Play Education Pillar Placement
Pillar Placement – Mild SNE – Mainstream Preschool – Primary School
Class
Play
Primary Pillar
Why this is the correct fit
Preschool
The Rainbow That Forgot Its Colours
Inclusion & Participation
Voluntary participation, non-verbal options, belonging before action
Junior Infants
The Giggle in the Classroom Wall
Inclusion & Participation
Group discovery, shared curiosity, no individual performance pressure
Senior Infants
The Day the Teddies Took Roll Call
Inclusion & Participation
Belonging, routine, collective presence
1st Class
Professor Pencil and the Silly School Map
Inclusion & Participation
Guided teamwork, shared problem-solving, supported entry
2nd Class
The Mystery of the Midnight Storybooks
Inclusion & Participation
Calm collaboration, ensemble inquiry, literacy-as-group
3rd Class
The Unexpected Adventure Club
Inclusion & Participation
Club model, opt-in roles, exploration together
4th Class
The Great Homework Heist
Inclusion & Participation
Shared investigation, no lead hero, collective responsibility
5th Class
The School That Tried to Join the Olympics
Inclusion & Participation
Team effort, collective values, group achievement
6th Class
Graduation Chaos: The Ceremony That Ate Itself
Inclusion & Participation
Whole-class responsibility, no single authority, shared transition
❌ Not Confidence & Regulation (primarily)
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None are about emotional regulation as the main task
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Regulation is supported, not foregrounded
❌ Not Voice & Choice (primarily)
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Choice exists, but no debate-led, decision-centred structure
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No individual advocacy burden
❌ Not Celebration & Transition (primarily)
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Even Graduation Chaos is about collective responsibility, not ceremony-as-goal
Inclusion & Participation is the foundation pillar for the entire primary arc.
The other pillars:
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rotate year-to-year
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layer on top
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become more explicit later
Pillar Placement — SNE / SEN Catalogue
Age Band
Play
Primary Pillar
Why this is the correct fit
0–4
The Friendly Shapes Parade
Confidence & Regulation
Predictable repetition, calm pacing, voluntary presence, regulation over outcome
SNE 0 - 4 THE FRIENDLY SHAPES P…
5–8
The Curious Creatures of Colour Town
Confidence & Regulation
Low-verbal design, sensory safety, stillness and withdrawal normalised
SNE 5 - 8 THE CURIOUS CREATURES…
8–12
The Whispering Forest of Echo Friends
Confidence & Regulation
Echo structure, turn-taking, co-regulation, no narrative pressure
SNE 8 -12 THE WHISPERING FOREST…
12–15
The Team That Built a Better Day
Confidence & Regulation
Emotional containment, structured teamwork, adult override of intensity
SNE 12 - 15 THE TEAM THAT BUILT…
15–18
The Lighthouse Group
Confidence & Regulation
Explicitly regulation-first, silence-valid, safeguarding-led senior work
A participant is successful if they remain safe, regulated, and included — regardless of performance completion.
That is the definition of the Confidence & Regulation pillar in your system.
These works:
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explicitly deprioritise narrative completion
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allow silence, withdrawal, and observation
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give adults override authority at all times
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avoid emotional escalation, disclosure, or role pressure