An education chief has said children will not be left without a school place if a Harrow school relocates to Barnet.

Hindu free school Avanti House, which has a primary school in Edgware and a secondary school in Harrow, has applied to Barnet Borough Council for planning permission to relocate its main school in Harrow to the site.

The decision to move came after the Department of Education ruled the Avanti school's current site in Tudor Road was too small to accommodate a planned amalgamated school for pupils aged four to 18.

Leora Cruddas, Harrow Borough Council’s divisional director of quality assurance, commissioning and schools, said students who could not move with the school would be offered an alternative place at another one.

She said: "The Education Funding Agency made the decision to relocate the school to another local authority at the last minute and we were very disappointed with this.

“While this situation was not a result of our decision, we have been working closely with the school and the Education Funding Agency to make this transition as smooth as possible.

“Children deserve the very best start in life and we would never leave any Harrow child without a school place.”

The Edgware site, between Hartland Drive and Broadfields Primary School, has been awaiting redevelopment since the infant and junior schools occupying it were knocked down and merged into a single primary school.

Edgware people living near the proposed site, say it is far too small to accommodate the school, which would have 1,680 pupils, and it would bring 'gridlock' to the estate.

Hendon MP Matthew Offord is opposed to the school moving to the site and has pledged to talk to Education Secretary Michael Gove about finding another location.

The Harrow Times is awaiting a comment from Harrow East MP Bob Blackman.