Inclusive Urban SEN Playground Zoned For Sensory & Emotional Regulation | Blossom House School

Aldenham Street, Euston, NW1 1PS

This special needs school is primarily focused on helping 90 pupils with speech language and communication difficulties. Children receive input ‘above the levels stated in Early Years Foundation Stage statutory provision’, and are provided ‘holistic academic and therapeutic input’ centred around cognition and learning, behaviour, emotional and social growth, sensory and physical development, and mental health wellbeing.

To extend this support outdoors, the school partnered with Creative Play to develop a playground divided into three distinct sections, tailored to the varied ages and abilities of pupils. Discover how this fun-filled SEN space delivers:

Structured activity that doesn’t overwhelm non-participating children, achieved through an enclosed multi-sports section that supports proprioception (and reduces ball loss!)
Clear separation by age, ability and sensory needs, achieved through zoning that uses layout and visual cues to guide pupils.
Stronger sensory regulation for Early Years, delivered through a dedicated area with tactile, water and movement-based activities.
Calming moments for emotional regulation and social interaction, provided by a quiet, low-stimulus zone.
Opportunities to build physical vestibular skills and independence via equipment that challenges balance, coordination and self-confidence.

BLOSSOM HOUSE SCHOOL

Located between Euston and Kings Cross in central London, Blossom House caters to SEN children of both Primary ages (Key Stages 1 and 2), and Secondary School. Known for their professional, caring staff, they excel at supporting ‘specific strengths and individual needs so that each child “blossoms” and have opportunities to fulfil their potential’.

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Customer Objective

The school required an outdoor space that would ‘boost pupils’ self-esteem by growing their confidence with a strong sense of inclusion’. It also wanted to support ‘social and emotional development’ by ensuring every pupil has a space tailored to their physical abilities and individual pace of progress.

Consultation

Outdoor Play Expert Andrea visited the school to explore how Creative Play could meet their needs. ‘After assessing the site and confirming there were no drainage or works access constraints’ she says, ‘we had an in-depth discussion to arrive at the best equipment choices for creating their three-zone vision’.

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS: TRANSFORMING A WORN YARD INTO A SAFE SEN SPACE

State Of Area Before Installation

Grey yard with limited play provisions, no structure for allowing pupils to explore and develop at their individual levels of progression
Worn wet pour and surface markings
Space dominated by sheds

Creative Play’s designers used Andrea’s site survey to develop a 3D layout of how the outdoor play area will look. ‘These designs are not just pretty pictures’, explains the Design Manager, ‘they are a crucial part of ensuing the choice and positioning of equipment is compliant with BSEN 1176 safety standards’.

Potential Works Restrictions

A reconnaissance of the school found that access was straightforward, although the removal of sheds and fitting of manhole covers would have to be done before the playground install team’s arrival. Roadside parking and a skip would have to be organised via the council.

Playground Surfacing

Wet pour EPDM was chosen as the most suitable surfacing as it comes in a wide range of colours and can be installed directly over the existing tarmac. ‘Green was chosen for the 12m x 8m multi-use games area’ says Andrea, ‘but other zones used green and blue with a 50% black fleck as it helps keep costs down’. Additional wet pour detailing included football line markings, a red running track, and circles. ‘To level out minor dips in the tarmac we laid an SBR base’.

Costs were also saved in other areas. ‘By selecting equipment with fall heights under 0.6 metres, the school could keep safety surfacing to a consistent 40mm depth across most of the site’, explains Andrea. ‘Only the 1.8-metre traverse wall required a deeper 60mm depth so it could meet BSEN 1177 safety standards’.

IMPLEMENTATION: OUTDOOR PLAY EQUIPMENT FOR MULTIPLE SEN AREAS

Sensory Design

Designed for EYFS pupils, a wooden fenced zone was created featuring a Cambridge sensory shelter, messy play kitchens, waterplay and sand items, playboards, and freestanding jumping blocks. ‘This carefully curated mix offers a rich blend of sensory, cognitive and physical experiences’ says Andrea, ‘supporting SEN learning and wellbeing requirements within a compact space’.

Quiet Design

Offering respite from physical activity for older children is a second Cambridge shelter situated at the end of the playground. ‘Featuring seating and calming, translucent colours combined with artificial grassed walls, it works in conjunction with planters, a grow house and a bug hotel to add a touch of nature relaxation’ says Andrea about the urban school’s new outdoors.

Sports Design

Centrepiece of the sports area is the MUGA, an enclosed games court surrounded by 3-metre-high green fencing ‘to prevent lost balls and keep play types separate’, as requested by the school. Timber kick boards with a basketball hoop and target panels introduce multiple game options, ‘adding structure and a strong social element to active play’, highlights Andrea.

The design team included red racetrack surfacing (complete with stopwatch panel) around a double-sided traverse wall to maximise the space and introduce a supplementary sports component. ‘Nearby benches offer comfortable spots for supervision and observational participation’, says Andrea, ‘while the climbing structure provides a natural visual divide to the surrounding zones’.

Installation

Transforming the grey yard into a vibrant urban SEN play space took just over five weeks, with the extensive surfacing works accounting for much of the timeline. A Creative Play Project Manager oversaw the installation, carried out by experienced, enhanced-DBS-checked fitters. Work began in early April and was completed a month later, with the entire site inspected, declared to be of BSEN 1176 / 1177 standards, and officially signed off for use by an RPII-certified inspector by mid-May.

RESULTS: COMPACT SEN SCHOOL PLAYGROUND OFFERING QUIET, SENSORY, AND SPORTS AREAS

A once dull and uninspired outdoor play spot is now a SEN-suitable environment that strengthens pupils’ confidence through inclusion and garners a readiness for learning by regulating senses and emotions. ‘Each zone offers purposeful opportunities for social, emotional and academic development, giving pupils a space matched to their abilities and individual pace of progress’ says Andrea.

‘The layout encourages participation, peer interaction and independence, while the mix of sensory, quiet and active areas supports motivation, focus and self-esteem’. Together, these improvements provide a more effective learning environment that ‘aligns closely with the school’s commitment to high-quality SEN provision and equality of opportunity’.

Maintenance & Future Opportunities

Constructed using copper-treated upright timbers with a 20-year guarantee, Blossom House School’s playground has been designed for long-lasting, low-maintenance durability. Finished to Creative Play’s high standard, it can be supported through a range of aftercare packages to maintain performance over time. With extensive EPDM wet pour surfacing throughout the site, the school can also make use of Creative Play’s exclusive DIY Surfacing Repair Kits, helping reduce the need for future call-out charges.

INSPIRED BY THIS 3 ZONE SEN SCHOOL PLAYGROUND SUCCESS STORY?

Let Creative Play help develop your SEN space. Explore more case studies to discover the incredible impact we can make – or get in touch today for a free consultation. Visit the Contact Page or connect via email ([email protected]) or telephone (01244 375 627).