Russellian 2024

Russellian 2024

Headmaster’s Welcome

100 years ago the Prince of Wales visited our school to lay the foundation stones of the Aston Webb buildings and the Chapel, and it was wonderful to celebrate 100 years of the School on this site at a special service during the Summer Term, where the commitment and ambition of those who set out that vision for the future Royal Russell School were suitably commemorated.

Those foundation stones were laid with a clear mission, based on supporting families and, of course, on ‘non sibi sed omnibus’, a clear sense of purpose in offering equal opportunity for all pupils and with optimism for the future. As we reflect on a year of inspiring a life of learning as the family school of choice, it is natural to look back on the success of our learning together. However you measure success, this has been a hugely successful year, where we have seen the values of the Royal Russell community being expressed in the actions and outcomes of our pupils, as strongly as ever.

Our academic results last summer were a tremendous reflection of pupils’ endeavours and of the commitment of our staff, and these are reflected in the value added for each pupil and also in an amazing range of university destinations both within the UK and abroad.

Over the past three terms, we have seen global success in our MUN programme, stunning performances on stage in our music and drama, local, regional, and national success with our sports teams, and tremendous commitment and service from our pupils in a huge variety of activities that reach beyond the curriculum and around the globe, igniting those passions that guide and shape their futures.

Success at this level in an organisation of this complexity does not happen by chance and I would like to thank all those who have contributed to our progress and achievements this year.

Thank you to our Governors for their wise counsel and to our tremendous Operations and Support Staff; their good-humoured and professional service is an essential part of the success of the School and is hugely appreciated. Thank you to Heads of Department, Heads of Year, Housemasters, Housemistresses, House staff and tutors. Thank you to subject teachers, class teachers, teaching assistants, technicians and individual specialists, to all our wonderful coaches and visiting experts, for your tireless work on

behalf of our young people. And thank you to all those involved in managing and leading this community, and especially to the School Leadership Team, for helping me to set the direction and the pace of the School through the year.

Thank you to our parents and supporters who bring so much extra to the Royal Russell community. I would particularly like to mention the 1853 Society, who continue to work so hard to bring the parent community together and who have been so generous in their donations to school projects, especially the creation of the new Community Garden, which is a wonderful addition to our learning campus.

A final thank you to our brilliant, Royal Russell pupils. I sometimes think it is difficult for you to know just how much of a privilege it is to be sharing this

journey with you. It is you who define the School and it is very fitting that we should celebrate your success and reflect on the amazing range and variety of activities that you have undertaken in this edition of the Russellian.

Chris Hutchinson HEADMASTER

Public Examinations Results

GCSE

This year, 127 candidates the largest number on record, sat for a total of 1,197 GCSE awards this year and the overall results below are shown alongside previous years. These are an excellent set of results, with an impressive 62% of pupils achieving 9 – 7 grades (A* - A equivalent). On average, our pupils achieved 1 grade higher than their baseline scores would have predicted.

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.

This amazing group of Year 13 pupils have worked so hard and the results that they have achieved are a testament to this - we could not be more proud of them. 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.

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 Business and Management (9 pupils), Computer Science (7 pupils), Law (7 pupils) and Politics and International Relations (9 pupils). Additionally, two pupils have started Sport Scholarship programmes at US universities and one pupil has started his music conservatoire course at Trinity.

University Destinations 2024

Year 13 pupils successfully secure positions at their preferred universities, obtain coveted apprenticeships, or enter the workforce in their chosen career fields.

Architecture

Paramedic Science

Sport Media

Accounting and Finance

Education

Psychology with Professional Placement

Practical Filmmaking with Integrated Foundation Year

Accounting and Finance

Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering

Civil and Infrastructure Engineering

Mathematics Foundation Programme

Visual Arts and Film

Law with Criminal Justice and Human Rights

Law with Politics and Human Rights

Biotechnology

Biomedical Engineering

Computer Science

English

Geography

Physics

Primary Education (QTS)

Product and Furniture Design

Real Estate Management

Politics and International

Relations (Placement Year)

US Sports Scholarship

Health and Social Care

Biomedical Science (with Foundation Year)

Marketing and Management

Media and Communication

Sport Science, Coaching and Physical

Education

Urban Planning

Sports Business Management

US Sports Scholarship

Business Management

Film and Media

Building Surveying

Filmmaking

Music Production

Property Development and Planning

Engineering Foundation

Law

Music Production & Sound Engineering

Actuarial Science with Professional Placement

Business Management

International Relations

International Relations with Business

Management

Business and Management

Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)

Economics

Film, Television and Digital Production

Psychology

Cancer Biomedicine

Education, Society and Culture BA

Politics, Sociology and East European

Studies

Statistics

Computer Science

Mathematics, Statistics and Data Science

Drama and Creative Writing

History

Physics and Astrophysics

Theoretical Physics

Business and Management

Theatre and Film

Sociology

Natural Sciences

Psychology with Placement Year

Computer Systems Engineering

Finance: Investment Banking

Geography

Law

Psychology

Sport and Exercise Science

Computer Science with a year in Industry

Environment and Business

Fashion

Marketing

International History and Politics

International Relations

Physics

Sustainability and Environmental Management

Business and Management

Law

Accountancy

International Management

Management

Modern Languages with Business

Physics

Business and Management (Entrepreneurship and Innovation)

International Business and Management with a Modern Language

Law

Medicine

Social Anthropology

Business Management

Computer Science

Economics

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Financial Mathematics

Geography

Law

Psychology

Fashion Styling and Production

Media Communications

Biochemistry

Foundation course

Management

Psychology

Financial Economics

Criminology

Chemistry with a year abroad

Economics

Class of 2024

This year’s Senior Prefect Team rose to the challenge of uniting our community and leaving behind a positive legacy.

