Orchard Brae Special School

Rhino UK installed 3 Sensory Rooms, 3 Soft Play Rooms and a Rebound Therapy Room into a new multi-million pound school for youngsters with complex needs.

In August the doors opened to Orchard Brae, the first of its kind in Aberdeen. This centre of excellence was delivered by Aberdeen City Council with the development partner Hub North Scotland Limited and main contractor Ogilvie Construction.

Ogilvie contacted Rhino UK in 2014 as they wanted to fit out 3 Sensory Rooms, 3 Soft Rooms and a Rebound Therapy Room. Rhino UK put forward their design proposals which Ogilvie discussed with the Council to ensure the rooms were 100% suitable to fulfil the outcomes and needs of the school.

Rhino UK were delighted to receive the news that they had been awarded this project and were made approved suppliers for the design and installation of all 7 rooms!

The rooms were completed in May for the opening of the school. Rhino UK provided full familiarisation training of the rooms before they were handed over to ensure they will be used to their full potential.

Multi Sensory Rooms

The three Sensory Rooms all had to be different to accommodate the three areas of the school with one being in the nursery with a lower podium and Bubble Tube for the smaller children. The second room was in the ASD area, so needed to have more secure fittings and equipment. The third room in the upper end of the school, is designed for older children (see images 4, 5 & 6).

All the Sensory Rooms had to be fully hoist accessible and no floor padding was required to ensure those with wheel chairs could easily access the rooms, when time is limited to use the hoist.

All of the rooms have maintenance-free Hurricane Tubes to save maintenance time and costs, with the tubes having fan driven beads instead of water. The shorter Hurricane Tube in the nursery Sensory Room enables children to control the airflow by holding their hand over the top of the tube; giving it an extra dimension of activity.

All three rooms were packed full of exciting sensory stimulation. Including Acrylic Mirrors, Fibre Optic Curtains, LED Projectors, Laser Stars, Ladder Lights and Giant Cushions to relax on, surrounded with white Wavy Wall Padding.

Soft Play Rooms

The Soft Play Rooms were identical throughout the school comprising of a variety of soft play equipment to create hours of fun, to enhance gross motor skills, socialisation and coordination. The rooms provide a safe, secure space for pupils to release energy.

The three dimensional drawings opposite give our customers a better visual understanding of how their room/s will look and feel before it is installed.

The Soft Play Rooms are fully covered in soft padding floor and ceiling to make sure the rooms are safe for active play, even though the majority of the room was curved.

Rebound Therapy Room

The Rebound Therapy Room enables pupils with a wide spectrum of special needs to take advantage of the use of trampolines which provide opportunities for them to experience movements, therapeutic exercises and recreation. The main elements of the room which Rhino UK created is the sunken trampoline for easy access complete with an overhead bungee to support advanced trampolining skills for the active pupils. The room is complete with a hoist to access the trampoline for those with limited mobility.

The Outcome

All 7 sensory therapy rooms have made such a positive impact on the school, and its pupils creating interactive, multi-sensory environments to suit all ages and abilities to enhance and challenge their daily learning experience.

The school has been open for a couple of months now with the children benefitting from the sensory spaces and the staff are delighted with the outcomes of the sensory rooms.

Rhino UK will continue to maintain the rooms and retain a close relationship with the school to ensure the sensory rooms continue to provide a high quality sensory experience for the years to come.