Headmaster’s Welcome I am pleased to report that 2023 has been an extraordinarily successful year for Royal Russell. We remain ambitious for the future and have recorded a number of notable successes throughout this busy year.
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y fundamental commitment as Head of this distinctive family school is to support our pupils in achieving successful outcomes and to ensure that excellence is embedded in every facet of the Royal Russell experience. Whether we consider our individual and collective academic successes, the ‘excellent’ feedback from our ISI Inspection in September, the stunning music and drama performances, the quality of our sports teams showing the depth and breadth of our provision, or the ever-widening opportunities for our pupils to excel in so many activities beyond the classroom.
This has been a hugely successful year where we have seen the values of the Royal Russell community of being Ambitious, Open, Distinctive and Courageous, expressed in the actions and outcomes of our young people as strongly as ever. This year has not been without its challenges and sadness, and we have lost our Patron and loved ones. Yet, from these moments of sorrow, there have been some genuine moments of joy, particularly in the way that members of our immediate and our wider community have come together and supported each other within the Royal Russell family. In one of his first speeches as monarch, King Charles made reference to this nation as a ‘community of communities’, and I feel that notion is very much expressed in the wonderful way in which we are able to share our expertise and our experiences with each other, within this learning community. Our challenge is, of course, not just to be successful but to think about how that success can be achieved together, not just to be good but to do good within the Royal Russell family and beyond.
Success at Royal Russell should ultimately lead to becoming a successful human being, and in reflecting on this, I wish to share this piece called ‘What is Success’ from Ralph Waldo Emerson. While the language may be a little dated, the message is, I think, really clear: What is success? To laugh often and much;
are achieved through the brilliant work of an outstanding team, and I would like to acknowledge and thank all of the Royal Russell community for providing so much opportunity for our young people to thrive. We wish all of our leavers, pupils, staff and families every success on their future journeys. Chris Hutchinson Headmaster
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child or a garden patch to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded! These successes in pupil outcomes and in creating a learning community
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Public Examinations Results Royal Russell is different by design. We are a family school which values the things which make each of us distinctively brilliant. Our commitment to each other is to help every member of our community strive for their vision of success – to take a wider view of what their personal ambitions are, and it has therefore been a pleasure to share the results with pupils and parents. GCSE
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e are delighted to report an excellent set of GCSE results for our Year 11 cohort. 123 candidates sat for a total of 1125 GCSE awards this year, with nearly 70% of grades awarded to our pupils at grade 9 - 6 (A*-B equivalent). The pupils should feel a great sense of collective achievement and we hope that all pupils reflect on their hard work and look forward excitedly to a bright future. The results achieved by the pupils reflect the hard work they have put into their studies at the School; particularly during the rigorous examination season during the Summer Term. They also reflect the expertise and dedication of the Royal Russell staff team, including all of the academic, administration, operations, and support staff and, of course, the huge commitment of our Royal Russell parents and families. Many of those on results day were excitedly discussing the opportunities of the Sixth Form and were looking forward to joining their new academic courses in September. We are always proud of our pupils, and whilst we congratulate them for the academic qualifications they have been awarded, I am even more proud to see them embody the Russellian values of being Ambitious, Open, Distinctive and Courageous as they contribute both to our community and the wider world.
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A Level & BTEC
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n all that we do as a school, we aim to instil our Russellian values in all our young people. This amazing group of Year 13 pupils have had to cope with a huge amount of uncertainty as they undertook their first public examinations this year, with GCSE examinations for their cohort cancelled due to Covid. The results which they have achieved are testament to this cohort’s hard work and resilience and we could not be more proud.
The overall results are very strong from a high performing year group and individual success is evident at all levels of the ability range both within our A Level and our BTEC programmes. Congratulations go to all pupils, many will go on to study at some fantastic universities including Sheffield, Cambridge, LSE, Warwick and UCL. The UCAS outcomes are very encouraging, indicating the sound advice given to each individual candidate by the Sixth Form team. Pupils will be moving on from Royal Russell to study a wide range of courses, including Architecture and Actuarial Science through to Economics (7 pupils), Law (4 pupils), Mechanical Engineering (3 pupils), Politics and International Relations (7 pupils) and Psychology (4 pupils). We also have a small number of pupils who will be joining apprenticeship schemes and directly entering employment.
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University Destinations 2023 A
ll our Year 13 pupils successfully accepted places at their chosen universities, gained places on coveted apprenticeship schemes and internships, or directly entered employment in their chosen career fields.
International Business and Management Psychology
Modern History and Politics
Financial Economics
Esports Coaching and Management
Hospitality Chemical Engineering Visual Design Culture, Media and Creative Industries Mathematics with Management and Finance Apprenticeship in Tax and Finance KPMG Law (Placement Year) Economics Music Performance and Industry Actuarial Science
Economics Sport Science, Coaching and Physical Education Politics and International Relations (with placement year) Politics and International Relations Criminology Business Economics and Finance
Mechanical Engineering Business Business Management and Entrepreneurship Photography Illustration FT Economics Business and Management Business and Management Law
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Biochemistry BA Media Civil Engineering
Criminology Science with Foundation Year (Integrated Honours Programme)
French with Management Studies
Pharmacy
Economics with a Placement Year
Childhood and Youth Studies with Psychology
Mechanical Engineering Politics and International Relations Social Sciences with Data Science Creative Arts and Humanities
Politics and International Relations with professional placement or study abroad
Economics Education Law
Finance
Politics Linguistics and Japanese Studies Bioengineering Marine Biology with Oceanography Business Management Accounting and Finance Education
Finance and Marketing
Computer Science Psychology
Linguistics
Media and Communication Computer Science
Psychology
Economics and Finance with Industrial Experience
Economics (SocSci) Politics (with foundation year)
Geography Geography, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Architecture Computer Science with a Foundation Year Mechanical Engineering Modern Languages Law
Human Geography Politics and International Relations with a Placement Year
French and History Politics and International Studies
Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence
Sport Management
Biology foundation year then Genetics
Economics/Politics
Sustainability and Environmental Management Computer Science Politics and International Business Computer Science with Software Development with a Year in Industry Law Biomedical Sciences with Industrial / Professional Experience (4 years) Civil Engineering Electronic engineering
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Class of 2023 Year 11’s Last Day
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ear 11 had one last breakfast together before starting their study leave and GCSE exams. This was followed by a wonderful final assembly with memorable performances on the drums, piano and vocals.
Once the final ‘pen down’ was announced in the exam hall, the Year 11s were finally able to let their hair down at their Prom hosted at Farleigh Golf Club. Dressed to impress, the pupils danced, ate and posed for photographs. It was the perfect end to a challenging year!
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Year 13’s Last Day
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ear 13 attended their final Chapel and Graduation service in gowns and mortar boards. They looked fabulous in their photographs on Chapel Quad as they gathered together in their Houses for the last time. This was followed by a delicious BBQ in the sunshine with friends and teachers.
The pupils collected their hoodies and signed Yearbooks before returning to revision and hard work ahead of their muchanticipated exams. Year 13 also had the chance to relax at their Prom at Farleigh Golf Club with a dance floor rendition of Gangnam Style being the absolute highlight of the evening.
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Royal Russell Day Royal Russell Day is the highlight of the year, a celebration of the tremendous learning, dedicated effort, and vibrant community engagement of our school. Those who were able to join Royal Russell Day this year already know that the morning event in the Sports Hall was a wonderful celebration of this exciting school year. As the academic year came to an end, the event captured the spirit of the Royal Russell family and shared the successes of our pupils in equal measure.
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e were delighted to welcome the many people attending in person and everyone joining via YouTube as it was being live-streamed. We also welcomed back Old Russellian, Paige Campbell, as our guest speaker, who served as our Head of School in 2011-2012. The event opened with the Royal Russell Chamber Orchestra playing The Entertainer, followed by a performance of Georgia by the Junior School Ukulele Ensemble. The Junior School also delivered a scene from their production of ‘Matilda,’ which was performed for an audience for the first time. We were then treated to performances from the Chamber Choir, Jazz Band, the Dance Troupe, School Choir, Junior School Woodwind Ensemble, Swing Band, and Mrs O’Hanlon’s singers, who performed Kiss from a Rose. Headmaster, Chris Hutchinson, welcomed everybody to the celebration, followed by the Chair of Governors’ address by Andrew Merriman. Senior School pupils were then presented with their Academic Prizes, which were awarded by Paige Campbell. The Headmaster of the Junior School, John Evans, welcomed and addressed the audience before the announcement of the Junior School Academic Prizes. Following this, our Junior and Senior School Sports Prizes were awarded, along with CoCurricular and Citizenship Prizes. Trophies were presented to the winning Houses of our House Activities Cup, and awards for National Representation were given to pupils for their dedication and hard work in this space. We also enjoyed performances from our Young Voices, who sang Sing from Your Heart and an extract from the Queens and ensemble of this year’s much-loved ‘SIX-TEEN EDITION’ from Senior School Drama. Our Combined Orchestra played the ‘Doctor Who’ theme tune, and we presented the Senior School Head of School Awards and the Head of Junior School Shield to our fantastic pupils who represented the School exceptionally well. The finale was a clever rendition of 7 Years, rewritten to tell the story of some of the year’s highlights from our pupils. We extend our gratitude to all the pupils, parents, and staff involved in the organization of this wonderful event.
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Year 11 Prizes
The Chemistry Prize:
Ching Lam Chan
The Art and Design Prize:
Yining Liu
The Chinese Prize:
Hoi Yi Tse
The Biology Prize:
Sze Chit Cho
The Computer Science Prize:
The Business Studies Prize:
CJ ColemanBenjamin
Hayden Randall
The Chemistry Prize:
The Design and Technology Prize:
Vanessa Chu
Yining Liu
The Computer Science Prize:
The Economics Prize:
Chenghao Wang
Toby Cascarini
The Design and Technology Prize:
The Prize for English:
Chloe Shields
Thomas Garlick
The Double Science Prize:
The French Prize:
Charlotte Mawer
Zac Racine
The Drama Prize:
The Geography Prize:
Hannah Sinclair
Holly Seymour
The Prize for English:
The German Prize:
Alena Goliana
Holly Seymour
The English as an Additional Language Prize:
The History Prize:
Henry Steele
Mariya Derevytska
The Mathematics Prize:
Kijun Lee
The Food Preparation and Nutrition Prize:
Katja Windle
The Media Studies Prize:
Chloe Shields
The Music Prize:
Amber Knibb
The French Prize:
Yuyan Wang
The Music Technology Prize:
Andrew Trice
The Geography Prize:
Lucy Payne
The Physics Prize:
Kijun Lee
The German Prize:
Katja Windle
The Politics Prize:
Samuel Charvet
The History Prize:
Tea Maria Gabara
The Psychology Prize:
Lily Ray
The Japanese Prize:
Shing Him Yuen
The Religious Studies Prize:
Katie Hamerton
The Mathematics Prize:
Shing Him Yuen
The Russian Prize:
Maria Ertukhanova
The Media Studies Prize:
Emma Portman
The Spanish Prize:
Henry Steele
The Music Prize:
Alec Thurbin
The Physics Prize:
Toby Cascarini
The Physical Education Prize:
Zoe Graham
The Religious Studies Prize:
Ella Redman
The Spanish Prize:
Joshua Chapman
Sixth Form Prize The Art and Design Prize:
Cynthia Ding
The Biology Prize:
Jinsol Park
The BTEC Business Studies Prize:
Jared Lilliefelth
The BTEC Media Prize:
Zinachi Victor-Okigbo
The BTEC Sport Prize:
Leonardo Jardim
The Business Studies Prize:
Ted Jenkins
Junior School Academic Prizes The English Award:
Arseniy Tšertkov
The English Progress Award:
Chloe Godfrey
The Richard Green Mathematics Prize: Nikhil Jotangia The Mathematics Progress Award:
Freya Emerson
The Science Prize:
Max Clements
The Blount History Prize:
Sebastian Austin
The Ingrams Geography Prize:
William Norman
The Computing Prize:
Isa Zubair
The Modern Foreign Languages Prize: Isabel Tokun
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The Stainer Music Trophy:
Emily Spriggs
Junior School Sports Prizesar
The Drama Prize:
Paris Hussein
Year 3 Victor Ludorum:
Zakariya Tabassum
The Art Prize:
Elliott Schoeb
Year 3 Victrix Ludorum:
Jessica Morgan
The Design and Technology Prize:
Tristan Droux
Year 4 Victor Ludorum:
Joshua Tuckwell
Year 4 Victrix Ludorum:
Sihua Chen
Senior School Sports Prizes Junior Victor Ludorum Year 7:
George Yarker
Year 5 Victor Ludorum:
Harry Swift
Junior Victrix Ludorum Year 7:
Margaret Kawa, Olivia De Alzaga and Ayla Scott
Year 5 Victrix Ludorum:
Lily Bannon
Year 6 Victor Ludorum:
George GowlandSmith
Year 6 Victrix Ludorum:
Matilda BrininWebb
The Hallworth Trophy for Sportsmanship:
Freya Bullock
Junior Victor Ludorum Year 8:
Rocco Langley
Junior Victrix Ludorum Year 8:
Sapphira Plessard Da Silva
Intermediate Victor Ludorum Year 9:
Charles Holland
Intermediate Victrix Ludorum Year 9:
Adachi Amiaka
Intermediate Victor Ludorum Year 10: Lucian Davies Intermediate Victrix Ludorum Year 10: Olivia Obasuyi and Olivia Dunn Senior Victor Ludorum:
Dylan Kennedy
Senior Victrix Ludorum:ni
Ping Ping Ellis Liao
School Contribution to Sport The Andrew Foot Award (1985) for contribution to Boys’ Sport:
George Vincent
The Twyford Shield (1938) for contribution to Girls’ Sport:
Bethany Long
Junior Co-curricular and Citizenship Prizes The Annalise Luffingham Trophy:
Abigail Muscat
The 1853 Society Cup:
Madison Janowski and Maran Selvam
Most Improved Mini-MUN Delegate:
Max Clements
Services to Drama:
Chloe Whyte
Services to Music:
Vivienne Goossens
Services to Art:
Anna MacEnhill
The Ambassador Shield:
Freyja Patterson
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National Representation Lucas Cheung, Zoe Graham, Harry Hogben, Vinci Kwan, Behany Long, Bobby Moore, Louis Saville, George Vincent
Senior School Co-curricular Prizes The Shield for Services to MUN:
Anastacia Allan
MUN Delegate of the Year:
Johan Prinsloo
Most Improved MUN Delegate:
Rohan Phillpot
Young Delegate of the Year:
Vasily Van Vloten (Year 6)
Best RAF NCO:
Conor Morris
Best RAF Recruit:
Harvey Goold
Best Army NCO:
Thibault Hardy
Best Army Recruit:
Darcey Cross
Shield for Services to Drama:
Cameron Savage
Services to Music:
Omar NesbethGeorge
Long Service Award Caitlin Baron, Reanna Blades, Miles King
Senior School House Awards for Good Citizenship
Senior School Head of School Award
Buchanan Citizenship Prize Winner:
Sophie Payne
The Miriam West Prize:
Anna Clery
Buchanan Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Isabella Williams
The Rt Hon Lord Hollenden Prize:
Miles King
Buchanan Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Florence Corbett
The Miriam West Prize:
Anastacia Allan
Cambrige Citizenship Prize Winner:
Henry Steele
Staff Leavers
Cambridge Citizenship Prize Runner Up: Daniel Petkov Cambridge Citizenship Prize Runner Up: Vrutik Patel Hollenden Citizenship Prize Winner:
Elspeth Gardiner
Hollenden Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Gaia Castano Paramova
Hollenden Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Kol Dworakowska
Keable Citizenship Prize Winner:
Toby Cascarini
Keable Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Jonathan Goodman
Keable Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Jasper Thompson
Madden Citizenship Prize Winner:
Freddie McCallister
Madden Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
James Jones
Madden Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Finn Mitchell
Oxford Citizenship Prize Winner:
Luca Bradbury
Oxford Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Harry Payne
Oxford Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Ethan Wallin
Queens Citizenship Prize Winner:
Nina Lago Burity
Queens Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Avni Sharma
Queens Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Anatoliya Ageeva
Reade Citizenship Prize Winner:
Erynn Edney
Reade Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Serena Biju
Reade Citizenship Prize Runner Up:
Sophie Lang
St Andrew’s Citizenship Prize Winner:
Archie Moore
Hasan Akkas, Karan Allan, Carl Bailey, Tam Barrett, Denise Bob-Jones, Ellie Bonner, Sophia Bosscher Ahmad, Katherine Buadi, Kirsten Byers, Nui Curror, Karen Dapson, Sylviana Driscoll, Andrew Edwards, David Edwards, Lisa Ford, Aimee Gibbons, Lauren Heasman, Gemma Jamieson, Kim Keen, Michelle Lewry, Sue Lower, Clare Marseglia, Nicola Pocock, Matthew Rose, Jo Scarlett, Vlada Serebryanska, Aymerick Severin, Nikki Snelgrove, Michele Stone, Kirk Stoneham, Maria Wade, Helen White, Steve Whiteley, Anna Witherow
Head of Junior School Shield Freya Bullock, Nikhil Jotangia, Isabel Tokun, Arseniy Tšertkov
St Andrew’s Citizenship Prize Runner Up: Thomas Grehan St Andrew’s Citizenship Prize Runner Up: Henry Hayden de Carbonnières
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Junior School Art & DT It has been an exciting year in Junior Art & Design Technology, with many opportunities and creative events taking place across the year such as Book Week, the Year 4 Tate Modern trip and Year 6 Mural Day.
