At Acorns Primary School in Preston, HelpKidzLearn Games & Activities are being used to support meaningful progress in switch skills. From first presses to independent use, pupils are developing timing, focus, and confidence, and staff are seeing real impact in communication, motor skills, and classroom engagement.
The team at Acorns are using HelpKidzLearn Games & Activities in thoughtful and creative ways to support pupils with a wide range of needs, including autism, PMLD, and complex learning difficulties. With high-contrast visuals, playful sounds, and personalised switch setups, learners are developing key skills like motor control, timing, and anticipation. These small steps are helping children build confidence and take ownership of their learning, including recognising success to expressing preferences and engaging more fully in communication and classroom activities.
Acorns is a warm, inclusive primary school for children aged 4-11. The staff are passionate about creating engaging, accessible learning experiences and working closely with families to support each child’s unique journey. Hannah Serventi, Teacher/Communication Lead said “We focus on promoting independence and opening up opportunities for our wonderful pupils. Communication and relationships are at the heart of everything we do.”
Every child at Acorns accesses HelpKidzLearn differently. Some use touchscreens, others use eye-gaze, and many are developing their skills using one or two switches. During our visit, we watched learners concentrate and smile as they explored the games in their own way. One boy using one switch showed clear anticipation, focus and enjoyment. With encouragement from staff and the right positioning, the setup was just right for him, and it made all the difference. Emily Oulton noted “Getting the positioning right has been so important. When we’ve found the right switch and setup, we’ve seen much better outcomes.”
The school has seen a real impact from using high-contrast activities such as Gadgets & Toys, Morphing Shapes and Vivid Movements, especially with children who have visual impairments or Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI). Hannah Serventi shared “The high-contrast activities have been really good for our children with visual impairments. Some of them are even beginning to show preferences for certain colours, which has helped in other classroom activities too.” This was clearly demonstrated when one young boy lit up during Morphing Shapes activity. He reacted strongly to specific colours, and it was a beautiful moment of connection and recognition. The team used high-contrast activities to build up his interest and confidence. During our visit, we saw him deeply engaging in Morphing Shapes, especially when his favourite colours appear.
Staff shared how the games and activities help children build persistence, learn from mistakes, and celebrate their own success. Hannah said “Some of our children can now recognise when they’re successful and even modify their approach when they’re not. The reflection is amazing to see.”
HelpKidzLearn Games & Activities offers something for every learner, whether it’s music, humour, or sensory engagement. Hannah explained “We’ve got quite a diverse class, but there’s always something that sparks engagement. There are musical games, high-contrast games, silly ones with the clown and they all grab attention in different ways.” Emily said, “It’s brilliant for supporting communication too.” The activities support a wide range of learning needs from children who are just beginning to explore cause and effect, to those working on more structured communication and interaction skills. Hannah added: “We’ve used it to help children move from watching to interacting to build eye contact, to request games they love and to transfer their switch skills into other learning areas.”
One young girl’s joy was unmistakable during Splat the Clown and Championship Darts. She laughed with excitement, beautifully accessed her switches during the activity and sometimes on purpose at the wrong time for fun and clearly loved the reactions from staff. Emily shared “She’s very good at telling us what she likes, and she loves the slapstick games. She’s constantly laughing throughout them.” Watching her play was a reminder of how joyful learning can be when it’s done right. The games created real interaction, anticipation, and a strong sense of shared fun.
Another learner has made incredible progress through trial and error with different switches. He now presses and releases the switch independently and is more motivated than ever. Hannah said “His attention, tracking and timing have all improved especially when music is involved. He loves the sound cues, and it’s given him a reason to press the switch.”
Emily told us: “After chatting today, I’ve got loads of new ideas for using HelpKidzLearn in one-to-one and group work. It’s given me a real refresh.” It was a pleasure to visit Acorns Primary School and see how HelpKidzLearn Games & Activities is being used in such a thoughtful, personalised way. Every child we observed was accessing learning in a way that worked for them, supported by staff who know them well and care deeply about their progress. From carefully chosen switches to meaningful interaction, from high-contrast visuals to shared laughter the staff at Acorns are creating moments that matter, moments filled with connection, confidence and joy.
