KS1 KS2

Cranborne Primary School, Potters Bar

1 min read

Cranborne School Playground Design - Sensory development

Cranborne Primary School is a thriving Foundation School in Hertfordshire, supporting children aged 3-11. When the school team approached Phoenix Play, they were looking to breathe new life into an outdoor area that had started to feel a bit tired. More importantly, they wanted to create a true “wow factor” space - somewhere vibrant, inclusive and purposeful that would particularly support their pupils with SEND.

The vision was to develop an environment where children could regulate, reset and engage with play in different ways throughout the school day. While the project was designed with SEND support in mind, the school wanted the space to feel fully inclusive, benefiting children right across the school community.

Working closely with the team, our Outdoor Learning Consultant, Mark, created a bespoke design centred around sensory engagement, movement and exploration. Every element was carefully chosen to support meaningful play and provide opportunities for children to experience different types of sensory feedback.

A standout feature of the project is the sensory walkway and sensory tunnels, creating the visual impact the school hoped for while also supporting regulation through visual stimulation and immersive play experiences. Musical play elements were incorporated to encourage auditory feedback and collaborative interaction, while our versatile Great Explorer blocks provide valuable vestibular input, supporting balance, coordination and spatial awareness through active, open-ended play.

The Great Explorer blocks have quickly become a favourite with the children, who love the freedom to build, move and create new challenges every day.

The finished space has transformed the playground into an environment that supports physical development, sensory exploration and social interaction - giving children opportunities to play, regulate and thrive in ways that work for them, as well as to sit and enjoy the planters with benches. These give the opportunity for sensory plants to be planted to create a sense of calm.

Projects like this perfectly reflect what we believe at Phoenix Play, creating inclusive outdoor environments where every child feels supported, inspired and able to flourish through play.

“We’re so happy with the install of our amazing new playground space. The children absolutely love it. It has encouraged us to move away from ball games and instead focus on creativity and building. It’s become a lovely calm area, which is very much needed in a very busy school. We’ve been really happy with Phoenix Play from start to finish. They’ve supported us throughout the journey and designed this bespoke, beautiful space for our children to enjoy. We’re already excited for the next stage of our project.”