The school in the rural village of Paul Smith in Kent is the only school in England to not record pupils leaving for school.

The former pupils’ home was converted into a private school in 2011 but, in a bid to keep their identity secret, the school did not keep records.

Paul Smith was founded by Paul Smith, a farmer and father of one, and was set up in 1882 to teach children who were not in schools and to educate those who were.

It was the first school in Britain to be formally established in rural areas.

Its current location in a small village is due to be closed down in 2019, and its students will no longer be registered in the school’s registers.

A school in Sussex was also closed in the 1990s because it did not have records to keep.

The school has now been given a new identity, and will be renamed Paul Smith School of Education.

School principal David O’Connor said: “It’s been a tough few years for the school and for me personally, so I’m hoping that this will be a really positive time for Paul Smith and our children and our pupils.”

More: The school’s former pupils have written to the school to demand the return of their school records.

Paul Smith is now in its fourth year of being open.