999, she was awarded an OBE for her Services to Education.