Students at Aureus School are benefiting from new specialist sensory technology after the school secured funding for two virtual reality chairs through the Didcot Powerhouse Fund.
The school was awarded £9,990 to purchase two SPINI VR Chairs, designed to support students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), particularly those with ADHD, autism and sensory-processing challenges.
The funding comes from the Didcot Powerhouse Fund, a volunteer-led initiative created to tackle inequality in Didcot and surrounding communities.
Over the past five years, the fund has awarded 89 grants totalling £151,000 to local projects, with Aureus School among the latest recipients.
The SPINI VR Chair combines 360-degree rotational movement with immersive virtual reality experiences, creating a multi-sensory environment intended to help students regulate their nervous systems more quickly and effectively.
The technology is designed to support young people who may experience sensory overload, anxiety or difficulty returning to lessons after becoming dysregulated.
Nicola Brotherton, who submitted the funding application on behalf of Friends of Aureus School, said: “Investing in innovative and cost-effective SEN technologies such as a SPINI Chair strengthens Aureus School’s capacity to support their neurodiverse students.
“It will transform students’ experiences by minimising lost learning, lessen anxiety, and improve overall academic outcomes.”
Aureus School, part of the GLF Schools multi-academy trust, says inclusivity remains central to its approach and notes that it supports a diverse student body, including an above-average number of pupils with SEND requirements.
Headteacher Kirsty Rogers said the chairs would provide meaningful support for pupils who need help regulating emotions and concentration during the school day.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Didcot Powerhouse Fund for enabling us to bring two SPINI VR Chairs into our school,” she said.
“The SPINI VR Chair is designed to deliver quick and effective sensory regulation through gentle 360-degree movement and immersive, multi-sensory VR experiences. This technology will help our students reset, refocus, and return to learning more rapidly and confidently.
“With growing SEND needs in education, and, in particular, at Aureus, this is a game changer for supporting regulation and improving access to learning for many of our students.”
School leaders say the new equipment is expected to reduce lost learning time while helping students feel calmer and better prepared to engage in class.
