Wellbeing
Red House has a long-standing reputation as a caring school.
In the Junior School we promote manners, kindnesses and thoughtfulness. We place pupil well-being at the heart of everything we do. It is equally important to us as academic achievements.
Our first rate pastoral system encourages and enables children to build lasting and mutually beneficial relationships with other children.
Our experienced staff are committed to ensuring every child is valued. All staff have an understanding of pupils’ pastoral needs and a pupil’s class teacher has particular responsibility to support each child. We offer a range of opportunities for personal development allowing the needs of individuals to be met.
Class teachers are also responsible for the delivery of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). This programme enables pupils to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding on a wide range of topics so that they can develop their own code of morals and values and become responsible and valued members of society.
An assembly or PSHE session takes place each morning. We also hold a weekly Achievement Assembly to celebrate individual and group successes.
We are delighted to have received the School Mental Health Award from the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools. We are proud to be the only independent school in the North East who have won this award, which demonstrates our passion for wellbeing and positive mental health. We work strategically to improve the wellness of our pupils, and this award has highlighted many areas of success, as well as helping us to plan for emotional health and wellbeing provision.
Our ‘Zen Den’ room offers pupils the opportunity for reflection, and mindfulness is embedded in our curriculum to help children develop coping skills and strategies. Children are encouraged to be mindful throughout their day, using breathing techniques and meditation.
Our outdoor classroom offers pupils the opportunity to learn new outdoor skills and also allows them to see education and learning as a multi-sensory experience.
We develop community links between the Junior and Senior Schools and the wider community. Examples include: Senior School pupils delivering a mental health assembly on the theme of ‘Hello Yellow’ to the pupils in the Junior School and children from the Junior School visiting local care homes to sing songs and play games with their residents.
In the Junior School, we have staff ‘Wellness Ambassadors’ for pupils. This is an opportunity to chat or sessions may include mindfulness or meditation and work on growth mindset and resilience.