Case Study: Sensory Rooms at Ballyoran PS

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Introduction

Ballyoran Primary School in Portadown has a strong commitment to creating inclusive learning environments. With a diverse pupil population, including those in specialist provisions, the school recognises the importance of supporting children with a wide range of sensory needs. To strengthen this support, the school partnered with Creative Activity to design and install two sensory rooms and a sensory circuit.

(Stay tuned — the full story on the Sensory Corridor installation will be shared in a separate case study soon!)

Background

The project was led by Roisin McGuire, Learning Support Coordinator and Vice Principal, who identified the need for spaces that would help children regulate emotions, reduce stress, and re-focus during the school day. Working closely with our sensory consultant, Kieran, the vision was to create calming, therapeutic environments that could be used by both specialist provision and mainstream pupils.

Challenges

Ballyoran Primary needed sensory environments that could:

• Support a wide variety of sensory profiles across both specialist provisions and mainstream classes.

• Provide calm and regulation spaces for children experiencing sensory overload.

• Be functional, adaptable, and inclusive, while remaining calming and therapeutic.

• Integrate seamlessly into the school’s daily routines, ensuring accessibility for all pupils.

The Solution

Creative Activity worked in close consultation with the school to design and install:

• Two Sensory Rooms, carefully tailored to meet diverse sensory needs, incorporating calming lighting, tactile features, and interactive resources.

Kieran, our sensory consultant, collaborated with staff throughout the process, taking time to plan and re-plan installations to ensure the children’s needs always remained the top priority. Our team’s flexibility and attention to detail helped create sensory spaces that are both functional and therapeutic.

Results

The sensory rooms have already made an immediate positive impact on pupils and staff.

• They are now recognised as safe havens where children can regulate emotions, find calm, and re-focus before returning to learning.

• Both specialist and mainstream pupils use the spaces daily, highlighting their inclusivity.

• The installations have quickly become a vital part of the school environment, enhancing both learning and wellbeing.

Feedback 

“From the outset, Kieran was a pleasure to work with - professional, flexible, and deeply considerate of our pupils’ sensory needs.

As a school with two specialist provisions, it was important that these spaces fit a wide range of sensory profiles. Kieran took the time to plan and replan the installations, always prioritising the needs of the children.

Creative Activity’s attention to detail and willingness to adapt ensured the result was both functional and calming. The sensory rooms have quickly become a vital part of our school environment. Pupils from both specialist classes and mainstream classes use them to regulate emotions, find calm, and refocus.

The impact has been immediate and very positive – these spaces are now safe havens for many of our children. We highly recommend Creative Activity to any setting looking to create inclusive, therapeutic environments for children with sensory needs.”

— Roisin McGuire, Learning Support Coordinator & Vice Principal, Ballyoran Primary School

 

Feedback 

"The process of working with Creative Activity has been really seamless. They came down, measured the room, recommended the correct equipment, and it was fitted within a few days. It’s been really beneficial, and I would highly recommend working with them in the future—especially for anyone considering a sensory room or identifying a need for one."

 

– Katie Gardiner, Mental Health Nurse

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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