Young offenders school could reopen in 2026

The school opened on the site of the former Medway Secure Training Centre in 2024

England's first "secure school" for young offenders could re-open next year according to officials, after it was temporarily closed due to safety concerns.

Oasis Restore in Kent, which rehabilitates children who have committed serious crimes, was closed earlier this year to fix the doors as a design problem made them "vulnerable to damage".

An Ofsted report from April found some doors at the Rochester facility were so damaged they could not lock and children could move around more freely than usual in some areas.

Jo Farrar, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), told the Public Accounts Committee they were testing all the new doors and hoped to re-open in March.

The school, operated by a specialist education provider, is on the site of the former Medway Secure Training Centre and opened in 2024 after a £40m renovation.

The building is managed by the MoJ, who said they had used the door system in other settings.

"They had been used before in a secure setting, they were tested, but actually when they were used in this setting, they proved not to be as effective as we would like them to be," said Ms Farrar.

"We are making sure that we are doing thorough testing of all new doors, we're obviously having to create a new door system," she added.

"We will start to introduce the new doors shortly into the site and as I say, we hope to re-open in March of next year."

Oasis founder Reverend Steve Chalke said they had no choice but to close earlier this year.

"Secure doors are an essential part of the tool kit of any secure establishment," he said.

"Their job is to enable containment when a child is dysregulated.

"However, our staff were having to protect the doors, in some cases even be the doors. This created some unsafe situations for them."

Students have individual rooms and there are no bars on the windows

As officials revealed the potential time frame for the re-opening, BBC South East discovered that self-harming and assaults had also been recorded at the facility while it was open.

A total of 66 incidents of self-harm were reported, according to figures revealed in a Freedom of Information request to the MoJ.

There were 31 assaults carried out by young people on staff between its opening in May 2024 and March 2025.

Staff used restraint on those held in the facility 118 times during the same time frame.

The MoJ said all incidents, including those involving assaults, self-harm, or weapons, are thoroughly reviewed to ensure appropriate support for children and to embed learning across the service.

The school's core focus on getting troubled young people into jobs or further education is part of the Government's plan to reduce reoffending.

Young offenders were given one-on-one support and trained with workshops, such as catering and barbering.

Up to 49 children aged between 12 and 18 were at the school at any one time - at an average cost of £250,000 per person each year.

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

When it opened, the MoJ said the "first-of-a-kind facility" for children and young people in custody would have "rigorous education and training" at its heart.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We're working with Oasis Restore to fix the doors and get the school back up and running as quickly as possible.

"We're also offering additional support, focused on staff training and safeguarding, as they prepare to reopen."