SEND

Maylandsea Primary School, Chelmsford

2 min read

Located on the picturesque Dengie Peninsula, just 30 minutes from Chelmsford, Maylandsea Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive school that supports 217 children aged between 4 and 11. With a strong commitment to helping every child feel valued and able to thrive, the school wanted to enhance its outdoor provision to better support pupils with additional needs.

The school approached Phoenix Play to transform an existing courtyard area that was being used as a breakout space for children with SEND. While the space provided a valuable opportunity for children to access the outdoors, it was not fully meeting their sensory, emotional and physical needs.

Kerry, the school’s SENCO, wanted to create a dedicated outdoor environment where children could move, regulate their emotions, explore sensory experiences and engage in purposeful play within a safe and inspiring setting.

Designing with Children at the Heart

Working closely with the school, Phoenix Play Outdoor Learning Consultant Gemma developed a bespoke design that maximised the potential of the available space. The aim was to create a flexible, all-weather environment that could be accessed throughout the year and support a wide range of learning and developmental needs.

The new Play Grass surface provided a safe and adaptable foundation for the space, while its location beneath the trees created a naturally calming environment where children could experience the sensory joys of changing seasons and enjoy the benefits of dappled sunlight cast from the canopy.

The design incorporated a range of sensory and physical play opportunities, carefully selected to support emotional regulation, communication, movement and exploration.

The Mud Kitchen and Mud Box created an open-ended area for collaborative, imaginative and tactile play, encouraging children to experiment, communicate and develop social skills. The Stepping Logs and Wobbly Bridge created a circuit for concentration and repetition, helping children activate their vestibular and proprioceptive sense required for refocusing and a sense of calm.

The addition of the Mini Wave Swing provided another tool for rhythmic movement and calming sensory input, while the basket swing encouraged shared experiences, cooperation and interaction.

A Space That Supports Every Child

Since the transformation, the new SEN area has had a significant impact on children across the school.

The space now provides a purposeful environment where pupils can regulate their emotions and sensory needs, helping them feel calmer, more confident and ready to learn. Staff have seen improvements in engagement, communication, social interaction and emotional wellbeing, with children highly motivated to access the area.

Kerry explained:

"We wanted to create a dedicated sensory and regulation space that would support pupils with a range of additional needs. The new area provides opportunities for sensory exploration, movement, emotional regulation and structured play within a safe and engaging environment."

"The impact has been really positive. Children are able to regulate their emotions and sensory needs, helping them to feel calmer and more ready to learn. Staff have noticed improvements in engagement, communication, social interaction and emotional wellbeing."

A Collaborative Approach

The school chose Phoenix Play because of our understanding of inclusive outdoor learning and our ability to create bespoke solutions that work within the space available.

"Phoenix Play understood the needs of our children with SEND. The designs were creative, practical and tailored to our setting. No other company was able to provide the equipment we wanted within the space available."

"The communication throughout the project with Gemma was excellent. She listened carefully to our requirements, offered helpful suggestions and worked collaboratively with us to create a space that met the needs of our pupils. The design process was straightforward and professional from start to finish.”

For Phoenix Play, creating inclusive outdoor spaces is about more than installing equipment. It is about understanding children, their individual needs and how the right environment can help them learn, develop and thrive.

The Maylandsea Primary School project demonstrates the impact that a thoughtfully designed outdoor space can have, creating opportunities for children to explore, communicate, regulate and enjoy learning through play.

"We would highly recommend Phoenix Play to other schools looking to develop inclusive outdoor spaces. Thank you again for all your support throughout the project."