North West, England Archives

Lisburne Special School

Lisburne School is a special school for primary-aged students in Stockport. They support a wide range of needs and abilities, including children with Severe Learning Difficulties, PMLD and Autism.

In December 2024, the school relocated to a brand-new site to expand its support for local families. Not only is the new school bigger, but it’s also an award-winning, state-of-the-art centre for education, inclusion and growth.

Carry on reading to discover how our sensory team helped to turn this dream project into a reality.

A Sensory Proposal

Our sensory team sat down with the school’s leaders, project architects, and the local council to discuss the types of sensory areas they’d need, which students would use the spaces, and how we could use sensory to best support their learning and development.

With an idea in mind, our expert design team created a collection of bespoke room designs… And once they’d been approved, we could start building them!

Six New Sensory Spaces

The new school building had space for six inclusive sensory areas. Our handy installation team took care of every room, creating, installing and decorating the sensory spaces.

Interactive Learning Rooms

Simple, spacious and bright and featuring one of our innovative touch-free interactive projectors, that’s perfect for learning, play and sensory development.

Interactive Learning Room Resource List: WonderWall Projector, Deluxe Sound & Light Panel, Solar Projector, Beanbags

Soft Play Rooms

Bright, colourful and designed for active sensory exploration. Filled with ball pools, tunnels and obstacles to climb, balance and jump off – developing key motor and vestibular skills.

Interactive Learning Room Resource List: Bespoke Ball Pool, Soft Play Tunnel, Soft Play Steps, Rocker Roller, Soft Play Shape Matching Mat, Safety Padding

Multi-Sensory Room

The classic sensory space. With dreamy lights, interactive wall panels and brilliantly bubbling bubble tube.

Multi-Sensory Room Resource List: Infinity Panel, Bubble Wall, Beanbags, UV Carpet, Laser Stars Projector, Safety Padding

Sensory Integration Room

For one-to-one occupational therapy sessions. Softly padded and filled with specialist therapy resources designed to develop motor, vestibular, and proprioceptive senses.

A Project Well Done

Pupils were welcomed to the new school site in December, ready to start learning, growing and developing their minds, bodies and senses.

“I am so proud that our vision for an exceptional SEND school has finally been realised. The new site offers a fully inclusive environment for our children to thrive in and will offer opportunities to raise the profile of SEND and support children across the wider Stockport community.” – Samantha Benson, Headteacher of Lisburne School.

Find Out More

Miriam Lord Video Case Study: Watch the Headteacher from Miriam Lord Primary School talk about the impact their sensory room has had on the school community.
Sensory Room Guide, Understanding Every Sensory Room: Sensory rooms come in all sorts and sizes. Find out which one is best for you in our handy blog written by our sensory specialists.
Get In Touch: To get started on your own sensory project.

Manchester City FC

Manchester City wanted to make their match days accessible and enjoyable for all, which led them to get in touch with our Sensory Team to find out how they could make their stadium more inclusive for those with sensory processing issues. Kick-starting the process of creating a special Manchester City FC Sensory Room!

Ruby’s Fund Sensory Bus

Project Background

Ruby’s Fund is an independent children’s charity that provides inclusive support services for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities in and around Cheshire.

We’ve had the honour of collaborating with the charity on multiple sensory projects, from designing and planning their spectacular Sensory Room to helping them secure funding to set up a permanent play space in Congleton town centre.

With their continued success, Ruby’s Fund were keen to expand their services further. They’d noticed that some families struggled to visit the centre because of their children’s additional needs. So, instead of families coming to them, Ruby’s Fund thought, why don’t we come to you?

And this simple thought kickstarted one of our most ambitious sensory projects to date!

A Sensory Bus

After an impressive fundraising drive, Ruby’s Fund came to us with a proposal for a Sensory Bus – a bright pink, portable sensory room on wheels.

We couldn’t have been more excited to get stuck into the project and turn their magical sensory dream into a reality.

Building A Sensory Bus

From the outside, it might look like a standard van, but on the inside, you’ll find a magical, glowing interactive sensory room where users can play, have fun, and develop their senses.

The sensory bus was designed as a therapeutic space for families to escape to. When you step aboard you are instantly immersed in calming mood lighting. Cosy cushioned benches lined with soft safety padding create comfortable places for users to sit back and explore their senses. Kids can lie against the vibrating bumpas and feel their relaxing proprioceptive stimulation, sit alongside the hurricane tube watching the flurry of floating balls dance around, or let their minds wander to the infinite depths of imagination inside the infinity tunnel.

We wanted to make sure that the bus was inclusive and accessible for all. To achieve this, we made the bus wheelchair-friendly, widening the sensory areas so wheelchair users can easily access all of the sensory resources and installing a ramp so wheelchairs can easily wheel aboard.

What’s inside the Sensory Bus?

Bubbling Bubble Tube
Twinkling Fibre Optics
Vibrating Wall Panels
Wall and Ceiling Projectors
Tactile Wall and Floor Panels
Convex Mirrors
Wall Padding and Cushion Seating

Easy to Clean & Covid Safe

Even though the project was commissioned before the covid pandemic, we designed the space to be infection-control friendly and suitable for safe sensory play.

All of the resources aboard the bus are made from robust materials that can be easily wiped clean with antibacterial spray and wipes. Not only does it make the space safer, but it also reduces play downtime, as the bus can be cleaned quickly before arriving at its next destination.

Sensory On Tour

When Ruby’s Fund was forced to temporarily close their centre due to covid restrictions, their sensory bus had a bit of a Cinderella moment, turning into a magical pumpkin-like carriage, ready to take the children to their very own special sensory ball.

Ruby’s Fund rearranged all their centre appointments and embarked on a sensory road trip, visiting the homes of every family who’d had their sensory sessions postponed.

The bus provided much-needed relief, therapy, and a wellbeing boost for families in the Cheshire area.

Find Out More

Take a virtual tour of the inside of the sensory bus. Use the room navigation tab at the top right of the page to jump straight into the sensory bus. (p.s. you can also explore the sensory room area we designed for Ruby’s Fund too!).

Ruby’s Fund Charity

Get In Touch: To discuss your own sensory project!