Nadia Ali

Introduction

Nadia Ali, born on 4 April 1981, was the headteacher and the proprietor of an unregistered independent educational institution in London, later renamed Ambassadors High School (London) Limited. She was convicted twice of conducting an unregistered independent educational institution contrary to section 96(2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and she kept the school running even after her first conviction and while subject to a community order. A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel considered her case at a virtual public hearing on 12 and 13 December 2022, in her absence. On 14 December 2022, decision maker Alan Meyrick, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, prohibited her from teaching indefinitely, with no review period.

Background Information

An application to register Ambassadors High School was received by the Department for Education on 8 December 2016. Because the school already appeared to be operating, the department alerted Ofsted, whose pre-registration inspection on 7 March 2017 found insufficient evidence that it was operating unlawfully at that stage but concluded it was unlikely to meet the Independent School Standards required for registration. Ali, whose TRA reference was 18794, continued to run the institution as both its headteacher and its proprietor.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Two convictions for running an unregistered independent school, in the face of Ofsted warnings.

In December 2017, Ofsted received information that the school was operating illegally. A Section 97 inspection on 23 January 2018 found the school’s address no longer occupied; the establishment had changed address and name, becoming Ambassadors High School (London) Limited.

On 19 June 2018, a further Section 97 inspection ended with a caution being read and a warning notice issued to Ali, as headteacher, and to the proprietor. Inspectors believed the institution was operating as a school requiring Ofsted registration rather than elective home education, and recorded “evidence of nursery school age children being cared for on site”, which would have constituted a separate criminal offence of unregistered childcare. Ofsted’s Early Years remit opened its own investigation on 26 June 2018. On 3 July 2018, staff refused Local Authority officers entry to carry out safeguarding checks, and when Ofsted returned on 11 July the school appeared closed. A second Section 97 inspection on 18 July 2018 brought another caution and warning notice, and after several attempts to arrange her attendance at a voluntary suspect interview under PACE, Ali chose not to attend.

On 12 September 2019, Ali was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, before the Chief Magistrate of England and Wales, of conducting an unregistered independent educational institution between 5 January and 19 July 2018. She was sentenced to a community order with a 120-hour unpaid work requirement, £1,000 in costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

She failed to comply with that order, and the school kept operating. In November 2019 the business was renamed Ambassadors Home School Limited; that same month Ali was cautioned and issued with a further warning notice, and more warning notices followed inspections in December 2019 and March 2020. On 23 August 2021 she was convicted of the same offence for a second time, having changed her plea to guilty, for conducting the institution between 8 September 2019 and 3 March 2020. On 11 October 2021 the court found she had failed, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the community order, revoked it, and sentenced her in respect of the second conviction and re-sentenced her in regard of the first to eight weeks’ imprisonment suspended for twelve months, a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement, a prohibited activity requirement barring her from taking charge of or having managerial responsibility for a school for twelve months, 120 hours of unpaid work, £500 in costs and a £122 victim surcharge.

Public Reaction and Consequences

Ali did not attend the hearing and was not represented. The panel, having satisfied itself that she fell within the TRA’s disciplinary regime as a teacher engaged at an independent school, decided to proceed in her absence, satisfied that she had received the notice of proceedings and had chosen to waive her right to attend. It found all three allegations proved and concluded that her conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct, conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, and a conviction of a relevant offence. It found she had breached the Teachers’ Standards and the safeguarding guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education, failing to provide a safe environment in which children can learn, and it found her actions deliberate and calculated. The panel noted her lack of insight or remorse: in a letter to the TRA’s legal representative dated 1 October 2020, she wrote that “not once have I not understood my responsibilities as an educator which will bring shame to this noble profession.” She also stated that “being convicted of running an illegal school does not make me unfit to be a teacher.” Concluding that the public interest outweighed her own, it recommended a prohibition order with immediate effect and no review period.

Current Status

On 14 December 2022, Alan Meyrick adopted the panel’s recommendation on behalf of the Secretary of State. Nadia Ali is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. Given the seriousness of the allegations found proved against her, she is not entitled to apply for restoration of her eligibility to teach, so the bar is lifelong and carries no review route. The order took effect from the date it was served on her. She has a right of appeal to the King’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days of being given notice of the order, and the full decision was published on GOV.UK in December 2022.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The criminal process had already cost Ali a suspended prison sentence, a twelve-month court order barring her from taking charge of or managing a school, two rounds of compulsory unpaid work and thousands of pounds in costs and surcharges — the second conviction and the resentencing flowing directly from her decision to carry on after the first. The indefinite prohibition then removed any lawful prospect of teaching in England, and because she cannot apply for restoration it also forecloses the unregistered school venture she persisted with for more than two years. Her convictions and the published findings remain permanently on the public record.

Sources

• Department for Education, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Miss Nadia Ali” — source