They applied themselves with focus and vision, championing pupil voice on the environment, diversity, mental wellbeing and academic support, to name a few.

Their proactive approach helped to drive forward initiatives, ensuring that pupils felt heard and that the School continues to look ahead.

Each member of the prefect team played a vital role in the production of assemblies, meeting with the School’s Senior Leadership Team, working with extracurricular groups and undertaking important day-to-day duties. It was great to see the full range of prefects actively involved in assemblies.

The Upper School Team reflected on the diverse skill set within the Heads of School, and how each of them brought a different talent to the table.

The fashion show will forever remain fondly in our memories, as will Sam’s inspirational speech on what it means to be a Russellian.

The next set of prefects will undoubtedly continue to build on the legacy set by the Heads of School.

Congratulations to them for their achievements; the School is very proud of their hard work and wishes them all the best in their chosen futures.

Amy Tree Sport Science, Coaching and Physical Education (with placement year) at Loughborough University

Sam Stealey

Paramedic Science at Canterbury Christ Church University

Mia Aleinna Azlan Offered Visual Arts and Film at Durham University. Taking a gap year currently

Archie Moore History at the University of Birmingham

I would like to leave you all with some words I heard at my very first Royal Russell Day, nine years ago: “When you’re 30 (which seems a long time away), people will not remember how you did in that one maths test, or in that one essay. People instead, will remember how you made them feel. Emotion is the most powerful memory, so let people remember you for being kind, being helpful, and for always giving it your best. Your time here at Royal Russell is limited, so use it to make mistakes, have fun, and most importantly, learn how to be a good person – as that is what matters when you leave.”

Joining Royal Russell gave me the opportunity to create unforgettable memories with my newfound friends, friends I consider family. I am eternally grateful for the dedication my teachers have in supporting me holistically. With their help, I have been able to pinpoint exactly where I can and should improve to excel in my studies.

Distilling 8 years of amazing experiences at this incredibly beautiful and wonderful school into a few sentences has proved incredibly difficult for me. I have enjoyed so much throughout my time here at Royal Russell and I want to leave you by passing on something I learnt on the first week of this academic year: “Utrinque Paratus” or in English “Ready for Anything.” As I get ready for wherever my next chapter takes me, I want to say thank you to everyone here who has made me “Ready for Anything.”

In my 14 years here, I have made so many great memories and learnt so much from the whole school community. Something I will always remember is from Mr Hutchinson, who always reminds us to be kinder than necessary in everything we do.

Year 11 & Year 13’s Last Day

Year 11’s Last Day and Prom

Year 11 had one last celebration together before starting their study leave and GCSE exams. This included a wonderful final assembly with memorable performances and awards.

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!

Year 13’s Last Day and Prom

Year 13 attended their final Chapel and Graduation service wearing gowns and mortarboards. 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 Masquerade Prom held onsite - a wonderful way to celebrate their time at Royal Russell.

Royal Russell Day

The annual Royal Russell Day is a celebration of our school’s tremendous learning, dedicated effort and vibrant community engagement. The Sports Hall was transformed to accommodate the many parents and pupils attending, whilst the Media Team filmed it live for our whole Royal Russell community to watch.

Whilstthe audience entered the hall, the event opened with the Senior School Orchestra playing Hungarian Dance No. 5, followed by the Junior School String Ensemble performing Simple Syncopation and the Junior School gave us a musical theatre performance of a scene from ‘Mary Poppins’. We also had performances from many other talented musicians, including the Chamber Choir, the Junior and Senior Ukulele Ensemble and the Junior School Percussion Ensemble.

The 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 and Effort Prizes. The Junior School Young Voices sang The Moment, before the Headmaster of the Junior School, John Evans, welcomed and addressed the audience. Mr Evans announced the Junior School Academic Prizes, and then Year 6 performed Tonight’s the Night from ‘Cinderella and Rockafella’. Following this, our Junior and Senior School Sports Prizes were awarded.

The audience enjoyed a performance from our dance troupe, followed by Years 3 and 4 performing a song from ‘Darwin Rocks’. The Co-Curricular and Citizenship Prizes were announced, and then we had a drama extract from ‘Legally Blonde’, with the Junior and Senior Combined Instrumental performing before the Senior School House Awards.

We also gave out the Pupil Long Service Awards and then thanked and awarded our Junior and Senior Heads of Schools for their hard work this year. The finale was moving, with eight pupils talking us through their Royal Russell journeys on stage.

Thank you to all the pupils, parents, and staff involved in the organisation of another fantastic Royal Russell Day celebration.

Sixth Form Prizes

The Art and Design Prize

The Biology Prize

The BTEC Business Studies Prize

The BTEC Media Prize

The BTEC Sport Prize

The Business Studies Prize

The Chemistry Prize

The Chinese Prize

The Computer Science Prize

The Design and Technology Prize

The Drama Prize

The Economics Prize

The Prize for English

The English as Additional Language Prize

The French Prize

The Geography Prize

The German Prize

The History Prize

The Mathematics Prize

The Media Studies Prize

The Music Prize

The Music Technology Prize

The Photography Prize

The Physics Prize

The Politics Prize

The Psychology Prize

The Religious Studies Prize

The Russian Prize

The Spanish Prize

Sitong Zhu

Terence Wai

Anton Romanchenko

Poppy Clements

Maxwell Lapa

Louisa Wan

Ellis Liao

Eva Huang

Thomas Lang

Toby Squires

Poppy Clements

Anatoliya Ageeva

Kittie Gregory

Weston Tong

Martin Ellis

Edward Warner

Lucas Easton

Lucy Knox

Audrey Kwok & Emily Zhang

Anatoliya Ageeva

Juliette Poon-Jamin

Kobi Jawaheer

Kittie Gregory

Ellis Liao

Roman Burrell

Tara Odedra

Mia Aleinna Azlan

Mark Ben Mikhelson

Jiya Desai

Year 11 Prizes

The Art and Design Prize

The Biology Prize

The Business Studies Prize

The Chemistry Prize

The Computer Science Prize

The Design and Technology Prize

The Double Science Prize

The Drama Prize

The Prize for English

The English as an Additional Language Prize

The Food Preparation and Nutrition Prize

The French Prize

The Geography Prize

The German Prize

The History Prize

The Japanese Prize

The Mathematics Prize

The Media Studies Prize

The Music Prize

The Physics Prize

The Physical Education Prize

The Religious Studies Prize:

