A new special needs school has opened in a former nursery which closed after a baby boy died having choked on his food.

More than three years on from the death of nine-month-old Oliver Steeper, Kings Park has launched at the old Jelly Beans Nursery site in Park Farm, Ashford.

The independent provision, which will initially have 40 pupils, was officially unveiled today by local MP Sojan Joseph.

And during the launch, bosses stressed the need for SEN schools in the area.

Chair of the new education centre Amy Saunders said: “There are so many who are at home or don't have a suitable place.

“We've had lots of parents who have had to give up their jobs, their children aren't in school at all.

“The wait lists for all the other schools are so big, and the needs aren't being met for the local children.”

“We know that SEN children don't fit into a box, so once the child comes in, their curriculum and their goals will be based on what they can do, and we'll push them to be the best that they can be.”

The school will be aimed at a broad range of children with lower needs and who do not fit into mainstream schools, and will look after seven to 16-year-olds.

Head teacher Alison Hatch added: “The owners and the directors have the same vision.

“They want to make a difference.

“We are going to create or we have created a school that is going to wrap around that child so they can walk through the door and be themselves, be proud of who they are.”

Following an investigation from Ofsted, Jelly Beans voluntarily shut down weeks after Oliver died in hospital.

The youngster passed away six days after he choked on chopped penne pasta and bolognese at the nursery.

Last year, a jury inquest into Oliver’s death returned a conclusion of misadventure and a coroner found “no evidence which would show failures by the nursery or its staff”.

However his parents Zoe and Lewis maintained that staff did not have permission to feed their son that meal, saying he had just started to move onto purees and appropriate finger food at home.

The Steepers have since set up a foundation in Oliver’s memory, supplying LifeVacs to pre-schools, equipment desgined to clear airways if a child starts choking.

Kings Park previously held an auction for the Oliver Steeper Foundation, raising £4,285, by selling off old furniture at the site.

Earlier this year, Mrs Saunders said she had been in contact with the Steepers since an offer was accepted on the building, and added that the “history of the building weighs heavy on me”.

Lodging plans for the school in October, applicant David Saunders, Mrs Saunder’s husband, said: “We’ve carefully considered the location, and the site provides the perfect environment for children who need specialised care and attention.”