On behalf of myself and the Avanti Trust it is my pleasure to welcome you to our new school.

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It is a great privilege to be appointed Principal of Avanti Grange. Having worked and lived in the local area for many years, I am acutely aware of the need for a new secondary school in Bishop’s Stortford.

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My own career started in 2006, as a Geography Teacher and since then I have worked in a variety of different schools across Middlesex and more recently Hertfordshire. For the last eight years, I have worked as a Senior Leader in two very different successful schools. I now look forward to my first headship.

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The Avanti Trust is a truly inspirational organisation and having the opportunity to work with such dedicated and talented colleagues has already been an incredible experience. We will offer a unique and exceptional educational experience. Avanti Grange will be a non-faith, mixed school built on three core principles: educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight.

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Educational excellence will be achieved through a challenging and knowledge rich curriculum. Students will enter into high quality dialogue with an open mind, questioning their own assumptions. A culture of curiosity will be cultivated with students being highly motivated to succeed.

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As well as a setting for educational excellence, the classroom is also where character formation takes place. The importance of respect, self-discipline, courage, integrity, empathy and gratitude will all be explicitly taught through a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum.

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One of the main aspects which will make Avanti Grange special is our focus on Spiritual Insight. Effective pastoral care will guide each student through their own spiritual journey. To support this journey students will be taught PRE (Philosophy, Religion and Ethics) as well as yoga and meditation. The school will make spirituality relevant and accessible to all students.

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Away from the classroom our co-curricular programme will be comprehensive, closely linked to our three core aims as well as providing opportunities for competitive and non-competitive sport.

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Parents will be a major part of our school community and have a vital role in their children’s education. To this end parents will be seen as co-educators, and will be expected to be actively involved in their child’s development throughout their time at Avanti Grange.

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For our first year, from September 2022, we will be located at Avanti Meadows, a great school with excellent facilities and plenty of space to allow children to maximise their learning and development. In September 2023, we will move to our permanent state of the art site located near Wickham Hall, including a purpose built academic Sixth Form.

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We are now taking applications from Year 6 students to start Year 7 for September 2022. In our first year, we will take four forms of entry (120 students). It would be fantastic if your child was part of the first Avanti Grange cohort.

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Please click here to book an Open Evening slot or Parent/Child Tour (please be aware that due to such high demand places at both these events are limited to Year 6 students only). It would be a pleasure to meet you in person and share further details on my vision for Avanti Grange and more importantly your child’s future.

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Rhys Jones

Principal