The Spanish Prize

Cici Yan

Aruzhan Buranbayeva

Tallulah Haley

Joshua Hong

Luca Bradbury

Uliana Tokolova

Brandon Simons

Benedetta Cousin

Amy Knolles

Andrew Wong

Erin Fowler

Hannah Kaminski

Brandon Simons

Johan Prinsloo

Isabelle Ward

Shirleen Lam

Daniel Petkov

Jasper Thompson

Elspeth Gardiner

Isabelle Ward

Olivia Obasuyi

Elena Buckingham

Hannah Kaminski

Junior School Academic Prizes

The English Award

The English Progress Award

The Richard Green Mathematics Prize

The Mathematics Progress Award

The Science Prize

The Blount History Prize

The Ingrams Geography Prize

The Computing Prize

The French Prize

The Spanish Prize

The Stainer Music Trophy

The Drama Prize

The Art Prize

The DT Prize

Eleni Powell

Polina Kobzeva

Daniel Stubley

Sienna Bhoday

Lily Bannon

Rowan Eley

Oliver Midmore

Jessica Tarr

Bobby Grehan

Nosakhare Irosogie

Michael Jenkins

Anastasiia Honchorova

Mateo Golomb

Zechariah Johnson

Senior School Sports Prizes

Junior Victor Ludorum Year 7

Junior Victrix Ludorum Year 7

Junior Victor Ludorum Year 8

Junior Victrix Ludorum Year 8

Intermediate Victor Ludorum Year 9

Intermediate Victrix Ludorum Year 9

Taehoo Park and William Norman

Charlotte Cheng and Freya Emerson

Malakai Hanson and Justin Jervis

Margaret Kawa

Xoel Barcia-Akande

Maisey Winter, Jasmine Tafader and Sarra El-Amin

Intermediate Victor Ludorum Year 10

Intermediate Victrix Ludorum Year 10

Senior Victor Ludorum

Senior Victrix Ludorumni

Max King

Anniyah Rodney and Amber Stuart

Simon Fraser Emily Hayden de Carbonnières

Junior School Sports Prizesar

Thomas Brinin-Webb

Evelyn Simmons

William McGuirk

Darcey Peck

Caleb Esho

Gabriella Schifano

Oliver Norman

Freya Page

The Hallworth Trophy for Sportsmanship

National Representation

England U18 ISFA Football

National Finals of Ballet, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, Jazz & Lyrical Dance

British National Swimming Championship for 200m, 100m & 50m Butterfly

England U17 ISFA Football

Scotland U21 National Team Netball

Harry Swift

George Bond and Harry Hogben

Camille Hardy

Mia Hughes

Fate Kotey

Beth Long

Senior School Contribution to Sport

The Andrew Foot Award (1985) for contribution to Boys’ Sport

The Twyford Shield (1938) for contribution to Girls’ Sport

Thomas Lang

Amy Tree and Beth Long

Junior Co-curricular and Citizenship Prizes

The Annalise Luffingham Trophy

The 1853 Society Cup

Mini-MUN Delegate of the Year

Services to Drama

Services to Music

Services to Art

The Ambassador Shield

Molly Netherway

Alfie Davidson

Fallon Jackson

Maggie O’Hara

Isabella Sternfeld

Zachary Croffie

Tamsin Brockton

Senior House Awards for Good Citizenship

Buchanan Citizenship Prize Winner

Cambrige Citizenship Prize Winner

Hollenden Citizenship Prize Winner

Keable Citizenship Prize Winner

Madden Citizenship Prize Winner

Oxford Citizenship Prize Winner

Queen’s Citizenship Prize Winner

Reade Citizenship Prize Winner

St Andrew’s Citizenship Prize Winner

Elspeth Gardiner

Logan Hatchwell-Wray

Anxo Garcia Missan

Thomas Lang

Doris Vucinic

Isabelle McGuire

Cameron Lowe

Senior School Co-curricular Prizes

The Shield for Services to MUN

MUN Delegate of the Year

Most Improved MUN Delegate

Young Delegate of the Year

Best RAF NCO

Best RAF Recruit

Best Army NCO

Best Army Recruit

Shield for Services to Drama

Services to Music

Iris Nuredini

Uliana Tokolova

Marcus Leung

Logan Hatchwell-Wray

Conor Morris

Jaheim Johnson

Stanley Harrison

Freddie Emerson

Connie Weston

Omar Nesbeth-George and Eleanor Von Gerard

Amy Tree

Conor Morris

Mr and Mrs Harris and Mia

Mr Taylor, Ms Blake and Hollie

Mr and Mrs Tree and Amy

Mr and Mrs Lang and Thomas

Mr Lukes and Dr Lukes and Amber

Mr and Mrs Greengrass and Ethan

Mr and Mrs Amin and Manav

Mr and Mrs Preston and William

Noah Argo

Lily Bannon

Alfie Davidson

Ella Kishtoo

Molly Netherway and Harry Swift

Mia Aleinna Azlan and Amy Tree

Archie Moore and Sam Stealey

The Miriam West Prize

The Rt Hon Lord Hollenden Prize

Head of School Shield

Senior School Head of School Awards

Junior School Head of School Awards

Pupil Long Service Award

Junior School Symposium

The Junior School celebrated our annual Symposium Week with the theme of ‘Our Wonderful World’. Building on the successes of previous Symposium events, and through a variety of activities, workshops and events, our Symposium seeks to extend, challenge and enrich our pupils’ learning in a memorable way. This is a distinctive and ambitious event that celebrates the breadth and depth of learning and allows for curiosity, challenge and ultimately a joy of learning to really shine through.