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arly Years Foundation Stage pupils (EYFS) have enjoyed experimenting with a range of different materials and processes whilst learning about line, shape, colour and pattern. They have learned basic weaving techniques, mixed colours using ink powders and created natural tools using sticks and leaves. A particular highlight has been our Poppy Project for Remembrance Day, in which the children created poppies using paper and pipe cleaners.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 1 have learned about mechanisms and levers in DT by creating a moving picture depicting the nativity scene. They then built on their knowledge of mechanisms and structures by creating moving vehicle toys using a chassis, axles and wheels. They finished the year looking at flowers and plants; creating drawings, paintings and sculptures linked to the theme.
Year 2 have enjoyed learning about boats in our recent STEM Project. They designed and created vessels using recyclable materials. In addition to building a waterproof structure, the children also had to ensure it could float and carry a load. The children collaborated well with one another and used their reasoning to find solutions to challenges along the way.
Year 3
Year 4
Year 3 have explored several exciting themes this year from shadow puppets in DT to ‘The Body’ and ‘Landscapes in Art’. A particular highlight for the children was creating a wire sculpture inspired by artist Alberto Giacometti. Digital drawing as part of our Landscapes Project also proved popular. In this project, we created vibrant digital drawings in the style of David Hockney using a drawing app on our iPads.
Year 4’s highlight of the year was our wonderful trip to Tate Modern. We visited the world-famous gallery whilst learning about the colourful Pop Art movement as part of our Summer Food Project. We explored the exhibitions together with the support of class teachers and parent volunteers, scouring the gallery for famous artworks and trying out different drawing techniques in the Turbine Hall.
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Year 5
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ear 5 began the year celebrating Remembrance Day by creating poppy sculptures in the style of artist Paul Cummins MBE. It was a delight to see the creativity and collaboration of Year 5 during our War Art Project and the moving gallery of art created. They learned skills in stop-motion animation, inspired from the movement ‘Surrealism’ and also produced a money container using a template and various stitch methods. Year 5 also worked on creating posters as part of the Junior School Symposium this year, focussing on ‘Sustainability’.
Year 6
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ear 6 DT spent a day creating a moving fairground ride. After researching several types of rides, we designed and built a ride from scratch using a motor and pulley system. This task required creativity and collaboration throughout the process and use of many skills from measuring, sewing, investigating electric systems and lots of problem-solving to create a finished product which met our design specifications. They also worked with a mural artist and created a colourful mural using spray paint techniques. After studying the theme of Street Art in lessons, they created drawings based on their favourite animals and the surrounding nature at Royal Russell. The finished mural includes many of their drawings from this project, and it was wonderful to see them together in a spray-painted landscape.
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Book Week
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n the Spring term, we held our annual Book Week, with the theme ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’. Each year group selected a picture book and created art around the theme or style of the book. In Year 1 we made paper pop-up frogs inspired by the book ‘Tuesday’ using paper springs, Year 4 used junk modelling to create a ‘Lost Thing’ and Year 5 focussed on the powerful morals of ‘The Promise’ book through digital illustration.
Inter-House Art Competition
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nother highlight this year has been the ‘Seasons’ Inter-House Art Competition. Designed by our Year 6 creative ambassadors, this competition asked budding artists to submit an artwork inspired by a season linked to their House. We had such a range of exciting and diverse entries submitted from handsewn textiles, sculptures made using natural materials and even a delicious cake disguised as an igloo. Every artist who entered gained a point for their House and should be immensely proud of their creative achievements.
Croydon Stands Tall
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n the Summer Term, we were given the exciting opportunity to design and paint a 4ft giraffe sculpture for ‘Croydon Stands Tall’ a sculpture trail of 30 giraffes to be displayed around Croydon in celebration of being the current London Borough of Culture. After a small design competition in which the children were given a brief to draw a giraffe in whichever style they chose, we settled on the designs of Anna and Prisca in Year 6. As part of Street Art Mural Day we painted our fantastic giraffe, which included our iconic School Chapel alongside vibrant patterns and colours. We look forward to another fun-filled year in Art & DT.
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Well-being Walks The School is an exciting but challenging place at times; sometimes, everyone feels they could do with a ‘welfare plan’ and wonders what they can do to look after their well-being, especially when things get so busy.
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uckily for Royal Russell, we have started working with Nuthatch Retreats this year. The Nuthatch Consultants have given staff and pupils the much-needed invitation to use the School’s lovely grounds for guided meditation walks. They have begun to put down that pile of homework or marking and give some time to themselves instead, learning that this will, in turn, make them more creative and productive. Whatever the weather, a group of them has met the marvellous Bev, Lisa, and Neil each week and taken the chance to chat, unwind, switch off, and find peace and calm, while exploring a range of strategies
for mindfulness. Nature can be a powerful healer and an inspiration. They’ve learned to find ways to use mere minutes, wherever they are, to breathe and ground themselves. It has become a really good way to ‘check in’ with, or get to know better, people they may not see much of during busy school days. Friendly, kind, and professional, the Nuthatch team are the ‘experts’ on well-being that the pupils really value and listen to. Just one benefit they are finding is that it’s a chance for the pupils to become part of the world around them in a different, and reassuring way. Small groups of pupils are invited to slow down, observe the
features of the nature around them, and get creative. It’s a safe space, for pupils and those who sometimes struggle to manage the pressures of life as young people today, or who have finished their course of counselling and wonder ‘what’s next.’ Building on the success of these sessions, the School also invited the Nuthatch team to come during tutor time in the morning. Buchanan tutees enjoyed the early sunshine, learning to appreciate and use nature to find balance in themselves and be mindful of the moment. How wonderful it was to start the day in such a positive, calming, and inspiring way.
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Senior School Art Year 7, 8 and 9 have produced exciting and creative responses to a variety of themes.
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ear 7 have worked hard on mastering the formal elements, including mark-making and tone, while creating 3D giant biscuits. Year 8 continue to build on those skills and explored the theme of ‘Reflection’ this term. Some have expanded further into abstract mixed media outcomes. Year 9 have developed creative performance photography and responses to designing trainers inspired by artistic styles. In February 2023, Year 9 pupils considering Art at GCSE had the opportunity to visit the Tate Modern. They focussed on how artists can inspire authentic original concepts.
GCSE Art developed a range of work exploring their own identity, nature and collections. The clay sculpture portraits were a triumph, with pupils exploring expressive, emotional content. The Year 11 pupils were challenged with the GCSE art exam exploring the concept of ‘Lock’. They produced thoughtful, engaging and personal outcomes utilising a variety of 3D materials, printing, painting and digital responses. Year 11 were informed by a variety of themes within the exam paper, directing their 10-hour exam with; street art, architecture, human form, personal interests and puzzles. It was an exciting end to their GCSE creative journey.
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A Level outcomes for the personal investigation included sculpture, digital outcome, clay and batik. Themes varied from exploring the landscape of home, childhood memories, nature, personal conflict, textures and identity through objects and light. Life drawing sessions also enabled learners to expand on more refined figurative form studies. A level pupils approached the subject with great maturity and engaged with the process with tremendous care. We were particularly impressed with the sophisticated observations of Cherie Tse (Year 13), her drawings during these sessions
were outstanding, and her ability to capture light with ease and speed was captivating. Visits to London punctuated the artwork with time spent at the Tate Modern, Horniman Museum, Bethlem Gallery, Barbican, The London Museum and Art in Action. A Level pupils met artists and photographers in London to find out more about how to have a career in the creative industry.
They also worked hard on developing designs for the Croydon Council’s ‘Croydon Stands Tall’ giraffe project with Kesmia Mangaru (Year 10) and Maisie Sinclair (Year 8) successfully working together to achieve their submission called, ‘Porcelain Rose’. Art Club pupils have also continued to work hard to create 3D sculptures and an artistic response to commemorating Queen Elizabeth. The enthusiasm and energy of Art Club are truly impressive.
Art scholars successfully responded to the request for props to support the School’s SIX production, with a variety of Henry VII portraits.
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Junior School Drama It has been a busy and exhilarating year in drama within the Junior School, and it has continued to be a place of imagination, expression and entertainment. A massive well done to all the pupils for their creativity, initiative and collaboration over the past year. I wonder whether we can top this next year?
Christmas Nativity
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n the Autumn Term, Years 1 and 2 took their performance of ‘Prickly Hay’, their Christmas Nativity, to the PAC. Full of hilarious jokes, some award-winning acting and a collection of toe-tapping songs that raised many a smile, the show was thoroughly enjoyed by our supportive and appreciative audience. It was a wonderful way to get into the Christmas spirit, and a perfect end to our first term of the year.
Junior School Drama
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ost year groups prepared an assembly to perform to their parents during the course of this year, drawing together some of their skills they have explored during their drama lessons. Highlights would certainly include Year 1’s performance based on Castles and Henry VIII, following their recent visit to Hever Castle that included some traditional Tudor dancing; Year 5’s assembly about their studies into World War 2 and their Great British Bake Off based on ingredients that were rationed during the war; and Year 4 took their audience back in time to Ancient Egypt to visit the land of the Pharaohs.
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LAMDA Exams
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n the Summer Term, a group of budding actors from across Year 5 and 6 took on the task of completing their London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) exams. For many of these children, this was the first time they had undertaken an examination in this discipline. The children were put forward for a range of grades. They had to learn and prepare two separate monologues as well as discuss their performances with an external LAMDA examiner, who came into school to judge our pupils’ acting abilities. The examiner was extremely impressed with their magnificent performances, and all the children who took exams successfully passed with flying colours, with 15 distinction grades being awarded.
Symposium Debates
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uring our Symposium Week, Upper Junior classes looked at the skills involved in undertaking a debate, focusing on delivery, projection, listening, and improvisation. Pupils were required to produce a short one-minute talk on their chosen viewpoint, and they then had to be prepared to offer a rebuttal for an additional minute following the opposing side’s argument. Whilst most classes took part in these during drama lessons, Year 3 invited their parents in to watch the final debate, and to take on the role as judges in voting for the winning argument.
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Upper Junior House Drama Competition
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fter auditioning in their Houses, a selection of children from Years 3-6 were chosen to represent their House in this year’s House Drama Competition. They spent a morning devising their own original pieces of drama inspired by film titles from the Oscar-award winning American Director, Frank Capra, famous for the Christmas classic, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. The next day, after a final rehearsal, the rest of the Junior School were invited to watch the premiers of these dramatic pieces, written and performed by their House representatives. We were lucky enough to be joined by two guest judges: Sports Administrator and Teacher of Dance from the Senior School, Miss Owen, (who was our guest choreographer for the Year 6 play) and Old Russellian, Hamzah Mughal, who left Year 13 last year and was a former scholar and very active in drama. Not only did they both give up their time, but they also shared their knowledge and insights with our young performers. Congratulations to Exeter House, who had the honour of holding up the winning trophy this year.
Mission Implausible – The Year 6 Play
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ur Year 6 pupils took to the stage to perform ‘Mission Implausible’, a musical based in the world of spies and evil villains. The pupils worked incredibly hard to put the performance together, and they really showcased their many talents. The result was filled with outstanding acting, magnificent singing, and incredible choreography. It was truly a team effort – everyone put in 100% effort, from learning lines, lyrics, and dance moves, to offering suggestions to improve the script by adding humour, props and action. Both shows – each the same, yet completely unique - were a great success, and it was clear that they were thoroughly enjoyed by our supportive and appreciative audiences. We are hugely proud of what the pupils have accomplished, and we are grateful for their dedication and determination to the craft of turning a ‘Mission Impossible’ into a ‘Mission Possible’.
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Media Department The Media Studies Department has had another busy year, with the Model United Nations Conference in October kicking off our school-wide co-curricular endeavors.
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ur talented 1853 Productions MUN Media team was led by Oliver Brennan, who was a creative and dynamic leader. The 1853 Productions team had an amazing time shooting various debates and delegates from around the world and cutting together some aesthetically pleasing video content. The Media team has been fine-tuning their production and post-production skills, creating videos for the Royal Russell Day celebrations and shooting live on the day to give everyone present, and at home, a front-row seat! As a department, our GCSE, A Level and BTEC pupils have been working on producing film marketing materials, music videos, magazines, live streaming events, and multi-cam performances.
This year’s ROSCARS ceremony celebrated the outstanding video work created by Royal Russell Media pupils. The films spanned many genres, from murder mysteries to dystopian dramas. We were also treated to a selection of fantastic music videos and documentary pieces.
The Media Department has enjoyed a significant investment in IT infrastructure and the installation of brand-new Apple Mac Studios in both Mac suites, which will ensure they are able to continue to produce high quality content now, and in the foreseeable future.
The winners were as follows:
This year we welcomed our new Media Studies Technician, Mr Freddie Woodward, who had been supporting our Media pupils on a part time basis while completing his freelance projects, before fully joining in September.
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Best Editing: Zina Victor-Okigbo
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Best Cinematography: Selina Zou
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Best GCSE Music Video: Polly Holmes
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Best A Level Music Video: Chloe Shields
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Best Actor: William Press
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Outstanding Contribution to Media: Oliver Brennan
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Best Video: Sabrina Liang, Annika Li and Annie Tongniewa
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Senior School Drama It has been another exhilarating and fulfilling year for the Drama Department, with superb productions, theatre trips, LAMDA exams and a House Drama Competition which continues to allow pupils to experience drama and theatre at Royal Russell in all its riches.
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e started off in September 2022 with auditions for our Senior School Musical production of ‘SIX’ – the musical about Henry VIII’s six wives who come back for ‘one night’ to reclaim their stories and rewrite history or... HERstory. The musical has become a cultural phenomenon which was evidenced through the vast array of performers, technicians and crew members that participated in
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this show. With a cast of 89 pupils and 31 supporting backstage, Royal Russell’s production of SIX must surely be one of the biggest productions ever mounted in a school! After months of intense and creatively exciting rehearsals, SIX was ready to welcome its audience, and in January 2023, over four nights, audiences were treated to a spectacular show and were enthralled and in raptures
with what they produced. The performances were nothing short of electric! A special mention must be given to the six queens who commanded the stage with regality and star power: Holly Seymour (Year 10), Connie Weston (Year 11), Eleanor Von Gerard (Year 10), Cameron Savage (Year 13), Serena Biju (Year 13) and Lara Davis (Year 11). A fabulous job to you all!
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s soon as SIX finished, auditions were underway for the Year 10-13 play of ‘A Monster Calls’. Adapted from Patrick Ness’ devastating novel about grief, family and learning to let go, a cast of 23 pupils put together a beautiful production that fused physical imagery, sublime movement sequences and impactful storytelling as they told the story of Conor who struggles to accept that his mother is gravely ill and not getting any better. A monster, in the form of a Yew Tree, visits Conor and tells him three tales before Conor tells his own and learns to accept that his mother will die and the need to let her go. The pupils gave sensational, emotionally beautiful performances that left many audience members in tears in the final moments of the play. A special mention must go to Year 10 pupil, Jasper Thompson, who took on the lead role of Conor and tackled this complex role brilliantly!
