Senso Cube at Darkley Primary School

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Background

Darkley Primary School, located in County Armagh, has spent recent years reflecting on their child-centred provision. As part of this process, the leadership team identified a growing need for enhanced sensory support to meet the diverse needs of their pupils. With an increasing focus on wellbeing and regulation, the school began exploring options to create purposeful sensory spaces that would benefit all children.

Introduction

Principal Ciaran Monaghan and his team had already taken significant steps in developing resources to support pupils’ sensory needs. However, their building presented a challenge - limited space. The school knew they needed a solution that would be innovative, compact, and flexible, while still delivering a high-impact sensory experience.

Motivated to provide the very best for their pupils, the school reached out to Creative Activity for guidance. What followed was a collaborative process that not only solved their space challenges but unlocked new possibilities they had never considered.

The Challenge

• Limited usable space within the school for traditional sensory room installations

• A desire for multiple sensory solutions, not just a single feature

• The need for designs that required no structural alterations

• A budget largely dependent on community fundraising

• The wish to create spaces that supported regulation, focus, and emotional wellbeing for a wide age range and diverse needs

Darkley Primary needed solutions that were practical, modular, and able to transform areas that were previously overlooked or unused.

The Solutions

Creative Activity carried out a full site visit, led by Kieran, who measured, photographed, and surveyed the school to understand the constraints and opportunities. The resulting proposal and designs impressed the team immediately.

1. A Bespoke Senso Cube Installation

A fully custom-built Senso Cube was designed to fit perfectly within a specific area of the school - providing an immersive, interactive, and calming sensory retreat. Its modular, freestanding structure meant no building work was required.

2. Transformation of an Unused Store Room into a Wellbeing Zone

An old, unused storeroom - previously never considered for development, was reimagined and transformed into a dedicated wellbeing space. This area now provides pupils with a quiet, nurturing environment for self-regulation and self-care.

3. Sensory Circuit Along the Corridor

To support movement breaks and sensory regulation throughout the school day, Creative Activity redesigned a corridor into a sensory circuit, giving pupils accessible opportunities for physical and cognitive resets as they transition between activities.

4. Community-Led Fundraising

Funding was a significant challenge, but the school community rallied together. Staff and supporters even abseiled down the Europa Hotel in Belfast to raise essential funds - turning the sensory project into a true community endeavour.

Results

The impact of the new sensory environments at Darkley Primary has been immediate and transformative.

• The Senso Cube has become a focal point of the school, offering a calming retreat that supports regulation, focus, and emotional processing throughout the day.

• Children are benefitting through 1:1 sessions, small groups, and a buddy system, ensuring widespread access.

• The wellbeing zone has created a safe, supportive space for emotional reset and self-regulation.

• The sensory circuit has enhanced movement opportunities, improving concentration and reducing overwhelm.

• Staff have reported significant positive changes in children’s readiness to learn and overall wellbeing.

As Principal Monaghan shared, the combination of these new spaces has had “a fantastic and immediate impact.”

Feedback 

 Principal Ciaran Monaghan expressed his appreciation for the project:

“Having that focal point in the school is absolutely priceless. The Cube is modular and freestanding, so there is nothing structural you need to do to your school.”

“We as a school are absolutely thrilled and appreciative for everything Creative Activity have designed and installed for us with such great quality. We know now and forever more our school has the very, very best, which impacts so positively and directly on our pupils.”

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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