QAC's Sensory rooms

Our sensory rooms are available for students to use with more features following a short period of refurbishment.

The sensory room is a safe space for all students to use to meet their regulation needs with the help and support of the positive behaviour team or their own support staff. The room is designed to help students to regulate their emotional and sensory needs with the use of sensory integration equipment.

We have recently had some sensory swings installed which students have been using throughout the day when they need a few minutes to get themselves feeling calm and alert, in a just right state to go back to class and engage in their learning.

The sensory room has a range of sensory swings which are used in various ways to either calm a student, alert a student, or just help them to feel more regulated and organised in their sensory systems. The cuddle swing is a firm favourite and many students describe it as feeling like a big hug!

Alongside the swings, the sensory room also has a number of small trampolines, scooter boards, therapy balls, a ball pit and a large tent to hide away in. The sensory lighting adds to the calming impact of the environment and the temperature of the room can be changed in an instant with the air conditioning and heating system.

There are two spaces that students are welcome to use throughout the day. The larger room can be used by up to three students and then the smaller sensory room is for individual use if a student really wants some time alone. The rooms are both very popular all day, every day and students are encouraged to explore the equipment and to work out what they find helpful to meet their regulation needs.

The Zones of Regulation Programme is used alongside the sensory integration room which supports students to recognise their own emotional and regulation needs and to discover strategies to help support them. The students are supported to identify what regulation 'zone' they feel they are in and then they can access a number of strategies to help themselves to feel better. The programme supports self-regulation and helps students to identify their emotions and the physical/ sensory activities they can engage with to help them to feel calm and alert at College