Pupils and staff at a Harrow school planning to relocate to Edgware have said how “excited” they are about moving to Barnet.

Hindu free school Avanti House announced last month it intended to move from a temporary site in Tudor Road in Harrow to the Broadfields Estate in Edgware, sparking widespread concern from people living on the estate.

However, principal Gareth Jones believes the school will be an asset to the borough, adding that he has had many enquiries from Barnet parents wondering if the school is “all it’s cracked up to be” and asking how their children can get places there.

He said: “We have a different ethos from mainstream schools; we develop the character and spiritual awareness of our pupils, who do not have to have a faith."

Mr Jones added the free school status meant the school had “freedom to play” with the curriculum, studying subjects like Latin, Sanskrit, philosophy and ethics, as well as yoga and dance.

He said: “We’re proud of being an inclusive school where children have an enthusiasm for learning.

“The pupils really want to be at the school, they’re pioneers – they have to be to choose a school that didn’t exist.”

Geography teacher Joanna Quelch said pupils were a pleasure to teach and staff were excited about moving to a permanant site.

She said: “The kids are fantastic; I’ve never had children cheer before when I announce their homework.

“Not one member of staff is thinking of leaving because of the move, all want to take part and bring project through.”

Members of the school council, which represents the interests of pupils, shared the enthusiasm about the move.

Pupil Jakob Skrzypulec, 12, said: “We’re excited about moving to a bigger site which we’ll have to ourselves.

"I really enjoy school, it's different to others. We’re really enjoying Sanskrit.”

School governor Ben Rich added the residents’ objections were based on a misunderstanding.

He said: “Residents think the school will not be for local people and it comes from outside.

“I understand people would be angry if they don’t feel the benefits of the school, but 50 per cent of pupils will live near the school - our admission criteria are not any more faith-based than those of Church of England schools.

"You must be careful about using the word 'outstanding' because of Ofsted, but feedback suggests the schools run by the Avanti Trust are as good as they possibly could be."

Mr Jones added the Education Funding Agency and the Department for Education had chosen the Broadfields site, claiming it was ideal in having enough green space and room for “the biggest free school in England”.

He said the school was already organising travel plans so there would not be too great an impact on traffic.

He said: “We’ve already hired a travel consultant. We’re thinking of having a holding bay on the A41 for buses to drop children off and we’ll walk them from there, to keep majority of buses off the estate.

“We’re not property developers intending to strong arm our way in, we’re interested in hearing what residents have to say and are mindful of their concerns."

The school will move to a temporary site near Fairways Primary School in The Fairway in Mill Hill in September and expects to move to the permanent site in the Broadfields Estate in September 2015.