Experia Case studies
Case study - Manor Mead is swimming in new technology!
When Manor Mead School set out to find suitable new equipment to replace their out-of-date sensory pool area, the groundbreaking Experia product range stood out from competitors.
“We have used Experia in the past, when installing and maintaining our sensory rooms. We were happy with the equipment and the service we received so we had no hesitation in using them again.”, recalls Tracey Penman, Assistant Head Teacher at Manor Mead School.
Manor Mead School in Shepperton, Middlesex is a primary school for over 80 children with severe and complex learning difficulties, specifically for children aged 2 to 11 years. The project, funded by the Lords Taverners, one of the UK’s leading Youth Sports and Disability Charities, had the main objective to rejuvenate and provide a flexible, easy to use sensory environment featuring pioneering sensory equipment. This area will be used to offer additional activities to children and enhance their learning experience.
Experia’s Sensory Advisors pulled out all the stops to create a dynamic pool area and easy to use sensory system, primarily used for hydrotherapy and swimming by 18 to 20 pupils daily. Tracy explains: “The new area is practical, reliable and creates the effects we wanted for our children. They use it in a variety of ways; to stimulate, relax and motivate, developing their physical, social and visual skills.” The immediate benefits from having such a state-of-the-art sensory pool for the pupils were noted by the teachers at Manor Mead in just a few weeks. Tracey explained: “We’ve seen instant benefits. There has been a noticeable increase in the motivation of the children, some are now able to control the lighting effects for themselves, and there has also been an increase in their visual response.”
When asked if she would recommend the Experia Sensory Pool System to other establishments Tracy confirmed without hesitation “Yes - and I frequently do!”.
If you wish to have further details on the Experia Sensory Pool System, call us on 0845 644 0977 or email us at info@experia-innovations.co.uk.
Case study - From fitness to fun, Experia creates a first for Reading Leisure Centre
A public leisure centre in Reading has joined only a handful in the UK offering a sensory room for disabled children and young people within the local community. A first for Experia – the project offered an exciting opportunity to engage people from the local community to experience the fantastic benefits sensory rooms have to offer.
The idea behind this amazing project was to provide a sensory resource for the local Reading community. Funded by the local council and in partnership with other external bodies such as Reading’s Aiming High Partnership for Disabled Children, the Academy Sport centre - a health and fitness activity centre in the town - was chosen for the new facility.
The first stage of the project involved renovating and adapting the chosen room at the sports complex to make it suitable for use. Essential changes were required to transform the room from exposed brick walls and a very functional/commercial look to a more suitable environment fit for a sensory area, including pale colours and clean surfaces for projection and colour washing.
Once the room was prepared, the Experia Sensory Advisors and Michelle Ward, Manager at Academy Sport, worked closely to design the best sensory solution possible using our latest innovation products. The room is fully equipped with the wireless range of IRiS™ products, exclusive to Experia, to give a distinctive edge to the sensory room. The room is divided into different areas to offer a host of different uses: one is a calming, dark room where people can relax, whilst the main room is more interactive incorporating video projection, sound and vibro-acoustic projection and LED bubble tubes, interactive wall panels, fibre optics, colour washing, floor padding and bean bags.
The sensory room is open for individual visits, bookings and group bookings and is mainly used for developing language skills, improving hand-eye co-ordination, increasing awareness and helping sensory dysfunction. It provides stimulating opportunities that will enhance children and young people’s awareness of their environment through the senses of sight and hearing, while helping stimulate their motor skills. The multi-sensory experience is also effective in blocking out distractions, helping youngsters remain focused and achieving calmness.
Would you like to know more about Experia’s wireless sensory rooms? Call us on 0845 644 0977 or email us on info@experia-innovations.co.uk.
Case study - Ashgate Croft
Ashgate Croft is a large school on the outskirts of Chesterfield. The largest of 10 special schools in Derbyshire, the school offers a full range of opportunities for over 140 children and students with special needs aged 3 to 19 years.
The school approached Experia when it wanted to upgrade its existing pool, built in 1973, to new state of the art facilities. The main objective was to design a pool large enough to enable pupils of any age to be unrestricted, whilst also enabling the school to raise revenue by being able to hire out the facility to other groups.
The Experia team were asked to supply and install an 'all singing, all dancing' interactive sound and light system like no other. Top prioirities for the school were that it should add a new, fun dimension to pool as well as being fully interactive, with pupils able to control the environment from anywhere within the water. Teachers also needed to use the area for educational purposes. As a result some detailed, creative design and planning was called for to ensure the room would meet - and exceed all expectations.
Experia's Mike Anderton was the only man for the job!
Mike set about designing the area and decided to include an industry first - the IRiS Pool Director software recently developed by Experia. The groundbreaking software features 50 (yes 50!) preset activities that allow light, sound, fog, vibration, aroma and video projection to be controlled in a predetermined manner to develop lifeskills.
Designed by and in conjunction with special needs professionals, some of the activities have been made to develop tracking skills, encourage movement, develop switching skills, theming, calming, alerting and encourage the pupils to have fun - all controlled by a special, watersafe touchscreen monitor.
The easy to use software also allows the user to create their own activities for every need and so offered fantastic scope for what the school wanted to achieve.
Next Mike looked at shedding some light on his plan. "Whilst I would have liked to use LED lighting, the sheer size of the room would have meant a very large number were needed and this would be both impractical and unnecessarily expensive."
Instead Mike used a number of IRiS Light Changers and IRiS Shape Projectors to flood the pool with light and rotating colour shapes. IRiS Projectors and Mirror Balls were used to add to the ambience of the room while an IRiS scanner -producing eight different colours and shapes which move to music - was added as a brilliant way to develop tracking and basic recognition skills.
Due to the size and acoustics of the pool area, a high specification Bose sound system was also installed to ensure a clear crisp sound time after time.
Mike ensured his designs incorporated the IRiS wirefree switching system, to ensure no potentially dangerous cables or tubes are used in the area. This included a number of IRiS Floating Switches allowing the pupils to control the lighting, sound, and video, aroma from anywhere in the pool.
Mike worked closely with the architects, building contractors and electricians working on the pool renovation to ensure a smooth stress free solution was delivered. Despite its complex design, the installation of all the equipment was completed in only 2 days - well in advance of their handover date!
"I have designed numerous pools across the country and not only is Ashgate Croft schools' the most technologically advanced, but the one that delivers the most value and educational benefit to the school and its pupils" remarked Mike Anderton at the official opening ceremony in September.
We wish Ashgate Croft School the very best and hope the pupils will thoroughly enjoy their fantastic new pool facility.
If you have a Swimming Pool, Hydrotherapy Pool, Spa Room or Bathroom you feel it needs a little sparkle then please contact us on 0845 644 0977 or email click here.