‘Unregistered’ private school issued two warnings by Ofsted

Arshad Ali, Nadia Ali and Ambassadors High School are accused of running an unregistered school contrary to the Education and Skills Act 2008.

A private school had ‘inaccurate’ attendance records and had been issued with two warnings about being unregistered by Ofsted inspectors, a court has heard.

Ofsted inspectors arrived unannounced at Ambassadors High School in Streatham, south-west London in June and July 2018, to discover that some pupils had been ‘timetabled to attend lessons on days in which they were not expected to be in school’.

Arshad Ali, Nadia Ali and Ambassadors High School are accused of running an unregistered school contrary to the Education and Skills Act 2008.

Head teacher Nadia Ali was issued with warning notices on both occasions.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Ofsted inspector John Lambern said these were issued because the school might have been providing full-time education to more than five children of compulsory school age.

The court heard that a school has to register with the Department for Education if it is providing education to five or more children of compulsory school age full-time.

Mr Lambern told the court that during the second inspection, there had been pupils there who were not listed on school register documents as due to be attending that afternoon.

He said that one pupil, who was six at the time, was on the school’s register to attend Monday to Wednesday, but work in his exercise book suggested he was there all week.

He added: ‘Work seen in the exercise books suggests he attended from Monday to Friday to study those subjects.

‘That is according to the school’s timetable of when those subjects were taught.’

Sergio Ramos backs Liverpool star to win Ballon d'Or

When asked how accurate and reliable the school’s attendance record was he said: ‘It is inaccurate.’

Arshad Ali, 73, and Nadia Ali, 38, both of Rosemead Avenue, in Mitcham, and Ambassadors High School all deny the charge.

Arshad Ali is a director of the school.

The trial continues.