Parachute jumpers fell from the sky streaming smoke in a spectacular surprise opening for a school building.
Excited pupils and teachers at Forest School, in Snaresbrook, were amazed when the Red Devils stunt team joined the opening ceremony on Friday.
Hundreds of students and staff gathered on the school field to watch the British Army’s parachute regiment fly over the school and drift to the ground in formation.
Afterwards, pupils got to meet some of the stuntmen, to ask them about life in the team and serving as soldiers.
Humayon Pramanik, the school’s head of communications, said rumours had run wild about the secret ceremony.
Some pupils were hoping that boyband One Direction would turn up and others guessed rapper 50 Cent would perform.
Mr Pramanik said: “The pupils did a countdown before they jumped and everyone was cheering and shouting.
“It was quite surreal but a genuinely amazing event.”
The daring display marked the opening of the Martin Centre for Innovation, which will house digital teaching and learning facilities.
The three-floor building is named after former pupil Anthony Martin, who was at the school between 1948 and 1957.
Mr Martin, who provided funding for the building, spoke at the opening and met the parachute team.
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