Sectors: Education

In early 2016, Blaenau Gwent Council tasked us to design and install a brand-new SEND Resource Base at Glanhowy, a mainstream primary school, to support their school population with ASD and additional needs.

It was up to our sensory design team to transform a small, oddly shaped storage room into a spectacular sensory space, inclusive of every student’s needs. A space where students could learn, play and relax.

And it didn’t take long for our talented team to develop a perfect design for Glanhowy Primary School’s new sensory space.

Building a SEND Hub

• Inclusive learning
• Safe Space
• Sensory Stimulation

Inclusive Learning:

Classroom learning isn’t for everyone. So, we wanted to create an inclusive learning area for interactive and innovative lessons. We did this by installing an Omi Projector, an exciting piece of interactive technology that instantly transforms any space into a dynamic sensory playground. So, instead of sitting in a chair and writing in a book, pupils can use their arms and legs to interact with the projected educational games within the sensory room, learning in a way that works for them.

Safe Space:

To make sure students feel safe and comforted when they’re exploring their senses, we decorated the room’s walls and floors with colourful safety padding. The soft surfaces also double as a space for cosy relaxation, sensory stimulation and therapy sessions!

Alongside the safety padding, we selected a range of other cosy comforts for students to use whenever they feel like they needed a moment to relax. A Rhino Green Sensit Chair provides full-body proprioceptive stimulation, like a big warm hug, perfect for calming someone down when they’re on the brink of a meltdown. Whilst a Suspended Cuddle Swing promotes the development of vestibular senses and softly rocks a user into relaxation.

Sensory Stimulation:

And a sensory room wouldn’t be a sensory room without lots of stimulating sensory equipment! We included a beautifully bubbling Bubble Wall, inquisitive Infinity Tunnel, and a glowing UV Carpet for visual stimulation. A twinkling Fibre Optic Curtain gives students a chance to build their tactile skills whilst observing the dreamy lights surrounding their bodies.

All of the sensory elements quickly came together to create a truly stimulating environment. Perfect for users to develop their senses, relax, and have fun!

Another Sensory Success

“The sensory room looks great and will be an asset to the new resource base, especially when it comes to supporting students with additional needs and supplementing their learning experience at school.” – ARC Manager.

Our sensory team couldn’t have been happier to receive the fantastic feedback from the Glanhowy School staff. And we’re proud to have created a bright beacon of inclusive sensory learning on the border of the Brecon Beacons!