A SCHOOL which caters for problem children is to reopen in September under new management and with a new name.

Bessels Leigh School, near Abingdon, is an independent boarding school for boys unable to find places in mainstream or state special schools.

After a poor care inspection report from Ofsted last year, the school’s trustees decided they needed a new team to take over the school.

Children’s charity Action for Children won the tender and, after ploughing hundreds of thousands of pounds into the school, plans to reopen it as the Spires School under new headteacher Ania Hildrey.

Hugh Thornbery, director of children’s services, declined to say exactly how much the charity had invested, but he said he had ambitious plans for the school.

He said: “We’re making a considerable investment, because we believe the school has a good future.

“Our plan is to rebuild the school numbers from the eight boys who will be studying there in September to more than 20 children by this time next year.

“We have been investing quite considerably, because the school was running at a loss, which we have underwritten.

“We have been reviewing the staffing and have made some changes for the beginning of the new school year.”

The school’s pupils, aged 11 to 16, have behavioural, emotional or social difficulties, which can include learning difficulties and in some cases violent behaviour.

Mr Thornbery said that after the publication of the Ofsted report, a number of parents had taken their sons out of the school.

But he said he was confident that under new management, it would be possible to bring the school up to capacity. One option could be to make the school co-educational.

Also, the school intends to enable children to live at home or with trained foster parents, who the charity is aiming to recruit locally.

Mrs Hildrey said: “Action for Children has some very exciting plans for Spires School and I will be proud to play a key role in making those plans reality.

“I’m passionate about enabling pupils to achieve and about helping to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life.”

A new creative arts studio and digital technology room are being built at the school.

Plans are also afoot to refurbish sleeping quarters and classrooms and build a skate park in the school grounds.

Action for Children runs six independent special schools nationally, including Penhurst School, in Chipping Norton, which cares for children with severe disabilities.