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n the Summer Term, Year 7-9 pupils began rehearsals for their own interpretation and version of J.M. Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’, led by Teacher of English, Miss Etheridge. Using the fundamental aspects of the original about ‘the boy who wouldn’t grow up’, the pupils devised and created their own narrative, bringing the story of Peter Pan to the 21st century with wonderful modern references and a tongue-in-cheek commentary on social issues such as feminism and misogyny. Utterly hilarious at points and wonderfully nostalgic and moving, audiences enjoyed this thrilling production in the open-air as a cast of 76 brought this production to life on Cambridge Slope while parents, families, friends and staff enjoyed picnics in the surroundings of Royal Russell’s beautiful campus. Stanley Potter did a sterling job as Peter Pan alongside Anoushka Selvon-Bruce, Arthur Main and Jack Dench who took on the role of Wendy, John and Michael, respectively. Here’s hoping for more glorious weather for next year’s open-air performance!
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longside a busy year of productions, pupils still managed to participate in House Drama with Maria Parbatani winning it for Queen’s House. Drama Scholar Maria gave a subtle and nuanced solo performance where her charisma and stage presence shone through, making her victorious. Well done, Maria! The number of pupils who undertake LAMDA classes continue to rise, and after last year’s success where every pupil achieved a Distinction in their respective grade, we are confident that this year’s cohort will also rise to the challenge. Theatre trips continue to play a huge part in the enrichment of our pupils’ cultural capital, and with trips to the West End, National Theatre, and even a disused Warehouse Theatre in Woolwich, our pupils were fortunate enough to see the best that London’s theatreland has to offer. As much as we celebrate the work our drama pupils produce in school, we are fortunate enough that a number pursue professional work as performers and none so more than Year 12 pupil Archie Barnes. Archie, whose film credits include a leading role in ‘The Dig’ with Ralph Fiennes and starring on stage with Bill Pullman and Sally Fields in ‘All My Sons’ at the Old Vic Theatre, made his National Theatre debut in ‘Phaedra’ earlier this year. Starring alongside two-time Academy Award nominated actress Janet McTeer, Archie was luminous on stage, holding his own alongside some theatrical titans. It was pure joy seeing a Russellian tread the boards as spectacularly as Archie did. At the time of writing, his next project is shooting for an HBO series... watch out for him next year! Director of Drama, Mr Valerio summarised, “I very much look forward to welcoming returning and new audiences to all the drama events and productions in 2023-24, starting with the Senior School musical production of ‘Legally Blonde’ in January 2024 - omigod you guys, there’s going to be a lot of pink!”
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Junior School Music Music has continued to occupy a high-profile position in the Junior School calendar, and the pupils have enjoyed and participated in another year of marvellous musical performances.
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easonal events, termly concerts and informal soirées have all been focal points for collaboration and the pupils have enjoyed rising to the exciting musical challenges. The Royal Russell Day festivities were a fitting showcase to bring another academic year’s achievements to a well-rounded conclusion and the performances of our talented instrumentalists and choristers were very impressive.
Our termly Music Cafés are always well-attended and facilitate our young musicians in developing their performance etiquette. In addition to these, our Music Teachers, Miss O’Hanlon and Mr Stankovic, were delighted to host Musical Soirées this year, which showcased their respective pupils’ talents. Our young vocalists and guitarists performed a lovely programme of
solo and ensemble items, reflecting a range of musical genres and repertoire. Good natured, musical rivalry is always generated via the muchanticipated round of annual House Music Competitions. Congratulations to York House who won the House Singing Competition and to Canterbury House who won the House Music Competition.
The Junior Choir have remained a vibrant component of the Music Department, leading the singing in our weekly assemblies, in the Harvest Festival, the Remembrance Service and at our Christmas Carol Service. We currently have a membership of almost 60 children. They have embraced the vocal challenges of learning wide-ranging repertoire and were particularly delighted to perform with the Senior School Choristers in a collaborative performance as part of the Spring Concert. The Junior Choir have also performed for our very special VIP guests from the Selsdon Community Day Centre, on two occasions. One of our guests happened to be celebrating her 100th Birthday on one of these visits to Royal Russell, and she was rightly serenaded with a rousing and heartfelt rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ by all present.
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Participation in the School Orchestra has remained steadfast, and our instrumentalists have enjoyed both the camaraderie and opportunities of meeting for weekly rehearsals and tackling some increasingly demanding pieces. Their performance at the Summer Serenade Concert was a terrific highlight, in tandem with all our other wonderful ensemble items. We were thrilled to host our very first ‘Busking Event’ in the Summer Term, in support of The Vanguard Way Charity. Congratulations are due to all the performers who raised a considerable amount of money for our charity, as well as to the parents and visitors who supported this event. We remain very fortunate to have such a dedicated team of visiting Music Teachers who pass on their musical skills and talents to our pupils and add a wonderful dynamic to our Junior School. Many thanks to them for preparing our pupils so well. Thanks are also due to the pupils for their enthusiasm and commitment to music.
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Senior School Music Bono once said, “Music can change the world because it can change people.” After a year filled with concerts, services, exams, and even an international tour, the Music Department is striving to change the world through the opportunities it provides for our pupils.
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he year started off with a bang... a bow, a blow and all manner of other things as our Year 7 pupils were invited to our Instrument Taster Lunch, where practice rooms were full of pupils trying out different instruments. September 2022 also saw the Activities Fair, in which pupils signed up to the large range of ensembles and clubs that the Music Department offers, with one new addition – Glee Choir. Weekly performances in assembly started, and pupils dazzled in front of
prospective pupils and parents for five hours of performances during our Open Morning. Before September was out, we hosted our first of six Rush Hour Concerts. These concerts are designed for pupils of all levels to perform solos to a friendly audience of parents and peers with tea and a biscuit straight after school. This year it’s been pleasing to see the large numbers of pupils sign themselves up (rather than a teacher on their behalf).
Their proactivity is an asset to the School. In October, Royal Russell embarked on its most demanding piece for some time: Haydn’s Nelson Mass, performed expertly by the Chamber Choir, Choral Society and four excellent professional singers, including an Old Russellian, Adrian Yansaneh, accompanied by a string quartet and organ. Working with professional soloists and a quartet was an eye-opening experience for many who participated and for those in the audience.
After the Half Term, the Music Department had a flurry of musical events. The first was The Scholars’ Concert, where once again we were reminded of the incredible musical talent Royal Russell has, and the hard work that our music scholars put into their music. Less than a week later, Great Hall filled for the Autumn Concert, providing the first opportunity of the year for the bulk of our ensembles to perform. That same week, the School marked Remembrance Day with two services, both featuring profound musical performances fitting for the occasion.
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December was typically busy for musicians at the School. The Carol Service took place at Croydon Minster. Some in the community may not have realised the splendour on our doorsteps that we have in Croydon Minster; eyes widened upon entering the church and looking up to its tall ceiling and the grandeur of the chancel with its large and ornate stained-glass window. Of course, high ceilings and hard surfaces create an excellent acoustic that our choirs (and congregation) enjoyed on a beautiful evening of singing. In the last week of term, it was all smiles for our festive Christmas Concert, where over 100 pupils performed a range of styles from 16th chant to lots of our Christmas favourites, including a sing-a-long of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday to send us into the holidays.
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he doom and gloom of January 2023 never came to the Music Department as all efforts were immediately focussed on the School Musical upon returning to school. Another Rush Hour Concert was squeezed in to take us into February and the first of two Choral Evensongs, where some familiar repertoire ensured a confident and deeply musically satisfying service. The ever-growing Consort Choir (formerly Choristers and Barbershop) had an extremely busy year, and the presence of experienced singers has enabled this to be successful. Thanks goes out to our Head Chorister, Amber Lukes, a real stalwart of the Music Department. Two of the year’s biggest events took place in March: The Music Dinner and The Spring Concert. First up was The Music Dinner, where this year the theme was the Great American Songbook. From Sondheim to Elvis and Rogers & Hammerstein to Neil
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Diamond, there was something for everyone, including an American style dinner featuring steak, Maryland chicken, fries, corndogs and key lime pie. An unseasonal blizzard meant our Spring Concert eventually took place in late March. This event is
particularly special as it is the only concert where Juniors and Seniors play music together, with 400 people inside the Great Hall enjoying music played by all different age groups.
The Summer Term was kickstarted by our talented drummers and guitarists at the Guitar and Drum Concert. With ears still ringing, our soprano and altos were invited to sing in the 5th movement of Mahler’s 3rd Symphony with Kensington Symphony Orchestra at Fairfield Halls. For many, it was their first time hearing a full symphony orchestra, an experience that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Along with all the performances, our pupils took part in over 100 instrumental and singing exams (ABRSM, LCM, Trinity). Continuing previous successes, yet again we achieved a 100% pass rate. Congratulations to all involved. These musical successes would not be possible without the visiting music teachers, who enable Russellians to reach their musical goals. Their hard work and proactivity is greatly appreciated by staff and pupils alike. With Year 11s and 13s gone for the final Half Term and a diminished choir due to Father’s Day clashes, the Consort Choir and Choral Society sang Howell’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from Collegium Regale with assurance and accuracy for the final Choral Evensong of the year in June. A week later, as part of the Vanguard Way, an eclectic mix of musical performances took place under a marquee in Chapel Quad, with Old Russellian, Campbell Eady, returning with his band to wrap up the event in style. Before departing for the Music Tour to Normandy, the School came together for Royal Russell Day. A finale of an adapted 7 Years by Lukas Graham, looking at the experience of Royal Russell pupils across their time at the School and beyond was a fitting end to a wonderful year. The Music Department looks forward to an exciting 2023/24 academic year.
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Junior School Trips Nursery trip to Godstone Farm
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n June, our intrepid Nursery children went on an adventure to Godstone Farm by coach.
We had an amazing time and made so many memories in the beautiful sunshine. We fed noisy donkeys, quacking ducks, cheeky pigs, and found out so much about farm animals. Our farmer Carina was super helpful and guided us around the farm, helping us get to know the animals. We finished off with the gigantic playground and a biscuit and drink in the shade. Our brilliant coach driver Brian made sure our sleepy children made it back to school after our exhausting adventures. Phew, what a day!
Pantomime
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oyal Russell pupils went to Fairfield Halls in December to watch the pantomime ‘Peter Pan and the Return of Captain Hook’. The pantomime was a fantastic experience for the whole school. It was fun-filled and action-packed. The show was thronged with fantastic songs and witty jokes. Everyone liked how the performance was light-hearted and the actors looked happy to be there. Near the end of the show, two of our lucky pupils went up on stage; they performed an exciting challenge where they had to stand up and sit down every time Captain Smee, a character in the play, said a word beginning with the letter B. Everyone had an amazing time, and all are looking forward to next year’s pantomime. Written by Raaj, William and Nikhil (Year 6 Prefects)
Addington Fire Station
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eception had a wonderful trip to Addington Fire Station in November. The children learned a lot about what firefighters do to help us. They used the hose, went in the fire truck, looked at equipment and tried on the uniform. It was a very special day, and we were proud of how well the children represented Royal Russell. “The Fireman told me that it’s not a button or a lever that turns on the siren, it’s a pedal and horn.” - Rafay. “We used the big hose, it was fun. It is used as a shield.” - Taivian. “We tried on the firefighter uniform. It was big and heavy. We had a fun trip.” - Philippe. “I liked seeing all the firefighter stuff. My favourite part was dressing up and spraying the hose.” - Jessica. “I liked climbing in the truck. I saw lots of interesting things like another hose and mask.” - Emelia.
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“We had the best day ever. We went on a tram and I have never been on a tram before. I loved it!” - Riyaan.
Bee Club
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he Pupil Parliament took part in an exciting visit to Mrs Burney’s Bee Club at Frylands Woods. They learned all about bees and found out the impact they have on the environment. Did you know male bees are called Drones and they don’t have a stinger? They also got the chance to become beekeepers and dressed up in bee suits to look inside a hive; they even saw the Queen Bee! Holding frames with all the bees on them, they felt super safe in their fabulous bee suits. The Pupil Parliament members had a fantastic time and now consider themselves bee experts. If you see them around school, feel free to ask them about what they learned! “I really enjoyed when all the bees landed on me. I was covered! I was the Bee Queen.” - Vivienne (Year 6). “I found it really interesting seeing the bees so close up. You could even see their pollen sacks on their legs!” - Oscar (Year 3). “I liked it when we saw the Queen Bee. She was really long and big.” - Joelle (Year 2). “We got to see a baby bee hatching. It was so cool.” - Sebastian (Year 2). “I liked holding the bee frame with all the bees on it!” - Brendan (Year 1).
Horniman Museum
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n June, Reception enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Horniman Museum.
“I liked it when I saw the shark and when we had a KitKat.” - Noah. “I loved the butterfly house and looking at the jellyfish.” - Eden. “I liked the frogs because they were hard to see.” - Rafay. “I liked the butterflies and the aquarium.” - Ivvie. “I saw a lobster, it was big. I saw a butterfly and it followed Saarangan.” - Jessica. “My favourite thing was the jellyfish.” - Arthur.
Year 1 Hever Castle
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e had a fascinating trip to Hever Castle. Year 1 used their ‘Curiosity’ Russell Power, asking interesting questions of our super guides for the day, Susan and Karen. Year 1 have been using using their ‘Creativity’ Russell Power by collating all these facts together to prepare their very own class assembly. Well done Year 1 and thank you to Mrs Hong and Ms Webster for accompanying us!
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Year 2 Southwark Cathedral Trip
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ear 2 travelled by tram and train to visit Southwark Cathedral in Central London. The children were extremely excited as the day began with a tour of the cathedral, where they learned about its history, decoration, architecture and religious symbols. We were extremely impressed by the enthusiasm, engagement and respect demonstrated by the children throughout the visit. After a well-deserved lunch and some fresh air in the cathedral gardens, the children showed off their creativity as they took part in a brilliant tile-making workshop. Each pupil created their own beautiful clay tile, which they could decorate once fully dry. What a fabulous day it was for Year 2!
Museum of London
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n November, Year 2 went on a fantastic trip to The Museum of London to support their learning about The Great Fire of London. They were met by the brilliant museum staff who explained about the different artefacts, and the children were very excited to share their knowledge of the fire. There were lots of artefacts to look at, including an oven similar to the one that started the fire and the different equipment they used to stop the fire from spreading. The children enjoyed trying on the helmets that the firefighters used and carrying the leather buckets. They were very heavy! They had a brilliant day and learned so much.
Year 3 Addington Hills Trip
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uring the Autumn Term, Year 3 embarked on an adventure to Addington Hills. On the way to the viewpoint, we discovered bat boxes that had been put up in the woods by conservationists, and one of our parent helpers was able to tell us all about why these had been put there and answer the questions they had. Upon reaching the viewpoint, we spent time trying to identify the various landmarks that we could see. We were extremely fortunate with the weather and could see all the way to Canary Wharf! We also finished off our topic on Romans by learning about ‘Londinium’ and whereabouts this was in London as we know it now.
Year 3 Fishbourne Trip
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ear 3 went on a trip to visit Fishbourne in October, to the Roman Palace in Chichester. We were met by the amazing museum staff who transported us back to Roman times! We learned lots of interesting facts about the Romans and took part in some Roman activities. We learned how to grind flour, discovered what the Romans liked to cook, spun wool, wrote our names using Roman letters, built an arch, wrote in wax, and made our own mosaics using tiles excavated from the site when it was discovered in 1960 after a water company dug a trench for a water main. We also discovered that the person who may have lived at the palace was actually a Celt. Additionally, we dressed up like Romans, learned about togas, and found out that the colour ‘purple’ was a royal colour in Roman times and the most expensive to make!
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Finally, we spent time looking at the mosaics that were discovered deep in the ground, and we couldn’t believe how well-preserved they were. Overall, it was a fantastic day, and we learned lots more about the Romans, which we had been studying in our Topic lessons.
