The first Red Balloon Learner Centre was set up in Cambridge in 1996. The original vision was to provide a programme of full time education in a safe learning environment for children unable to go to school because they had been severely bullied.
Since then, Red Balloon has seen a successful period of growth, meaning there are now four physical centres, in Cambridge, Reading, Norwich, and North West London. There is also an online provision, Red Balloon of the Air, for students who live in an area not covered by a centre, or who are unable to leave their homes. Each centre operates as an individual company and registered charity and is an autonomous entity operating under the Red Balloon name.
Red Balloon North West London (RBNWL) was set up in 2008 and operates from a three storey Victorian townhouse in Kenton Road, Harrow. The centre provides places for 20 full time equivalent students, all of whom have their fees paid by Local Authorities as they are in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan (ECHP)
The Centre covers core subjects in the National Curriculum as well as the humanities, art, drama, modern foreign languages, PSHE, and home cooking. The centre offers additional qualifications according to students’ interests and aptitude. The centre has access to Harrow School’s sports facilities which are used twice weekly for Physical Education sessions.
All students have either music or art therapy to support their emotional well-being, and the centre offers a range of extra-curricular activities, such as visits to museums and galleries, weekly horse riding lessons, and many students complete their Duke of Edinburgh award.
The centre has a strong community of staff and students. Vegetarian food is home-cooked at the Centre, with staff and students sitting together at lunchtime. The centre has a garden where students may grow vegetables, play table-tennis or simply relax when the weather permits.
