A VERY special Kidderminster school has won a national accolade after being nominated by a grateful parent - who was at first devastated when her disabled son was sent there.

Kaye Hibbert believed it was "step backwards" when Anthony moved from a school for children with low to moderate learning difficulties to Blakebrook Special School for youngsters with severe and complex disabilities.

But that was more than two years ago and Mrs Hibbert has been so thrilled with her son's progress and the help her family has received that she put it forward for a major award from the Encephalitis Society.

And headteacher Mick Russell and his staff have had their expertise and dedication recognised with the presentation of the society's service award as Organisation of the Year.

Anthony, nine, was left with frontal lobe brain damage after contracting encephalitis - inflammation of the brain - caused by a viral infection when he was three years old.

"Before he was ill he could walk and talk and had learned the alphabet. When he came out of hospital it was like starting again with a baby," said Mrs Hibbert, an IT trainer, of Ashdene Close, Kidderminster.

He learned to walk and talk again but the part of his brain that was damaged controls emotions and behaviour. Anthony was also left with severe epilepsy.

"I don't want anyone to feel sorry for us, but I do want them to understand. People like Anthony have behavioural problems and when people see this I don't want them to just assume they are being naughty," she added.

Although she was reluctant for Anthony to leave Alexander Patterson Special School at Wolverley, she now appreciates that he had "reached his limit" there.

"Since he has been at Blakebrook he has come on in leaps and bounds in his talking and social and communication skills. And the staff are absolutely wonderful," said Mrs Hibbert.

When Anthony started at the school in Bewdley Road he had an attention span of just 10-15 seconds - that has now grown to 10 minutes.

Mrs Hibbert and husband Trevor, who also have a six-year-old son Joseph, have been impressed by the way the school has worked out a learning strategy for Anthony in consultation with them and in the way staff are always willing to listen and help,

Mr Russell said he and the 40-strong staff were delighted to have won the award especially because the nomination had come from a parent.

"We pride ourselves on having a good relationship with parents, it is a cornerstone of the work we do here.

"It's not always that you get praise and comments back so something like this is very, very nice and wonderful for the staff," he said.