Year 4 Trip to Frylands
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ndoubtedly, one of the highlights for our Year 4 pupils this year was their spectacular residential trip to Frylands Wood Outdoor Centre. The children’s energy and enthusiasm were wonderful to see as they mastered the assault course, became skilled at archery, giggled whilst racing each other on grass sledges and learned to build shelters and fires to keep us all warm. Singing campfire songs while toasting delicious marshmallows was certainly a memorable moment of the trip. As they rested in their dorms, the excitement did not fade as they enjoyed a huge sleepover! Thank you to all the staff who made the trip extra special. “We loved the trip so much because we got to spend SO much time with our friends!” - Khiyan and Lewi. “I loved all the nature and the beautiful bluebell-carpeted wood.” - Zach.
Year 6 Trip to Lee Valley White Water Centre
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ear 6 went on their end-of-year school trip to Lee Valley White Water Centre for an exciting day of water sports. Each class took turns in kayaking, paddle boarding and an inflatable water wipeout assault course! We were also able to watch members of the public take part in white water rafting and cheered them on enthusiastically. Year 6 got fully stuck in with each activity, including a lunchtime dance-off and singalong on the coach, and had an incredible day that they will certainly remember. “My favourite thing about the trip was that we did the parkour on inflatable floats. I also loved the kayaking because I won my race back to the stairs - it was really fun!” - Prince. “My favourite part of the trip was all of it! During the kayaking, it was a challenge trying to make a line out of kayaks.” - Owen. “Lee Valley was the best trip. My favourite activity was the water wipeout. I enjoyed that because it was fun to push my friends down the slide.” - Chloe W.
Year 6 Trip to Portland
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group consisting of 63 Year 6 pupils and six staff members travelled to the Jurassic Coast in Portland, Dorset, for a five-day residential trip. The journey to the island took approximately 4 hours, including a lunch break. As soon as lunch was finished, the children engaged in their afternoon activities in two groups: Coastal Bushcraft or Escape Portland. After the first activity, a tasty dinner awaited at the centre, followed by a fire drill and their first night of sleep. The next day, Group A embarked on a walk to reach their location for rock climbing, abseiling, and weaselling (a rock-based activity where the children had to squeeze through rocks on the coastline), while Group B enjoyed water sports including raft building, kayaking, and team games. Both groups also headed to Portland Bill, where they donned wetsuits and participated in coasteering. This activity involved the children navigating around the coastline, either in the water or by crawling through caves, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. In the evening, the children walked over to the D-Day Museum, where they enjoyed dressing up in authentic WW2 uniforms, handling the weapons, and climbing on the vehicles, including an original Sherman tank. “My favourite experience at Portland was the rock climbing because it was really fun!” - Harry.
“The trip was incredibly fun, action-packed and exciting – especially the coasteering, as I got to jump off some rocks into the water.” - Freya.
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Junior School Annual Ski Trip In April, 72 children, parents and staff set off for the annual Royal Russell Family Ski Trip to the resort of Folgarida in the Italian Alps.
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ags packed, fleeces donned and passports at the ready, they boarded the plane to Venice. The journey to Folgarida was quite lengthy but the spectacular scenery of views over the vineyards and lakes was quite the distraction. They arrived in the evening and after dinner, went up to their rooms excited for the next day. They woke up to blue skies, sunshine and a delicious breakfast, and then went to the ski shop for their ski hire. The resort of Folgarida is in the wider Trentino region and has easy links to Madonna di Campiglio. This was enticing for many of the parents, who set off to explore the 150km of pistes and the wider ski area, including the higher slopes on the glacier. Those who were newer skiers, including the children, stuck to the Folgarida area, with its beautiful tree-lined runs and wooden lodges. The week was jam-packed with plenty of skiing, some tumbles, laughter and some amazing moments of pride and accomplishment. By the end of the week, some of the more advanced children were able to ski over to the slopes in Madonna and even try out the snow park. Our more novice skiers had become so confident, they were whizzing down red slopes!
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Each afternoon, we returned to the hotel for hot chocolate and a snack, and a chance to catch up with friends and family after a busy day’s skiing. Before dinner, there were a variety of activities including games, karaoke or downtime in their rooms. This year, the children even had the chance to take a dip in the hotel’s pool! Evenings were action-packed with après-ski activities such as bingo (with our very own famous ‘Miss T. Heavens’), Folgarida’s Next Top Model, a quiz, a film night and on the last night, a disco! The end of the week was filled with much cheer and pride as our ski instructors joined us in the hotel to award the children with their ski badges, reflecting what ski level they had achieved. It was such an incredible week and one which won’t be forgotten for a very long time.
Our ski instructor was very friendly. He gave us freedom and we were allowed to go fast. He was funny too. I really liked the meals, and the hotel was lovely. It was great to have a swimming pool there. I am already looking forward to going again. Oscar – Year 3
I loved how everyone there was nice and was always around to help. The ski instructors were very funny, and they always taught you new things. I also loved the meals as they were delicious. It was amazing to have Max ski with us.
I enjoyed the ski trip because I didn’t know how to ski. My dad had wanted us to go skiing for a few years, but we never did it as it was too hard to arrange. It was fun skiing with my friends. Maxi – Year 6
Anastasia – Year 5
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Senior School Trips Bletchley Park Trip – Computer Science
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n March, a group of Year 9 pupils attended Bletchley Park. During this visit, pupils had the rare opportunity to use a genuine Enigma machine. They encountered a range of historical codes and ciphers, as they worked together to decipher messages to solve puzzles. Pupils were able to see how codes and ciphers were used throughout history, particularly the role that ciphers played during WW2. The pupils also enjoyed a guided tour of Bletchley Park, along with visits to The Intelligence Factory and the Art of Data exhibitions.
Biology A Level Trip
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n November, Year 12 and 13 biology pupils travelled to London to spend the day watching lectures on various areas within biology. There were five scientists and an examiner-led session. The first talk was delivered by Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, who presented the teenage brain and research into the correlation between risk-taking and adolescence. The next talk was delivered by Dr Adam Rutherford, who provided a brief history of everyone who ever lived. Following a short break, they had their first examiner session, gaining valuable tips on how to answer A level exam questions. Then, Professor Alice Roberts gave a brilliant lecture on her book ‘Tamed,’ which is the story of how human domestication became central to survival. Following on was a talk by Professor Robert Winston, a key figure in IVF treatment, who lectured on human progress while addressing the relevant ethical issues raised. The second examiner session consisted of tips on what examiners look for and how to properly answer the question. Written by Ria Patel (Year 13)
Wakehurst Place
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ear 12 biology pupils went to the Wakehurst Royal Botanic Garden where we experienced two days of valuable ecology study. After arriving at the botanic garden, the first section of the investigation was the observation of the biodiversity by using the point quadrat in the grass land. The next day, we returned and began in the lab to undertake various experiments. The first experiment was determining the effect of light wavelength on the rate of oxygen production. As part of this experiment, groups produced small jelly-like algal balls – a new and exciting experience for all. The second experiment involved
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extracting pigment from leaves to produce a chromatogram, with some groups even competing to produce the smallest dye spot! The second part of the afternoon was spent outside on a conservation walk. During this walk, we were guided around Wakehurst Place being shown some of the rarest plants and trees and learning about the incredible conservation work being carried out. Thank you to Mrs Barton, Mrs Burgess, Mrs Semple and Miss Gudge as well as everyone at Wakehurst who made our trip so enjoyable! Written by Jiya Desai (Year 12)
Year 7 Trip to Boulogne
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he Year 7 trip to Boulogne Sur Mer was a wonderful day out. After a quick stop at the service station and at passport control, we boarded the shuttle and were on our way! Our first destination was Nausicaá, the largest and best aquarium in Europe. We saw a lot of sea life including sharks, sting rays, turtles, penguins, sea lions and much more and read about their fun facts. We left for our next destination but not after a quick look in the gift shop! It was a lovely place and had many small boutiques. Most of us rushed to the ‘boulangerie’ to buy a baguette, but a few others treated themselves to a pizza and even a classic French treat of a ‘steak frites’ (steak and chips). Many “bonjour”, “s’il vous plait” and “merci” could be heard as we all spread out in different shops. The day flew by and it wasn’t long before we had to get back on the coach to drive to the Eurotunnel. Everyone was worn out and some even fell asleep on the ride back. What a great day. C’était fantastique! Written by Henry Hayden de Carbonnières and Amy Joughin (Year 7)
GCSE Science Live
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ear 11 science pupils attended the GCSE Science Live event at the Dominion Theatre in February. The first speaker was Professor Jim Al–Khalili, who discussed time travel and raised the question of whether we can travel to the future by slowing down. Then, they had Dr Hannah Critchlow from the University of Cambridge, a well-known neuroscientist, who examined brain activity and managed to observe some brain activity from a brave pupil volunteer. Following that, Professor Robert Winston talked about
fertilization, and Dr Maggie Aderin–Pocock addressed five big questions about the universe based on her new book, ‘Am I made of star dust.’ The event concluded with an entertaining presentation by Professor Andrea Sell, a chemist from UCL, who explored the concept of equilibria through some engaging iodine clock demonstrations. Special thanks to Mrs Porteous for her support during the trip, and to the Year 11 pupils who remained engaged throughout the day.
Year 13 Genetics Day Trip
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level biologists visited Wakehurst Place, a botanic garden. The pupils had the opportunity to visualize and practise their skills in DNA profiling and gel electrophoresis in the lab, guided by a sophisticated scientist and her assistants. This experience also provided pupils with an opportunity to see a PCR machine and learn more about the measures by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) to conserve rare plant and animal species in the wild.
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Year 8 Spanish Trip to Menorca
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n September, 45 Year 8 pupils flew to the Unesco Biosphere Reserve Island of Menorca, where they stayed for four days. The team of Spanish instructors with infectious energy kept them safe, entertained and active throughout their stay. They experienced the Mediterranean Sea on day one, visiting a water park and beach. The following day, they explored Mahon, shopped using Euros, and enjoyed beach activities. Coasteering and mingling in Ciutadella filled their third day, followed by a lively outdoor party. Kayaking in a Natural Park, a paella feast, and a taste of local delicacies marked their last day before returning to the UK. They visited Spain, bonded with peers, learnt further Spanish, and overall had so much fun...! This trip will be a nice memory for all.
Year 9 Belgium Trip
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n October, 51 Year 9 pupils embarked on what was one of the most enjoyable school trips that I have been on so far at Royal Russell. After an early than expected crossing, we arrived at our first destination, the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. Then, perhaps the highlight of the day for many was going to Hill 62. This was a very enjoyable stop, and a change in mood: we were allowed to explore the trenches and have fun. It felt amazing to be standing where the soldiers once would have stood during the war. There was a tunnel joining the reserve trenches to those in the front line. Following this, we journeyed to the Menin Gate. It was a huge memorial featuring the names of 55,000 missing soldiers on its walls. Then, we all walked down the street to our second to last destination of the day, the one which everyone had been looking forwards to for a long time: the chocolate shop! The next day we set off to Thiepval Memorial. This huge and beautiful building had inscribed on its walls the names of 72,100 soldiers who died in the battle of the Somme but whose bodies were never found. We all admired the immense structure whilst looking for some important names that were mentioned in our booklets. The names were Horace Halse, William Bettle, Harold Hartnell, Henry Arthur and Clifford Foulsham. What was interesting about these names is what they all had in common – they were all Russellians. We found out that they had been orphans, a reminder of the history of our school. Overall, the trip was a very enjoyable and informative experience, and one that I’m very glad to have gone on. Written by Anxo Garcia Missan (Year 9)
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Spanish A Level Trip
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t the end of January, Year 12 and 13 A level Spanish pupils embarked on a trip to Madrid. The four-day journey was packed with various activities, including sightseeing, shopping, food tasting, escape parks, and a flamenco night. Visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid was a stunning experience – the architecture was beautiful, and the atmosphere was wonderfully serene. On the second day of the trip, they attended a language lesson at the Spaneasy Academy. They took part in some icebreaker activities, followed by a range of activities to enhance their Spanish abilities. Throughout the trip, they had ample free time to explore Gran Vía at their leisure. Shopping was a popular pastime, and the detailed architecture of the shops provided a refreshing change from those seen in London. They visited intriguing museums showcasing the culture and history of Madrid, such as The Prado Museum, which houses works by artists such as Goya and the Reina Sofia Art Museum, which was particularly captivating due to its housing of ‘Guernica’, one of Picasso’s most famous paintings. They also explored various places such as La Plaza de España, museums, parks, and encountered many iconic statues like La Estatua del Oso y el Madroño in central Madrid - immersing themselves in a different culture.
Ski Trip 2023
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n February 2023, the Royal Russell Ski Trip returned. 53 pupils and five members of staff set out on a journey that would eventually see them arrive at the Axamer Lizum resort above Innsbruck in Austria, ready for three days of skiing and snowboarding. Those three and a half days were jampacked and spent enjoying the slopes. It was great to be involved with all the ski groups during the trip and see so many of the pupils improve and take pride in overcoming the challenges in front of them. This included first time skiers and boarders who were trying to successfully snow plough safely and control their speed down a bunny slope, or experienced snow-sport enthusiasts who were carving their way down red or even black runs. Away from the slopes, evening activities involved a drive into town to eat at an amazing local pizza restaurant and an excellent quiz night hosted by Miss Benjamin-Taylor with a range of great prizes. It was lovely to be back on the ski trip and able to give our pupils this opportunity. One of the great outcomes for all our trips is the friendship and bonds that are developed; the comradery and support everyone gives to each other during this time away.
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Year 12 Economics Trip
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ear 12 pupils enjoyed a very sunny trip out to London to visit the Europe House and the Bank of England Museum in June. The Europe House included various engaging activities to help them understand how EU countries work together, the consequences of Brexit on the economy and a debate on EU policies. Afterwards, the pupils visited the Bank of England Museum to help develop their financial literacy skills, from holding a bar of gold to helping keep inflation on track. They also learnt about the history of money and the importance of monetary policy to control inflation.
GCSE History Trip to Germany
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n February, we travelled to Munich for our GCSE History Trip. We began with a walking tour of the Munich Putsch, visiting many key places, which made up Weimar Germany, including the Headquarters of the NSDAP. We also had a guided tour of Dachau concentration camp. First stop in Berlin was the Berlin-Grunewald railway station. We learned about how this was the main location used to deport Jews to East Berlin and about the role of the Stasi, as well as the horrible conditions and psychological torture that the inmates endured during their captivity. We also headed to Neue Wache, a war memorial since 1931. Käthe Kollwitz’s heart-breaking sculpture was successful in making us think, especially about why she might have included the gap in the ceiling and what it might represent. We then visited the Air Ministry building and the Topography of Terror, where we learned about the role of the Gestapo and SS, and the establishment of the Luftwaffe. We visited the site of the Führerbunker, and a memorial to the Jews that made us realise how important their deaths are. Lastly, we visited the Reichstag in the evening and went up to the dome, where we saw a beautiful view of Berlin. We made the most of the last day, visiting many heart-warming memorials such as the Sinti and Roma memorial, and the memorial to the murdered members of the Reichstag. We had the opportunity to see the incredible artwork on the east side of the Berlin Wall, taking a long walk down the gallery. At 5pm in the evening, we headed back to the airport and reflected on our fantastic trip! Written by Issy Ward and Natasha Kirmani (Year 10 Historians)
Year 8 Adventure Trip to the Peak District
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r Stathopoulos and Mr Watkins took 17 Year 8 pupils to the Peak District in March. They arrived at Whiteley Wood Outdoor Activity Centre and went straight out for a nighttime orientation walk in the local area, followed by an orienteering exercise on the site. The following day, the group drove to Surprise View near Hathersage. Guided by their three instructors, the pupils spent the morning rock climbing, with everyone in the group given the chance to ascend the rock face using the three different routes set up. After lunch, they made their way to Millers Dale on the River Wye for some abseiling. Each pupil had the opportunity to go over the side of the bridge (impressively high) twice. It was nice to see all the pupils giving it a go even though some of them were justifiably nervous. On Sunday, they were driven up to Higger Tor for a spot of Weaseling, which as it turned out meant climbing over, under and mainly through the various rock formations. This weekend provided the pupils with an opportunity to step out of their comfort zones, discovering new activities they enjoyed, conquering their fears, and simply having a good time.
