WHAT? WHERE?

Reddam House Berkshire Wokingham all through school

Reddam House is a co-ed day and boarding school for ages 0-18 years – perfectly positioned for anyone living in Wokingham, Reading and the surrounding areas, but if you don’t mind whizzing along the M4, it would suit anyone in Berkshire, the surrounding counties or Londoners – especially if they are looking for weekly boarding.

Reddam House school Wokingham berkshire aerial view of grounds school review

Co-educational with a 50/50 split of boys and girls – and it’s at capacity with 900 pupils across four divisions – Early Learning, Junior, Middle, Senior and Sixth Form – with permission granted to expand to 1,050. Set in 125 acres of frankly majestic grounds, the main building has film star good looks and has appeared in The Crown (S4), Midsomer Murders and Endeavour to name a few. Your jaw will drop at the ornate wood panelling, elegant fireplaces and the rare round radiator is a talking point. The Junior School has its own wing in the main building and the Early Years School can be found in the old coach house on site, a short walk away from the mansion.

If you like your schools with a feeling of informality and intimacy, you’re in the right place. There’s a harmonious blend of old and new, which is rather poetic given that Reddam House has only been open for nine years, having taken over the site of the historic Bearwood College and prior to that the estate was the family home of The Times newspaper owner John Walter.

FACILITIES

One of the benefits of choosing an all-through school is that the facilities are far superior to those found at your average Nursery or Prep. Reddam House has invested heavily since they took over to ensure that the school oozes quality (and if it’s not up to scratch, it’s on the list to be refurbished). Plans are in motion to build a new sports hall, an adventure playground designed around the psychology of play is being added to the existing zip wire and trim trail, plus a grander entrance for Juniors are all in the pipeline.

SPORTS

It has the obligatory rolling playing fields with space for five full-sized football and rugby pitches, a 25 metre indoor pool, a 125 acre site for cross country, refurbished netball and tennis courts and a dedicated, fully equipped, and an all-weather astro pitch. The school neighbours the famous Bearwood Lakes Golf Course, where the children can go for lessons and is their ‘home track’ for golf fixtures. At this age, the emphasis is on participation and enjoying sport, but everyone enjoys a win and they’re always keen to get more silverware in the trophy cabinet. The school is fully competitive and regularly wins fixtures (rugby, netball, football, etc.) and galas against other well known local Prep schools.

Work is about to start on a smart new sports hall with a spaghetti junction of lines for different courts and a viewing platform for parents to cheer from the sidelines. Outdoor education – aka Reddam Adventure Department (RAD) – is also expanding. A permanent tent is in regular use teaching all the survival skills you might need: whittling wooden tent pegs, lighting fires, with an emphasis on collaboration and wellbeing.

CREATIVE ARTS

All the world’s a stage… and Reddam is passionate about drama, dance and music. It has one of the most impressive performing arts departments I have seen – and a recent upgrade of the sound means you’ll hear a pin drop in the back row.

If you’re not impressed by the 350-seat pro theatre, you’ll be bowled over by the school production standard. The kids get to learn so much more than the curriculum. Every project – including eight productions a year – is completed with a veneer of real life professionalism and the children love it.

Dance is very popular and the studio is light-filled, serene space and everything from ballet and ballroom to street dance are on offer. Formal exams can be taken. Reddam hosts the ISA National Dance Competition and there are lots of opportunities to perform to an audience.

The music school has practice rooms aplenty and a recording studio which has been used to record audiobooks as well as music. Jazz handers will be in their element, everyone else will get a confidence boost and enjoy riding the wave of creativity. The majority won’t be practicing their Oscars speech in the mirror, but they’ll all come away with the courage to speak well in public. A life skill that’ll come in handy whether your kids are presenting in a meeting or doing a TedTalk. They have a superb LAMDA team and many pupils work towards qualifications.

GENERAL

The Junior School can be found in the yellow corridor – and the classrooms are spacious and flooded with natural light. RAD, the Reddam Adventure Department, runs a lovely outdoor-education programme in the school’s extensive woods where pupils camp and learn all the Bear Grylls skills. There is a smart tent for lessons and, during our visit, they were learning to make their own tent pegs out of sticks. The concentration and genuine desire to learn was impressive. The adventure playground is a big hit, and a new adventure playground (designed with controlled risk and the psychology of play in mind) will pop up next to the existing one so all the children can use it at the same time. Elsewhere you’ll also find old tyres and pallets left in piles – no, the grounds staff, are not shirking their duties – to encourage creativity and imagination in play so social skills can thrive.

