You may have thought of all this before, but multi-sensory gardens can be used by all - for those children with SEN who like to touch, feel and smell. Herbs that are fairly robust to rub and smell are things like thyme,rosemary, basil, sage etc are good. There are stunning visual flowers i.e. cornflowers are vivid blue - but not really scented, so you can mix visual and scented (those flowers tend to be a little more delicate, but there must be some that I can't think of at the moment). For children in wheelchairs, raised beds with a path so they can touch and see on their level is good. You can also have a vegetable section , if the area is small, you can suggest salad produce or small root vegetables like carrots etc
You can provide outdoor music , there are now outdoor musical instruments that are fixed such as xylophones, windchimes and suspended gongs etc - but children could always make their own windchimes and windmills (pinwheels) to place outside.
Is some areas you can add texture (whether to walls or the ground that children can walk over - (but away in an area that children with walking difficulties or in wheelchairs can choose not to go over) such as large pebbles or flat (not jagged) surfaces. Perhaps you can siggest that you would encourage the children to make textured items for the garden such a mosiac tiled table or such.
A bird box and table and you can add the insect boxes for ladybirds or butterflies (although I have to confess I have never had any takers for our butterfly box in my own garden - but they love the buddleias).
You could have an area to attract butterflies with plants they like, perhaps have a wet area (if you are worried about safety or maintenance of a pond) this will attract pondskaters, damsel and dragonflies and if you plant something such as marsh marigolds which open fully at night, these attract moths, which in turn attracts bats to come and feed on them.
You could leave an area for sowing wild flowers or leaving a fallow area for nature to decide what will grow there.
You may even add a small section for a sand area where children can bring play into the garden with buckets and spades etc.
If you are having benches/seats or a small shelter, it if is sturdy enough you can add a chalkboard or a perplex board to paint on, so that you are mixing and matching the learning. If you leave an area clear where everyone can gather around you can almost have a small 'campfire' area or open air cooking area - only has to be something simple like marshmallows on sticks. A nice area for picnics anyway.
You could have an area where it is designed to get muddy and sloppy for play in the rain with wellingtons and umbrellas. You can even place an outdoor thermometer, compass, decorative windsock etc.
I think I'd like to design it for you! If you make sure you include every sense, for every need of any child/adult and link all this to teaching/learning theories and theorists, this sounds like a fantasic choice of project. By writing that projects such as this could include the children in all stages will get them really involved etc. Don't forget to mention the obvious - Margaret McMillan and her open classroom and how it's linked into the EYFS and you can then link that into Forest schools. Perhaps if you are able to visit one, this will strengthen your agrument - in fact ask if you can visit a school or setting with a sensory garden, that'll give you a better idea - these are just out of my head and some of the things I have in my small garden.
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