Opened by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP in April 2008, The Michael Tippett School is the first BSF SEN school to open in London. Designed by London Eye architects Marks Barfield, the school provides a learning environment for around 80 pupils aged between 11 and 18 with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every aspect of the building has been designed specifically for the needs of the students, including a sensory room and garden, hydrotherapy pool, spacious changing facilities with hoists, a kitchen to help students develop basic cooking skills, a drama studio and a community hall for sports and social activities. Here, students, parents and teachers tell their story.