Heron Academy (formerly The Michael Tippett School) is a

special needs In clinical diagnostic and functional development, special needs (or additional needs) refers to individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. Guidelines for clinical diagnosis are given in b ...

secondary school for students with severe learning difficulties located in south London. It was previously named after the composer

Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten ...

. The building was designed by

Marks Barfield Marks Barfield Architects is a London-based architectural firm founded by husband and wife David Marks and Julia Barfield. Their work has included the London Eye, the treetop walkway in Kew Gardens, the i360 observation tower in Brighton, Engl ...

Architect and completed in 2008. It can accommodate 80 students between the age of 11 and 19. It was built as part of the

Building Schools for the Future Building Schools for the Future (BSF) was the name given to the British government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England in the 2000s. The programme was ambitious in its costs, timescales and objectives, with politicia ...

programme and was the first school in London and the first special needs school in the country to be completed under the programme. Previously a community school administered by

Lambeth London Borough Council Lambeth London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Lambeth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, and one of the 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council meets at Lambeth Town Ha ...

, In February 2023 The Michael Tippett School converted to academy status and was renamed Heron Academy. The school is now sponsored by the London South East Academies Trust.

References

External links

School website

Ofsted reports for The Michael Tippett School

School Profile on Edubase
Special secondary schools in England Special schools in the London Borough of Lambeth Academies in the London Borough of Lambeth {{London-school-stub