Nenegate, in Park Lane, Eastfield, will open as a specialist centre for 15 pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, on January 14.

The school will occupy the same buildings as the ill-fated Causeway School which closed last year, but, Allan Kempsell, the chairman of the temporary board of governors, promised Nenegate would bear no resemblance to its predecessor.

When the £2 million Causeway School opened in 2002, it was seen as the solution for dealing with some of Peterborough's most troubled children.

It was hoped the centre would give youngsters who had been kicked out of other schools a second chance of getting an education.

But Peterborough City Council announced its intention to close Causeway in June 2006, and a report later criticised "poor quality" teaching and management.

Mr Kempsell said: "Nenegate is a new school, not a perpetuation of the Causeway.

"The school will have a new name and a new Department for Education and Skills (DfES) number.

"It just happens to be using the same buildings.

"Our vision is very different from the previous provision, and we must make sure it is correctly staffed, properly planned and expertly delivered."

The temporary board of governors has now appointed a headteacher, John Winrow, and is in the process of recruiting staff.

Nenegate could eventually grow to 51 pupils, aged 11 to 16, and there will be an emphasis on vocational studies.

The curriculum will include English, maths, ICT, humanities and science, with more vocational opportunities.

However, Mr Kempsell expressed concerns that the proposed £920,000 annual budget may not be adequate.

He said: "I want sufficient money, and I don't believe this will be enough."

The final budget is likely to be decided next year, and will depend on Government grants.

The Causeway School replaced the scandal-hit Ellindon School which was closed in 1997 amid claims by pupils of physical and sexual abuse.

The future of Nenegate will be discussed at a city council children and lifelong learning scrutiny panel at Peterborough town hall, on Wednesday, October 24.

The meeting, in the Bourges and Viersen rooms, will start at 7pm.