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Trip to Cologne
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he whole trip was a memorable and incredible experience; however, Friday was probably one of our favourite days. We woke up to a wonderful breakfast at the hotel and then travelled to the chocolate museum (Lindt) where everyone enjoyed learning about how chocolate is made and manufactured. After lunch, we explored the city followed by going to the Ludwig Art Museum, where we were able to explore the gallery and admire the thought-provoking and beautiful art. On the third day of the trip, we started the day with a river cruise, looking out at the amazing architecture along the distant riverbanks. We then ventured to the Cologne Cathedral and were immediately blown away by the grand and beautiful interior as we began our climb up the 533 steps of one of the two towers. When we arrived finally at the top, we were rewarded by an impressive view of Germany. On the last day of our trip, we went to a zoo park! There were deer, goats, ducks, and chickens which we could feed. We all had a lot of fun playing around and even petting a few animals! We all thoroughly enjoyed it and have made a lot of memories from the experience. Written by Anxo Garcia Missan (Year 9), Johan Prinsloo (Year 10), Kol Dworakowska (Year 9) and Tulsi Patel (Year 9)
Year 8 Paris Trip
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ore than 40 French pupils from Year 8 set off to Paris in May. They enjoyed some of the most famous and breath-taking sights in Paris – the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and a cruise along the river Seine to take in Notre Dame, the Quai D’Orsay and other landmarks. They enjoyed free time to stroll along the Champs Elysées and buy souvenirs, using their French where possible. The trip included a visit to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, where the grand scale of the buildings and grounds, adorned with gold was breath-taking. After having packed lunches, they headed to Les Halles shopping area for more souvenir shopping before enjoying a buffet dinner at the long-standing Monte Carlo restaurant. They visited the tomb of the unknown soldier and the eternal flame at the Arc de Triomphe. Additionally, they visited the Montmartre district and climbed the 270 steps to see the Sacre Coeur Basilica. Finally, it was onto the coach, and they received a warm welcome back in the School car park after their exciting trip.
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Junior School Sport It has been a wonderful year of sport in the Junior School, with so many amazing opportunities for the pupils. We have broadened the curriculum, introducing new sports and activities to give the pupils a wide variety and rich curriculum of sport. The next few pages show just a glimpse of what the pupils have achieved, a truly spectacular year. Sports Days were once again a highlight of our sporting year alongside House Sport where all pupils get to represent their House in a competitive set of matches across 15 sports! Our youngest pupils have had a super year too, getting to grips with the basics that will set them up for future years and new sports they will experience next year.
Basketball
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asketball continues its prolific growth within the Junior School. Following a fantastic experience in last year’s IAPS National Competition, the Friday night basketball club has seen a substantial rise in attendance. Boys and girls from Year 5 and 6 have shown a keen interest in the nuance of basketball and have acquitted themselves superbly most likely due to a great foundation in their transferable skills from other sports. With a rise in interest, we have had a record number of fixtures for all levels of attainment. The opportunities for all to compete is a great measure in the strength of a programme. 11 fixtures across both A and B teams (and U11 and U10 levels) shows the pupils’ enthusiasm, and we will endeavour to increase this over the coming years. The highlight each year is the IAPS National Competition as previously mentioned, this year Royal Russell competed resolutely in the face of stiff competition to emerge victorious in the Plate Final. Mr Moore is eagerly awaiting the U11 cohort to transition to the Senior School and continue their development.
Athletics
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e have started to introduce Sports Hall Athletics to our Year 4 pupils to prepare them for the competition the U11 mixed team competed in. The U11 squad won the Croydon Schools qualification event and finished 4th overall in the finals. The Croydon Schools Athletics event once again saw superb performances with 15 pupils qualifying through to the finals day, with great effort on the day the pupils were rewarded with several Top 8 results. Matilda and Tim both finished in a fantastic 3rd place in the Long Jump and Lulu threw over 33 metres to be crowned Croydon Schools’ Ball Throw champion.
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Cricket
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ricket has continued to flourish with lots of superb fixtures. It has been great to play several mixed fixtures as well as tournaments, festivals and sixes competitions. The U11 Girls’ and Boys’ teams were rewarded for their hard work and improvement in skills when they won and finished as runnersup respectively at the Croydon Schools Dynamo finals, with the U10 mixed team also picking up a silver medal at the same event. The girls then went on to win the Surrey Starburst Cricket Festival. Our youngest pupils are showing great talent in this area too with Years 2 and 3 demonstrating super bowling and batting skills. This is something we are seeing progress up and through the School. Another highlight for our girls’ cricketers was the Bromley High Cricket Festival. The girls showed how wonderfully their cricket skills have improved, finishing in 2nd place overall. The U10 boys had the opportunity to play up at the U11 IAPS qualifier, they gained a great deal from this experience and held their own against some strong competition.
Gymnastics
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t was lovely to see our gymnasts shine at the fun competition held at Royal Russell, with the boys especially picking up some medals. Gymnastics is a key part of the curriculum where the pupils work on core skills, routines, group work and partner balances. The Year 1 and 2 pupils enjoyed a taste of competition at Oakfield Prep, where we collected several lovely medals after some stunning performances.
Mini Marathon
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he London Marathon is a worldclass event and a small selection of the School chose to run the last mile or 2.5k of the route. They were inspired by the wonderful setup and iconic route, and rewarded for their efforts with a lovely medal. Memories that will last a lifetime.
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Hockey
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s with previous years, one of the highlights in our hockey programme is our annual U11 Royal Russell Hockey Tournament. Here we invite both girls’ and boys’ teams to compete in what is always a hugely enjoyable morning of hockey. Both our girls’ and boys’ teams reached the semi-finals in their respective competitions, where the girls finished in 3rd with our Girls’ B team finishing 5th, showing great depth in ability.
It was magnificent to see a large amount of mixed hockey take place this year. An opportunity to enjoy mixed hockey was presented to every year group, who competed in various fixtures and tournaments alike. The U10 Mixed In2 Hockey Tournament was a standout event where both a Royal Russell A & B team competed. Both teams did extremely well, eventually having to play each other in a semi-final match. With the A team winning, therefore reaching the final, the B team had their eyes set firmly on 3rd place – which they achieved after winning their last game of the competition. The A team won their match in the final and were crowned 1st place winners. The U11 Girls competed in the Girls In2 Hockey Tournament finals day. They finished 3rd after an excellent day of hockey. They also competed glowingly at the UKSA Girls’ Hockey Tournament, qualifying for the semi-final and narrowly missing out on a place in the final after a tense penalty shootout. We proudly hosted the U11 Boys In2 Hockey Qualifier. The competition was extremely tight, and after beating Whitgift 1-0, Royal Russell needed to win their last game against Trinity to go through to the finals. Finishing in a draw, we missed out on qualifying by 1 point. The boys played some lovely hockey throughout the morning, and it was excellent to see the progress they had all made. In the IAPS Regional Hockey Tournament, the U11 Boys battled hard to qualify for the Plate Competition, making it as far as the quarter-finals.
Cross Country
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t has been another successful year in cross country, with Mr Swann’s running club always full. Year 1 and 2 have also been lucky enough to have a running club start up too! House cross country was enjoyed by all with some great runs. Special mention to our three Surrey School cross county Top 20 finishers, Paris, Evie and Alfie, who have been invited to a Surrey Schools Development Day. Caleb ran a well-paced race to finish 4th at the Croydon Schools event. We enjoyed a trip to Oakwood for their annual event on a cold week and our runners picked up several Top 3 finishes. The pupils enjoyed their House cross country with some superb runs and close results.
Swimming
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he swimming programme continues to progress with some outstanding results. The U11A Lifesaving team finished 4th in Surrey after sculling, rescuing and swimming in some brilliant lifesaving tasks. 22 pupils qualified for the Croydon Schools swimming finals. The U11 girls’ freestyle team secured the runners-up position, while Maddy excelled in the 25m backstroke. Additionally, the U11 girls’ and boys’ medley teams both finished in 3rd place. The boys’ team finished in 2nd place overall and Arum swam a very close race to win the 25m freestyle event. Seven pupils qualified to the London Schools swimming finals where they all finished in the Top 10. Freya swum brilliantly at the IAPS qualifier and secured a place at the IAPS National finals where she finished in 15th place - an awesome achievement.
Table Tennis
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here have been several fixtures throughout the year, most notably, regular fixtures against local school Elmhurst. One of the highlights for those who attend Table Tennis club was meeting English table tennis player Darius Knight. They were privileged enough to receive his coaching and absorb some of his vast knowledge, and even got to challenge him in a 1 v 1.
Tennis
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s a growing sport, our fixture list is continuing to expand. A few highlights would be the U8 and U9 Mini Red Tennis Tournament and our U10 and U11 tennis team reaching the semi-final of the Surrey Tennis Competition to narrowly lose to the eventual winners.
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Football
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his has been another brilliant year for football at Royal Russell. Not only has there been an abundance of fixtures and tournaments for boys across the Junior School, but girls’ football has also taken notable strides regarding both participation, enjoyment, and success. Royal Russell had the pleasure to welcome 20 teams to participate in an A&B U9 Royal Russell Football Tournament. We also welcomed nine other schools to participate in our annual, hotly contested U11 Tournament. The tournaments were a great success, and a wonderful opportunity to showcase the School. It was excellent to see so many schools competing and enjoying a morning of football.
A highlight for our U8s was travelling to KCS to participate in their 24-team tournament. Winning their group stage comfortably, further battling hard to win their quarter-final, the boys finished 4th place overall, losing in the semi-final to the eventual winners.
A mixed U10 football team also headed to Trinity School for a mixed football competition. It was wonderful to see our boys and girls work harmoniously together on a football pitch and demonstrate the spirit in which Royal Russell wish to play their sport.
The U9s thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Year 4 Thomas’ Football Tournament, where they recorded four impressive wins, one draw and only one loss. Travelling to local school Oakwood for another tournament, the U9s started their campaign strongly with a 7-0 win. They lost only one game in the entire tournament, narrowly losing in the final to earn 2nd place.
The U11s competed in several local fixtures, tournaments and national events. Heading for the ISFA Football Tournament, the boys reached the last 16. Taking this form into the IAPS Football Tournament, they showed fantastic grit and determination, losing 1-0 in a very close Plate Final. The U11s thoroughly enjoyed Oakwood’s U11 Tournament. After drawing their semi-final against Atwood but victorious on penalties the team reached the final. Another draw led to yet another penalty shoot-out to decide the winners. Unfortunately, a win wasn’t to be, however the boys were graceful in their defeat, and still thrilled to take home silver.
The U10s also participated in the Year 5 Thomas’ Football Tournament, showing superb development and teamwork as the tournament progressed, finishing their final match with an impressive 5-2 victory.
The U11 Girls have seen tremendous success, competing in many fixtures and tournaments through the year. One standout performance was their run in the U11 Girls’ IAPS Competition, where they won a penalty shoot-out to reach the semi-finals. A tight semi-final saw another penalty shoot-out, where victory again saw them take home bronze. A second highlight was reaching the ISFA National Finals Day at St George’s Park, finishing 2nd place in the ISFA Qualifiers after narrowly losing 7-6 on penalties in the final match. The National Finals Day at St George’s Park was a tremendous experience, the girls played incredibly well, and we were so proud that they represented the School magnificently. After a superb run of play they finished equal top of their group and headed into the semi-final, where despite 100% effort they lost 0-1 to finish in 3rd place - a simply incredible achievement.
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Junior & Senior Trampolining
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here are so many highlights from another incredible year, the squads have worked tirelessly to learn new skills and perfect their routines. The progress has been wonderful to see and our many successes are down to the pupils’ hard work and determination. The year started with the London Regional competition where we picked up a host of individual Top 3 spots: London Regional Champions: Evie, Nathan, Lukyan, Freddie and Alex. Runners-up: Eivie, Ellis, Casper and Uliana. 3rd place: Abi and Jasmine.
With eight teams winning their groups and three teams winning silver, it was a very successful day! From here the squads qualified through to the Southern Zonal finals where the chance to compete at the National Schools finals was within our sight. Another great day with Southern Zonal individual titles going to Lukyan and Alex with Uliana in a super silver and Evie T in 3rd. The U11 Girls and U14 Boys Intermediate teams plus the U19 Girls Elite team all won their
events with the U11 Boys novice team in 3rd, securing their places at the National Schools finals. Romy also joined the squad at this prestigious competition. At the finals, everyone gave 100% and were rewarded with excellent placings. Special mention to the U14 Boys Intermediate team for picking up a silver team medal, led by Lukyan who finished in an incredible 3rd place individually. The day finished on a total high when Alex bounced two
superb routines to win the U19 Boys Novice group and crowned a NATIONAL CHAMPION - a simply amazing result. We then hosted the Croydon Schools Trampoline competitions for both Junior and Senior pupils. Another great competition where several pupils took part in their first competition, with lots of new routines. It was lovely to see the progress being made.
Croydon Schools Champions: Lauren, Phoebe, Zara, Abi, Ellis, Hannah, Lukyan, Edward and Bea. Runners-up: Joshua, Nathan, Chloe, Jasmine, Oscar, Romy and Ava. Bronze medal finishers: Zeplin, Harry, Vivienne, Evie, Max, Shayna, Emily, Aleksei and Lily.
We won nine team titles, finished as runnersup with two teams and three teams finished in 3rd place! The final event of the year was the IAPS National Championships which we hosted at Royal Russell. We were even lucky enough to have a Royal seal of approval at the event. This was another great opportunity for our Junior School pupils to compete at this level. More great results with lots of new routines. The U11 and U9 Boys’ teams collected a bronze medal alongside the U11 Girls’ team. Evie had a brilliant day, her determination and focus were a key factor in her winning the event and becoming a NATIONAL CHAMPION. What a fantastic year, well done to all.
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Senior School Sport Boys’ Football
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he football programme had yet another successful year in all phases. Our 1st XI triumphed winning the National ISFA Cup Final, and Russellian supporters travelled to the ‘Stadium MK’, the home of League One side MK DONS. The 1st XI also finished the season joint 2nd in the Isthmian South East League, whilst the 2nd XI made the semi-finals of the Surrey Cup. The U14s managed to go even one better as they were crowned champions of the U14 Surrey Cup.
Further successes include the C and D teams playing for the School. The C teams at U12, 13, 14 and 15 all represented in fixtures, giving all the boys that wanted to play the opportunity to represent the School in friendlies during games lessons and weekends. A special mention to the 5th XI who remained unbeaten throughout the season. The performance programme has grown, which has brought some excellent pupils to develop what Royal Russell represents in this space. The strength and conditioning, video analysis and bespoke individual plans have helped all that are part of the performance programme develop. Position specific sessions have been impactful and the bespoke work with the development squad has raised their quality. The use of INSTAT has been critical to support the learning of the players and coaches. We are moving to Wyscout to offer the same product as professional academies, giving exposure to our pupils for professional clubs to scout and universities to recruit in both the UK and America. As well as the progression of the teams, there has been numerous individual successes through the opportunities of the School. We have had a group of boys selected to represent the England U18s ISFA representative team. We have had great success with pupils from U13 and U14 selected to play for ISFA and helped form pathways to professional clubs such as Charlton and Millwall. Success in supporting pupils moving on from our programme has developed with a strong link with Loughborough University. Our pupils were lucky enough to experience a day at their campus and see firsthand their Elite Performance Programme, where they will study their degree while maintaining a football performance programme. Five of our boys were offered and accepted Football Scholarships to study a degree in the US. One of our Year 9 players was offered a four-year contract at Chelsea FC and had the experience of training with the first team at just 13 years of age. Further professional contracts were signed at Crawley Town, Peterborough and Chelsea.
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Girls’ Football
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irls’ football has made a real impact within the School. Football is now a standalone option for all girls to have the opportunity to play at their desired level in the games afternoons. This bold move to add it to the games programme rather than an after-school activity was timely, as the National Lionesses won the Euros. The enthusiasm for football is growing and teams played fixtures in all age groups. The introduction of the Girls’ Performance Programme has launched, and these girls represented the School proudly in the ISFA National Final at Betchworth Gardens.
