Bosses at a special needs school with more than 500 pupils have praised staff and parents after two weeks of hard choices, drastic employee shortages and a massive "re-structure".

In normal times, Five Acre Wood School, which has its main site in Maidstone, welcomes students from all over Kent who have severe and complex learning difficulties, aged from three to 19.

However, now only a small number walk through the gates each day, and staff had to think very carefully about which pupils can still attend, Tim Williams, head of the Maidstone site, and Richard Dalton, in charge of the now closed satellite classes in Palace Wood and Snodland, explained.

Most children stopped going to school two weeks ago on the Government's orders, but it was decided establishments should stay open for children with a health and care plan.

This means that technically all students at Five Acre should still go to school but because of employee shortages, with more than 250 workers self isolating or unable to get to the site, and to stop the rapid spread of the disease, this was not possible.

Before the pandemic there were more than 300 employees working across the three sites.

Mr Williams said for some of children it was "safer" to be at school.

He said: "We are having to carefully risk assess and look at the Government advice to see who should remain at home and who should come in. We have a number of youngsters who either present with quite significant behavioural challenges and with a change in routine their behaviour can be exceptionally challenging. And the respite provision which is normally available to parents could have been taken away as well. The overarching aim is to decide which students are safer at school and safer at home. "

The school is already going above and beyond its normal role, with a member of staff assigned to visit a pupil who has a chronic condition and cannot go to school. Mr Williams is also liasing with social services, to discuss how the needs of certain families can be best met.

Free school meal vouchers are also being to sent families eligible for scheme and teachers are calling households weekly.

Each pupil who is now at home has also been given their own tailored work pack.

However, the school's reach does not stop there and senior staff are considering working with taxi company Strood Cabs to deliver free meals and also setting up respite care for families in the future, depending on national restrictions and capacity.

There are extra challenges associated with working at a special needs school during the pandemic. For instance, pupils might not understand and adhere the two-metre distance rule. Some staff are wearing visors for extra safety, which have been donated and made by students at Sutton Valence School.

"We are taking it really seriously, we are having daily briefings with our staff and running through any safety issues and taking them on board," Mr Dalton said.

The biggest issue, the two heads agree, was the speed at which circumstances changed when it was announced schools were closing.

"We are not just trying to muddle our way through our biggest challenge, we are looking to re-structure the entire organisation. We cannot emphasise how fab the community has been during this very difficult time. Together we are stronger," the pair said.

To underline how the school community is working as a team, new jumpers have been made, emblazoned with the slogan "Team FAW", written in the font used to market Marvel's Avengers films.

"It's because our staff are superheroes," Mr Williams said.

Friends of Five Acre Wood School is the Kent Messenger's charity of the year. The school want to raise £50,000 towards a house where pupils can develop important life skills, which will help them when they leave school.

To donate to the campaign, click here.

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