A train carriage is set to be transformed into a working cafe at a school and will be staffed by pupils.

Five Acre Wood School’s plan for its campus in Loose, near Maidstone, has been granted planning permission - and with its acronym being FAW, the new venture is to be called the FAWrient Express.

Three cranes will be required to hoist the carriage into position at the Boughton Lane site.

Head teacher of the special needs school, Tim Williams, said it will become a “hospitality training academy.”

He added: “It’s going to be a working café – it’s where our pupils with learning difficulties can prepare, serve and sell affordable drinks to parents, visitors and the local community.

“It will be a fully functioning café.

“It is where our pupils will receive tailored hospitality training to enable them to hopefully be industry ready and provide a pathway to employment.”

The structure is a Mark 2 carriage which were built by British Rail between 1964 and 1975.

It’s due to be installed at the school this month but there is no set date for when it will open as a cafe.

Mr Williams called on people to get involved with helping refurbish the carriage.

“We’ll need the community to get behind us, because we really see it as our big build project,” he said.

“We’d love if trades and companies in the area can get behind us, to help us renovate it, because it will need renovation to bring it up to the specification that we would like and that our pupils deserve.

“It’d be great if trades and companies can help sponsor, provide work and labour to be able to help us see that through to fruition.”

The school, rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, has 807 children on its roll and caters for pupils with moderate, severe, profound or complex learning difficulties and autism.