First SEND classroom in UK zoological setting to open at Woburn Safari Park
The first ever classroom in the country dedicated to children with special educational needs and disabilities within a zoological setting is set to open at Woburn Safari Park.
SENse the Safari is a space designed to give children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) the opportunity to experience a wildlife environment.
The facility, which costs £1.4 million, is described as ‘a bold reimagining of what accessible learning can look like within a wildlife environment.’
The park explains that the project has been ‘shaped with specialist input and informed by the lived experiences of families.’
The facility includes a specialist sensory room and decompression zone, adaptable workspaces with rising benches and lowered sinks, and outdoor play and picnic areas which overlook the foot safari.
It also gives learners the opportunity to engage in activities such as animal food preparation, tactile exploration, enrichment making and invertebrate handling.
Architect Neil Reynolds, a parent of a child with SEND, explained the project was of real emotional significance to him.
“From the outset, we designed the building to actively support learning - areas that feel connected to the classroom when needed but can quickly become calm and quiet whenever a child feels overwhelmed,” Neil explained.
Head of education and customer liaison at Woburn Safari Park Natasha Kyle added: “Many children with SEND miss out on experiences like the zoo and animal care.
“We are passionate about breaking down these barriers and creating an environment that enables all children and young people to learn and thrive.”
The park said it had received great feedback from schools that had already used the facility, with one teacher sharing how their pupils ‘were completely engaged’, while another noted the trip ‘brought our science learning to life.’