Therapeutic Classrooms

Challenging perceptions and raising standards

Our Therapeutic classrooms are rooms that have been purposefully designed to put the children’s mental health and wellbeing needs at their core. Everything in the room has been specifically chosen to ensure that the space is Trauma-Informed, Attachment-Aware, Inclusive & Neurodiverse Sensitive

The average UK classroom is cluttered, uncomfortable, overwhelming and outdated, and is not designed around the needs of our children today. Let’s be honest – classrooms haven’t changed much in the last 50 years, and that is not good enough.

It’s time to raise standards and redesign the space purposefully, ensuring they are trauma informed and attachment aware. We are on a mission to change perceptions, challenge the status quo and set a new standard for UK classrooms

Worsley Mesnes.2 - Teaching Positive Connections

The UK has seen a rise in the number of children struggling with their mental health and wellbeing in primary schools. With everyone now focused on wellbeing as part of their agenda, there is one place we are overlooking.. the classroom.

therapeutic classrooms1 - Teaching Positive Connections

Our Therapeutic classrooms are rooms that have been purposefully designed to put the children’s mental health and wellbeing needs at their core. Everything in the room has been specifically chosen to ensure that the space is Trauma-Informed, Attachment-Aware, Inclusive & Neurodiverse Sensitive

What is a Therapeutic Classroom?

A therapeutic classroom is a room that has been purposefully designed to put the children’s mental health and wellbeing needs at the core. Everything in the room has been specifically chosen to ensure that the space is:

Trauma Informed

Attachment Aware

Inclusive

Neurodiverse Sensitive

“This is not just about creating beautiful spaces it’s about creating rooms that make children feel safe and calm”
Shahana Knight

This is part of a bigger vision

The Therapeutic Classroom Approach is an element of our Therapeutic Teaching Course – which is a 6 module course for schools to embed a whole school approach to mental health, wellbeing and trauma informed approaches

Learn More

Therapeutic Classrooms.2 - Teaching Positive Connections

Overnight Impact

We’ve transformed classrooms across the UK in all settings. From main stream primary schools – big and small, SEMH schools, special schools and even prep schools. Every single time the impact is evident overnight. This is a universal approach and should be the new standard in education.

What’s been said about our classrooms

We had such an overwhelmingly positive reaction from pupils, parents and staff that we then decided to refurbish our KS2 classrooms in this manner. Our children say that the refurbished classrooms are comfortable and enable them to concentrate more. Staff say they have more connection with the children as those at the back are seated at higher tables so have direct eye contact with the teacher and are not obscured by pupils in front. The children say the rooms have a ‘family’ feel and they can concentrate better.
They enjoy the flexible seating approach and often choose to lie on the floor or sit on the floor with a lap tray in front of them at which they work. Others stand or sit at the high tables. There is a noticeable improvement in concentration on work activities for children with ADHD. It can look very strange and different when visitors are in school but they all remark on how quiet and focused the children are.
Throughout school, we have seen a vast improvement in behaviour and relationships between pupils and they take more responsibility for looking after resources and keeping school tidy. We are so convinced of the positive benefits on children’s wellbeing that the changes to the environment have had that we are now about to refurbish the KS1 classrooms to create therapeutic style classrooms for our 5 – 7 year olds.

Head Teacher - Allendale Primary School

Northumberland

“I think it works really well after lunchtime when they are overstimulated. They are coming in and it is giving them a space to calm down before they actually start on work. It is solving a lot of issues that would have been in place beforehand.”

Teacher

The room definitely has a really calm feel about it and in my opinion (although still early days) this is having an effect on the children. The table setup has had a positive impact on communication activities – the children are far more cohesive and work collaboratively. Initially, I had concerns about the children not having trays for their belongings, but having given each table a basket, the children now have collective responsibility for looking after their belongings, and we no longer have letters stuffed in trays (never to make it home!).

We love the classroom and we are so glad that we had the refurbishment. It is very much a focal point of the school – visitors love it, the younger children enjoy popping in to see it, and it has become the staff meeting room of choice!

Year 6 Class Teacher - Crosthwaite primary

“I know for a fact that there is a huge impact on wellbeing- just for the fact they are in the classrooms! Parents gave feedback on the children’s transitions recently, they are saying the kids can’t wait to come to school! Before they were not accessing any learning. But they are all sat around the table doing phonics, So, we are all excited! I can’t thank you enough! It has been incredible. I am so glad I called you. I have no before and after evidence but I do have a huge amount of experience in the field and have opened other provisions before, even with small classrooms and it hasn’t been like this!

It has been such a privilege to do this with you. they are all going full-time – these kids have not done a full day in years. They are all saying I can’t wait to come back.

Founder and Head Teacher - Light Years School Special School

Portsmouth

We don’t just transform classrooms

We also transform:

Intervention Rooms

Therapy Rooms

Staff Rooms

Communal Rooms

Dining Rooms

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Here’s how it works

We want to help you create classrooms that cultivate learning through their design, somewhere both teachers and children want to be, and somewhere that supports everyone’s mental health. We know that not everyone’s budgets are the same, but for a minimum of £3,700* we can transform an average classroom for 30.
*(This does not include our fee)

Information stage

Let us know you are interested, and we will send you all the information you need to become familiar with what is involved in creating a therapeutic classroom, and what we’ll need from you to get your project started

Design stage

Once we have all the information about your room, we will begin to design the space for you!

Sourcing stage

Once you are happy with the design, we will source all items and soft furnishings and send them to the school

Make over stage

The best bit! Once everything has arrived, you will receive a make over pack from us which will help you put together your room!

Take a look at our previous projects

Every environment we create is tailored around the needs of your children and follows our strict therapeutic classroom framework. Everything is purposely picked from the chairs to the blankets!