As part of the theme ‘Our Wonderful World’, children and colleagues were encouraged to be global in their outlook and to develop their understanding of others and themselves in a community that extends well beyond the School gates. Pupils in the Lower Juniors took part in an ‘Around the World’ workshop, which consisted of exploration through poetry, journeys and food. Meanwhile, our Upper Juniors focused on the Seven Wonders of the World, exploring each of these through virtual reality.

Our families across all year groups shared in their children’s learning and were all invited to be involved in the creative pursuits alongside their children. This distinctive learning becomes memorable for all and will support their learning well into the future.

Senior School Drama

After an exhilarating year in 2022-23, the Drama Department knew it had a lot to live up to this year and it did not disappoint! With three large-scale productions, a House Drama Competition, LAMDA exams and numerous theatre trips, drama at Royal Russell is very much alive and thriving.

We kicked off the year with the Senior School musical of ‘Legally Blonde’. Based on the hugely popular film of the same name, pupils were excited to start rehearsals and bring this charming story to the stage. Over four months, they committed to an intensive rehearsal schedule and by January, the pupils were ready. As audiences took their seats in the Auditorium (now decorated with enough pink that would even make the ‘Barbie’ film seem a little dull of colour!), led by Holly Seymour as Elle Woods, the cast and crew delivered five exhilarating and pink-tastic performances. 135 pupils were involved in this production, whether as performers, crew members or musicians. It was a phenomenal production and one that will be remembered for years to come!

As soon as ‘Legally Blonde’ finished, rehearsals commenced for the Year 10 and 12 production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Shakespeare’s tragic love story was given new life in this production. Inspired by the House and Techno sounds of the rave scene, pupils transported audiences to a world where our star-crossed lovers moved through family feuds, exile and soul-burning desire to love one another against all odds, but at a deadly price. Staged in the round with the audience engulfed in the heat of this deadly love affair, the story took on new life in our ‘club’. Led by Sonny Angus as Romeo and Caolainn Balnave as Juliet, audiences were also treated to a 30-minute pre-show rave, where they, alongside the cast and crew, danced and moved along our dance floor and encouraged to feel free, liberated and reminiscent of young love. This was a particular highlight of the production and could rival the Berlin techno scene! A huge congratulations to all those incredibly talented pupils who took part and put on such a wonderful show!

In the Summer Term, Year 7-9 put on a production of ‘Treasure Island’. Utterly hilarious at points and with numerous pop-culture references thrown in, audiences enjoyed this thrilling production in the open air as a cast of 85 pupils brought this production to life on the Cambridge Slope, whilst parents, families, friends and staff enjoyed picnics amongst the surroundings of Royal Russell’s beautiful campus. Led by Nicholas Parris, they did a fantastic job of bringing to life Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story.

The Annual House Drama Competition took place in February, and the quality of the drama produced by our talented Year 7-9 thespians was excellent! We saw great adaptations of famous classics as well as original scripts written and directed by the pupils. One of our talented former pupils, Hamzah Mughal, judged the young actors and was extremely impressed with their professionalism and energy. All participants should be proud of what they achieved, but the competition was won by Reade House. Buchanan were a close second, with Cambridge biting at their heels.

The number of pupils who undertake LAMDA classes continues 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 and London’s most acclaimed theatres, our pupils were fortunate enough to see the best that London’s theatreland has to offer. Productions included ‘Kin’ at the National Theatre, ‘The Little Big Things’ at Sohoplace, ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ at the Barbican, ‘Standing at the Sky’s Edge’ at the Gillian Lynne Theatre and ‘People, Places and Things’ at the Trafalgar Theatre.

The Drama Department is also very proud of pupils who pursue professional careers in the stage and screen world. Archie Barnes, who last year gave an amazing performance in ‘Phaedra’ at the National Theatre, filmed for HBO’s multi-awarding-winning juggernaut TV series, ‘House of the Dragon’. Cian Eagle-Service, who has numerous West End credits to his name, produced a scene-stealing performance as Bruno in the National Theatre’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches’.

We very much look forward to welcoming returning and new audiences and to all the wonderful work our pupils will produce next year.

Inclusion & Diversity Group

This year has seen the Inclusion and Diversity pupil forum engage with the Year 12 ambassadors to discuss and address diversity and inclusion issues across the School. A diverse group of Year 12 pupils volunteered to become part of the pupil forum and join other volunteers from Year 13. We have focused on issues surrounding gender inequalities in sport, the provision of safe spaces for neurodivergent pupils, and access to a multifaith space for private prayer and reflection for pupils from diverse faiths. The group has also worked with the Head of Wellbeing, Mrs Brown, to help ensure diversity and inclusion are woven into the Wellbeing curriculum for Years 7-11.

During October, we ran a House competition for Black History Month. Pupils were asked to create pieces of work celebrating inspirational black people from different backgrounds. We received entries from all Houses across the School, with Buchanan House winning the overall competition.

We delivered an assembly on the importance of living authentically and embracing every part of ourselves to Years 7-10. This assembly focused on the power of being accepted for who we are, while also acknowledging the impact of bullying on minority groups.

Alongside the Inclusion and Diversity pupil forum, Royal Russell Rainbow Group continues to run with new pupils from Year 7 and 12 joining this year. The group has taken part in various activities across the year, including celebrating Bi-Visibility Day, Black History Month, Transgender Day of Remembrance, World Book Day and Holocaust Memorial Day. In February, members of the Rainbow Group spoke in our whole school assembly on the importance of celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month. We are looking forward to celebrating Pride Month in June and welcoming new members next September.

