NAS Academies Trust
Our network of free schools and academies
The National Autistic Society has been running schools for children on the autism spectrum for over 50 years. We have always recognised, however, that the demand for autism-specific education outstripped our ability to supply it so when the Government introduced the free schools strategy, we recognised that here was an opportunity to develop additional autism-specific provision.
Our first free school, Thames Valley School in Reading, opened in September 2013 and our second, Church Lawton School, opened in Cheshire in January 2015. Most recently, we had our brand new Vanguard School open in January 2020 for autistic students in Lambeth, South London. These schools provide wonderful opportunities to address the needs of children on the autism spectrum and to transform not only their lives but also those of their families.
While The National Autistic Society is acting as the sponsor, free schools are state funded and The National Autistic Society cannot benefit financially. Accordingly, a separate Trust has been established – the NAS Academies Trust – and it is this body that owns and manages the free schools. As you would expect, the NASAT will reflect the vision and mission of The National Autistic Society, aiming to deliver an outstanding education to children and young people on the autism spectrum.
What are free schools?
Free schools are state-funded schools that have been set up in response to local need and are run by a sponsoring voluntary organisation that has knowledge and experience of setting up and running schools.
Free schools are based on the Charter school model used in Scandinavia and the USA.
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- To facilitate the move from a postcode lottery towards empowering parents to address gaps in education provision.
- To increase the range of provision.
- To create the freedom to innovate.
- To raise standards.
- To support the localism agenda.
- To support the long-term (not political) agenda to increase the autonomy and independence of schools.
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- They have a statutory duty to respond to local needs.
- In some areas, there has been a five fold increase in the number of school aged children with a diagnosis of autism.
- Many local authorities have a growing demand for autism specialist provision and are seeking sponsoring organisations to develop provision.
- Local authorities are receiving less funding from the Department for Education.
- Local authorities' role is increasingly to procure not provide.
- Where a local authority identifies a need for new provision they must seek to identify an organisation that can sponsor an academy or free school.
- They have a duty to address gaps in their local offer.
- To reduce reliance on INMSS (43% of students placed in autism-specific provision have to go out of the area, a long way from the family home).
- Local authorities can benefit from leasing or selling a site for a free school to the Education Funding Agency.
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We believe that young people with autism have the right to an appropriate education. Autism is a spectrum condition and requires ongoing specialist provision that meets the individual needs of students. We have over 50 years of experience in providing autism-specific education. Through the free school agenda we can increase the number of young people who benefit from our education offer.
We are proud that so many local authorities have asked to work with us because of our reputation in autism-specific education, our links to the larger autism community, the support we provide outside school and our track record in positive outcomes. Our dedicated team of experts has the capacity, experience and authority to lead a successful free school.
Annual reports and financial statements
- Download our report for year ended 31 August 2020
- Download our report for year ended 31 August 2019
- Download our report for year ended 31 August 2018
- Download our report for year ended 31 August 2017
- Download our report for year ended 31 Auust 2016
- Download our report for year ended 31 August 2015
Governance plan
Funding aggreements
- Download the Master Funding Agreement
- Download the Supplemental Funding Agreement for Church Lawton School
- Download the Deed of Variation to the Funding Agreement for Church Lawton School
- Download the Supplemental Funding Agreement for Thames Vallery School
- Download the Supplemental Funding Agreement for Vanguard School
Board of Trustees
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Mother of an adult child with autism born in 1978, who now lives more independently than we ever thought possible, I was a mainstream primary school teacher from 1969 until I retired some five years ago, my last 16 years being as a Deputy Head teacher and SENCO. I have taught many children with autism. Secretary of the Lincolnshire Autistic Society for over 20 years, I run our local helpline for parents and professionals and I have been an NAS councillor since 1996 and a trustee from 1997. I am currently on the Services Quality and Development Committee and the Brand and Commercial Development Committee of the NAS board. We live in Donington, Lincolnshire where I am on a wide range of community and social welfare committees.
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My older adult son has a diagnosis of ASD and MLD and after many difficulties is now suitably placed in a residential care home in East Anglia. Professionally, I started my career by setting up print media enterprises in East Anglia before moving to London as a freelance arts journalist and editor. I then became Director of Marketing and Development at the University of Westminster, later moving to the British Museum in 1999 as its first Director of Marketing and Public Affairs. In 2003 I joined the Prince's Trust as Commercial Director before becoming in 2007 Chief Executive of Coram, the oldest Children's charity in the UK. When selected to chair the NAS Board of Trustees in 2011, I relinquished (after five years) being Chair of the Avenues Trust, a provider of residential community and domiciliary services for adults with learning disability. We live in north London.
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Helen worked for nearly 30 years as a senior civil servant initially in the Department of Education but mainly in HM Treasury where she worked on public policy including education reform under Gordon Brown and on improving health service delivery and waiting times for the Prime Minister's delivery unit. One of her projects identified an extra £1 billion for the government which would pay for hundreds of schools.
She has a degree in PPE from Oxford as well as an MBA and is a qualified accountant and spent a year at Harvard in 2004-05. She has previously run a charitable trust and been a governor of an inner city school. She has long supported increasing schools' independence so is enthusiastic to be chairing a free school. Helen has been proud to be part of the team setting up Thames Valley School from its early stages to a fully-fledged school with a waiting list.Helen has 3 sons of 16,18 and 20 and her experience of autism derives mainly from the children of close friends but she also has extensive experience of mental health services in relation to her wider family. Helen completed the Blenheim triathlon (slowly) last year on behalf of Bloodwise for a friend's child with leukaemia.
NAS Academies Trust is a network of free schools and academies. A company limited by guarantee in England (No 7954396).