Animals ease school's fire trauma

Children from Lympne school get close to a snake at Port Lympne

Children whose school was destroyed by fire came face to face with snakes, a black rhino and safari animals on their first day back with their teachers.

The 230 children from Lympne Church of England School, Kent are spending a week in temporary accommodation at nearby Port Lympne wildlife park.

Monday was intended to be a fun day to help them get over last week's fire.

"We have had a fabulous time - it was just what we needed," said one teacher. "It was very therapeutic for the kids."

After their day touring the zoo, the children resume normal national curriculum lessons on Tuesday in the park's Mansion House.

Rebuilding work

Next week they move to the empty St Mary's Westbrook School in Folkestone, a former independent school owned by ex-Saga boss Roger De Haan's foundation.

Kent County Council has said it expects rebuilding work at the gutted primary school to take about 18 months.

No-one was injured in Wednesday's fire.

The children were led to safety in Lympne Village Hall, from where they were collected by their parents.

The alarm was raised by pupil Rebecca Phillips, who told her teacher Jennifer Russell she could see flames coming from a light fitting in their classroom.

"It was scary because nobody knew what to do, but all the teachers were trying to keep us calm," she said on Monday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it was believed to have started in the light fitting.