Pupil Voice An A to Z of Sensory Approaches for PMLD and SEND Learners in Inclusive Classrooms

Pupil voice refers to the meaningful involvement of learners in expressing preferences, making choices, influencing decisions, and shaping their educational experience. For some learners with PMLD and SEND, pupil voice includes:

• Eye gaze
• Facial expressions
• Body movements
• Vocalisations
• Gestures
• Sensory preferences
• Behaviour as communication
• Patterns of engagement or withdrawal

Pupil voice is not dependent on speech or symbolic communication. It is about recognising all forms of expression and ensuring that learners have opportunities to influence:

• Activities
• Routines
• Environments
• Interactions
• Resources
• Sensory experiences
• Transitions
• Daily choices

This resource provides practical, accessible ways to embed pupil voice into everyday practice.
Every learner communicates. Every learner expresses preferences, makes choices, and shows us what matters to them. For some learners, communication may not be spoken, symbolic, or conventional — but it is always present, meaningful, and must be recognised.
Pupil voice is not about asking questions and waiting for words. It is about noticing, interpreting, responding, and shaping environments where every learner can influence their world. This book was created to support practitioners, teachers, support staff, therapists, and families in honouring the voices of learners who communicate through movement, expression, sensory engagement, and behaviour.

Grounded in the UK legal and policy context, the book reflects the expectations set out in the SEND Code of Practice, the Equality Act 2010, and the wider rights-based framework that places pupil voice at the heart of inclusive education. It supports practitioners to meet their statutory duties while honouring each learner’s autonomy, agency, and emotional safety. The guidance aligns with best practice across specialist settings, offering practical ways to embed pupil voice within everyday routines, sensory experiences, and personalised communication systems.

This A–Z collection offers simple, sensory aware activities that help practitioners notice, interpret, and respond to the many ways learners with PMLD and SEND communicate. Each activity focuses on a different cue, action, or sensory behaviour, giving clear guidance on what to look for, how to support it, and how to build it into everyday practice. The aim is to make pupil voice visible, valued, and woven gently into routines, interactions, and learning moments across the day.

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Hi

I am a passionate advocate for sensory-rich learning, specialising in developing meaningful, engaging and accessible resources for learners of all ages with diverse sensory and learning needs.

As founder of Rhyming Multisensory Stories, I create Sensory Stories, Multisensory Music Journeys™, Practitioner Guides and inclusive educational resources packed with sensory-rich activities.

With over two decades of experience, I began my career teaching children from travelling communities in Spain and working in mainstream education, before moving into specialist education and founding my own business.

My comprehensive self-paced online CPD programme offers practical training in sensory storytelling and multisensory engagement, priced at £10 to keep professional development affordable.

I deliver workshops for Creative Education and EQUALS and create recorded presentations for specialist conferences and events, including The Sensory Festival (Hirstwood Training) and the PMLD Conferences (Dr Joanna Grace).

I work with Little Magic Train to develop inclusive sensory content for their EYFS platform, adapting adventures and creating activities for children who benefit from additional support and sensory adaptations.

I am a guest author in Sensory Stories: Making Narratives Accessible Through the Senses by Dr Joanna Grace and Sarah Moseley’s Teaching Reading to All Learners Including Those with Complex Needs. My articles have been published in PMLD Link and SEN Magazine.

My book, Sensory Spaces: An A–Z of Immersive and Creative Environments to Support Sensory Integration (Routledge, ISBN 978-1-032-98911-2), is a practical guide to creating customisable environments that spark curiosity, creativity and storytelling, using accessible everyday resources to support learning, sensory engagement and relaxation. It also features contributions from professionals working across specialist education.

I continually add new resources to my extensive resource bank.

I believe sensory experiences should be creative, meaningful, engaging, accessible and achievable, with learners at the heart of practice. Whether you are exploring sensory storytelling or Multisensory Music Journeys™, looking for fresh inspiration, or seeking practical ideas and guidance, my aim is to provide resources that make sensory learning easier to plan and deliver.

My free monthly teaching planners are packed with sensory-rich ideas and inspiration for PMLD and SEND classrooms, settings and home learning throughout the year.

If you have any questions, would like a free sample of my work or would like to sign up for my free monthly newsletter, please contact:

rhymingmultisensorystories@outlook.com
Your comments and feedback are always welcome.

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