Since 2019, The Red House has been working in collaboration with the charity Autism and Nature to develop a school and visitor offer suitable for SEND learners. We have developed multisensory schools sessions and on site resources through engaging with teachers and hosting visits from three different local special schools.
The learners were typically in Years 9-10 and the profile of their needs varied considerably, both between schools and within each party: some pupils were non-verbal and/or required mobility aids, and positions on the spectrum of learning difficulty and/or autism varied considerably. The sessions were developed in partnership with teachers at each school so that they could be developed to be as beneficial as possible for the pupils.
As part of this project, Autism and Nature created a new book for schools and pupils, called “Jay and Ellie Visit the Red House and Snape”. The audio version of this book was read be pupils from the schools and was launched this month. The book tells the story of two children, Jay and Ellie, who visit the Red House and Snape to learn about the landscapes that inspired the music of composer Benjamin Britten. We hope that it will appeal to younger children with special educational needs and disabilities and encourage their interest in visiting the Red House and Snape.