Junior School Drama

It has been an exciting and busy year in Drama within the Junior School, and pupils continue to embrace the opportunity to be expressive, imaginative and entertaining. A massive well done to all the pupils for their collaboration, initiative and creativity over the past academic year. 2024/2025 promises to be equally thrilling.

Christmas Nativity

Year 1 and 2 outshined themselves with their magical and captivating performance of ‘Follow the Star’. The children worked incredibly hard bringing this masterpiece together. Incredibly, they were able to remember all their lines and cues and really brought the songs to life with their enthusiastic dance moves and beautiful singing voices. It was a fantastic way to embrace the Christmas spirit and a perfect way to end our first term of the year.

In 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.

LAMDA Exams

Junior School Drama

From Year 1 to Year 5, parents have enjoyed watching their children perform captivating assemblies on various topics, showcasing skills developed in drama lessons. Year 1 pupils presented performance poetry, speaking in chorus and using actions, while Year 2 explored ‘Emotions’. Year 3 took the audience on a Viking adventure, Year 4 transported them to Ancient Egypt, and Year 5 delved into the sinking of the Titanic.

In the classroom, pupils engage with a range of topics and stories, developing theatrical skills through exciting narratives. Highlights for the Upper Juniors included Year 3’s exploration of ‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl, where they brought bold characters to life, and Year 4’s creation of archaeologist characters for a group drama about Ancient Egypt. Year 5 spent part of the Spring Term exploring ‘Macbeth’, acting out key moments and familiarising themselves with Shakespeare’s language. Year 6 explored mask work and Greek Theatre before delving into the lively style of Melodrama.

In EYFS and the Lower Juniors, Drama is equally creative. Nursery pupils enjoy lessons in the Hall, embarking on adventures like seaside visits, cooking in a restaurant, and exploring Goldilocks’ house. Reception pupils develop skills such as still images, sound collages, and recreating stories, for example, by creating a class river for ‘Stickman’. Year 1 and Year 2 eagerly embrace hot-seating, often volunteering to take on various characters and answer questions.

Cinderella & Rockerfella - Year 6 Production

Cinderella and Rockerfella was a modern, panto-style reworking of the classic tale with all the traditional characters (as well as some less traditional ones!).

Year 6 used their Russell Powers continuously, showing resilience, initiative creativity and collaboration throughout the process. They took ownership of the show, helping with choreography, set and props as well as stepping into learning extra parts when needed.

Both shows – each the same, yet entirely unique – were a huge success, and it was evident they were thoroughly enjoyed by our enthusiastic and appreciative audience. We are hugely proud of what the pupils accomplished, and we are grateful for their dedication to creating a memorable show.

Symposium 2024

Symposium week was a true hit for Years 3 and 4 as they performed magnificently in their production of ‘Darwin Rocks’. Parents gathered in the Performing Arts Centre to watch in amazement as they heard all about Charles Darwin’s life through some professional acting and catchy songs. The commended team effort of all pupils and staff was clear to see.

Linguistics Department

Another fantastic year for Linguistics, which has further expanded both in scale and the variety of activities.

The Stretch and Challenge programme continues to offer linguistics work shops to Years 7 and 8, who always engage enthusiastically with intriguing and enjoyable intellectual challenges.

In late January, the House Linguistics Competition returned for its second edition. Strong teams from Years 7 to 9, representing all Houses, engaged in an exciting challenge. Pupils eagerly tackled two stimulating linguistics puzzles, one of which was created by Linguistics Club members who also helped organise the event and mark the problems. All participants were rewarded with snacks after their hard work, and the winners – Cambridge team – received code-breaking books, much to the boys’ delight. Everyone involved had a great time.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Linguistics Olympiad welcomed a record 170 pupils from Years 7 to 13, along with our Junior School team. The Great Hall witnessed the effervescence of a competition like no other: concentration, teamwork, determination, creative thinking, risk-taking and fun with unknown languages – all came together in the thrill of an adventure of discovery. Problems of increasing difficulty intrigued, delighted, sometimes amused, and certainly challenged the mind; but how rewarding it was to have cracked the code! The competition ended on a sweet note with bespoke cupcakes adorned with the event’s logo, a delightful treat for all.

A new opportunity to reach even more pupils presented itself just before May Half Term, when Years 7, 8 and 9 took part in an exciting challenge. Deciphering a series of varied codes supplied the necessary clues to help an agent catch a notorious jewel thief - some well-deserved fun at the end of the exam week.

Junior School Art & DT

It has been a year of great achievement in Art & DT. Our Year 6 Creative Ambassadors kicked off the year with a new Art Competition with the theme of ‘Out of this World’ which children from EYFS through to Year 6 happily took part in, creating the most exciting artworks, from digital drawings to 3D models, paintings and even surreal characters made using artificial intelligence. An interest in Surrealism spread across the School and made for a brilliant exhibition of work. It has been lovely to see the Year 6 Creative Ambassadors take ownership of their important role in inspiring the whole school with an inclusive and inventive theme.

Year 1 and 2

InEYFS, the children have discovered a vast array of new creative processes, from using a gelli plate for printmaking, to the art of marbling, weaving and designing the most fabulously colourful carnival crowns for the symposium. In EYFS we endeavour to experiment and play with a range of new materials, learning skills using our Royal Russell powers of initiative, creativity, collaboration and perseverance. This year, a main interest and focus has been expressive painting, sculpture and above all else, lots and lots of junk modelling. The children have learned skills in construction, cutting, colour mixing and sculpting in both Nursery and Reception.