We have had girls signing for local clubs and academies, gaining professional contracts and even international representative honours. This exciting programme continues to grow, attracting top athletes as this unique opportunity to play at the highest level, while supporting them with studying three A Levels. This season, the introduction of video analysis and GPS vests will add even further value to supporting their development. It has been great to see many of them supporting other year groups, acting as role models. This was evident when all Year 7-10 girls travelled by coach to watch the U18s play in their National Finals. It was not just the Senior School where the girls gained national success. We have an exciting bunch of Year 6 girls joining our Senior School after reaching the ISFA National Final at St George’s Park, reaching the semi-final and losing to the eventual winners 1-0. These girls have been exceptional, winning the IAPS Cup and Croydon Cup. We look forward to seeing how they continue this success.
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Netball
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his past year has been an exciting year with the launch of our Netball Academy. We have seen huge growth in our netball programme which is aimed at supporting pupils with exit routes into professional netball. Netball has been represented across 32 teams and competed in 271 fixtures. Our U19s team entered an evening adult league where they won 75% of their
fixtures (12/16). Our first team and U15s, U14s and U12s all reached Surrey Finals. Our U12s finished 2nd in the London Youth Games and got to the semi-final of the national shield, the first team and the U16s both reached the quarter final in the National Cup. We have had international success across the age groups with England, Scotland and Ireland.
All year groups have pupils in a national performance pathway, with the majority representing London Pulse. We aim to meet with all scholars, to ensure individual 1-1 support is in place and progress is made. On top of this we have had team meetings and all players in U12A-D have been able to access and complete an individual development plan.
Athletics
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n the Summer Term, we take a selected group of elite athletes to compete in the Croydon Schools Athletics Competition at the Croydon Arena with Year 7-10 pupils. Featuring more than 20 schools at each level, the standard is high and competition fierce! The spirit is always welcoming and friendly. We have pupils compete in long jump, high jump, shot put, javelin, and track events.
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This year we also had our top 10 best athletes across Year 7-13 qualify for the Surrey Schools Athletics championship event, representing Croydon at Kingsmeadow Stadium in June 2023. Furthermore, several of our absolute best athletes represented Surrey in the regional finals and one managed to get to the lofty heights of the national championship, setting personal bests along the way.
Hockey
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he hockey programme embraces sport for all with every child engaging with hockey when they arrive in Year 7. We field inclusive teams from A-C in the Lower School with 7-aside fixtures and once they move into the Upper School, we field 11-aside teams all the way up to the first team. Our provision allows pupils to play at least three times a week in games, club and weekend fixtures but this can be expanded with access to our strength and conditioning team. Every individual is given the best opportunity to reach their potential within the sport. Our coaching team comprises of current national league players, international coaches and local club players. Pupils can draw on this wealth of knowledge, skill and experience which ensures the delivery of high-quality training sessions and competitive values in fixtures.
The importance of strong community links is vital for our programme. With our coaches heavily involved in local clubs, we can encourage participation outside school which in turn drives motivation within our school teams. These links are evident within our fantastic facilities too. Our all-weather full-size floodlit AstroTurf and all-weather multi use games area (MUGA) allows the School to host junior tournaments throughout the year. Last year, in almost every age group our teams qualified for regional finals in their respective tiers of the London Schools Cup; a fantastic achievement and a great foundation for their future.
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Cricket
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he cricket programme at our school encourages all pupils to participate in summer games lessons and after school clubs in both the Senior and Junior Schools. Recent investments have led to the formation of A and B sides in the Senior School across multiple age groups and the establishment of four teams per year group in the Junior School.
Pupils in the Senior School receive regular cricket training and participate in matches during the week and on Saturdays. Head of Cricket, Mr David Jewiss, leads a coaching team with extensive experience, including coaches who play league cricket in the Surrey Championship and a Surrey Pathway Cricket Coach for ages 10 to 18. Additionally, we have received coaching sessions from the Surrey Cricket Foundation. We’ve enhanced our coaching programme by adding Michael McNicol, a South African cricket pro and coach. Our pupils gain valuable knowledge and skills in a fun environment, supported by high-end equipment like a cricket roller and BOLA bowling machines. We’ve also partnered with Sanderstead CC to encourage both boys and girls to attend coaching sessions and join the club. In the coming year, we’ll increase the number of matches at Sanderstead CC, thanks to the efforts of Mr Dan Udall (Sanderstead CC Club Captain & Head Coach) and Mr Tyler Ward (Sanderstead CC Junior Coordinator). Recognizing the success of the England team and the T20 100, we are investing in girls’ cricket by acquiring new softball equipment and expanding both Senior School and Junior School softball matches.
Tennis
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ennis was very popular in the Summer Term, with our squad tennis well attended on a Thursday after school and PE sessions. Our matches started very early in the term and all age groups were up against tough opposition. The most important thing is that the players improved as the season progressed and there were some good individual wins throughout the season and some close losses. We had standout performances from multiple players who were invited to play the year up in the Surrey Schools Festival at St George’s Hill School in May 2023. We had 14 players playing in the event in various age groups and everyone performed well. We progressed to the final and narrowly lost to Trinity but exceeded expectations, as the best tennis schools all partake in this event. All in all, a positive season for tennis with high participation levels.
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Dance
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he dance programme at Royal Russell has gone from strength to strength with dance being accessible to all pupils from Year 9-13. Pupils learn a variety of dance styles including Jazz, K-Pop, Street Dance and Contemporary. Our dance classes include cardio work to develop core strength, stamina and flexibility. Pupils can create innovative movement and learn choreography and dance notation so they can comprise original routines and confidently perform. We have pupils at the School who study dance externally, with many excelling on Royal Ballet pathways and we like to encourage and acknowledge these achievements within the School. Choreography and dance are heavily linked and used in our musicals from Junior School to our full-scale musicals in the Senior School with casts of over 200 pupils. The aim for the dancers is to be able to perform in front of a live audience as well as improve technique and fitness. We hope to continue to grow dance within the department and offer pupils the opportunity to potentially use this as a sport for one of their GCSE PE activities.
House Sport
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ne of the jewels of the School’s sporting crown is the annual House Sport Competition. Every pupil in every year group can compete regularly against peers in a wide variety of sports throughout the year! The highlight again this year was seeing the entire Senior School compete in the cross-country event. The courses vary in length, progressing as we move through the years. The boys and girls run the same courses: the junior course for Year 7 & 8 is 2.2km, the intermediate course for the 9s & 10s is 2.5km and we finish with 3.2km for the seniors in Year 11-13. Sports Day is always a joyous event with the entire school body including staff who support all Houses in competing for the title. Activities range from long jump to 4 x 100 relay. Our House sports champions this year were Reade and Oxford!
Basketball
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enior basketball at Royal Russell continues to grow with four boys’ teams competing in the LISBA league this season with weekly training sessions available for boys and girls.
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Science Science Week
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uring Science Week, the Science Department organised a huge range of practical sessions during break, lunch and after school. Highlights included: growing bacteria, turning copper into silver and gold, extracting DNA from kiwi, making rockets, creating motors and loudspeakers, and a tall tower challenge. Madden won the ‘Post a Pringle House Competition’ where competitors from Year 7 to 9 were given a Pringle and a range of equipment to design a package to post it back to school. The parcels were sent from Shirley post office and all arrived safely at the beginning of the week. The results were as follows: 1st Madden - whose Pringle survived intact. 2nd Queen’s – whose Pringle also arrived intact, but they broke one during the packaging process.
3rd Reade – whose Pringle arrived in five pieces.
SATRO Problem Solving Challenge
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n Thursday evening, pupils from KS3, 4, and 5 took part in the SATRO Problem Solving Challenge competition at St Philomena’s Catholic High School for Girls, where they competed against 12 other schools from across Surrey. With limited resources, our pupils had to design and build a device to recycle plastic (LEGO bricks) from the ocean. Every group represented the School fantastically, and we were extremely proud of their efforts. The task brought home to us all how challenging the job of keeping our oceans clean is. Congratulations to our three fantastic teams consisting of Jerry, Karen, Ellis, Kim, Weston, Xintong, Luca, Elspeth, Daniel, Johan, Aarush, Joseph, Anxo, Charles, Scarlett, and Jacob.
Year 5 STEM Workshop in the Senior School
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ear 5 was invited to a STEM workshop in the Science Department last week. Their challenge was to make a device using a specified list of equipment only, which would protect an egg when dropped from the first floor of Latessa. Every single pupil engaged well with the project, and everyone had a lot of fun. A huge variety of devices were constructed, and three eggs survived the drop. Well done, Year 5!
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Chemistry Olympiad 2023
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ell done to Year 12 and Year 13 Chemistry pupils. We have the following winners:
Xintong Zhang: GOLD, Felix Chen: SILVER, Jinsol Park: SILVER, Jason Li: BRONZE, Ping Ping Ellis Liao: BRONZE, Xinyue Dong: BRONZE Lance Edge, Tara Odedra, and Anusan Kanmanirajah for participation. A special mention needs to go to Xintong because out of the 1838 pupils who entered nationally, only 9.2% of the entries achieved a gold award.
CREST Awards
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REST Awards are awarded by the British Science Association and are undertaken independently with the support, guidance and help of a mentor. They operate on a similar basis to the Duke of Edinburgh Awards in that pupils can progress through Bronze, Silver and Gold. Starting with Bronze (10 hours’ work) to Silver (30 hours’ work) and Gold (70 hours’ work). CREST Awards are a nationally recognised scheme for project work in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The pupils should be very proud of the Award they have achieved, as the skills learnt will be invaluable when applying to university or for future job prospects. Universities value CREST Awards as they provide opportunities for developing valuable skills, such as: skills of working independently, time management, good organisation, being proactive as well as learning how to approach an independent project. The CREST Project club is open to pupils Year 8 upwards and operates on a ‘drop in’ basis on a Monday lunchtime in S3. A massive well done to all the pupils who have worked so hard in completing these awards, and particularly to Emily Hayden de Carbonnières, who is the first pupil at Royal Russell to complete a Gold CREST Award! She worked tirelessly for over 70 hours to complete her independent project and was lucky enough to interview someone from an industry who has been involved in testing prototypes of driverless cars.
Chemistree
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hemistree Winner 2022 is Serena Biju.
Pupils had to correctly identify the ions responsible for the colour on the chemistree.
Chemistry Year 10 Taster Day
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ear 11 Chemists were treated to a lab coat and a lesson of A level style practicals. The photos show pupils completing a titration!
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Careers 2022/23 Careers education for pupils in Years 7 – 11 was delivered for the first time through the Well-being Curriculum, and the School held another successful Higher Education and Apprenticeship Fair for Years 10 and 12.
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his year, Year 7 pupils got off to a great start by describing the skills needed for their dream jobs by creating a poster. Years 8 and 9 spent time reflecting on what success means to them and what their individual strengths are. In Year 10, pupils rose brilliantly to the annual Careers Challenge to prepare CVs and Cover letters for a ‘job’, and identifying their individual strengths followed by interviews conducted by external interviewers.
We were well supported by our alumni and parents, with talks from local and national businesses on careers in Medicine, Law, Insurance, Professional Services, Digital Design, Entrepreneurship, Public Relations, Marketing, Science, Pilot studies and work experience opportunities. Our speakers provided positive feedback about the quality of engagement and interaction with our pupils, with many sharing their positive experiences on LinkedIn.
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Our Higher Education and Apprenticeship Fair was well attended by pupils and families in Years 10 and 12, providing an excellent opportunity for information gathering, meaningful conversations and ideas for future choices to form. As more and more pupils in Year 12 consider an apprenticeship pathway, we were delighted to be supported by Ricoh, who ran an application skills workshop, and Wanstor, who ran a mock assessment centre for pupils.
Over 130 one-to-one pupil support meetings were held this year, encouraging individuals to follow their own path, develop their interests, and make choices that are best for them. Forging ever closer links with the Chartwell Children’s Cancer Trust, a group of Year 12 pupils volunteered in the October Half Term to support the charity’s ‘Strictly’ event. From waiting tables, to helping dancers with fast costume changes, to photographing and videoing the fun for the charity’s social media pages, our pupils provided fabulous support for this important local charity.
The Careers Department, ably supported as always by Librarian, Mrs Colyer, and Senior School Administrator, Ms Smith, contributed to the School’s Vanguard Way Challenge by demonstrating in a very practical way, how skills can be transferable. In this case, by providing support, advice, and guidance to ice cream sellers, a healthy profit was generated.
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The Vanguard Challenge 2023 The Vanguard Challenge: our whole-school charity event raising money and awareness for six key charities under the umbrella of mental health and well-being. Keen to build on the success of our previous charity events, we wanted to bring our community together to work towards our shared goal of helping others. And what a special thing it was!
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ogether, the Junior and Senior School chose six important charities close to their hearts: Demelza, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Teenage Cancer Trust, Reedham Children’s Trust, Papyrus, and Nick’s Wall (a fundraising campaign to help build a climbing wall to commemorate the life of former pupil and member of staff, Nick Smith). Royal Russell’s motto Non Sibi Sed Omnibus is about kindness and thinking about others, being ready to act in ways that support the positive mental health and wellbeing of everyone. Throughout the year, we found so many fun ways to challenge ourselves in a wide range of fundraisers. There were the Flapjacks of Friendship, where we bought little treats to surprise and cheer up each other, and the
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fabulous Disney-themed fashion show. There was the Maths Department Pi/e challenge and the hilarious Soak the Teacher event. We sold badges and cupcakes, we did sponsored silences, swimathons, card-making, bracelet designing and more. It would be almost impossible to list all the activities that were devised and brought to life with such care and enthusiasm from pupils, staff and parents. And then there was the final weekend in June, the Vanguard Way Challenge itself. The Vanguard Way is a 66mile path from Newhaven to East Croydon, part of which runs around the perimeter of the School site. The route makes its way down country lanes, through woodland and across grassy fields, with some stony tracks and incredibly hilly bits at times, giving spectacular views. Over the weekend of the 23-25 June, groups of the School community ran, trekked or walked a range of distances.
Some truly intrepid and committed pupils and teachers started the challenge on Friday, embarking on a 3-day hike. They waved goodbye to the sea at Newhaven and steadily made their way back to school in incredible heat, camping along the route. On Saturday, Mr Dear ran an arduous 66 miles without interruption, skillfully avoiding the fields with scary-looking bulls. During this journey, he discovered new variations of the route. He was supported by colleagues, both past and present, who each beat their previous longest distance. The support vehicle passed a very hot Mr Janowski as he cycled the entire route to the coast the other way. Whilst Mr Kay and Mr Davies cycled both there AND back on the Sunday (!), other members of our community joined in on that final day, challenging themselves with the six-mile walk from Warlingham back to Royal Russell.
