A new school for pupils with special educational needs (SEND) is to open later this year.

The site of the former Elliott Park Primary School, which closed suddenly last August, is to be renamed as the Elmley Dray School at Marina Drive in Minster on Sheppey.

The facility was originally meant to be called The Stefan Taye School in honour of a teenager who died after being bullied for having autism, however a decision has now been taken to rename it as Elmley Dray.

It will remain an independent specialist school for young people aged nine to 19, and will offer both education and emotional wellbeing support.

Those attending will need to have a diagnosis of autism, or have autistic traits together with difficulties with mental health and anxiety.

Students will work in groups of no more than eight, but the normal size will be six in any academic key stage.

The team has held their first open day earlier this month which saw more than 100 people attend.

New school head, Tom Furnell, says he and the team are excited about their first intake of pupils this September.

He said: "We were thrilled with the response to our open day, and it was so lovely to see so many people coming to learn about our school after all the hard work of getting us this far.

"We look forward to opening our doors in September and welcoming the children and young people to our amazing setting."

A lack of SEN resources on the Isle of Sheppey has long been criticised, with many parents forced to travel to Sittingbourne and beyond to take their children to school.

However, with up to 36 places being offered at Elmley Dray, the institution will provide academic routes for SEN pupils including functional skills and GCSE options.

This will be done by creating a blended approach to their transition and meeting their needs slowly as the school evolves.

They say this is because many applicants will have had a difficult time in education in their lives previously.

Students will also need an educational health care plan (EHCP) outlining their needs and how they will be met within a specialist provision.

The school will then need to be consulted by the local authority for possible admission to proceed. Although parents wishing to fund the placement as they go through the process of obtaining an EHCP will need to contact the school to discuss the needs of the learner.

The school has also launched a crowdfunding page in order to build a new sensory garden and wellbeing hub for when pupils arrive, and people wishing to donate should click here.

Elmley Dray has joined forces with Youth Resilience UK – a community interest group who provide in-school support to schools wishing to develop a restorative approach to learning and behaviour.

Managing director Kelly Walker said: “It was a joy to be part of such a happy day, especially given so many children are disengaged with education for various reasons.

"So seeing them have a great time and being themselves makes us so excited to be part of this amazing school and something we look forward to unfolding.

On the school’s name, she added: “It was also a highly sensitive situation for the school to be named after their son (The Stefan Taye School).

“After much reflection, parents requested that we found a less personal name.

“We have honoured that request and have renamed as Elmley Dray as a link to the Island - Elmley for the area of the Island and Dray is a particular historical part of water there, so we wanted to embrace that heritage.

“We have also named classrooms after Elmley birds, such as Curlew, Harrier and Lapwing.”