What makes a great school sensory room?
For this post, we’ve enlisted the help of experienced teacher and SENDCO, Kath Delaney. Kent-based teacher Kath has over 10 years’ experience in primary education and is always exploring the best ways to support pupils with SEND with their wellbeing and their learning.
Sensory rooms in schools
In this post, Kath considers the different types of sensory equipment found in sensory rooms in schools and how these resources benefit the children and young people who use these areas. She also advises on setting up a sensory room or, for schools where that isn’t possible, setting up a ‘sensory space’.
What is a sensory room?
A sensory room is a space that makes use of sensory experiences and specific equipment to promote relaxation, stimulation and therapy. They are often set up in schools, hospitals, therapy centres, and residential homes.
In a school setting, a sensory room is a designated space in which pupils’ sensory preferences and needs can be supported, enabling them to access the opportunities and activities available to them in school. School sensory rooms should be flexible and adaptable in order to meet the various needs of the children or young people in the setting.
Who uses a sensory room?
Sensory rooms are designed with those who have sensory impairments in mind, such as individuals with sensory processing difficulties, autism or developmental disabilities. The sensory input in these rooms can be controlled and tailored to individuals’ specific needs. For example, an autistic child who experiences over-stimulation and stress could benefit from the sensory room’s reduced levels of noise, light and general distractions.
Sensory rooms in schools are regularly accessed by neurodivergent learners and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). A sensory room can actually benefit any individual who visits it – pupils and adults alike.
What are the benefits of sensory rooms?
There are many proven benefits of sensory rooms. While the rooms themselves vary and those who use the rooms have a range of needs, there is generally a consensus that sensory rooms support:
Physical development and wellbeing
Cognitive development
Mental and emotional wellbeing
Sensory development
Social skills
Focus and attention
Self-awareness and self-organisation
Through the equipment and resources in the sensory room, and support from trained professionals, pupils can:
feel safe and comfortable;
experience a sense of calm;
connect with their emotions;
learn to self-regulate;
develop fine motor skills and coordination;
think creatively and problem solve;
grow their confidence;
develop independence;
explore cause and effect;
concentrate; and
develop their communication skills.
Equipment for sensory rooms
The best sensory rooms are those which are fit for purpose and contain equipment that will support the sensory needs of those who use it. Good-quality items will stand the test of time and ensure that the children using them remain safe. Washable equipment, such as soft furnishings, will make it easier to maintain a hygienic environment.
Let’s explore the common features of a sensory room in school and why they are often used.
Sensory seating
Comfortable seating, such as bean bags, bean bag chairs, cushions, or rocking chairs, creates a relaxing environment. The arrangement of furniture allows for flexibility and customisation.
Sensory bean bags
When it comes to textured seating, Eden have created the supportive Faux Fur Bean Bag offers warmth, comfort and calm to help reduce stress and anxiety.
Textured surfaces
Incorporating textured surfaces, such as walls, mats or floor tiles, furniture, or soft furnishings, provides tactile stimulation. These surfaces can vary in materials and textures to cater to individual preferences.
Eden’s Sensory Tactile range has been designed to meet the needs of children who thrive through their sense of touch. The different textures of the Sensory Cushions are ideal for tactile experiences, featuring five different textures: ridged, silky, furry, rough and fluffy. The colourful Softies Cushions are made from soft, tactile fleece, and are great for grabbing and squashing to improve fine motor skills.
Calming colours
The use of soothing colours on walls, floors, and furniture contributes to the overall calming atmosphere. Colours are chosen based on their psychological impact and the desired effect on mood.
Lighting in sensory rooms and visual stimuli
Soft, adjustable lighting helps create a calming and comfortable atmosphere, which can be a welcome contrast to a brightly-lit classroom. Coloured lights, projectors, and fibre-optic lights may be used to enhance the visual experience.
UV lighting can also be effectively used in sensory rooms. Eden’s Sensory Ultraviolet products have been designed with UV lighting in mind, and feature stars and galaxy prints. The Sensory White Bean Bag is a comfortable, supportive seating option that has a cover surface that reflects UV light, or mood and interactive lighting.
