Islington Council is spending £9.5 million to make classrooms calmer and easier to learn in for children with special educational needs and disabilities, with work already under way at 39 schools across the borough.
The money is being channelled through the council’s SEND Capital Investment Programme, which is reshaping learning environments so children with a range of needs can thrive in mainstream education rather than being held back by the buildings around them.
SEND stands for special educational needs and disabilities. It covers children who need extra support at school — whether because of learning difficulties, autism, speech and language needs, physical disabilities, or difficulties processing noise, light and busy surroundings.
For many of those children, a noisy dining hall or a crowded corridor is not just an inconvenience. It can make the school day hard to cope with, and it can be the difference between a child settling into lessons or struggling to get through the morning.
Quieter halls and calmer classrooms
One of the first projects to be completed under the programme has delivered acoustic improvements in 10 schools, tackling noise and sensory overload in busy spaces such as dining halls and classrooms.
Lisa Horton, executive headteacher at Robert Blair School, said the work was carried out over the summer holiday and has already changed the feel of the school day.
“This has been actioned over the summer holiday period and made a really positive difference to the experience and inclusion of our pupils, reducing sensory and noise overload and providing a more positive, less institutional lunch experience,” she said.
Schools are also developing sensory rooms, quiet areas, movement spaces and sensory gardens, alongside better access to outdoor learning. Some projects include wayfinding improvements to help pupils find their way around school grounds with confidence.
The council says the improvements support its wider goal of making inclusion a practical reality in schools, recognising that physical spaces play a vital role in helping children feel safe, regulated and ready to learn.
‘Every child deserves to learn in comfort’
Councillor Sheila Chapman, the council’s executive member for children, young people and families, said the investment was about removing barriers that many people never notice.
“Every child deserves to learn in an environment where they feel comfortable, supported and able to succeed,” she said.
“This investment is helping schools across Islington create spaces that reduce barriers to learning and support children and young people with SEND to thrive alongside their peers.”
She added: “We’re not just improving school buildings; we’re helping create more inclusive school communities where every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Moreland Primary sees the difference already
At Moreland Primary School, new sensory breakout spaces and play areas are already making an impact on children who need additional support and flexibility.
Headteacher Catherine Lawrence said the changes have made “a huge difference” for those pupils. “Every day looks different for these pupils, and we need to be able to adapt,” she said. “The proof is in the pudding, the children love the new space.”
A parent at the school, Ruqia, said the changes have helped her son Ali return to school. “Now the playground has more sensory stuff and is segregated, it’s started giving my son Ali the space to use his energy,” she said. “It’s nice and safe, and it’s got him back in school.”
How the programme is paid for
The programme is funded by the Department for Education’s High Needs Provision Capital Allocation — capital funding from central government for facilities and places for children with high needs — with additional support from community infrastructure and developer contributions.
That kind of funding is specifically for bricks-and-mortar improvements rather than day-to-day staffing, which is why it is being spent on the physical spaces children learn in: quieter rooms, calmer corridors and outdoor areas designed around how children actually use them.
The changes come as London schools prepare for other big shifts, including new rules from September 2027 that will keep mobile phones out of pupils’ hands throughout the school day.
