Sensory Room at Black Mountain Primary School

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Introduction

Black Mountain Primary School partnered with Creative Activity to design and install a dedicated sensory room that supports pupils with a wide range of additional needs.

The project focused on creating a calming, accessible space that promotes self-care, emotional regulation, and engagement - helping pupils feel more prepared and supported throughout the school day.

Background & Vision

The project was led in collaboration with Ted Hall, who teaches within the school’s Social and Communication SPiM (Specialist Provision in Mainstream Education).

The initial goal was to support the needs of two SPiM classes. However, it quickly became clear that there was a wider demand across the school, with a high number of pupils requiring additional sensory and emotional support.

Staff recognised the need for a dedicated space where pupils could:

• Relax and unwind

• Express themselves creatively

• Regulate their emotions in a safe environment

It was also important that the room was centrally located within the school, allowing easy access for all pupils while remaining close to the SPiM classrooms for regular breakout use.

To make this possible, the school identified an underutilised storage room and saw an opportunity to transform it into a valuable, multi-purpose sensory space.

The Challenge

The school faced a number of key challenges:

• A need to support a wide range of sensory and emotional regulation needs across multiple classes

• Ensuring the space was accessible to all pupils while still being close to the SPiM classrooms for regular use

• Limited available space within the school building

To overcome this, the school identified an underutilised storage room that was not adding value to the pupils’ experience. The challenge was to transform this into a functional, calming, and engaging sensory environment in a central location within the school.

Solution

Creative Activity worked closely with the team at Black Mountain Primary School to bring their vision to life.

After an initial consultation and site visit, our team developed a tailored plan for the space, including a detailed 3D room design to help the school visualise the final outcome. We also recommended a range of sensory equipment suited to both calming and interactive use.

The room was designed to:

• Provide a calm, safe space for emotional regulation

• Support both structured sessions and flexible, drop-in use

• Be easily accessible throughout the school day

• Act as a breakout space for SPiM pupils when needed

By transforming the unused storage room into a fully immersive sensory space, the school was able to maximise an existing area without requiring additional building work.

Installation was completed in just one day, allowing pupils to begin using the space almost immediately.

Results & Impact

The sensory room has quickly become an essential part of daily life at Black Mountain Primary School.

Pupils, particularly those within the SPiM classes, are now able to access a calming environment at key points throughout the day—helping them regulate their emotions and return to the classroom ready to learn.

The space is used:

• First thing in the morning to support a calm and positive start to the day

• As a transition tool after breaktimes

• Throughout the day as a breakout and self-care space

It has also provided staff with a valuable resource to better support pupils’ individual needs, improving overall engagement and wellbeing across the school

Feedback

Ted Hall shared the impact the space has had:

“For our children, it’s been an absolute joy to have - especially for the children in my SPiM class. First thing in the morning, they use it as a calm, quiet space, which allows them to come into the classroom regulated and ready to learn.”

“It’s also a fantastic opportunity to use after breaktime to help transition back into learning.”

“I would definitely recommend Creative Activity. From start to finish, it was an easy process - having them come out, look at the space, give us 3D plans, and the installation took no time at all. It’s been amazing for our kids to have within the school, and it’s a great thing for all schools to have.”

Start Your Sensory Journey

If your school is exploring ways to support regulation, wellbeing, and inclusive learning through sensory spaces, we’re here to help. Whether it’s a corridor transformation or a complete sensory room, our team will work with you from concept to completion.

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