At St. Oliver’s Special School in Tuam, creativity and sensory exploration are at the heart of learning. The school caters for children aged 4 to 18 with severe to profound learning needs, and for these very special students, the arts offer a vital way to connect with and experience the world.
With support from the Creative Places Tuam Cultural Growth Fund, St. Oliver’s developed a new sensory-based creative programme in collaboration with artist-educator Hande O’Keeffe of Sugradh Creative Classes. Led by Acting Deputy Principal Emily Walsh, the project invited every child to explore through touch, sound, movement, light, and play – at their own pace and in their own way.
“The Creative Places Tuam Cultural Growth Fund has given us a unique opportunity within St Oliver’s to work with a wonderful creative practitioner, Hande from Sugradh Creative Classes, and develop learning through the senses for each and every wonderful child,” said Emily Walsh.
Over the course of several months, the school’s principal, teachers, SNAs, and Hande co-designed themed sensory sessions inspired by Easter, the Garden, the Sea, Summer, Autumn, and Halloween. Each session featured sensory “stations” – tables and trays set up with textures, colours, lights, and sounds – carefully adapted to suit the individual needs of each child.
“With support from Creative Places Tuam, we’ve been able to run our monthly sessions, and it’s been wonderful to see the progress,” said Hande O’Keeffe. “I can feel that the students are starting to get to know and communicate with me more easily, and I’m slowly learning their names and personalities too. Each tray and setup is designed with purpose – every element supports learning, sensory engagement, and communication in its own way.”
Each workshop included three sensory-rich trays: one with water (“many students love water play,” says Hande), one with dry materials such as rice or lentils, and one with richer textures like jelly, Oobleck, or Play-Doh – all taste-safe. Alongside these, a simple craft activity connected to the week’s theme.
During the Autumn session, for example, students explored the colours and textures of the season, stirring lentil “soup,” listening to the clink of steel cups, creating hedgehogs from leaves, and making lemon and mint “tea” for smell and taste exploration. In a Light Sensory Exploration session, they experimented with coffee beans, transparent numbers on light tables, and shapes projected onto walls – discovering new ways to see, touch, and focus.
“It’s been amazing to see the students become more relaxed and engaged over time,” Hande shared. “The teachers and staff have noticed the same.”
The collaboration has had a lasting impact on the school. Teachers and SNAs have created a bank of sensory ideas to use for years to come, and funding through the Cultural Growth Fund has allowed the school to invest in light trays, tuff trays, bubble machines, and a projector, ensuring that sensory-based learning will continue to thrive.
For the children of St. Oliver’s, these sessions have opened up new ways to explore, learn, and express themselves – a joyful reminder of how creativity and sensory play can spark connection, confidence, and wonder in every child.
