Young offenders school closes over safety concerns

All young offenders are to be pulled out of England's first "secure school" due to safety concerns, it has been announced.

Oasis Restore in Kent, which aims to get children and young people away from gangs and knife crime, opened in 2024 following a £40m renovation.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which is responsible for the building, said the school's doors needed fixing due to a design problem, which made them "vulnerable to damage".

It added it took issues at the Rochester site "extremely seriously" and was working to get them addressed.

Oasis founder the Reverend Steve Chalke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the school had been doing "really well" and that he was "proud" of its work.

But he said they had to take the "painful and regrettable" decision to close after discovering a few months into taking it on that children could cause doors to collapse by running into them.

"We care about these children. They've been let down all through their lives," said Mr Chalke.

"We needed to shut for their safety and for the safety of our staff."

Oasis Restore was hailed by Mr Chalke as a "revolution in youth justice" when it opened, where young offenders were given one-on-one support and trained with workshops, such as catering and barbering.

Offenders at the facility, aged between 12 and 18, were called students and staff known as teachers and restore practitioners.

Up to 49 children were at the school at any one time - at an average cost of £250,000 per person each year.

They had individual rooms and there were no bars on the windows as the site, which was designed to have a community feel.

The MoJ said there was no damage to external doors.

It said that fewer than 10 children were being supported at the school as they move to another site in the coming days.