New principal aims to bring ‘fresh start’ to troubled school

A BRISTOL school has appointed a new principal to help restore its reputation and win back the community’s trust after past troubles.

Ashley Milum is set to take up the post at Avanti Gardens School in Fishponds, which opened last year in place of the former Steiner Academy School.

Its predecessor closed down after being rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted and placed in special measures, but Mr Milum is confident of a turnaround after the takeover.

He will officially become principal in September, and will bring in a new curriculum as well as a consultation on a potential uniform change.

The Steiner school was allthrough, educating children aged

Ashley Milum is set to take up the principal’s post at Avanti Gardens School in Fishponds

four to 16, but it became a primary school when it reopened as Avanti Gardens.

Mr Milum, who lives in Fishponds, has worked previously in Bristol and was most recently a regional assistant headteacher at a school in Somerset.

He said: “The school has previously had negative connotations and we want to break that down and start fresh.

“Living locally, I’ve always recognised the school has having great potential.

“We really want children to thrive in the community and for them to have a good background of knowledge and skill, and to know how to be resilient and to have coping mechanisms.”

The school, which is run by the Avanti Schools Trust, is not of a designated religious character but it does have a focus on spirituality.

Children have lessons from a yoga teacher once a week and learn about wellbeing, and have access to facilities including a large sports hall and pottery workshop.

Mr Milum, who grew up in Taunton

in Somerset, said: “We’ve got a clear action plan once we start in September.

“We want to be a communityoriented school and to provide an excellent education.

“We are driven to make sure that every child leaves here being able to thrive and be successful at secondary school.”

He said he wants educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight to be apparent in all that the school teaches.

Mr Milum has been “warmly welcomed” so far and praised the school’s “incredible community of learners”.

The school opened in November but has not yet been inspected by Ofsted.