Father and daughter sentenced for second time for running unregistered school

Westminster Magistrates
Westminster Magistrates
Yui Mok
Gareth Milner

By Gareth Milner


Published: 11/10/2021

- 18:37

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:35

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Ambassadors Home School was also fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £500.

A headteacher has been given a suspended prison term for running an unregistered school.

Nadia Ali, who was previously convicted of the same criminal offence two years ago, was sentenced to eight weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months for running Ambassadors Home School Limited in south London.


Ali, 40, was also sentenced to 120 hours’ unpaid work, a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a prohibited activity requirement of not running a school, and was ordered to pay costs of £500.

Her father, Arshad Ali, 75, who was director of the school, was fined £300 and told to pay costs of £200.

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.

The pair admitted running the unregistered school in Streatham despite being prosecuted previously for the same offence.

The institution had 34 pupils aged between five and 13 on its register, but its operators failed to register it as a school.

In September 2019, Ali was sentenced to 120 hours’ unpaid work and told to pay costs of £1,000 for running Ambassadors High School.

During the same month, her father and the company were both fined £100 each for the offence.

In October 2019 – just a month after the convictions – Ali reportedly told the BBC that the school would remain open as she claimed it was not breaking the law because it was open for just 18 hours a week.

Ofsted inspectors found the school continued to operate when they returned three more times to the school between November 2019 and March 2020.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Ambassadors Home School was also fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £500.

The pair and company all pleaded guilty to conducting an unregistered educational institution.

Senior Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Paul Goddard said: “These defendants continued to run an illegal school despite their previous conviction for the same offence.

“Nadia Ali’s determination to defy the law was made clear by an interview she gave to the BBC, following her first conviction, in which she vowed that the school would remain open.

“Ofsted inspectors carried out three further inspections and found the setting to be operating yet again as a school. During two of these inspections children appeared to be sent home from classes early in an attempt by staff to conceal the fact that the space was being run as a full-time establishment.

“Unregistered schools pose a serious threat to children. During one visit to the school inspectors found a lack of evidence to indicate that all teachers employed by the school were qualified to teach, or that all had passed DBS checks.

“Registration of schools enables inspectors to regularly visit and inspect schools to ensure standards are being met, appropriate and quality teaching is being provided and children are being kept safe. By failing to register with the DfE, illegal schools are able to evade these checks, putting children at risk.”

Amanda Spielman, chief inspector of Ofsted, said: “It is with breathtaking arrogance that Nadia and Arshad Ali continued to run this illegal school after their convictions two years ago.

“I’m pleased that the judge ruled that a suspended prison sentence was appropriate, given the seriousness of the repeat offending.

“Unregistered schools deny children a proper education and put their safety and wellbeing at risk.

“I hope today’s sentence sends a clear message to all those running unregistered schools that Ofsted will not tire in our efforts to bring them to justice.”

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