Best Practice

The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: Ten low-cost ideas

Pastoral issues Behaviour Facilities Whole-school issues Pupil wellbeing Vulnerable children
This year, Shahana Knight has transformed a year 3 classroom into a therapeutic teaching space. But not every school can rebuild an entire classroom – so here she offers 10 low-cost, easy therapeutic ideas
Transformation: The classroom at Shevington Vale Primary School in Wigan after the therapeutic makeover (image: supplied) -

This diary chronicles my work with Shevington Vale Primary School in Wigan to transform their year 3 classroom into a therapeutic teaching space.

In my last diary entry (see further information), I set out the costs of this transformation (it has come it at around £2,500). However, I am aware that not everyone has the budget or the time to be able to completely transform a whole classroom.

So, in this diary entry, I will consider 10 things you can do to make smaller low-cost changes that will still have a big therapeutic impact.

 

1, Declutter

Before you do anything, declutter! It can be really easy for classrooms to get cluttered, especially if storage is an issue. But how your space feels will impact how you and the children feel too. Start by taking down anything you don’t need. Do you really need all those posters? Ensure windowsills and sides are empty. Have a good tidy-up and organise your space. Invest in storage boxes to store books and resources away.

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