A special needs school has invested in a unique set of wheels to ensure no child gets left behind due to a lack of accessible changing and toilet facilities.

Ifield School in Gravesend has become the first school in the country to purchase an AccessoLoo – an adaptable vehicle containing a restroom suitable for disabled pupils and those with additional needs.

Ifield school has invested in an AccessoLoo to ensure disabled children can use the toilet during school trips

Inside, the specially-designed van is equipped with an overhead ceiling track hoist, grab rails, a flushing toilet, and an electric changing bed, among other features.

Inspiration for the purchase came after the school – which caters for 266 four to 19-year-olds with profound, severe and complex learning needs – found opportunities for learning and experiences outside the classroom were being restricted by issues accessing the loo.

Day trips need to be carefully planned to ensure there were suitable changing and toilet facilities nearby.

Without them, those pupils with a physical disability may have to return to school or their carers forced to change them on cramped, dirty toilet floors.

A recent lack of facilities at a local swimming pool for one pupil with severe mobility issues, Baillie, 16, prompted his classmates to start the #better4Baillie campaign to highlight the importance of accessibility in the local community.

Some of the students said they were "disgusted" that their friend Baillie, who relies on a wheelchair, was unable to come out with them.

Classmate Brendan, 14, said he was left feeling both "sad and angry" and wanted to see more action taken, including installing hoists in loos.

In January, this led to the Irish-based company behind AccessoLoo travelling to Gravesend to give pupils a demo of their specialist hire-vehicles.

Following a positive response from pupils, staff and parents, discussions then took place with school governors to enable Ifield School to purchase its own vehicle.

Head teacher Maddy Jones said: "We found when going off site to visit lots of local parks and sporting community events there are often barriers for our pupils that have physical needs."

She added this was "more often than not around changing facilities" and trips off site can see certain pupils miss out due to a lack of inclusive facilities.

But now it is hoped the Accessoloo will be used for many years to come and "open up a world of opportunities" for Ifield pupils.

The first trip with the vehicle was to the school's woodlands in Meopham with more outings further afield planned for the summer term.

Kirsty Jewell, lead speech and language therapist at Ifield School, said the school was keen to promote accessibility and ensure all pupils have equal opportunities.

She added: “This will make such a difference to the school and all of our children having our very own AccessoLoo.

"Having the independence to plan days out at the last minute and changing our destinations to suit the weather will be so liberating.”

But the school's efforts to improve access do not stop there with challenges locally in accessing facilities that need both maintaining and improving.

From last year, large accessible toilets for severely disabled people – known as "Changing Places" – were made compulsory for new buildings in England.

Shopping centres, supermarkets and sport stadiums are among those venues required to include at least one toilet to this specification.

The Changing Places campaign is aimed at creating minimum standards for room dimensions and specialised equipment required for disabled-friendly toilet facilities in towns and parks.

Recently more than £23.5million funding was set aside for 191 councils across England to install such toilets, including in Medway and Dartford.

But unfortunately Gravesham, where Ifield school is based, is absent from this list.

The school has written to local MP Adam Holloway asking for his support for their campaign.

School leaders also want to see a complete range of inclusive and wheelchair accessible playgrounds locally which are integrated with, rather than separate to existing facilities.

Ms Jones added: "What a great world we could live in if I didn't have to research where can I take the children?

"You should not have to Google 'does it have accessible changing?' That for our school is a dream for us and our purpose."