For runners, there were 5k, 10k, and half-marathon challenges. What a great way to enjoy the healing power of both nature and being with good friends and family in the open air. Younger members of the School had exciting events too: a 6km cross country run within the School grounds and the completion of six laps of the Paddock on foot, by bike, scooter, or even buggy! Our Vanguard Challenge culminated in a fabulous BBQ on-site. The day was filled with activities and beautiful sunshine, creating a festival-like atmosphere. From glitter face paint and bouncy castles to cake and plant stalls, each activity was carefully chosen to bring smiles and raise more money, accompanied by the wonderful music of the School band. It was the perfect opportunity to join together to celebrate not only the arrival of the walkers and runners but everything we all achieved together during the whole Vanguard Challenge. Thank you so much to everyone who played a part in the Vanguard Challenge 2023. The final total raised was £31,517.66
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What was it like to be involved in the Vanguard Challenge? Here are some reviews from our pupils: The Vanguard Way inspired me to push myself into a challenge. I wanted to feel involved. Such great causes made it something I’m proud to be a part of. I walked the 6.6 miles and felt proud. We started off in Warlingham next to the triangle and Co-op, and walked through flat fields of daisies, rocks and hills until we reached The Bull. Soon after, we reached the picturesque views of Farleigh Golf Course and St. Mary’s Church. Walking further, we slowly but steadily approached our destination of Royal Russell where we were applauded like the champions we were, champions against cancer and supporting mental well-being. We raised over £20,000 as a community and we should be proud of it, well done everyone! Written by Ted Stacey (Year 10) I really enjoyed walking together with friends and teachers, as the energy was kept positive. At times, I wanted to give up but when I saw the horses, I knew that I had to keep going, as I didn’t know what else I would see. When I arrived at school, I enjoyed listening to the music that my friend played. She sang really well, and everyone was dancing. There was a large variety of performers, who kept our spirits high. Written by Mia Gammell and Kaylee Wong (Year 10) For the Vanguard Way Challenge, I took part in manning the Buchanan stall raising money for the Reedham Children’s Trust. As a House, we raised approximately £230 selling sunflower plants, tomato plants, tradescantias, small plants, badges, and paintings. I enjoyed taking part in this because, as a House, it was nice for a few of us to come together to set up and run the stall as pupils. It was heartwarming to talk with people and see the smiles on their faces, knowing they got to take home a new plant. Written by Toni Alao (Year 10) In May, I gathered a group of friends and we all decided to support our teachers who were dressing up or dancing in the Vanguard Fashion Show fundraiser. As we sat in the auditorium, it filled up with pupils from all years of the School, which was nice to see. The teachers all came out in their costumes, and it was so funny! Me and my friends laughed the entire duration of the show. This performance raised lots of money towards the charities for the Vanguard Challenge, which was amazing! Overall, I enjoyed the Vanguard Challenge and I can’t wait to contribute to the next one! Written by Zara Aspland (Year 10)
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I received a Cookie of Kindness and I wanted to help out the Vanguard Challenge the same way the person who got me the Cookie supported me. Written by Joshua Muscat (Year 7) One of the most popular stalls at the barbecue was the glitter tattoo stall run by the Reade girls. Seeing the smiles on every kid’s face as they left with brightly coloured glittery tattoos on their arms was a great experience. One of the best things about the Vanguard Challenge for me was watching how supportive everyone had been over the past few months. Whether it was physically running or walking part of it, running a stall at the BBQ, participating in the activities, or simply just supporting one and another, everyone got involved. Written by Kesmia Mangaru and Amelia Williams (Year 10) I supported the Vanguard Challenge by making a promotional video about the 6-mile walk back to school. This was a fun way to complete an English assignment with my friends, while also shedding light on the most important part of the Vanguard Way: the charities that would benefit from the money raised. Interviewing people was a great way of getting our message across. With opinions from both pupils and teachers, we gained valuable insights on what people deemed important about the Vanguard Challenge: the community, the charities, or having a good time. It was also a great way of getting more people involved and aware of what it was truly about, and helping to encourage them to contribute in one way or another. We learned a lot about the lives that were being positively impacted by Reedham Children’s Trust, and I had an amazing time! Written by Natasha Kirmani (Year 10) My participation started off as an idea in an English class, which developed into selling ‘Summer Snow Cones’ to pupils and staff. Lots of effort was put into making this happen, including finding the ice maker, sourcing the syrups, getting the paper cones, and lots of emails to organise it. I supported the Vanguard Challenge by putting in a guess for the sweets jar, (I was way off!) and selling and promoting the snow cones to raise money. I decided I would do this because it would be great fun and I would be helping six different charities, and that’s a lovely thing to do. Written by Marie-Louise Goossens (Year 7) The best thing that I found was the way everyone was supporting and encouraging people to run or walk and to raise money for many charities. I made a video and a poster about the charities to allow people to know what the Vanguard Challenge was and what they did it for. As well, I went to the BBQ on Sunday and clapped and cheered on people who did the walk. I did it because I loved the idea of being part of a good cause and to help people who are struggling and to make then braver and stronger! Written by Esmee Mason (Year 7) To support the Vanguard Challenge, I made cards, watched the Fashion Show and bought an ice cream! I made a video with my friends and we did the 6-mile walk. I feel the most challenging one was the 6 miles because we walked from Warlingham all the way to school, which is a very long way. I made a card for Mrs Pepperdine as she was doing the walk and has helped with organising the event. I’m sure everyone is proud of Mrs Pepperdine because it was fantastic. The fashion show was one of my favourites, as it was funny to watch all the teachers dress up. The video was also great as I got to work with my friends to create a masterpiece! I thought it had been a great week getting ready for the Vanguard Way and it was an amazing experience. Written by Lola Lopes (Year 7)
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Boarding 2022-23 was an exciting year in the boarding houses. Pupils enjoyed a wide array of trips, events, and activities, resulting in many memorable moments shared within our community. Diwali celebrations were added to our traditional events: Bonfire Night, Snow Ball and Chinese New Year. The activities programme expanded to include mountain biking, pottery painting, Airsoft, go-karting, bowling, bouldering, Bromley Town FC, and various sightseeing trips.
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ollenden and Queen’s girls participated in many activities last year. They collectively raised money for our chosen charities by selling cupcakes and pancakes during lunchtimes throughout the academic year. Additionally, they enjoyed participating in House activities such as pampering evenings, Kahoot quizzes and watching the Eurovision contest together. We also collected a substantial number of toys during Christmas time, which were generously donated to the Salvation Army in Croydon. Furthermore, a charity sale held in the Summer Term raised over £500 for local charities. Oxford, Cambridge, and Latessa boys also engaged in fundraising through friendly competition, staging cycling and rowing competitions in the lobby. The boys cycled 200 miles to raise money to repair the toilets in the boarding houses with those in areas of the world with no access to clean water and adequate sanitation. They competed again on rowing machines to raise money for the Vanguard Way Challenge, as well as joining the whole boarding community in walking the final 6 miles.
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We also donated an enormous collection of Lego to Reedham Children’s Trust to support their Christmas appeal. Additionally, the boys came together one evening to hotly contest sports such as football, table tennis, and even dodgeball.
Finally, we bid sad farewells to an outstanding group of Year 13 pupils, ably led by Ho Chun Wong, Arjun Dintakurti, and Abdulrazaq Gwadabe in Oxford, Charlie Wang and Senyang Zhao in Latessa, and Eric Brenya, Junseong Kim, Henry Steele, and Amir Mohamed Faruk in Cambridge House. In Hollenden, we said farewell to our most hardworking House Prefects, Sara Szubakov and Lingna Zou, as well as to our fantastic Head of Boarding, Jiaxin Yang. In Queen’s, Junfan Wang, Alena Goliana, Shannon Chan, and Anh Hoang were our dedicated House Team that supported both the girls and the staff to make the House such a happy place.
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Three Peaks Challenge In May 2023, 16 pupils and four staff members departed from the School to take on the Three Peaks Challenge, the three highest peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales.
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he first obstacle to overcome was a 14-hour drive - a challenge in itself. The group arrived at Fort William in Scotland at 8:00pm. They had a quick bite to eat and then headed up to the hostel for a rest. On Saturday morning, Ben Nevis (the highest peak in the UK) awaited them. The group fought the rain and snow to reach the peak after a four-hour climb, had a quick stop for photos and then it was off again as they had to reach the Lake District that evening. After descending the mountain, they jumped straight into the minibuses and began a five-hour drive to their next hostel, near Scafell Pike. The next morning, they met with local leaders and began the ascent. Although some struggled to begin
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with, they all powered on through the beautiful Lake District, with clear skies and bright sunshine. They navigated the corridor, a well-known challenging path up Scafell, before stopping for lunch with the peak in sight, and reached the peak in good time before beginning the descent. The group flew down the beautiful descent, reaching a natural spring and bathing in the sun. The whole team had a well-deserved rest before continuing to the buses, saying goodbye to their instructors and getting ready to leave for Snowdon. They arrived at their picturesque hostel in time for food on Sunday before getting some well-needed sleep. For one final time, they were up early and ready to go, again meeting
with local leaders before departing for the mountain. The ascent began slowly before their legs began to warm up and grow into it. The team took a short break at the halfway point before beginning the final climb of the challenge, set in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park under clear, blue skies. They stopped just before the summit for lunch before taking photos at the top of a very windy Snowdon. The descent was much slower with many beginning to feel the burn of the last three days, but the team morale remained high, and they reached the bottom in good time. Well done to them all for their resilience in conquering this challenge of a total of 23 miles and a total ascent of 3064 metres.
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EYFS – Joy, Purpose & Partnership When you walk into an Early Years Classroom at Royal Russell, you are guaranteed to find joy and magic. This is inspired by our children’s interests and enhanced and extended by our adults into learning adventures that exceed many of our wildest dreams.
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his year, the children have written codes to unlock portals, composed letters to giants, made posters to catch trolls, formulated instructions on caring for dragon eggs, written plays, made theatre tickets, labelled treasure maps for pirates and made shopping lists for their adventures. These joyful experiences celebrate the creativity of childhood, develop essential skills, and enable the children to find purpose in what they are learning. At Royal Russell, we are passionate about play, using it as a vehicle for our learning and inquiry, as well as a means of exploring our own sense of self, imagination, and friendships.
Underpinning much of our learning has been hands-on experiences that have engaged all our senses. Highlights have included bravely having snakes around our shoulders during our school Farm Visit, feeding the donkeys at Godstone Farm, holding butterflies in our hands at the Horniman Museum, growing our own vegetables and making apple crumble out of our very own apples at Forest School.
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We have enjoyed welcoming parents into our classes this year to join in with our learning. Events have included parents experiencing the ‘Power of the Pen’ with their children during our writing workshop. We have made ‘family trees’ and explored the magic purposes of sticks in our Parent and Child Forest School Adventures. We have also enjoyed welcoming our Little Lions toddler group to do an array of activities including swimming, science and storytelling. Our Early Years learning adventures lead to lifelong positive attitudes to learning, providing essential skills for inquiring minds and unlocking a child’s potential to learn and grow.
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Junior School Symposium We began our Summer Term with the annual symposium event, and this year’s theme was ‘Sustainability’.
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he purpose of the symposium event is to celebrate and enjoy learning in new and creative ways. We are extremely proud of all of the wonderful specialist opportunities that the children at Royal Russell receive, and as such, a symposium is a coming together of all these specialist fields. It was our privilege to welcome in ‘Green up your Act’, a company providing environmental education for schools, which hosted hands-on workshops for all classes. We also welcomed ‘Allman Hall’, our food distributors, to learn about what we can all do to help with sustainability, with a focus on food waste.
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Pupils in our Early Years Foundation Stage explored the idea of ‘farm to fork’ and planted seedlings to actively appreciate how fun it could be to grow seasonal food and thereby reduce food miles and packaging. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 explored the concept of plastics and marine litter and created some ‘cork fish’ using colourful recycled scales to bring an awareness of the problem of plastic in our oceans, as well as to understand the role we can all play in supporting a thriving ocean ecosystem. Pupils in our Upper Junior classes explored the concept of upcycling, and understanding the green issues in the home, at school and in a global context. The award-winning
building called ‘Earthship’ made a strong impression and inspired our pupils with what could be possible in terms of renewable energy and recycled materials. This coming together of learning is a celebration of all that we offer at Royal Russell, and with such an important theme, we have every confidence that it will have a positive impact on our Royal Russell community. The celebration and enjoyment of learning that took place over the week was remarkable, and additionally the important lessons learned in caring for our planet have been very impressive. We are confident that our children understand our collective responsibility in caring for our Earth.
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Year 3 Viking Day In the Spring Term, pupils in Year 3 travelled into a new era to learn about the Vikings. Their topic began with an action-packed Viking Day in school, where they learnt about Viking Life.
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upils arrived to school adorned in their Viking costumes, ready for a day full of fun. They were visited by a brave Viking warrior called ‘Bjorn’ who told them about why the Vikings decided to travel to and settle in Great Britain. They learned about the settlements that the Vikings built and had the opportunity to handle a range of artefacts such as chain mail, a wool spindle, bowls and cutlery, combs, a shield, a spear and helmet, and a sound horn. The pupils explored life as a Viking child and played two board games called ‘Fox and Geese’ and ‘Nine Men’s Morris’. They learned the rules and enjoyed playing these ancient games together. They also had a go at ‘Spear Wrestling’ to test their strength for battle. Class 3D defeated 3NF by winning an impressive 7 out of 9 of the battles. Once they had proven their strength, they carried out a raid of Year 6 by invading their classrooms!
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It was a fantastic day. Everyone learnt so much, and most importantly, all whilst having a lot of fun.
Inclusion & Diversity Group Royal Russell’s Inclusion and Diversity group has continued to highlight and celebrate a variety of culturally significant events this year.
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n October 2022, the Inclusion and Diversity group celebrated Black History Month and held screenings of ‘Hidden Figures’ and ‘Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History’. Additionally, they highlighted the incredible contributions of Edna Thomas, Baron Baker and Jerry Williams (to name a few). As the year progressed, the group continued to celebrate a range of key dates such as World Braille Day and Chinese New Year in January, LGBTQ+ History Month in February, Ramadan and International Women’s Day in March and Windrush Day and Pride Month in June. Pupils from the Rainbow group also sold pin badges as part of their contribution to the Vanguard Challenge in June. These and many more important events were observed which aimed to shine a light on the various elements of disability, ethnicity, gender, neurodiversity, religion, and sexuality that make up our wonderfully diverse Royal Russell community. The Rainbow group is open to pupils from Years 7 to 13 who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community or are their allies. This year, the group has expanded further, drawing pupils from all year groups. Please do visit our Inclusion and Diversity page on Firefly for an overview of this year’s events.
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Food Preparation & Nutrition After a brand-new practical room refurbishment during Summer 2022, we began the new school year with a busy calendar of learning, events and competitions.
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ur Year 10 & 11 GCSE pupils had the opportunity to participate in some exciting learning activities throughout the year. In September 2022, they visited Westminster Kingsway, a reputable London Catering College, where pupils had a tour around the campus and extensive facilities. They enjoyed a two-course lunch in the Escoffier Restaurant at the college gaining valuable experience and inspiration for new design ideas, plating and presentation. This was followed by a fish-filleting demonstration in the demonstration theatre, with the Head of school Hospitality and Culinary Arts.
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In November, the Year 10 pupils had a visit from Royal Navy Logistics Specialist Recruiting Team to conduct a fun and informative presentation, including a practical session in a ‘Ready Steady Cook’ format. In February Half Term, 16 pupils set off on our four-day adventure to Italy. They were joined by Food Technology Teacher & Assistant Head of Middle School, Mr Major, and Head of Food Preparation & Nutrition, Mrs Saunders. They all ventured on a gastronomic journey around the beautiful coastal town of Sorrento. Our itinerary included visits to a local coffee and honey producer and watching
a mozzarella demonstration. We had the opportunity to make and eat gnocchi and an afternoon at a local gelateria to learn the secrets of making a fresh orange sorbet. We were lucky to spend a morning having a fascinating guided tour of Pompeii, and a wander around the well-preserved ruins, with Mount Vesuvius in the distance. The sun shone throughout our visit, and pupils enjoyed evening strolls around the town and of course a trip to an authentic pizzeria.
As always, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed organising House competitions and clubs within the department. Below are the competition results for the overall winners: • Year 7 Chocolate Orange Competition: Alana Mosimann • Mince Pie Bake off: St Andrew’s House • End of year Bake Off ‘When it’s scone its gone!’: Sophie Lang and Maisie Sinclair (Reade House) Our year has concluded with a visit from two Year 3 classes in the Junior School, providing a chance to introduce them to Food Preparation & Nutrition. We look forward to welcoming our new Year 7 pupils soon and taking them on an exciting journey into Food Land!
Year 10 GCSE Visit from the Royal Navy
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he day started off with an informative presentation about careers in the Royal Navy. It was very informative, and we were amazed at the vast range of opportunities as we thought it was solely about being a soldier on a ship.
Afterwards, we were split up into groups to make a chicken and mushroom pie and a pavlova. We only had one hour to complete the course and dessert. We were given the ingredients and a recipe to make the dishes.
As well as this, there were lots of careers available in the Navy including Chef, Football Player and Engineer.
Each of us chose a dish and got cooking. It required a lot of perseverance, but we all pushed through and were able to make the dishes with time to spare.
It was fascinating to see that you could pursue any career with the support of the Royal Navy. They were extremely friendly and showed professionalism. We were very impressed by their dedication to their careers.
The pie and pavlova were both delicious and were enjoyed by everyone. After that we all had to clean up the kitchen. The Royal Navy was very supportive and nice throughout the day, and it was a very enjoyable experience. Written by Joseph Venkatasami (Year 10)
At the end of the hour, they judged our dishes, and the victory was taken by Jack Taylor, Joseph Venkatasami and Ethan Chan in our group.
