SEND
A new way forward: using VR for SEND provision
We hear from SIMON BRADSHAW, Learning Design and Curriculum Specialist, Avantis Education.
Across the UK, delivering effective SEND provision remains one of the most complex and pressing challenges facing schools. Classrooms are increasingly diverse, yet teachers are working within significant constraints, balancing high expectations for progress with limited time, resource and capacity.
As a former primary teacher, I’ve seen how difficult it can be to meet a wide range of needs within a single lesson. The challenge is not simply differentiation, but responsiveness: how to support learners in the moment, without removing them from learning or disrupting others.
Increasingly, schools are exploring how immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) can support this responsive approach.
At the heart of effective SEND provision is a simple but often overlooked principle: learning is conditional on readiness. For many pupils, particularly those with sensory or emotional regulation needs, feeling calm, safe and settled is a prerequisite for engagement. Without this, even well-designed teaching can struggle to land.
What is emerging is the use of VR as a tool to support this readiness. In some classrooms, short, targeted immersive experiences are being used to help pupils regulate when they become overwhelmed, allowing them to remain within the learning environment. This reflects a shift away from reactive removal strategies towards more inclusive, in-class support.
Importantly, this approach sits alongside, not instead of, established SEND strategies. It complements existing practice, giving teachers another option when responding to individual needs in real time.
A number of schools are already demonstrating what this can look like in practice. At Spalding Academy, short calming experiences are used to support emotional regulation, helping learners manage sensory overload and rejoin lessons ready to learn. Corley Academy uses immersive scenarios to help learners rehearse everyday activities, such as travelling on public transport, building confidence through familiarity.
What connects these examples is not the technology itself, but the pedagogy behind it. In each case, VR is being used with a clear understanding of learner need, supporting independence, reducing anxiety and creating opportunities for meaningful participation.
There is also a wider shift taking place. As expectations around inclusive practice continue to evolve within mainstream settings, schools are rethinking what effective SEND support looks like on a day-to-day basis. Increasingly, the focus is on approaches that are not only impactful, but also sustainable for teachers.
Immersive technology, such as ClassVR, can align with this thinking. It allows for quick, targeted responses. It supports personalised experiences without requiring extensive preparation. Crucially, it helps create classroom environments where all learners can feel supported without being singled out.
Inclusion is not about adding more layers to an already complex system. It’s about finding smarter, more adaptable ways to meet learners where they are.
VR is not a silver bullet, but it is proving to be a valuable addition to the toolkit. As schools increasingly begin to explore its potential, we are starting to see what a more responsive, inclusive classroom could look like in practice. Because when learners feel safe, regulated and ready, meaningful learning can begin.
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www.education-today.co.uk
SENse the Safari: a new SEND blueprint?
A look at the new SEND education facility at Woburn Safari Park.
A brand-new education facility for children with SEND is being hailed as an outstanding development, with early reaction suggesting it should become a national blueprint for visitor and educational facilities across Britain.
‘SENse the Safari’ at Woburn Safari Park is
the first purpose-built SEND classroom facility of its kind in any UK zoological setting. Designed from the ground up around the real needs of children and families, it marks a significant shift in how major visitor attractions can – and arguably should – cater for SEND audiences.
The facility has been developed with specialist input and shaped by the lived experiences of families, introducing a genuinely inclusive model that integrates animal care, sensory engagement and education into one seamless experience. At its core is a simple but powerful idea: children with SEND should not be excluded from the kind of enriching, confidence-building experiences that others take for granted.
Natasha Kyle, Head of Education and Customer Liaison at Woburn Safari Park, was instrumental in creating the classroom and said the facility bridges a long-standing gap: “For too long, many children with SEND have missed out on experiences like visiting a zoo or taking part in animal care. This is about changing that.”
Hannah Caswell, Assistant Head at Daventry Hill School, which is a special needs school for children aged 4 to 18 years, said: “Having a space that is purpose-built for the children is really helpful - It reduces anxieties. When you’re travelling somewhere, you don’t want to worry that their needs and preferences aren’t going to be accepted.
With this new facility, we’ve got somewhere really safe for them to come and have an experience. I’m really hoping that more facilities will end up having purpose-built spaces like this, so everybody can access wonderful experiences.”
What sets ‘SENse the Safari’ apart – and why it is already being described as a benchmark for others to follow – is the depth of its design thinking.
The facility includes a dedicated sensory room and decompression zone for managing overstimulation; flexible learning spaces with rising benches and lowered sinks; outdoor play and picnic areas designed for accessibility and calm engagement; and hands-on activities including animal food preparation, water play, tactile exploration and invertebrate handling.
Crucially, the building itself is designed to respond to children’s needs in real time, allowing staff to adapt environments instantly when a child becomes overwhelmed.
Architect Neil Reynolds of Louis de Soissons, who led the design team, described the emotional significance behind the design: “As a parent of children with SEND, this was deeply personal. We wanted to create a space that doesn’t just accommodate children, but actively supports how they learn and feel. The building allows for fluid transitions between activity and calm, giving children the reassurance and flexibility they need to engage.”
The launch has already sparked wider discussion among educators and accessibility advocates, with many suggesting the model should be replicated across the UK’s leisure, education and cultural sectors.
May 2026
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