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Sensory Provision

Students in the Sensory provision are grouped by need rather than by key stage.

Post-16 students have opportunities to access activities at specified times throughout the school week.

We use a Total Communication approach that consists of:

  • Signing
  • Symbols
  • PECS, verbal
  • Go Talk, communication boards/books
  • Body language
  • Zones of Regulation

Daily colour and music themes are also used to support the total communication approach.

The class day is divided up using a visual timetable with some students having personal schedules to help with processing, regulation, and structure.  The Sensory Provision follows Modules from the Equals Pre-Formal and Informal Curriculums, alongside a bespoke ‘Wren Offer’.

The learning in the Sensory department is designed to support students to develop the skills that will support them in later life. Students in the Sensory department have a range of complex medical and physical needs. Meeting these needs is embedded into the school day.

Students experience sessions and activities repeated over time to build exploration, realisation, anticipation, persistence, and initiation.

The Sensory curriculum consists of:

  • Equals Pre-Formal and Informal modules,
  • Sensory stories
  • Play
  • Sensory Cooking

Alongside the bespoke Wren Offer, which features a range of activities including community visits, movement programmes, creativity, exploratory play, outside learning.

The curriculum follows a rolling three-year programme of themes, linking across the Sensory story, Creativity and Sensory cooking activities. Activities are either termly or half-termly, depending on class group needs. 

Termly Themes

Year One

Autumn: Seasonal Surprises.

Spring: New beginnings.

Summer: Festivals & Fairgrounds.

Year Two

Autumn: On the Farm.

Spring: Ready, Steady, Grow.

Summer: Sand & Sea.

Year Three

Autumn: Ghosts & Ghouls.

Spring: It’s Showtime!

Summer: Heroes & Villains.

Curriculum Philosophy

The biggest indicator of a successful life is social capital – the links and support networks that an individual has around them which support emotional health and wellbeing.

Our curriculum needs to be designed to develop these links:

  • Support for the individual to develop the skills to make links (self-regulation and communication skills) – Me.
  • Develop positive relationships (communication skills and emotional regulation) – We.
  • Build personal skills that help to develop positive, mutually beneficial relationships, not only at an individual level but between groups (Our) and to benefit others (Your).

We support students to become:

  • Successful learners who make progress, enjoy learning and achieve their potential.
  • Confident adults who can live safe, healthy and happy lives.
  • Responsible adults who make a positive contribution to society.

We do this by ensuring the curriculum:

  • Is relevant to the specific needs of the student.
  • Offers ways to fulfil their full potential through problem-solving.
  • Is flexible to enable a highly personalised approach.
  • Builds on existing knowledge, skills and understanding by building connections.
  • Reflects the multicultural nature of the local and national community and builds on British values.
  • Encourages respect for others and the environment.
  • Develops confidence, self-esteem, self-regulation and independence.
  • Prepares students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adulthood.

Sensory: Communication

Equals

Sensory Story Eq. P

Students use a variety of multisensory props and visual aids.  Promotes communication, anticipation and engagement through repetition.

Wren Offer

Activity Description
Circle Time Use communication aids (switches/E-tran) to promote peer engagement, anticipation and self-awareness. Embeds students’ daily timetable with the use of comm symbols and OOR.
Bucket Gains students' attention and interest, by gaining students' anticipation, excitement and observation of the content of the bucket.
Music Students experience differentiation between rhythm, tempo, noises and sounds, using a variety of accessible musical instruments.
Interaction Promotes positive interaction, builds relationships and communication,
Play Offered opportunities to explore unfamiliar play-based activities, promoting choice and decision-making and problem-solving.
Exploration Opportunities to explore different textures and smells in an adapted environment.
Relaxation Relaxing music alongside a sensory massage and a diffuser to relax the senses.
TacPac TacPac is a sensory communication resource using touch and music. This helps with sensory impairment, developmental delay, complex learning difficulties, tactile defensiveness and limited or pre-verbal level of communication.

