St Margaret Clitherow School in London is committed to creating a nurturing environment where every child feels safe, supported and inspired to achieve their full potential. To further enhance pupil wellbeing, the school invested in a bespoke hybrid sensory soft play room, providing a dedicated space where children can regulate their emotions, reduce anxiety and return to learning feeling calm and ready to engage.
The Brief: Creating a Dedicated Space for Regulation
The school required a calming sensory environment that could support pupils when the demands of the school day became overwhelming. The space needed to offer a variety of sensory experiences that would help children self-regulate, decompress and safely transition back into the classroom when they felt ready.
Flexibility was also a key requirement, ensuring the room could meet the diverse sensory needs of both current and future pupils.
The hybrid sensory soft play room prior to installation.
The Design: Blending Sensory Experiences with Soft Play
To create the hybrid sensory soft play room, the school selected one of our bespoke hybrid systems. This custom design combined sensory equipment with soft-padded walls, flooring and furnishings to deliver a safe, immersive environment that maximises both comfort and functionality.
The room was designed with a range of sensory experiences to encourage exploration, relaxation and self-regulation. Features included an interactive Borealis Tube, infinity den, spinning seat and interactive fiddle panel, giving pupils multiple ways to engage with the space depending on their individual sensory preferences.
The combination of soft play elements and interactive sensory equipment creates an environment that is equally suited to calming, movement, sensory stimulation and emotional regulation.
The Installation: Expertly Delivered Onsite
As the school’s SEND unit was already operational, the installation was carefully planned during term time to minimise disruption. Our DBS-checked installation team completed the project efficiently within the dedicated room, allowing teaching and learning to continue uninterrupted throughout the school.
A lockable control cabinet was also installed, providing staff with secure access to the room’s controls and enabling them to customise the sensory experience to suit individual pupils and activities.
The Training: Helping Staff Make the Most of the Space
Following installation, comprehensive user training was provided for school staff. This ensured confidence in operating the equipment, understanding the interactive features and tailoring the environment to meet the varying sensory needs of each child.
The Outcome: Making a Positive Difference to Pupils and Staff
The completed hybrid sensory soft play room has made an immediate positive impact on both pupils and staff. The school was delighted with the finished space, commenting on how quickly children embraced the environment and benefited from having a dedicated area to regulate their emotions.
By combining soft play features with immersive sensory experiences, the hybrid sensory soft play room provides pupils with the freedom to choose the activities that best support their individual regulation needs. Whether relaxing amongst the calming lighting, engaging with interactive equipment or simply enjoying the comfort of the padded surroundings, the space offers a safe and supportive environment that promotes wellbeing, emotional resilience and readiness to learn.