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Linguistics Department It has been an excellent year for Linguistics, having not only expanded in size but also diversified its range of events.
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he House Linguistics Competition was introduced, with its first edition in late January 2023. Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils from seven Houses participated in a friendly yet competitive atmosphere to prove their linguistic prowess. The competition was intense, with Madden House emerging victorious, closely followed by Hollenden and Cambridge. Prizes were awarded to the winning
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team, and everyone involved had a great time. The well-established Linguistics Olympiad was held on 6 February with a record number of 124 pupils from Years 6 to 13 taking part. The competition requires pupils to apply problem-solving and critical thinking skills to tackle linguistics puzzles. Everyone engaged enthusiastically and the teams worked well
together to solve each of the challenging problems on various languages, from Umbrian to Albanian, to Gilbertese and Runes, coming away with a great sense of fun while stimulating their brains. The mental reward of having cracked the puzzles was doubled by bespoke cupcakes with the competitions logo, which were greatly appreciated.
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e have been privileged this year to have the Breakthrough papers marked by Chair of the UKLO (United Kingdom Linguistics Olympiad) Committee, Mr Dick Hudson. He commented, “I was impressed by their performance: every group tried almost every problem.”
The Vanguard Way Challenge in June offered the perfect opportunity for Linguistics Club members to showcase their creativity with languages. The team put together a thrilling murder mystery where aspiring detectives were tasked with solving short language puzzles to uncover clues which revealed
the murderer. With a captivating storyline and intriguing puzzles, this interactive event delivered an unforgettable experience for language enthusiasts and mystery lovers alike.
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Model United Nations This has been another fantastic year for our Model United Nations programme at Royal Russell. It is with great pride that we have marked an incredible landmark in our MUN history with our 40th Royal Russell School International MUN Conference. 40th RRSIMUN Conference
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e celebrated this incredible milestone with our 40th Conference in October. Back in 1981, Roy Bushin, our first MUN Director, persuaded Royal Russell pupils to organise our very first conference. Since then, under three Headmasters and four Directors of MUN, thousands of pupils from all around the world have gathered to debate, defend, oppose, negotiate, and compromise. Many of them, enriched by the experience and the formation of new friendships, have gone on to make a real difference in the world.
A wonderful team of Senior Officers contributed to the conference’s great success. Congratulations to our Heads of Secretariat - James Cryer, Caitlin Baron, Ria Patel, Makaziwe Ansan, and Jaishan Jethwa; our Heads of Media - Chloe Shields and Oliver Brennan; our Heads of Press - Ella Burrows and Sam Alfred; our Presidents of the Security Council - Henry Steele and Miles King; our Presidents of the General Assembly - CJ ColemanBenjamin, Charlotte Mawer, and Katie Hamerton; and, of course, our Secretary General, Anastacia Allan.
This year, we welcomed over 500 pupils from 35 different British and international schools. Across the nine committees, topics such as the question of the expansion of NATO, the question of sustainable development, the question of migration and rights for refugees, the question of the advancement of women, the question of Israel-Palestine, and the question of ensuring free and fair elections, among others, were thoroughly debated.
We were also delighted to welcome back former Headmasters, Directors of MUN, Delegates, and Officers at a special anniversary reception to celebrate 40 years of MUN at Royal Russell, and we look forward to many more years of MUN achievements and successes.
Reigate Grammar Conference
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n early October, a group of Royal Russell pupils attended the 26th Reigate MUN Conference. Johan Prinsloo, Winnie Wang, Caprice Walsh, Raashmi Niranjan and Alexander Chesters represented Kenya in the Economic and Financial, Disarmament and Security, Special and Political, Social and Humanitarian Committees and Security Council respectively. CJ Coleman-Benjamin was a great Guest Chair in the Crisis Committee as well as in the General Assembly. Congratulations to Alexander who received the Highly Commended Delegate award, representing Kenya in the Security Council.
Benenden Conference
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n December, nine Royal Russell pupils attended the 15th Benenden MUN conference, representing France, Canada and the French Polynesia in the Security Council, Human Rights Council and the Health, Economic and Financial, and Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committees. Whether experienced or first-time delegates, our pupils were a credit to our school and got involved in debates on topics such as the question of foreign intervention in conflict areas, the question of brain drain with the migration of skilled human capital to developed countries, the question of pharmaceutical regulation, the question of the protection of labourers in the manufacturing industry and the question of protecting the professional freedom of journalists. Congratulations to all participants.
The Hague Conference
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or the first time since 2019, The Hague Conference was taking place once again in person and this was a fantastic opportunity for some of our pupils to attend the 55th edition of this prestigious event. The Hague is a key United Nations city, home of the International Court of Justice, hosting the biggest MUN Conference in Europe and welcoming this year over 150 schools from all around the world. Around 2,500 pupils were greeted in the World Forum by a recorded video message from the current Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, wishing them a fantastic conference. Congratulations to Iris Nuredini, our Vietnam Ambassador and delegate in the General Assembly’s Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, Mark Ben Mikhelson in the General Assembly’s Disarmament and Security Committee, Lucas Easton in the General Assembly’s Economic and Financial Committee, Johan Prinsloo in the General Assembly’ Special Political and Decolonization Committee, Francesco Licheri in the Special Conference on the future of Borders, Raashmi Niranjan and Winnie Wang in the Human Rights sub-commissions 1 and 2, for their participation in this unique event. This was a fantastic opportunity to debate topics such as the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, designing a universal code of ethics for tourism, measures to eradicate forced labour and end modern slavery, territorial sovereignty in Antarctica, protecting the right of LGBT+ people and countries building walls and other forms of barriers, amongst many other global issues. This was also a perfect environment to develop public speaking and diplomatic skills and make new friends.
Haileybury Conference
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or the last MUN event of the year, Royal Russell pupils attended the 28th Haileybury Conference. They represented the Republic of Korea and Jordan in the Disarmament and Security, Ecology and Environment, and Conference Special Committees and the Human Rights Council. This was a great opportunity for our pupils to debate topics such as the establishment of the use of biological weapons in warfare, improving the monitoring and management of natural disasters, combating intolerance and discrimination against persons based on religion or beliefs and the rights of protestors. Congratulations to Rohan Phillpot who received the Distinguished Delegate award at his very first conference.
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Uganda Trip This summer, on the day after Royal Russell Day, a team of 16 pupils and four staff flew to Uganda to experience a completely different culture and to work with a school in the African countryside.
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oyal Russell has been taking teams of pupils and staff to Uganda for over a decade, to help develop educational opportunity in areas of challenge and deprivation. We work with school leaders to add classrooms, accommodation, water sanitation and health facilities and other interventions that will transform their learning environment. Our teams also work alongside teachers to provide memorable lessons, small group work and special events such as sports days. Our latest project in July took us to Pius School, to help with regenerating the primary boarding school, situated on the outskirts of Kampala. Pius School serves a wide area and wants to set up proper boarding facilities, toilets, and washrooms to enable those who travel a long distance to benefit from staying on-site. Education and especially boarding is highly valued by households in this part of
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Africa and the programme will enable more children, especially girls, to get an education. After a day of orientation, the team travelled 40 miles from the capital to Pius School. The 350 pupils, teachers, parents and the whole community were excited to meet them, and firm friendships were soon made. For two weeks, the team worked alongside teachers to bring lessons to life and to help the children with their learning. In the afternoon, the team played games, taught new sports and spent time with the children - experiences of fun and laughter that will stay with them for life.
At the same time, the team painted the exterior, completely altering its appearance. As the buildings are situated on a hillside, this transformation is visible from all around the village. After a year of incredible fundraising, the team were also able to refurbish a teaching block of four classrooms including tiling all the floors and providing over 100 wooden desk places. The pupils from Royal Russell worked positively and creatively with the whole community, playing football (and pool) with local people. On the final day, they came together for a sports and celebration event, featuring dancing, speeches, and a shared sense of appreciation. Our visit finished with a three-night Safari at Murchison Falls including game drives, a boat trip, swimming, and zip lining. It was a truly memorable trip. Royal Russell has now established a firm link with Pius School, and we look forward to returning to continue the friendship.
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Politics Economics Business The Politics, Economics and Business newsletter ‘PEB’ is a collection of articles written by Year 12 pupils at Royal Russell.
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riting these articles allows them to creatively branch out from subjects and contextualize what has been learned in the classroom with real-life events. It also enables them to engage more individually with subjects, which is why you will find a wide range of articles within it. The most recent newsletter, which has been more economics-based, features articles that discuss issues such as renewable energy sources and the status of the recession in the UK. For these articles, we have the economics team to thank: Lucy Knox, Anatoliya Ageeva, Iris Nuredini, Francesco Licheri, Ravi Durjun, Karen Kan, Lee Dunne, Andrea Mastilo, and Lance Edge. The pupils wish for the PEB newsletter to expand and become more widely read in the Royal Russell community, through printing and handing out issues, putting up posters, as well as having access to the online version. The newsletter’s graphic designer Lucas Easton has been working on making the issue more visually attractive to help achieve this. The next issue will be covering a wider range of topics, with political and business-based articles included. We hope you enjoy reading their work!
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Theatre Society What a great year of brilliant and entertaining shows for Royal Russell’s Theatre Society: To Kill a Mockingbird, Heathers, & Juliet, Back to the Future, Pretty Woman, The Lion King and the glorious Guys and Dolls.
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ot only did we watch some wonderful performances but on two occasions we actually got to meet the stars of the stage, including Draco Malfoy in the audience one night! The highlight had to be a hug from a member of Heathers’ cast, who is not only an Old Russellian, but a former member of the very Theatre Society watching her. Thank you, Eleanor. We wonder how many more of our society will follow in her footsteps!
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Schools Triathlon On a very wet Sunday in April, Royal Russell hosted and welcomed the Restless Triathlon, supporting over 800 young competitors from schools all over South London through their swim, cycle, and run relays.
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his unique sporting event invites children aged 7-13 years old to form teams of four to raise funds and complete three sports in a relay format: swimming, cycling, and running. The Schools Triathlons are organized by the charity Restless Development, and their efforts assist thousands of young people around the world in transforming their communities by improving access to health, education, and life skills.
community who helped make this event such a success.
The amazing team of staff and pupil volunteers ensured that everyone enjoyed a very positive day, despite the challenges of the weather. Thanks to the Operations and Grounds Teams, as well as all members of the Royal Russell
Fundraising took many different forms, including bake sales, ‘beat the goalie,’ car washing, and raffles. The event raised over £110,000 for charity, which is truly spectacular. Congratulations to all who took part; you are AMAZING!
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It was an incredible day with over 850 children taking part. Despite the intense rain in the morning, which did not dampen spirits, there were smiles galore as the pupils challenged themselves to swim, cycle, and run, all in aid of raising money for Restless Development and a host of other fantastic charities.
1853 Society The 1853 Society delivered a series of wonderful events, starting with the Christmas Fair in December. This was followed by a line-up of exciting gatherings, including R-Fest, the Cheese and Wine evening and an Open-Air Cinema night.
They also donated funds to special projects across the School, which included the creation of an outdoor cultivation learning area, dance mirrors, Medical Mavericks showcase sessions and mountain bike equipment. Our huge thanks to the 1853 Society and all the volunteers who make these events happen - the community is truly grateful for everything you do.
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CCF – National Air and Space Camp We had the incredible privilege of going on the National Air and Space Camp this year. The camp lasts six days and is packed full of different activities, including flight simulators, gliding, air shows, engineering, and much more.
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n the first full day, the pupils took to the skies in gliders. Before being sent up, they were retaught the controls on makeshift simulators in the mock cockpits of Vikings (gliders) and Vigilants (powered engine aircrafts). There was a VR headset to try, providing a surreal experience as they could feel the sensations of flying with every move of the control column, despite remaining stationary on the ground. They had a lot of fun performing a couple of loops and other aerobatic manoeuvres on some of the simulators. When it came to the real experience, the feeling of taking off the ground in a glider was extremely intense, yet incredible, as they were dragged at 60 mph through the grass until the wind under their wings lifted them off the ground. Other cadets had the opportunity of being flown around in a Chinook. The following day featured a range of activities, including bronze wings, astronomy, drones, engineering, cyber, and a ground-based training module. The ground-based training involved learning about circuits, practicing take-offs and landings, and experiencing traffic control, which was tremendous fun. After a little while of experimenting, they managed to get all the simulators onto one server and had an incredible time trying formation flying.
Next, was the opportunity to attend an industry day where there was a series of stalls to explore work experience opportunities, jobs, degrees, and apprenticeships. After collecting a lot of information, there was an air show with many displays, and they got to see the Red Arrows perform a series of different stunts and paint incredible patterns and images in the sky with their dye.
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On the last day, there was electrical engineering in the morning and BAE engineering in the evening before they packed up and all went back home. They learned how to cut and fuse wires, wire Ethernet cables and got to use an incredibly high-definition camera on a drone. All the pupils were immensely grateful to be able to have gone on the Air and Space Camp this year. They met so many great people and created some special memories, as well as once-in-a-lifetime moments.
Year 5 Primary Mathematics Olympiad The School hosted its annual Year 5 Primary Mathematics Olympiad in May, involving 15 local independent and state schools.
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he competition took place in the Senior School, where young pupils from across the borough and beyond were incredibly enthusiastic and worked hard on the challenges. Congratulations to the overall winners, Elmhurst School, with St David’s Purley as runners-up, and our own Junior School achieving fourth place. The pupils were rewarded with some welcome refreshments and enjoyed a presentation from invited speaker Martin Tanner, who entertained the pupils with a variety of mathematically based challenges. A huge thank you to Miss Brockwell, Mrs Smith, as well as our Sixth Form helpers for coordinating the competition part of this successful event.
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Old Russellians Sport Tournament
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n May, we welcomed a fantastic group of Old Russellians back to campus to take part in a football and netball tournament which was followed by a BBQ in front of the Pavilion. It really was a brilliant day and we loved welcoming so many ORs back to Royal Russell.
Golf Tournament
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he Old Russellians Golf Society was established in 2015 with an original membership of just a dozen players. The number of players has expanded over the years, though this year’s event had only 12 players available due to the loss of several others to holidays and, primarily the Ashes Test at the Oval, which unfortunately coincided with our golf day! Everyone enjoyed the day and the opportunity to meet up once again and have a chat while refreshments were served both before and after the game. We were again joined by OR Correspondent Julia Powell, who is still a very active member of the Old Russellians and the School. We were also delighted to have the pleasure of the company of OR Nigel Gorley and his wife Jane, who came along later with Jerry Winters’ wife, Sarah. Results were as follows: The winner was Ian Walsh with a very impressive score of 39 points. Runnerup was Ian Windle who also had a score of 39 points but came second on countback. Third place was again tightly contested between Jerry Winter and Tim Spurring, with both scoring 38 points, Jerry won that on countback as well. Ian Windle was the winner of the longest drive, and nearest the pin went to Terry Newman, who has attended pretty much every event as a guest of former staff member Martin Finch. We always welcome new members, please contact or@royalrussell.co.uk. Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Robin Parker (1969-1975, Oxford)
Nigel Rocca (Staff 2004-2019)
Bill Windle (1968-1971, Oxford)
Tim Spurring (1973-1980, Oxford)
John Piggin (Staff 1974-2013)
Adrian Edwards (1969-1976, Oxford)
Phil Melhuish (1969-1976)
Jerry Winter (1966-1971, Oxford)
Terry Newman (Guest)
Ian Walsh (1973-1975, Oxford)
Ian Windle (1967-1975, Oxford)
Martin Finch (Staff 2004-2015)
Southbank Centre
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e welcomed Old Russellians to the drinks on the river, which took place at the Southbank Centre on one of their beautiful terraces on a sunny evening in June. We were delighted to welcome Old Russellians who graduated just last year, as well as those who graduated several decades before them.
Reunion for New Alumni 2023
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e welcomed back the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 to campus for a fantastic reunion drinks reception in Lime Tree Quad on Royal Russell Day. The Old Russellians Society gifted the guests with Old Russellian ties and bracelets to wear for when they are out there changing the world! Next year we will welcome back the classes of 2023, 2022 and 2021.
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Royal Russell School Coombe Lane, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 5BX www.royalrussell.co.uk
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Royal Russell School
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