LITTLIES

Little people can start at 3 months in the Early Years School and it is waaaaay superior to the various nurseries I’ve used for my kids over the years. In fact it’s so popular, they’re looking to expand. A new dining hall and kitchen will enhance the experience for the existing cohort, and they’re currently looking at possibilities to expand. Watch this space.

Housed in the old coaching house, a short stroll from the main building, it is a smart, cosy space, with sensory hot air balloon lights and bubbles, its own performance hall, dining hall and outdoor classroom. The kids get out into the grounds and enjoy fresh air and exploring nature every day. It’s very wholesome – exactly what is needed at this age.

You notice the lack of plastic and clutter-free rooms. It’s all very deliberate and follows the award-winning Reggio Emilia philosophy. It’s a unique approach that puts the child in the driving seat of their learning. The staff are on hand to ensure they have the tools to explore, observe, hypothesise, question and talk about their understanding of the world. If you’re familiar with Montessori, it’s a bit like that but with bells on.

Early Learning School head Petra Wright talked about Reddam Reggio which gives children a limitless opportunity for them to express themselves, known as ‘the 100 languages of child’. It might sound a bit ‘out there’ but it feeds their spongey enquiring minds and teaches them to value joining in and responsibility. It fires up that love of learning and gives them the tools to grow with confidence. When they leave Early Years to go to Juniors, they receive a teddy to take with them. The reception children lovingly wrap them up as a gift for each newbie, who then name them and take them with them for a bit of comfort and teddy-powered bravery. Gorgeous.

ACADEMICS

Although not highly selective, Reddam performs its own assessment on taster days. I wouldn’t call it a pressure cooker, but there’s a healthy simmer as the students are encouraged to strive for excellence, with weekly testing the norm. Obviously, it’s not going to suit everyone, but it helps the pupils grasp each element of their learning and any weak spots are flagged up quickly and the teachers can then swoop in to help.

The curriculum allows for lots of open-ended activities, to encourage risk-taking, reflection and initiative where there is no ‘right answer’. It’s used to encourage creative thinking, growth mindset and a belief that hard work and determination can overcome barriers – exactly what the world needs right now.

Y1 to Y3 have a class teacher who teach the curriculum, supported by specialists for music, dance, drama, sport, visual arts and modern foreign languages. From Y4 onwards, the students have subject specialists for all lessons.

MEET THE HEAD

Rick Cross Head of redeem House Berkshire

Principal Rick Cross joined Reddam House in 2021 from Bedales School where he was Deputy Head (Pastoral and Academic). He has his feet well and truly under the table and brings a reassuring calmness and George Clooney-esque twinkle in his eyes. He’s very likeable, knowledgable and has the quiet determination to get stuff done. In just three years, Cross has ramped up the school’s outdoor education by introducing the Reddam Adventure Department, he’s piloted the Global Study Platform for the Inspired Group, improved the onsite staff accommodation, overseen the renovation of the Sixth Form, a new boarding house, installed pro-quality sound and lighting in the theatre and has introduced AI to support and stretch students in their learning. And that’s just the most recent stuff.

He’s very plugged into tech developments and is interested in how it can enhance a child’s learning experience, but not at the expense of traditional teaching or for the sake of jumping on a trend. It comes from his own curiosity to learn about this stuff (we got a brilliant book recommendation The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman) and to understand the negatives as well as the positives.

On the flip side, the wholesome outdoor education is expanding all the time, making the most of the school’s unique location. More importantly it also taps into life skills and characteristics kids needs to thrive in the modern world. Plus that fresh air is good for mind and soul. Outdoor learning is trending right now, but Rick is a pretty good role model – he runs for fun. Not a quick 5K round the grounds but serious endurance running – and he’s just completed the London Marathon.

Of course, a school of this size takes a top team. Each division has its own head. For the youngest pupils Petra Wright is in charge of Early Years and Cassie Morris leads the charge for the Juniors. They set the tone at Reddam House and execute the school’s ethos with gusto. All the division heads are very different, but united in squeezing out the potential out of ever pupil and a love of educational innovation. Just like the Team GB, it’s all about marginal gains.

