We have published a policy briefing paper with the University of Leicester’s Institute for Policy to highlight how education for SEND children and young people can be transformed through arts and culture.

This policy briefing paper seeks to contribute to the national conversation on SEND reform recently launched by the Department for Education ahead of the publication of the Schools White Paper in 2026.

Key to this dialogue are five core themes of engagement: early intervention, local provision, fairness, effective practice and shared working.

Attenborough Arts Centre’s SENsory Atelier programme addresses each of these themes. The multi-award winning programme, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, has been embedded in 14 schools and education settings over the past 10 years and as a collaboration between children, artists, teachers and families, has supported over 5,000 disabled children and young people to thrive, with proven impacts on pupils’ attainment, communication, confidence, critical thinking, development and wellbeing.

SENsory Atelier enables children and young people to lead their own learning journeys through a range of sensory experiences and creative stimuli provided by artists undertaking residencies in the classroom. This approach, which prioritises the creativity and open-ended enquiry of the child, has proven transformational impacts on pupils’ learning, confidence, social and communication development over many years, supporting schools to meet EHCP/ILP targets.

The programme was founded in response to the Rochford Review (2016) which gave schools the freedom to find their own way to track pupil progress through key stages. SENsory Atelier provides special schools with a framework to create child-centred education, tailoring their own delivery of the National Curriculum to meet the needs of SEND pupils. The programme embeds art and culture in schools through enabled, collaborative environments in which artists, teachers, SENDCos, and whole school communities centre all activity on the needs and rights of the child.

SENsory Atelier is entering its tenth year and the outcomes across Leicestershire special schools have been transformational. The programme’s collaborative way of working aims to influence the government’s SEND reforms through a new policy paper that responds to The Children’s Commissioner’s The Children’s Plan (2025), and in anticipation of the Schools White Paper to be published in 2026, plus the Education Committee’s Solving the SEND Crisis report.

SENsory Atelier has been made possible through generous funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, which since 2016 has enabled Attenborough Arts Centre to develop and expand its practice-led approach to inclusive learning.

In 2024 SENsory Atelier published a national code of practice for SEND education, launched an evaluation tool for SEND settings, held a national symposium on inclusive learning and produced two major exhibitions about and featuring the work of SENsory Atelier participants. In 2025, SENsory Atelier was named ‘Learning Programme of the Year’ at the national Museums + Heritage Awards.

Now, the publication of this briefing paper contributes to current national dialogue on SEND reform, putting the University of Leicester’s world-changing research expertise at the heart of today’s policy agenda.

The University of Leicester’s Institute for Policy connects researchers with policymakers to share their insight on the issues that matter, and works with academic experts from across the University to create real impact by sharing knowledge and expertise.

This paper is published as part of the Institute’s Justice policy hub, which examines issues of justice and injustice through a variety of perspectives, drawing from collaborative, cross-disciplinary and innovative methods to identify ways of making society safer and fairer for all.

Marianne Scahill-Pape, Learning & Outreach Manager at Attenborough Arts Centre co-founder and chair of SENsory Atelier, said:

“In the UK, urgent action must be taken to meet the fundamental human rights of every child to access a full, varied and rich education. Schools are in a moment of crisis where the education sector is at capacity and are struggling to support those with additional and complex needs.

We are delighted to share the incredible learning outcomes of SENsory Atelier with policymakers at a time when decisions being made will impact on the lives and outcomes of disabled children and young people, their families and schools.

We are proud that our work in Leicester has become a centre for excellence in SEND provision and we are ready to support more schools, artists and authorities to deliver the cultural learning and engagement that will help all children with SEND to thrive.”

Lisa Jacques, SENsory Atelier Programme Manager, said:

“SENsory Atelier allows time and space for each child and young person to process their experiences, in their own time, according to their own needs.  Promoting self-confidence to communicate their learning at a pace and in a way that suits them. What is different about this, is that it is happening in the classroom amongst a range of children all with different needs; they have a voice, and a choice and one that should be heard.”

Abi Steady, Deputy Head, Ashmount School said:

”SENsory Atelier has surpassed all our expectations in its capacity to unlock the endless creativity of those who many in society deem ‘have no voice’.

SENsory Atelier not only opens life-changing opportunities for individuals but has also captured the attention of SEND educators across the UK and beyond. Importantly, it has transformed the perspectives of parents, carers, and families of young people with the most complex needs, allowing them to see their children as creative, capable, and passionate artists for the very first time.

Attenborough Arts Centre’s innovation in audience engagement, participation, and access to arts and culture for society’s most marginalised has been exceptional, consistently raising the bar and breaking new ground.”

Sian W Taylor, SENsory Atelier Artist said:

“Artists and teachers work together to create spaces that are safe, empowering, joyful and allow the potential of everyone to shine. We are making change – and change can only happen when we have choice, and choice creates the connections and spaces that enable us to listen to each other, learn and create action.”

For more information about Attenborough Arts Centre and the SENsory Atelier programme, visit our website by clicking here.

To access the Policy Paper visit the University of Leicester Figshare by clicking here.