New sensory room to meet increasing mental health needs in school

Springwell Village Primary School new rainbow senory room with help from Durhams Freemasons

Springwell Village Primary School held a special ceremony to officially launch the Rainbow Room.

The room has been equiped with the help of funding from Durham Freemasons and The Rotary Club.

Pupil Sarah Boyd, 7, takes a look at the new Rainbow Room at Springwell Village Primary School.

Headteacher at the school, Louise Weigand, said they are very grateful for the support in creating a vital space for the children.

She said: “We were seeking some funding support for the project we urgently needed for the children in our school. Without external funding, we knew we were unable to go ahead due to the huge cuts in school budgets.

“As is the case nationally, we are experiencing an increase in child mental health issues within our children.”

She said these include self-harming, depression, anxiety, stress and low self esteem and can be triggered by a number of things, such as family crisis, separation anxiety due to parent break-ups, neglect, domestic violence and even the impact of poverty.

Mrs Weigand said: “We are also having to cater for wider ranges of individual pupil needs such as autism, sensory conditions, physical disability etc.

“The national budget cuts have led to strain on NHS provision and a number of agencies and charities that used to provide support to schools no longer exist.

“This has left a void that we need to fill in our school. We were therefore wanting to develop a nurture room and train our staff in the skills required to lead support sessions with the children.”

She said thankfully the Durham Mark Masons, part of the Freemasons, were willing to support the project and donated an amazing £2,000 towards it and a donation of £250 was made from the Rotary Club.

The headteacher, said: “We are delighted to be officially opening this room and launching our project.

“We cannot thank the masons and Rotary Club enough for their generous gifts.”

A name of The Rainbow Project was created to highlight the positive after the storm.

With the funding the school managed to redecorate the room, buy new seating and furnishings, buy sensory resources, make nurture kits and train the staff in specialist nurture skills.