Our School

Elemore Hall is a Durham County Council Day and Residential Special School for approximately 86 secondary aged pupils who have found it difficult to achieve success in mainstream education due to their social, emotional and mental health difficulties. There are 25 resident and 51 extended day pupil spaces.

Elemore Hall has a fabulous location, we are based in an 18th Century Manor House (with additional more modern buildings) set in extensive grounds in the open countryside east of the city of Durham between the villages of Pittington and Easington Lane. As a school, it has been in existence since 1958 and occupies a site of over 40 acres, consisting of buildings, grounds, woodland, playing fields, arable and horticultural land. Learning outside the classroom is an important element of what we do at Elemore Hall and our grounds provide endless opportunities for a wide range of activities.

We have recently had a £3m building programme that further improved and extended our facilities. The school has established good practice in meeting the needs of children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Indeed OfSTED stated that: -“The school motto, ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’ is reflected in the exemplary team work and commitment the whole school has to raising standards of behavior, attitudes to learning and academic achievement, and to continual improvement to all aspects of the school’s work”.

Pupils

The school’s catchment area is the whole of County Durham and therefore pupils come from a wide range of social and domestic situations presenting a diversity of educational, social and behavioral needs and challenges.

Major common factors are general under functioning both socially and academically, immaturity and difficulties meeting the educational expectations of a school environment.

All the children have experienced some failure and/or rejection in their previous schools and have damaged self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence, many pupils have been permanently excluded from at least one previous school and all have a statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan.

In addition to social, emotional and mental health difficulties, many pupils have additional generalised or specific learning difficulties. The school has many pupils who have been diagnosed with a medical need or condition, these include, ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome and Tourettes. The school has held ‘Investing in Children’ status for a number of years.