A sensory rich residential for special schools
by Lynsey Robinson, Sensory Trust Project Manager
Exploring new landscapes, toasting marshmallows around a crackling campfire, and a night away with friends are some of the transformational experiences gained through residential trips. Students and staff are immersed in a journey of discovery, gaining new skills and working together in ways they may never have attempted before.
By March 2022, over 800 pupils will have experienced a Nature Friendly Schools residential at one of six Field Studies Council centres across England. The prospect of a night under the stars in the wild beauty of Malham Tarn or drifting to sleep to the sound of waves at Slapton Start Bay have fuelled our schools with a sense of adventure and anticipation, including our specialist schools participating in the project.
Students and teachers have taken in the autumn glory of the woods, tasted salt on their lips from time spent on the beach and been mesmerised by the flickering of a campfire in the evening. But this kind of magic cannot happen without careful and considered planning.
Sensory Trust
Sensory Trust, the Field Studies Council (FSC) and each school have worked closely together to ensure the trips can be supportive and accommodating of the individual needs of the school communities. They say the devil is in the detail and for this we believe it is. From the bus turning up half an hour earlier than it might usually so the students can take their time to transition onto it, to the itinerary for the trip being displayed on a board in the residential centre so that pupils can see how the day is going to go. The conversations and planning enable everyone to know what will happen, when and how. This can then be communicated back to parents who may have concerns over their children being away, some for the first time ever.
Taking a trip for a specialist school can mean bringing a range of equipment for getting around, devices for communicating (not forgetting the chargers if they are electric devices) through to a large lockable box of medication. All of these aspects need to be prepared for. The FSC centres have worked incredibly hard to accommodate these needs and ensured the visits can run smoothly.
The activities provided have enabled sensory rich engagement with nature and the outdoors, helping many children to come out of their comfort zone and participate in ways they would not have done in school. One teacher remarked how a young lady who is dirt phobic and struggles with tactile interaction had so much fun in the woods that by the end of the session she was picking up sticks and engaging in a way she would not have done before. It was great for the staff to witness this personal growth and pure love of nature and they were incredibly pleased for the young lady.
The assistant headteacher at Mountjoy School said of their residential experience: “The class we took can sometimes struggle to access learning. Throughout the trip they remained regulated, and I put that down to being out in nature, having fresh air and being in green spaces. They listened to the FSC staff and engaged with the activities; it was great to see.”
FSC group leader, Maryanne Wills added: “I was lucky enough to host two special school residentials in November, giving pupils and teachers the opportunity to experience their first time away together in a long time, or for some their first time away at all. I witnessed friendships developing, children discovering how courageous and resilient they could be, and pupils having lots of fun engaging with each other and with the natural world. Teachers saw children trying things they wouldn’t expect, from making their own beds and ordering dinner independently to getting their hands dirty and tackling wobbly rope bridges. The impact that even a short time in a new setting and exploring new places had on these children was amazing and hopefully will continue beyond the residential itself.”
The residentials will have strengthened pupils’ connection to nature, increased their care and concern for the natural world and most importantly made memories for the young people that they will treasure forever!