The mother of a severely dyslexic teenager was so upset when his independent school faced closure because of financial difficulties that she bought it herself.
Annabel Goodman, 35, lost faith in the state system after sending her 13-year-old son Jacob to nine different schools, but eventually settled him at The New Elizabethan School in Hartlebury, Worcs, which has just 19 pupils.
With smaller classes and supportive teachers Jacob, who has the reading capacity of an eight-year-old, flourished.
But a few months after he joined it the school announced it was in financial trouble. Desperate not to send her son back into the "wasteland" of the state system, Mrs Goodman decided to buy the school herself.
Now she juggles her position of principal with her career as a barrister.
Yesterday she said: "Staff in the state sector were totally under-resourced, and although they tried very hard to deal with Jacob's special needs, they were simply unable to do so.
"When I first came to see this school it was like finding an oasis in the wasteland of all the other schools I had seen.
"The teachers are incredibly supportive and the children here — who all have various needs — are all very accepting. They don't just tolerate difference, but actually celebrate it. That is such a refreshing thing which I had never come across before." She said her other son, Reuben, nine, was happy at a state school but that the state system cannot cope with children with special needs.
She added: "Even if you shout loudly you are very unlikely to get what your child needs. And if you do finally get it, your child may well be married with kids by that point.
"Jacob is very dyslexic. He is really very bright — he's got a much higher than average intelligence — but his reading, writing and spelling are that of about an eight-year-old."
Set in eight acres of grounds, the school caters for just 19 pupils, aged from four to 16.
Mrs Goodman, from Hartlebury, bought the school's leasehold at the start of term for an undisclosed sum, and is relying on donations to keep it afloat.
She said: "I put some money in myself and have secured funding from some very supportive backers.
"The school has charity status and is very well supported by alumni — it has been here since 1600.
"We are hoping to hold lots of fundraising events and the other parents are really supportive.
"Like me, they have trawled through the system and if this school did not continue they would have nowhere to send their children."
She added: "Jacob has settled into this school really fantastically well.
"However, he is embarrassed about my involvement — like any 13-year-old boy would be.
"But I think he is secretly quite proud of me".
