Overview
Gibside School is an OFSTED Outstanding school, based in Gateshead and specialises in children with Special Educational Needs. As part of a large-scale new build project, Sensory Technology supplied and installed a specialist bespoke Immersive Room.
Project Brief
The brief for this project was to design an all-encompassing software-based learning environment that staff can utilise to enhance and support the pupil’s education.
Working closely with the main contractor, architect, school and council, the Senteq team were directly involved with the specification of the immersive room. This collaboration and focus on finer details, made certain that the rooms lent themselves to the equipment being installed. In-depth discussions with the school meant that the client approved the proposal with glowing feedback
Sensory Installation Process
By supplying wiring plans to the M&E contractor, Senteq were able to specify where the electrical contractor installed power, containment, and services. This ensured a blank canvas for the projected image.
A bespoke cabinet was designed to neatly house the controls and system hardware with a touchscreen interface enabling supervisors to seamlessly navigate through the user-friendly software. Alongside the installation of the controls, the audio-visual and theatrical hardware were fitted.
The result was a seamless 270-degree wall projection and interactive floor, along with a professional sound system, mood lighting, wind and aromatherapy machines, creating a 4D fully immersive experience for the children.
The immersive room would be accessed by a wide range of pupils at the school and therefore we opted to include several interactive switches enabling users to control the environment.
Immersive Room Training
Shortly after completing installation of the room, our software engineer returned to the school for a dedicated training session for the staff. The in-depth training covers general use of the system along with how the teaching staff / IT department could create new themes, ensuring the environment is kept fresh and exciting for the children moving forwards and in line with curriculum learning.
Client Feedback
Since opening their doors, Gibside School has had an undoubtedly positive impact on the local community. We are proud to have been part of a project that has helped to improve the local offering and look forward to continuing our working relationship with the school.
The immersive room has been well utilised and continues to contribute positively to the educational experience of the pupils by making learning interactive and memorable.
We are extremely happy with all of the new rooms that have been provided. The engineers were brilliant, especially considering they were working whilst children were in school. The training provided was useful and insightful, ensuring that staff were able to use each room as it was completed.
