A BLACKBURN independent school has reassured parents it is still operating after it was placed in administration.

Windsmoor House School, which takes in boy pupils with emotional problems, called in administrators from Manchester-based Grant Thornton in October.

But the school, which ran two sites in Blackburn, has confirmed it is remaining open on its East Park Road site, operating under a different name, Rockwood House School, after it was bought by a new firm called Bear Team Ltd.

Head teacher of the new school, Philip Meadows, confirmed he had written to parents of the 65 boys to tell them of the situation, and invited them to a meeting.

He said: "The school is still operating. I have written to the parents inviting them to a meeting at the school next Wednesday.

"We are still fully operational. We are carrying on as we are, trying to put everything that has happened behind us and just move the school forward and continue the best educational provision that we can for the boys we have here.

"Although we are under different ownership and have a different name we are continuing to operate.

"We used to be on two sites, one on East Park Road which is where the new school is and one on Witton Bank."

The school takes in 65 boys and has about 30 full-time staff. It provides for dyslexia or specific learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties and moderate learning difficulties.

The Witton Bank, Spring Lane, site is now subject to a planning application from Blackburn charity THOMAS, who hope to use it to house 25 recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.

Grant Thornton have confirmed the school has been sold to Bear Team Ltd after unspecified financial difficulties.