THE school bells will finally chime again at a derelict Worcestershire boarding school after it was revealed that it will be reopening.

Preparations are underway to reopen St Michael’s College near Tenbury Wells after it closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The former boarding school will reopen as a private school thanks to it recently being purchased by the American-Chinese private educational institution Sias.

Fisher German had listed the school for sale earlier this year and said it is extremely pleased with the new purchase. 

The new private school will provide secondary school education from Year 9 upwards and sixth form education for both UK and international students.

It will offer both day school and boarding facilities.

It also includes 13 other buildings, including the former sports hall, boarding houses, and educational blocks, all within 22.76 acres.

Lily Colton, Chief Executive of St Michael’s Abbey School, said: “We are extremely pleased to work with Fisher German to purchase St Michael’s College.

“It is a very attractive site with an interesting history and a beautiful main building, which will make a very nice learning environment for our students.

“We will be opening a high-quality private school open to both UK and international students and intend on making our fees affordable for those within the local community.

“The school has not been in use for a number of years, and we now have a significant amount of work to do to refurbish the site ahead of opening in September 2025.

“We aim to become a major employer in the area and will soon be engaging with the local community in order to fill a wide variety of vacancies at the school.”

The college was founded in 1856 by the Reverend Sir Frederick Gore Ouseley as a choir school for boys.

The Grade II* listed main building was used as a location for the 1986 TV film The Worst Witch, starring screen legends Diana Rigg and Tim Curry.

In 1985, the school was closed due to financial difficulties before it reopened in 1990 as an independent international boarding school.

However, the pandemic forced it to close for a second time in June 2020 due to its international students being unable to travel, and the site has not been used since.