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HISTORY OF THE SMALL SCHOOL AT RED HOUSE

Small School at The Red House (Buxton Norfolk)

Small School Red House and Small School Winestead were forced to close on 8 January 1998 after investigations by the Charity Commission, education and social services’ inspectors and a firm of chartered accountants.  They had previously received warnings from regulatory authorities regarding the health, safety and welfare of young people. 


The Charity Commission, accountants and social services’ inspectors found that millions of pounds, paid by British local authorities, were sent to the Channel Islands’ registered Tvind company, Argyll Smith, instead of being spent on the schools.

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1894  Home Office order confirmed Red House as an industrial school.

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1933  Reclassified as an approved school.

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1973  Under the Children's Act of 1969, The Red House Farm School ceased to be an approved school for boys and became a controlled community home under the control of the County Council, known as The Red House Community Home School. The site and buildings reverted to the School's original owners, known as the Red House School Foundation.

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1981  (31 July) School closed. Staff offered posts in other County Council establishments or early retirement. Norfolk County Council's involvement ceased on 15 October 1981.  School's property reverted to the Foundation Managers.

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1981-1984  Was not sold until mid-1984 when it was purchased by the Faelleseje Private Foundation (better known as the Tvind School Co-operative of Denmark).  This body set up a school for deprived and disturbed children and adolescents, known as The Small School at Red House, to which Local Education Authorities from all over the country sent individuals.

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1984  Red House opened under Tvind.

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1984-98  Red House was run by Tvind who charged £700 per week  per child.

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1989  Pupils at Red House riot. With no one listening to the children’s concerns they decided to riot to bring attention to the authorities, but yet again the children's concerns were ignored.

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1990  Government warns social services about sending children to Red House. 

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1992  The Red House School Foundation used the proceeds from the sale of the property to establish the Red House School Charitable Trust.  Its objectives were to further the education and training of children who had been in County Council care, or any child or young person in need.

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1995- 96 Davd Greensmith, a Social worker at Red House, was a paedophile who changed his name from David McCausland before arriving at Red House.

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1996  Charity Commission begins investigations into finances of Red House. 

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1996  The Observer printed an article on 2 November, saying that Jason Cooper, then aged 23, attended the Red House and, later, Winestead Hall.  He described a harsh and humiliating regime at the Norwich school (Red House ) as 'like brainwashing'.  He claimed any child who left the toilets dirty was made to run round a yard with a toilet seat round his or her neck, and any child who wet the bed was forced to wear a 'nappy.'  Teenagers had to make communal decisions when children misbehaved.  'It was like brainwashing.  In the end everybody had to think the same. There was a feeling that even your best mate would go against you because nobody had a choice.'  This description matches accounts by scores of other young people from all over Europe who have voluntarily studied at Tvind schools.  The cult had more than 40 schools in Denmark, Norway and America - most linked to supposed foreign aid projects. 

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1998  Investigations into allegations of sexual and physical abuse by former pupils without further action.  Ex pupils claimed much of physical abuse stemmed from headteacher Benny Joergensen, who was at the school from at least the late 1980s until the mid 1990s.  He died in 2013.

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1998  Red House closed on 8 January 1998 due to concerns about the welfare of children and after investigations by the Charity Commission, education and social services’ inspectors and a firm of chartered accountants. They had previously received warnings from regulatory authorities regarding the health, safety and welfare of young people. The Charity Commission, accountants and social services’ inspectors found that millions of pounds, paid by British local authorities, was sent to the Channel Islands’ registered Tvind company, Argyll Smith, instead of being spent on the schools.

Police Investigations

Current Investigation | Operation Walmsgate 2


Norfolk Constabulary have  confirmed that they have received new information relevant to allegations of abuse at the former Red House School in Buxton.  This information has been assessed and a new investigation has been opened  based on the further allegations which have been made and is currently an ongoing  investigation.


Past Investigation | Operation Walmsgate

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2017/2018 by Norfolk police â€“ collapsed because not enough people came forward.

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LOCAL AUTHORITY

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