The Den

The Den is a quiet area where children can take themselves to or be advised to go to The Den when overwhelmed so that they can have time away from their main classroom area into a calm and peaceful environment.  There is always a member of staff in The Den to help them work through the zones of regulation and help to return to a regulated baseline. Many of the have their own resources and activities there to help them regulate more quickly or items that they like doing to help get them back on track. Some children are unable to verbalise their difficulties on entering the Den so utilise a light system which indicates to staff when they feel ready enough to chat about the trigger. A blackout tent and huge comfy cushions and beanbags, weighted blankets, sensory objects and many other resources are accessible to all Den users. The Den is also a place where children can go to celebrate successes and share those with the key staff but also to meet others during indoor club as an alternative to the outdoor break offer. 

  Staff working in the Den are all qualified in PROACT SCIPr and use proactive and PACE strategies to help regulate individuals. This area is a relatively new space for the school which is working really well at giving children a quieter place to go, to touch base with key staff or to meet individuals for play and art activities.  Some children take their work to the area simply to access the support in their and be able to have more intense support. 

  The use of The Den has has a really positive impact upon our PI Data and has helped reduce the incidents of disruption in class immensely. 

  Each class visits The Den on a termly basis for tea and biscuits as a reminder of what the area is about and to take any anxiety away from use of the room by familiarising them with what to expect.