Year 1 and 2 have had an exciting year, learning the fundamentals of Art & DT in a range of challenging projects, including building vehicles in Year 1. In this structure and mechanism-based Design and Technology project, the children learned to build a junk model vehicle, using a chassis, axle and wheels to create a simple rotary motion. The resulting range of vehicle toys was immensely impressive and well-designed. Year 2’s Boat project also involved constructing a vessel using found materials, but this time provided the extra challenge of having to float on water, whilst carrying a load. The children now had to consider the materials, shape and weight of their vessel to meet the success criteria. We had lots of fun testing our models and reflecting on these important choices, before solving any issues met along the way.

Year 3

Year 3 have enjoyed building on their DT skills, in a frame-making project. They had to collaborate to build a stable wooden frame. We learned to measure, to safely cut wood with the help of a partner and to make a frame more stable using braces. This project was fun but challenging due to the emphasis on accuracy and the children did a fantastic job. More recently, Year 3 have been learning about Aboriginal people and ‘Dream Time’ stories. We have learned the meanings of their symbols with ease, to write creative visual stories using earthy colours and, of course, wooden sticks! It has been a fun-filled experience working with alternative tools in Art.

Year 4

In the first half of the Summer Term, Year 4 embarked on a trip to the worldfamous Tate Modern gallery in London. Having researched the converted power station’s history and the artworks expected on arrival such as Matisse’s ‘Snail’, we made our way to the South Bank and made a day of it. The children explored each floor of the gallery, making notes on their favourite artworks and sketching sources of inspiration. We also took part in collaborative drawing activities which required skill in working as a team. These activities included drawing together with one drawing tool, working with our tool attached to a long piece of dowel and making tools using found materials. It was an amazing extra-curricular experience and one the children will not forget.

Year 5

Year 5 have had a bustling, lively year in Art & DT, learning to create surreal animations on the Stop Motion app, which involved honing skills in digital literacy. The children have supported each other, working in groups to create a story using photomontage characters they had produced on Sketchbook. The nature-based clay sculpture project was also a great success. The children learned to scratch and slip work, before sending it to be bisque fired and painted. This was a new experience and will be useful for future clay work in Year 6 and beyond. Year 5 then ended their year with carefully sewn products for the Money Containers project. They have shown great resilience and fantastic skill in collaborative work when facing challenges with tying knots, making a variety of stitches and finding solutions when sewing became tangled.

Year 6

In Year 6, the highlights of the year have been the Bread Making Workshop and Fairground Ride Day. These two Design and Technology focused days have provided the children with sustained learning time to create a successful product from scratch, using prior learned knowledge from lessons. The children had to work independently and collaboratively to measure, mix and prove their bread products using knowledge from Science and Food Technology lessons and skills in sawing, construction, and building a rotary mechanism when creating the fairground-inspired moving toys.

It has been a wonderful year for learning new creative skills in Art & DT.

Senior School Art & Photography

Years 7, 8 and 9 have developed exciting and creative outcomes, responding to a variety of themes.

Year 7 continue to refine their skills in formal elements, including mark-making, tone and developing 3D giant biscuits. Year 8 have built on those skills and explored printmaking informed by Hundertwasser. Year 9 pupils had the opportunity to create a sculptural installation for the Autumn Concert evening. Their delicately lit sculptures led a glittering path towards the concert and framed the event beautifully. The pupils went on to develop further creative outcomes informed by nature and Lego structures. In February, those Year 9 pupils considering Art at GCSE also had the opportunity to visit the Tate Modern. They focused on how we observe art, considering our thoughts and poses when we carefully study the artwork in a gallery setting.

Art scholars successfully created a range of lino-print Christmas cards to sell at the Christmas Fair and raised funds for Cancer Research. They also used clay to create birdhouses, aiming to encourage nesting within the School site. Art Club pupils have also continued to work hard to create 3D sculptures, with a recent addition of a very enticing giant ice cream!

GCSE Art started by exploring the theme of nature and developed a wide range of outcomes, observing the texture, form and variety of shape. Our glorious visit to Kew Gardens offered pupils lots of opportunities to expand their knowledge and gather resources of exotic plants from the beautiful glasshouses. Their visit to Tate Modern gave opportunity to consider the broadness of how artists can respond to nature in so many materials and scales. Darcy Turner, sculptural artist, worked with pupils to develop wire sculptural outcomes informed by their flower, insect and animal studies.

TheYear 11 clay sculpture portraits were a triumph, with pupils exploring expressive, emotional content. Year 11 pupils were challenged with the GCSE art exam, exploring the concept of ‘Power’. This led to thoughtful, engaging and personal development, resulting in a wide variety of responses and marking an exciting end to their GCSE creative journey.

ALeveloutcomes for the personal investigation included printmaking, painting, sculpture and photography. Themes varied from exploring identity, nature, observing the observing, objects and humans and architecture. The exam intensified the need to observe further with the theme ‘Seek, Observe, Challenge’. Mold, architecture, plants and identity formed just some of the directions.

Earlier in the year, life-drawing sessions 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.

Visits to London punctuated the artwork with time spent at the Tate Modern, Kew Gardens, Bethlem Gallery, the Barbican, the London Museum and the Art in Action conference. A level pupils met artists and photographers to find out more about pursuing careers in the creative industry.

Science

The Science Department organised a range of exciting extracurricular activities to mark Science Week. Activities included an egg timer challenge, building a tower challenge, making motors, measuring the speed of a goal, making a chair in STEM Club and a House Egg Drop competition, where participants from each House were challenged to make a contraption to protect an egg being dropped from the top of the Aston Webb Building. Reade House were declared the winners as their egg survived two drops, with Cambridge second and Queen’s third.

We hosted a ‘Medical Mavericks’ workshop for Year 10 and 12 pupils, who were able to take blood, record and print an ECG, take their blood pressure, try keyhole surgery, see inside their bodies with an ultrasound machine and take a picture of the inside of their eyes! The workshop introduced dozens of different medical careers.