QUIRKS

The uniform or rather the ‘multi-form’. Students can choose from a variety of items within the range. If your child is more comfortable in a polo shirt and fleece, then that’s what they can wear. Prefer a blazer or chinos? Crack on. Express yourself (within reason).

Let’s also talk about CHEX, mate. Based on growth mindset principles, Reddam’s CHEX programme (challenge and extension) gives each child the tools to reach their potential without limitation. High expectations are a given. Failure is not feared, but embraced. Resilience and a will to improve is nurtured. It generates a buzzy atmosphere where opportunities are grabbed with both hands and the kids support one another to reach their goals. Crikey, who wouldn’t want their kids to have a bit of that stardust on their cornflakes in the morning?

WHAT ELSE?

While parents naturally fixate on what happens inside the classroom, what happens outside it is just as important. Reddam is a busy school and like any decent Prep there are lots of clubs, enrichment opportunities and trips for children to experience. While art, dance, drama, music, public speaking, and sport are the norm, we’re loving the sound of Brainiacs Challenges, Warhammar, Chess, robotics, and app creating. Academic clubs also run like Maths Club, Creative Writing and Coding.

Blended learning, where tech and traditional teaching collide, is the norm – and its integral in Reddam’s classrooms. Surface Pros are used daily by pupils from Y4 up and you’ll need to splash out on one for you child – a payment scheme is available to buy one through the school and pay monthly.

There’s also a culture of celebrating the positives not just the best. Impressive results, charitable actions or extra effort will all be rewarded. Be warned, demerits are also handed out for poor behaviour, attitude or work.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The school motto is ‘We shall give back’ and the scholarship programme is just one example. Available for children going into Y3, Y7, Y9 and Sixth Form it’s designed to provide opportunities to talented kids whatever their family circumstances.

The scholarships cover up to 110% of the yearly tuition. If you haven’t considered independent schools but you have a child who’s got silky skills in sport, academics, music, dance and drama, then apply now. Email the registrar for further details and if selected, you spend the day at Reddam.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Excellent. The school is forward thinking and in the spirit of that ethos is entirely flexible. Juniors can be dropped off from 7.55am for breakfast and stay for tea until 6pm, or take part in after-school clubs. The Early Learning school is a private nursery so the little ones can be dropped off as early as 8am and picked up as lates as 6pm.

ISI Report

The most recent ISI report was published in 2022 – rating the Early Learning School ‘Outstanding’ and the rest of the school ‘Excellent’. A short visit followed in 2023 to green light the increase in pupil numbers from 750 to 1,050. Read the report here.

WORD ON THE GROUND

There’s a buzz about Reddam House. It’s progressive attitude and the academic rigour, global outlook and endless opportunities tick a lot of boxes for parents. A few confessed they had concerns about the regular cycle of testing, but admitted the kids take it in their stride and their progress is clearly evidenced. Reddam’s upbeat, ‘can-do’ aura, pastoral care and amazing facilities were cited as positives. There’s a lot of love.

TRANSPORT

Many parents drop off by car, but understanding life is busy for their parents, there’s a network of buses despatched to pick up and drop off Reddam pupils. Routes currently run to/from Ascot, Camberley, Fleet, Maidenhead and Reading, costing £580 per term.

FEES

Early Learning: from £76/£93 per day; Junior: £4,342 – £5,463 per term. Individual tuition, extended day and some after school clubs are extra.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: The Early Years child-led learning and discovery delivers amazing results in terms of the little love of learning, confidence and communication. The transition is seamless into the Juniors, where the children transition gradually towards the cycle of academic testing which seems to cement their learning. Excellent after-school care is a godsend for working parents.

Not for: If you don’t prescribe to a progressive ethos, innovative teaching and global outlook, Reddam House may not be the school for you.

Dare to disagree?! Be my guest. You can book onto a personalised tour here.

Read the Reddam House Senior School review here.

Reddam House, Bearwood Rd, Sindlesham, Wokingham RG41 5BG. Tel: 0118 974 8300

Reddam House (Early Years and Juniors), Wokingham

You may also like