Police are investigating after three members of staff at a troubled school for young offenders were allegedly assaulted.
It happened at The Oasis Restore Secure School in Sir Evelyn Road, Rochester, which announced last week it would be temporarily closing owing to safety concerns.
The three workers, all female, needed hospital treatment after a 17-year-old inmate allegedly “went berserk” late on Sunday night (August 17).
One of those allegedly attacked by the teenage boy said they needed stitches for two “large gashes” to the head.
The partner of the woman, who asked not to be named, said: “My partner, like many members of staff there, had already had time off sick for stress.
“The turnover of staff there is phenomenal. They have lost so many staff, the rotas are unworkable.”
They claim both staff and inmates are “not safe”, adding: “The concept of reforming the offenders with love is never going to work.
“By the time they get to 15 or 16, they are set in their ways, and no fancy regime is ever going to change them.
“This facility can simply never be allowed to open again with the same regime and the same attitude.”
A spokesman for Oasis Restore said an investigation is taking place into the incident on Sunday and it would be inappropriate to comment on the details while that is ongoing.
“The relevant authorities have been informed in accordance with our regulatory frameworks,” they added.
Oasis Restore was the UK’s first secure school for youngsters in custody, and was opened with the ethos that the pupils -not to be referred to as inmates – would receive “love instead of punishment”.
Last week, it was reported by Channel 4 that the pupils had kicked down almost all the internal doors at the building and had made weapons out of brush handles and metal objects.
Oasis Restore opened last summer at a cost of £48m, to offer therapeutic care and education to 12- to 18-year-olds. some who were convicted of serious crimes.
Cells became “bedrooms” and guards were referred to as restorative practitioners.
However, Ofsted has since raised concerns about safety at the establishment.
The school then said it would halt new placements and would begin transferring existing pupils to other youth custody facilities while the doors were replaced.
A spokesman said: “It has become clear that the installation of new doors will take well beyond the summer.
“Therefore, we have made the decision to stop all placements at Restore, and our current children will be relocated to other settings within the youth custody estate.
“This is a pre-emptive action to avoid any serious incidents occurring on site, while we wait for the new doors to be fitted.”
“The decision was not taken lightly and reflects our commitment to safety, transparency, and ethical leadership.
“Our mission, regardless of our building infrastructure, is to deliver the highest standards of care and learning for children who require constant, dedicated support from reliable adults, whom they can build positive, trusted relationships with.
“This work will indeed continue after our internal doors are replaced.”
But Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, claimed the secure school, the first of its kind in the country, is a “failed experiment” that “cannot be allowed to continue”.
“Three female staff have been hospitalised over the weekend due to the lack of discipline and the lax attitude towards violent offenders,” he added.
“This school, far from doing something different, is actually creating more victims.
“They need to get a grip or hand it over to the public sector. They have failed with only a handful of prisoners to look after.”
Police have confirmed to KentOnline they are investigating a report that three people were assaulted by a teenage boy at a premises in Sir Evelyn Road, Rochester.
“Nobody has been arrested at this stage and inquiries are ongoing,” they said.
