A SOUTHAMPTON woman who did not take education seriously as a youngster has now remortgaged her home and accumulated half a million pounds of debt to build a unique school for girls struggling in mainstream education.

Sue Tinson, 39, is the owner of The Serendipity Centre, which is an independent day school for girls who are not attending mainstream secondary school because of complex individual needs. She is pictured here with the Mayor of Southampton Edwina Cooke. The mum of one and former teacher at a Pupil Referral Unit came up with the idea to provide an education centre school after seeing countless numbers of girls giving up on their education.

Speaking on the opening day of the centre, she said: "I did not do very well at school myself and ended up working in a fast food restaurant. It was not until after I got married that my husband Ian urged me to go back to school.

"I got GCSEs in maths and English before going on to get first class honours with distinction in my teaching degree and my Masters. It was only after I started working at the Pupil Referral Unit that I realised there was a lack of provisions for girls who are excluded compared to ones for boys."

Last April Sue gave up her job at the unit and bought the building which now houses the centre and borrowed £500,000 to achieve her dream.