Sensory: Good Health

Wren Offer

Activity Description
Physio/Mobility This promotes and maintains individual therapies by using a range of movements for joints and muscles. Students access their standing frames, wedges for prone lying and walkers in order to maintain mobility.
Sensory Integration Focusses sensory processing from the body's environment, which includes sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.
Proprioception – body awareness and vestibular awareness of movement, balance and coordination.
Swimming Promotes mobility through freedom of movement, body awareness and independence, with the use of floatation aids.
Physical Wellbeing Body movement programs that promote body awareness through music and repetition, such as sensory movement and physiotherapy. 
Ball games Motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination, turn taking and sharing
Parachute Parachute games and songs that promote socialising through fun, sharing and turn taking.
Free Choice - Transport Opportunity for students to make individual choices supported by communication.
Sensory Experience/Soft-Play Using bubble tube to provide calming, relaxing, visual feedback via movement and colour. A calming environment with waterfall lights, sensory beanbags, and cushions. 
Soft-Play Opportunity to share communication aids, spacing positively with peers, encouraging movement and body awareness/vestibular proprioception.

Sensory: Friends, Relationships & Community

Equals

Play Eq. I

Free Play and Sensory Play enables pupils to develop their play, social and regulation skills.  The sessions take into account individual levels of play and the social dimensions of play.

Wren Offer

Activity Description

Community Visit

Community visits entail visits and experiences for students in the local community, including local parks, and supermarkets. The visit enhances students’ educational experiences and enables them to make use of and become aware of their local community.

Relax/Massage

Relax/Massage offers opportunities for students to enhance well-being, forge trusting relationships with staff, reduce tactile defensiveness, and enable students to build on their ability to be calm and relaxed.

Parachute

Parachute sessions offer the opportunity for communication and self-advocacy, build hand / eye coordination and fine and gross motor skills, and develop awareness of self and of others. The sessions also promote physical wellbeing and are a fun, enjoyable activity.

Leisure

Leisure offers the opportunity for our students to make a choice about how they spend their time. A range of activities are offered, including play, physical activities, social opportunities and time to relax and self-regulate.

Sensory: Independent Living

Wren Offer

Activity Description
Personal Care Personal care is an opportunity for students to communicate, give consent, develop independence skills and increase body awareness.
Snack Snack offers students time to build communication and independence skills, spend social time with their peers, and try new foods and drinks.
Lunch Lunchtime offers a social opportunity, in addition to building communication and independence / self-help skills.
Choose Choose-time offers the opportunity for our students to make a choice of how they spend their time. A range of activities are offered, including play, physical activities, social opportunities, and time to relax and self-regulate.

Sensory: Future Destinations (Employment)

Equals

Sensory Cookery Eq.P

Sensory cooking is processed-based learning with the focus on the activity and the exploration of the materials, mixing them, touching, smelling, tasting, looking at them, listening to the sounds they make when moved, shaken or stirred, rather than the finished article.

Wren Offer

Activity Description
Morning routine The morning routine helps students transition in to school and be ready for learning. The routine offers the opportunity to greet peers and staff members and be made aware of the timetable / activities for the day. Movement / sensory integration activities are offered as part of the transitional period.
Creativity Creativity sessions are part of processed-based learning, allowing students to experience different materials, textures and activities, with the focus being on the process of the activity and not the finished article. Creativity sessions link to the termly themes throughout the year and include sensory art, music and dance sessions.
Assembly Assembly offers a social opportunity for students to mix with peers from other classes, share and reflect on the week, and celebrate achievements and special events.
Outside Play Outside play offers students the opportunity to experience play equipment, turn taking, changing seasons, sensory experiences and social interactions. The session promotes communication, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Therapies Therapies are offered on a daily basis to students, and follow advice from Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, promoting physical and emotional wellbeing.

  1. Sensory Curriculum Linkage

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