Treloar’s new Interactive Learning Zone takes shape

Over the summer, work has been progressing on our amazing new Interactive Learning Zone in the heart of Treloar’s where it will be centrally accessible for all our students. Ultimately, this will be a multi-purpose and flexible space that will spark the imaginations of both our school and college students.

We are very pleased that the major building work is now complete. The next stage will be fitting out – students have had input into the design and contents of the zones, and can’t wait for it to be completed. There will be four flexible areas:

• a new library space designed specifically to support our students’ complex needs and enable them to engage with the written and spoken word in whatever format is appropriate for them. A hoist has been installed so students can relax in supportive beanbags, and there will be plenty of space for students to browse around the resources available.
• an immersive learning area with interactive projection on the walls, floor and ceiling where students can be transported to a host of other environments. Augmented reality and virtual reality will enable students to explore curriculum topics and lessons, or prepare safely for real world scenarios that they may not yet have had the opportunity to explore.
• a technology zone which will showcase some of the technology that we use to engage students with their learning and to help maximise their independence. With opportunities for participating in cause-and-effect activities like using switch-accessible toys, using the iSandBOX to understand topography, or touching light beams with their hands to create music, students can learn to navigate technology more confidently and understand how it can be of huge benefit to their education and outside of Treloar’s too.
• an Esports gaming room which is bound to be hugely popular with our students. Video games, however, also improve powers of concentration, problem-solving skills, and develop cognitive and collaborative abilities. There are now eSports Student Championships, an area where our students can potentially compete on an even footing with non-disabled students; and we are very excited to be offering our first eSports qualification to students this year.

The Interactive Learning Zone will be a fantastic and inspiring place for our students to visit, not just during lesson time, but breaktimes, evenings and weekends too. We will also be looking for ways to engage with the wider disabled community and provide them with opportunities to engage with technology in the future.

All of the above has only been made possible thanks to the incredible support from charitable trusts, individuals and East Hampshire District Council. We’re grateful to all our donors for their fantastic support helping us to develop such a wonderful facility for our students.