A primary school that has links to the Second World War and took four years to officially open due to a leaky roof is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

To mark the milestone, reporter Alex Langridge took a look back at the history of Vigo Village School in Vigo, near Gravesend, and how education has changed in the last five decades.

It's fair to say, it had a rocky start. Opening in 1972, it was known as Vigo County Primary School but it was not until four years later in June 18, 1976, that it was officially declared open when it fixed its leaky roof.

In a newspaper clipping, county education officer William Petty performed the opening ceremony. He said: "This school has had considerable problems and we are all very thankful they are now cleared up."

Gravesham councillor Bill Gash, who was also in attendance, said: "The managers simply refused to accept the school for a long time because it seemed nobody could get the roof quite right.

"Rain poured through continually and everybody had a bad time. It is a great sense of achievement to finally open to school now."

The legend of the leaky roof has persisted, however, as current head teacher Roger Barber joked it has haunted the school in the past.

Vigo Village School also has significant links to the Second World War – although not there at the time – according to the parish council.

The surrounding village was a huge training unit known as Wrotham Camp in the 1940s, where the majority of officers for the British Army were put through their paces.

It was shut in 1946 as the war ended but many of the buildings were used for some time after. Today, only one remains which is situated in Vigo School's grounds.

Now a large storage unit for Scout and PTA supplies, known as "the barn", it was thought to have been used as a motor transport garage.

The school's field also used to be home to the camp's lecture centre, known as Erskine Hall. There was also a swimming pool at some point.

Long-serving staff member Jenny Dawson, who joined the school in Erskine Road in the early 90s as a dinner lady (now known as midday supervisors), explained how it has changed so much.

When she started almost three decades ago there was no such thing as breakfast or after-school clubs or IT suites, the playgrounds were considerably smaller and there was not as many school trips.

Now a teaching assistant and parent support officer, she said: "We are using the school differently to the way we were before. The IT room, for example, we would not have even dreamed of before.

"The wellbeing services, as well, I think that is something that has grown with the times as people are more mindful of it generally.

"We are here for the children and we want them to be the best they can be. It is a whole school, the children as a whole and their wellbeing rather than just the academic.

"I remember when being a teaching assistant was just supporting in the classroom but now it involves more of a teaching role and involvement with the children.

"It has gone from being an extra pair of hands to a more defined role."

But how has teaching changed in the last five decades? The most obvious answer is the pandemic which saw schools close and pupils move to online learning.

Mr Barber – who joined the school in 2003 as deputy head before becoming head teacher in 2006 – explained that both teachers and pupils had to adapt to a new way of teaching.

He said: "It was challenging. The teachers did take a lot of time to interact with parents which was something we thought was important."

The school made the headlines in 2020 after a pupil tested positive for Covid-19 after returning home from their first day back in September.

At the time, Mr Barber said the school was working hard to meet the government guidance. And in terms of subsequent national lockdowns, he said they were prepared to handle them.

Like most education facilities, it has felt like a long time coming to get back to normality and Mr Barber was pleased to announce that as of the start of the term, Covid-19 was not affecting children's learning.

He also explained how the pandemic meant staff and students were able to learn new skills they would not have otherwise had and how it showed that even when teachers are off, pupils are still able to learn effectively.

Yet, Ms Dawson told that the changes in education were happening before the pandemic as staff had to keep up with the rapidly changing improvements in technology.

She said: "Technology has played a big part in how we deliver lessons, how children learn and how study changes.

"We still have an extensive library and encourage the children to use it. Books are still there to be enjoyed. But we have got to prepare the children for the world we live in too."

Mr Barber added: "Things are always changing. We pick things up and then drop them down again. The children always stay the same. They are fantastic and make it a nice environment.

"The staff also stay here, they like working with the children, they like the place, this is where I want to be."

The primary might be relatively small – it has 160 children, who mostly live in the village, on its books, only one class per year and about 20 teachers and teaching assistants – but it is planning a big celebration.

It will be marking its 50th anniversary with a summer fair on July 2, when a time capsule will be buried. It will include letters from the head teacher and chair of governors, a newspaper and a contribution from every class.

Pupils and staff also celebrated with a 70s themed day in May when they were encouraged to dress up and enjoyed a disco on the playground.

Looking ahead to the fair, Ms Dawson added: "It is really important to celebrate that longevity. We have ex-pupils coming back with their children – it is a life-long experience. It is definitely a community."