ASN

Embedding Nurture: Designing Schools for Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Growth
Sandra Gallagher, Architect Associate Director, BDP | Gerard Curley, Headteacher, Neilston Primary School

Schools today face increasingly complex needs, from rising anxiety to irregular attendance and growing demand for support beyond the classroom. Nurture approaches offer a powerful response by strengthening daily and developmental transitions, improving attendance and creating inclusive pathways for every learner. With only 31 nurture accredited schools in Scotland, Neilston Primary stands out. Its new learning campus was co designed with stakeholders to embed the Six Principles of Nurture within the environment. This presentation explores how thoughtful design, supporting safety, communication, wellbeing, behaviour, and transitions, can create nurturing spaces where young people can truly thrive.

The Belonging Quotient
Dr Shannon Babbie, Senior Lecturer, University of Aberdeen

For 1 in 7 learners, traditional design creates sensory barriers that lead to burnout and attrition. This session introduces the Belonging Quotient (BQ), an evidence-based diagnostic framework that bridges the gap between architectural intent and neuro-inclusive reality. By auditing 8 sensory and cognitive domains, the BQ tool allows estates managers and educators to identify "invisible barriers" and implement data-driven "Quick-Wins." Learn how aligning your learning estate with BSI PAS 6463 standards builds inclusive pathways that improve retention, focus, and success for every learner—ensuring the estate works for every brain.

Creating Regulating Environments: Designing Spaces Where Nervous Systems Can Thrive
Lorraine McAleer, Managing Director - Educator, Advocate, and Co-Founder, Diverse SPACE | Andy Hazley, Senior Trainer, Diverse SPACE

What if behaviour isn’t the problem but the environment is? In this powerful and thought-provoking talk, a neurodivergent speaker shares lived experience to reframe how we understand regulation. Introducing the Anchors of Regulation (DiverseSPACE, 2025), this session explores how everyday environments either support or strain the nervous system, impacting emotional, cognitive, physical, and physiological responses. Through real-life examples and practical insights, discover how small environmental shifts can make a profound difference in our Top10 Design Essentials for Regulation-Friendly Spaces. Because when we support the nervous system, everything else becomes possible.