Visual elements in a school sensory room can include projected images, bubble tubes, lava lamps, or other visual displays that offer a visually stimulating and engaging experience, or a calming visual focus.
Tactile objects
Various tactile objects and materials, such as textured fabrics, fidget toys, or sensory balls, provide opportunities for hands-on exploration and manipulation.
Studies show that using weighted blankets or lap pads can help children by reducing anxiety. Eden’s cosy weighted blanket and weighted lap pad have been designed to create the calming sensation of a comforting hug.
Eden’s Monster Emotion Cushions are also great for a school sensory room, for encouraging children to connect with, explore and manage their emotions, with their embroidered applique design offering a sensory feature.
Bean bags and cushions featuring ‘touch tags’ are a great addition to a sensory room. Eden’s Sensory Touch Tags range includes a chair, a posture wedge, a support seat, a carry cushion and floor cushion. All the items feature tactile tags in various textures and colours.
Auditory stimuli
The room may include devices or speakers that emit calming sounds, music, or white noise. Adjustable volume levels and a variety of auditory stimuli cater to individual preferences and sensitivities.
Aromatherapy
The use of scents, often through essential oils or diffusers, contributes to the sensory experience. Aromatherapy can have a calming or invigorating effect, depending on the chosen scents.
Interactive technology
Some sensory rooms incorporate interactive technology, such as touch-sensitive screens, interactive projections, or sound-activated devices, to engage users in a multisensory experience.
How to set up a school sensory room
Careful planning and consideration is essential when setting up a school sensory room. School leaders and SENDCOs could ask the following questions when discussing the set-up of a sensory room in their setting:
Where will our school sensory room be?
How large is the space available?
Who will use the sensory room and what are their specific needs?
What are the preferences, likes and interests of the students who will use the space?
What are the pupils who will use the room seeking from this space? (Hint – ask them!)
Which members of staff will facilitate the use of the sensory room?
What training will these members of staff require?
How many pupils will use the room at one time?
Will the room be timetabled?
Will there be different areas or zones within the room?
What budget is available/required to set up a sensory room?
The answers to these questions will facilitate the planning of your school sensory room. The way you design your sensory room and the resources you decide to put in the room will depend on many of these answers.
It is important to remember, though, that the answer to some of these questions may change over time. Think longer-term, too, when setting up a sensory room. This will allow for the room to be used in different ways, by various learners not just now but in the future, too.
Creating a ‘sensory space’ in school
Sensory spaces don’t have to be big or permanent. When budgets and/or space don’t allow for a school to set up a sensory room, they can consider creating fixed or portable sensory spaces. Teachers could create their own spaces or purchase ready-made resources, such as pop-up sensory dens or tents.
These spaces could be created in the corner of a classroom or library, or could be set up in an outside area in the school grounds. Bear in mind that their location shouldn’t be close to loud areas and should be easy to access.
The sensory space can still be designed with the principles of a sensory room in mind, such as using calming colours and a range of textures. They should also still be designed to be flexible, so they can adapt to learners’ different needs and accessible to all.
Sensory resources
Although equipment such as bubble tubes, projectors and larger pieces of furniture would be difficult to accommodate in a smaller space, many of the key features we considered earlier in this post could be used in these sensory spaces.
Tactile fabrics, mats, floor tiles and cushions could be placed inside the space and a small device for playing calming music would be easy to use here. Other small tactile objects, such as sensory toys and balls could be used in this space, and lighting strings or a small lava lamp could help mood lighting. Beware of filling this small space with too many resources, however, as this defeats the purpose of the space to help children feel free from distractions and sensory overload.
To conclude…
What makes a school sensory room great is a combination of careful planning, well-thought out design, training for staff and good-quality equipment appropriate to the needs of those who use the room.
Flexibility also makes a school sensory room great. No two individuals will have identical wellbeing and learning needs. And one individual’s needs may change from one day to the next. With a range of equipment that can be accessed when needed, then stored easily when not in use, the space can be tailored to different pupils at different times.
View Eden Learning Spaces’ full range of sensory products here or reach out to the team to for more information on how we can support you in creating a sensory space in your learning environment.
