STAFF and pupils at a Maidstone school for young pupil with severe disabilities are celebrating after being singled out for praise in a Government report.

Five Acre Wood School in Boughton Lane was the only Maidstone school listed in the Ofsted Annual Report on Quality and Standards in Education published this week.

The special needs school for pupils aged four to 19 received a glowing report following an Ofsted inspection in June 2000.

Head teacher Jill Kratochvil said: "You know there is always a chance you'll be included in the list but the letter still came out of the blue.

"There are a lot of schools in the country who deserve to be in the report. It is absolutely wonderful to be included."

The inspectors' report praised the school for the high quality of teaching, its caring atmosphere, the positive attitude to work shown by pupils and the commitment of staff and governors to raising standards.

Ms Kratochvil said: "The pupils face the biggest challenges anyone can face in their lives. It is also a very, very challenging environment for teachers to work in. The lovely thing is everybody was praised in the report.

"We all work so hard in schools these days it is just lovely to have the public recognition of that. It gives everybody a boost."

The school was one of only eight schools from Kent and one of just 11 special schools in the South East listed in the report.