STEM Club for Year 7 and 8 continues to engage pupils in a variety of different experiments and activities, including making slime, building and firing rockets and creating chairs from cardboard.

Crest Awards are Science projects awarded by the British Science Association and 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 you can progress through Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. Well done to all Year 9 and 10 pupils who were awarded certificates throughout the year.

A level Biologists took a trip back to Wakehurst Place, which they visited in the summer, to further their knowledge of genetics. During the day, they carried out gel electrophoresis, which allowed them to observe different sized fragments of DNA that they compared to known samples. This technique is used in forensic analysis, paternity testing and identifying illegal imports of plants and other organisms. They also cloned a cauliflower and visited the Millennium Seed Bank, where over 2 billion seeds are stored for research and conservation efforts, and kept if a crop emergency should ever arise.

A level Chemists took part in the Chemistry Olympiad in January and were awarded with their certificates. Congratulations to those pupils who participated, and well done to Ellis, William Wu, Xinyue, Ho Ting Wai, and Zhilei Chen, who received a silver award. Congratulations also to Dylan Swan, Ching Yeung Chiu, Doris Liu, Hei Chen, and Hilary Ling, who received a bronze award.

Well done to William Wu in Year 13, who won the annual Chemistree competition, guessing the compounds in the eight conical flasks decorating the Christmas tree in the Chemistry Department.

The Chemistry Department has been experimenting with ways to improve sustainability in experiments. Year 13 chemists used distillation as part of a practical to make aspirin. Distillation uses cold water from the tap to cool gaseous vapours, condensing them back to liquids. The cold water tap must be on for the full time of the distillation, wasting a huge amount of water. The sustainable method shown used a small pump to circulate a small container of water through the condenser repeatedly, using only this small amount of water throughout the experiment. Our technician, Liz Smyth, has been exploring micro-scale methods of conducting experiments in classrooms that use fewer chemicals and less electricity. Instead of using beakers, Liz has crafted small holes at the top of Tic Tac containers and utilised batteries instead of power packs to set up the electrolysis apparatus. The Year 11 chemistry pupils have successfully used this method to investigate the products of electrolysis of various solutions.

A level physics pupils visited The Emmanuel Centre in central London for the annual “Physics Live” event. The day consisted of a series of cutting-edge lectures on new areas of development in science and engineering. Talks included a quantum science talk from regular BBC TV presenter Professor Jim Al-Khalili, plastic electronics, physics in engineering, “ghost” subatomic particles and an update on the current understanding of the Big Bang.

Junior School Sport

It has been another wonderful year of sport in the Junior School, with opportunities for all in a variety of sports. Congratulations to all the pupils who have represented the School, whether it be in interhouse tournaments, local level events or on the national stage. As you will see from the sports pages we have once again fitted a huge amount in, and the enthusiasm and commitment from the pupils are wonderful to see.

Basketball

Basketball is a high-energy game, which is not only a great way to keep our Royal Russell children active but also helps develop important skills like teamwork, coordination and sportsmanship.

One of the exciting aspects of playing basketball at Royal Russell is the opportunity to compete against other local schools. Last year, we challenged ourselves to continue increasing the number of fixtures, and we chose to measure the strength of our programme by providing opportunities for all. This has progressed by playing home and away fixtures against local schools regularly, and by increasing participation at Friday Night Basketball to include Year 4 alongside Years 5 and 6, as well as encouraging more mixed participation.

Fixtures also provide a chance for pupils to showcase their skills, build camaraderie with their teammates and experience the thrill of competition. Our pupils have enjoyed this element by qualifying and then competing resolutely at the Croydon 3x3 finals, and as always, our biggest challenge each year is at the IAPS finals. This is the stage where our budding ‘ballers’ can pit their wits against the best opposition in the country. Prior to this year’s event, we challenged them to study the techniques of NBA star players – from mastering the art of dribbling like Kyrie Irving, threading a pass like LeBron James, or deep-diving into understanding defensive strategies and plays like the great coach Steve Kerr. Boy, did our superstar pupils deliver, going ‘back-to-back’ and retaining the Plate trophy for the second year running!

Gymnastics

Cricket

Cricket at Royal Russell this year has seen a significant number of fixtures, providing ample opportunities for pupils to participate and develop their understanding of the game. This has allowed the pupils to enhance their skills in all three disciplines of cricket: batting, bowling and fielding.

Cricket Club has grown significantly this year, with both clubs amassing a total of over 100 pupils! The implementation of weekly batting, bowling, and fielding drills has greatly benefited the pupils when it comes to match play, allowing them to understand how important all three are.

Our U11 Boys’ Cricket team played and won their first match in the Verney Cup, which was a great achievement for the pupils, as this was a debut for some of them playing against a “hard ball” and wearing protective equipment. The U11 Girls won the Croydon Schools Dynamo tournament with excellent wicket-taking, supported by expertly placed shots and great fielding. The U10 Girls used great tactics to score key runs, supported by lovely fielding, to win the Bromley High festival.

Children as young as 5 have had the opportunity to play cricket, which has proved extremely popular, with wonderful batting, bowling, and fielding skills that will benefit them as they move up through the School. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 have played cricket together, both in the club and during games sessions, which has led to multiple mixed cricket block fixtures, building existing relationships with schools and creating new ones along the way.

Gymnastics forms a key part of our curriculum, from exploring the apparatus in the lower years to introducing key skills as the pupils progress through the School. A small squad of gymnasts took part in the Oakfield Prep competition with amazing results. The girls won the Year 1, 2, 3 and 4 groups, with two silvers and a bronze in the other groups – congratulations!

