Sensory Room & Circuits at Denton Primary School

Denton Primary School is a small, rural Northamptonshire based school with a big heart and 124 pupils on roll. It has recently experienced an increase in children attending the school who have, in some way, Special Educational Needs (SEN). We are a truly inclusive, family-orientated school and our view is that no challenge is too big if we stick together and work together. So, staff, parents and children have put their heads together to try and think of creative ways to help these children have the same opportunities as their peers in order for them to enjoy their school life to the maximum – after all, you are only little once. We are passionate that the money received from the Aviva Fund will have an honest and huge impact on these children’s lives, which in turn, will support their families and friends. This submission is being made by the Friends of Denton School (FODS), which is a charitable organisation who are dedicated to working closely with the staff at the school to enhance the learning opportunities and impact for all its pupils. We would like to turn a part of our school into a ‘Sensory Room’ so that our children with SEN have a safe haven to go to when they need time to re-balance and re-focus. Classrooms are busy environments – and so they should be! – but we have noticed that there is an increasing need for a space in our school which allows children, who feel overwhelmed, to be able to have a quieter place to work out the little things, or the big things, in life that are worrying them with the guidance of an experienced member of staff. Our vision is the new Denton Primary School Sensory Room will be equipped with items to allow the senses to be heightened in a calm environment, which in turn aids to ground the anxious child who is struggling during any part of the school day. There will be soft lighting and a variety of textures on the wall (for example, shiny, wobbly mirrors, Lego bases and car tracks). There will be lava lamps emitting a soft flow of ever-changing colours, a speaker system and i-pod to play soothing music and a range of comfy cushions, chairs, rugs and blankets – it will be a really cosy cavern! We would also like the funding to purchase a ‘Sensory Circuit Box’ which costs £250. Our newly-federated sister school already has this piece of equipment and they use it regularly. We have seen first-hand just how effective it is in grounding SEN children in order for them to make the best of their school day. The idea is that a variety of activities from the Sensory Circuit Box are offered to SEN children at the very start of the school day - even before registration time. This allows them to become more focused and ready to learn. What better gift is there than that? We hope also our Sensory Room will be the ideal place to sort out any issue that any of our children experience. For example, Restorative Justice techniques could be used really effectively in the calm environment to resolve any conflicts, under the guidance of a staff member, that may have happened between pupils. Our hope is that our new Sensory Room haven will be such an amazing space that we may even occasionally find members of staff using it after a busy day! It will truly be a room for all. Please, please support our Sensory Room project 2018 in any way you can; by voting, by donating or simply just by visiting. Huge thank yous.