Oasis Charitable Trust to run UK’s first secure school

Oasis Charitable Trust will be the operator of the country’s first Secure School, which is scheduled to open in late 2020 on the site of Medway Secure Training Centre in Kent.

This is part of the government’s aim to improve outcomes for those in youth custody.

Oasis will be given complete autonomy to set the curriculum and timetable, and will decide how they recruit, train and pay staff.

Three quarters of Oasis’ academies operate in the UK’s most deprived areas and most were rated by Ofsted as failing at the time they were taken over. The organisation has overseen a turnaround whereby 80% are now rated as good or outstanding.

The £5m investment will include extensive refurbishment of classrooms and residential areas to provide the best possible environment for Oasis to deliver services like their existing mentoring and work with young people at risk of violence and abuse.

Justice Minister Edward Argar, said: "Secure Schools are critical to our vision for youth custody - placing education, healthcare and purposeful activity at the heart of rehabilitation.

"I have been impressed by Oasis’s dedication to improving the lives of young people and its track record across education, health and youth work.

"We will now work closely with them on detailed proposals to ensure high standards from day one."