Pupils at The Oaks Secondary School in Spennymoor have been trying out some new fibre-optic lights in their sensory room which they received thanks to local homebuilder Bellway.
The school, which caters for young people with special educational needs from across South West Durham and beyond, is about six miles from Bellway’s Clarence Gate development in Bowburn.
The housebuilder’s £300 donation was put towards purchasing two fibre-optic sensory light systems, which include a light source and light tails.
Sixth form teacher at The Oaks Gemma Spence said: “We are very grateful for our donation of £300 from Bellway. We used it to purchase two large fibre-optic lights to support our pupils who have profound and multiple learning difficulties.
“The lights have many benefits for our pupils including promoting relaxation, reducing stress and improving focus.
“They also improve visual tracking, sensory exploration and increase an understanding of cause and effect. The lights have already been used lots and have brought lots of joy and relaxation to our pupils and will be used very regularly.”
The Oaks opened in 2005 and has more than 340 pupils, who have a range of special educational needs and include pupils with physical difficulties, autism and severe or profound learning difficulties.
The lights are for the school’s sensory room which is used by many pupils and specifically those with profound and multiple learning needs, who have limited movement and speech.
Bellway Durham Sales Manager Sophie Coverdale said: “The Oaks is a fantastic school which is helping its pupils to truly flourish, so we were very happy to offer a donation which would mean they could provide extra stimulus in their sensory room.
“The lights and the sensory room itself benefit the pupils in significant ways, allowing them to relax, focus, and learn, all while very much enjoying the experience.”
Bellway Durham is building 91 homes at Clarence Gate, which is part of a wider commercial and residential scheme off Junction 61 of the A1(M).
To find out more, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/durham/clarence-gate or call the sales team on 0191 313 0557.