Hindu academy among World's Best School finalists

All the students at Avanti House eat vegetarian food when at school

An academy in London is among the finalists hoping to win a World's Best School prize.

Avanti House secondary, a state Hindu school that offers yoga and meditation, has been nominated in the supporting healthy lives category.

The World’s Best School Prizes scheme was founded by T4 Education in collaboration with Accenture, American Express and the Lemann Foundation to "celebrate schools which make a difference".

Simon Arnell, head teacher at the school in Stanmore, north-west London, for the past eight years, said: "We're absolutely thrilled as a school because it's a real reflection on the hard work we do as a school, as a trust but also the school community with our students."

Head teacher Simon Arnell describes the school as "incredibly special"

Students take part in yoga classes

He added: "The holistic approach we have to education really enables all of the students to thrive but also the staff as well.

"The school is incredibly special. Spiritual growth in our school is not always centred around the concept of a faith.

"It might be looking at the way we think about self-realisation and self-consciousness and the way we look at our purpose in life."

The winners and finalists of the World’s Best School Prizes will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Dubai, UAE, on November 23-24.

Avanti House Secondary School will find out if it has won in November

Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education, said: "The global education crisis is multifaceted and so must be the solutions.

"That's why we must look to the grass roots, to our schools at the coalface, for answers - to exceptional UK institutions like... Avanti House Secondary School, whose work should make governments around the world sit up and take notice.

"By spreading its innovations far and wide, we can inspire change where it's needed most."