SEN Schools: inspiring spaces for every learner
As the UK Government edges closer to the publication of the SEND White Paper, which will outline reforms in education for those with specialist needs, we are standing at a critical moment in the future of inclusive education. The system is under real pressure, but there is also real opportunity.
Educational reform can be powerful when it is backed by evidence, ambition and environments that genuinely support every learner. For those of us who shape the spaces where learning happens, we must think boldly and act decisively.
Even ahead of the publication of White Paper, we can see the scale of change required. High and rising numbers of children with additional needs, uneven provision across the country, and widespread frustration with assessment and placement frameworks all point to a system that must evolve. This month it was reported that the NHS ADHD services are shutting doors to new patients as demand soars, with thousands of people waiting years for assessments. But the most meaningful reforms will only come to life if they are matched by places designed to make inclusion real. That is the challenge, and the opportunity, for designers.
As social progression brings more understanding of neurodiversity, designers have been incorporating interventions into school projects for years. Our approach to SEN environments is grounded in empathy, dignity and respect, deep technical expertise and a belief that every child deserves a school that helps them thrive. The principles are simple but powerful: listen carefully, design intelligently, and build spaces that respond to the full range of human difference. In practice, that means collaborating closely with students, families and teachers; blending architectural clarity with sensory understanding; and shaping environments that support wellbeing, regulation and independence alongside academic achievement.
Already, this work is embedded in every project we deliver. We think about light that calms rather than overwhelms; acoustics that support focus rather than amplify stress; circulation that promotes autonomy instead of confusion and quiet rooms, sensory spaces and adaptable teaching areas are planned from the outset. In specialist settings, the details become even more essential.
From therapy integration and clinical adjacencies to outdoor spaces, which are a fundamental part of effective SEN design. A meaningful connection to nature has a profoundly positive effect on many children, offering sensory richness, freedom of movement and opportunities for regulation that can be difficult to achieve indoors. Well-designed landscape is not an add-on to learning; it is an essential support system, particularly for children and young people who experience dysregulated behaviour.
Time spent outdoors reduces stress, improves emotional wellbeing and helps pupils to reset during challenging moments. For those who struggle most with emotional regulation, the clarity, calm and openness of outdoor space can be transformative. Designing high-quality external environments, from sheltered breakout areas to sensory gardens and nature-based play, ensures that every learner has access to places that restore balance, build confidence and support positive engagement throughout the school day.
Of course, the ambition for greater inclusion within mainstream schools is one of the most promising elements associated with the White Paper. It reflects a wider cultural shift, recognising that children with additional needs benefit enormously from learning alongside their peers — and that wider school communities flourish when they embrace difference.
This is already evident in many school design projects, where SEN provision is celebrated, not sidelined. For teachers and pupils alike, inclusive design supports empathy, collaboration and confidence.
Reform, however, must go beyond matching ambition to experience. It must be reflected in buildings that are adaptable enough to respond to rising diagnoses, fluctuating enrolment, pressures on staffing, and the realities of multi-agency working.
The depth of our own experience is strengthened by many of our projects in Ireland, where we are currently involved in 11 specialist schools focused on complex educational needs and special education, as well as more than ten mainstream schools with SEN provision. The lessons they bring about flexibility, sensory design, therapy integration and staff wellbeing absolutely shape our approach. And international, cross-studio collaboration ensures we stay ahead of emerging needs, research and global best practice.
The future of SEN design will demand greater flexibility and smarter use of space. It will require environments that support children who may only be in school part-time, or who need moments of withdrawal. It will consist of carefully calibrated zoning, clear wayfinding, and sensory gradients that support every journey through the school day. Design can, and should, reduce stress for pupils and staff, improve attendance, and create better long-term outcomes.
We believe deeply in the power of design to support better schools and the ambitions of the government’s White Paper. Policy can set direction, but it is the environments we build that determine whether inclusion is felt in everyday life. If we want a world where every child belongs, we must design spaces that make belonging effortless. We must create schools that expand confidence rather than diminish it, that celebrate individuality rather than suppress it, and that give every learner the dignity of an environment designed with them in mind.