Designing Sensory-Aware Cleaning Schedules for SEN Students

How Digital Twins Can Support Inclusive Environments in Education Settings

In education, every child deserves a safe, welcoming space to learn. But for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), particularly those with sensory processing differences, the physical environment can be as much a challenge as the curriculum. This makes something as seemingly routine as cleaning schedules crucial. The timing, methods and materials used in cleaning can have a significant sensory impact. Harsh chemical smells, vacuum noise, or unexpected changes in room setup can cause distress, anxiety, or sensory overload for some students, especially those with autism, ADHD or sensory integration disorders.

The Sensory Challenge: More Than Just Cleanliness

For many neurodivergent students, certain sensory inputs such as smells, sounds, lights and textures can be overwhelming. In a typical cleaning schedule, this impact is often overlooked. The use of strong-smelling disinfectants in occupied spaces, loud equipment like hoovers or floor buffers during class transitions and even changes in room layout after desks or chairs are moved can all create discomfort. While these practices may be harmless to most, they can disrupt concentration, trigger emotional responses, or cause students to avoid certain areas altogether, turning a well-maintained space into one that feels unpredictable or unsafe.

Schools that take a sensory-aware approach often begin by looking closely at how their environments affect wellbeing. Small details such as lighting, noise levels, smells and even the textures of surfaces can influence how safe or overwhelming a space feels. Regular audits of classrooms, corridors and communal areas can highlight hidden sensory triggers, which in turn should inform how and when cleaning takes place. For example, identifying that a particular corridor echoes loudly or that a certain classroom is especially sensitive to smell can guide decisions about cleaning products or timing.

What’s Needed: Predictable, Sensory-Aware Schedules

A truly inclusive school environment doesn’t just accommodate learning differences; it respects sensory boundaries. This begins with designing cleaning schedules that consider who will be in a space, when they will be there and how cleaning activities might affect them.

For example, using unscented or low-odour products in sensory-sensitive areas can significantly reduce discomfort. Loud equipment should be scheduled for use outside of lesson transitions or break times to avoid unnecessary disruption. Consistency in room layouts post-clean is also crucial, helping students return to familiar environments without surprise. Just as importantly, communicating cleaning activities in advance to teaching and support staff allows them to prepare students or adjust routines accordingly.

This needs to be part of a whole-school culture. Sensory wellbeing isn’t supported by isolated tools or one-off strategies, but by embedding predictable and respectful routines across all aspects of school life. Cleaning staff, like teachers and support assistants, benefit from understanding how sensory input affects students and why adjustments matter. When everyone is included in this shared approach, operational tasks like cleaning become part of a broader system of care.

Where Digital Twins Fit In

This is where a platform like Twinview can play a pivotal role. By integrating data on occupancy patterns, environmental conditions and space usage into a single, real-time platform, facilities teams gain the tools to create cleaning schedules that are not just efficient, but sensory-aware.

Digital twins can help identify high-sensitivity zones and align cleaning practices to minimise disruption. They also support a cycle of continuous improvement by monitoring conditions like air quality and noise levels before and after cleaning. This data-driven approach ensures that small adjustments are sustained and refined over time. Automated reminders, signage and scheduling features further support consistency and communication among staff.

Real Impact: Small Changes, Big Difference

The adjustments involved in sensory-aware cleaning may seem small, but their impact can be profound. Schools that adopt this approach often see a reduction in incidents of sensory distress, alongside noticeable improvements in student engagement and comfort. Support staff report smoother routines, while parents and carers express increased confidence in the learning environment.

Making cleaning part of a whole-school sensory approach also avoids tokenistic or piecemeal practices. It ensures that sensory wellbeing is addressed in every aspect of school life, from curriculum and classroom setup to operational routines like cleaning.

Building More Inclusive Spaces, One Schedule at a Time

Facilities management has long played a silent but critical role in school life. When viewed through the lens of inclusion, even routine activities like cleaning become opportunities to support student wellbeing. By combining design empathy with digital intelligence, schools can turn cleaning into a practice that creates spaces which are not only clean and compliant, but calm, predictable and inclusive for every learner.

Digital twins like Twinview give schools the tools to make inclusion visible, measurable and sustainable. By turning everyday maintenance data into actionable insight, education leaders can ensure their facilities are clean, efficient and genuinely welcoming for all.