Newly opened in September 2025, Tiffield Academy is a new specialist primary school providing education for children and young people aged 4 to 18 with autism and a range of special educational needs. Part of the Greenwood Academies Trust, the purpose-built, three-storey building constructed by Willmott Dixon has been thoughtfully designed to support students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), and Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD).

Working closely with the school team and Principal Designate, Emma Butler, during the design engagement phase, we were given a unique opportunity to start with a blank canvas. Our goal – to create a warm, welcoming library that offers a calming retreat where pupils can feel comfortable, inspired, and eager to explore the joys of reading.

For Tiffield Academy’s library, we selected light oak for the bookcases and the main structure of the Story Wall, introducing warm and natural tones that create a calm and inviting backdrop. White shelving and table tops help minimise visual distractions, while upholstered stools in muted grey, earthy tones maintain a soothing and relaxed atmosphere.

At the heart of the space is the Story Wall, designed to ignite curiosity and imagination. It features a sensory starlight hideaway, easily accessible kinderboxes and integrated cubbyhole storage for fun and functionality. To encourage flexibility, we included mobile curved shelving units with built-in soft bench seating, allowing staff to reconfigure the layout and create private reading nooks as needed.

Creative pops of accent colour were introduced to reflect the school’s identity through select shelving, ‘tree stump’ style upholstered stools and comfy beanbags in vibrant purple and cyan.

Working in close collaboration with the school, we delivered a calming and inspiring library space that was completed on time for the school’s September opening and within budget, ready to welcome students into their new learning environment.

• Story Wall with integrated sensory starlight hideaway
• Mobile Curved Bookcases
• Upholstered Stools