Themini marathon event was once again a highlight in a busy calendar. Being able to run the last mile or 2.6K of the London Marathon course with thousands of other pupils was a day to remember. Fitness Coach and Presenter, Joe Wicks, led the warm-up for the one-mile pupils, and the sheer excitement and atmosphere around the course were truly outstanding.

Mini Marathon

Thisyear at Royal Russell, we have put added focus on learning the nuances of the game, which has been a rewarding experience that has helped our young pupils develop as athletes and individuals. From mastering the basics of dribbling and passing with our brilliant Head of Hockey, Mr Gomez, at Hockey Club to understanding team tactics and positioning with Mr Ward at national tournaments, hockey has offered a wide range of challenges and opportunities. Let’s rewind the clock and relive a year of Royal Russell athletes competing on the hockey pitch. We are currently in the process of developing our programme to embrace more mixed sport, so our U8s and U9s were the first to immerse themselves in an outstanding provision of mixed training in games and competitive fixtures against local schools. It has been wonderful to see the inclusive environment thrive, with excellent skill development and pleasing social maturation.

Following on, our fantastic U10 mixed team won the In2 Hockey ‘no goalie’ tournament, and the U10A boys came within a whisker of the UKSA final, missing out after a barrage of penalty shuffles ended with a Royal Russell shot whistling inches wide. They finished in 3rd place - a well-earned medal!

Unfortunately, the major tournaments for our U11s were cancelled due to the cold winter, but we’re sure the girls would have performed valiantly, as their motivation to learn and diligence to improve have been fantastic, and this can only inspire Mr Gomez to set his sights on an ambitious group joining his Year 7 hockey team.

Our U11s showed a phenomenal appetite to improve throughout the year, asking for extra training sessions at lunchtimes and a desire to develop their secondary skills, like penalty corners, as often as they could. This paid dividends when the stakes were at their highest; for instance, when hosting the In2 Hockey Qualifier, they dispatched the opposition with ease, scoring more goals than points earned! This dominant performance catapulted them to the finals where, on a typically sodden English day, they fell a single goal short of winning the trophy. Finally, our proudest day came at the IAPS regional finals, where the boys produced some of the best hockey of the year. When the competition was at its best, the team worked their hardest, demonstrated great skill, and shone their brightest, eventually reaching the semi-final. The match was a ding-dong affair, with both teams attacking with fierce intent. Again, penalty shuffles were our nemesis, but that did not spoil our pride and sense of achievement.

Athletics

Athletics

form a key part of our summer offering, with the pupils running, jumping, and throwing in a bid to improve their scores. The results all go towards the House Athletics Cup and the all-important Sports Day. Royal Russell hosted the Croydon Sports Hall Athletics qualifier and final, with the support of the Year 9 Senior School pupils. We travelled to Hazlewood for two exciting afternoons of athletics, where the pupils tried out some new events with great results. At the Croydon Schools Athletics finals, a team of 14 athletes competed in spectacular style. Caleb finished 2nd in the Year 5 600m, and Marlowe-Joe 3rd in the Year 6 High Jump. Emi, Sindy, Ali, Amari-Blu, Ollie, and Jessica all finished in the Top 10 in Croydon – well done!

Sports Day was once again a huge highlight of the year, with running, jumping, throwing, and obstacle racing. It was a wonderful morning where the pupils had the chance to show off their athletic talents, finishing with a nail-biting House relay.

Congratulations to our school athletics record breakers: Emi (75m, 400m, and equalled the Long Jump record), William (55m and 75m), Caleb (75m and 600m), and Amelia-Mae (75m).

Table Tennis

Over the past year, table tennis at Royal Russell has witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity and success, both within our club and at tournaments. The dedication and hard work of our children have truly paid off, leading to significant progress and achievements. Our club has become a hub of activity, attracting pupils of all ages and skill levels who share a passion for the sport. From beginners looking to learn the basics to advanced children honing their techniques, our diverse community of table tennis enthusiasts continues to grow and thrive.

The camaraderie and competitive spirit within the club have created a welcoming and supportive environment for all pupils to excel and enjoy the game. Furthermore, we are delighted to see a growing interest in table tennis among children, who are now looking for opportunities to play outside of school. Four pupils attended the IAPS Table Tennis tournament this year, which allowed them to test their skills in what proved to be a very challenging but unforgettable experience for all involved. As we look ahead to the future, we are excited to continue our journey of growth, success, and engagement in what is proving to be an extremely popular sport. Our commitment to promoting table tennis, nurturing talent, and providing a platform for players to thrive remains unwavering.

We invite all table tennis enthusiasts to join us on this exciting journey and be part of our thriving community.

Tennis

Afirmfavourite in the summer calendar, tennis allows our pupils to dream of Spanish sunsets and Australian summers. The astro is a wonderful asset to our Tennis Club, where the children enjoy an introduction to recreational tennis. Led by the experts at MDL Tennis, our smashers and ‘drop shotters’ get a sprinkling of friendly fixtures throughout the summer, and those Year 5/6 pupils who choose Tennis in games enjoyed their competitive matches to see who would win the House Tennis trophy. A squad of Year 4 pupils represented Croydon at the London Youth Games in the Mini Red Tennis competition; they played some lovely tennis at this exciting event.

Girls’ Football

ItSwimming

TheJunior School swimmers have continued to put in the hours in the pool, with early morning sessions for some. We have hosted a range of galas, and the races have been great to watch, featuring nail-biting finishes and superb personal bests achieved at every gala. We hosted the IAPS qualifier, with pupils aiming for personal best times. It was fantastic to have four individual pupils achieving Top 50 positions and three teams in the Top 50 rankings. With over 150 schools taking part, these are amazing results.

One highlight of the year was the Croydon Schools’ gala, where a large team swam in superb style. We had 14 pupils qualify for the finals, and it was clear to see the hard work paying off. We once again took a team to the Surrey Schools Lifesaving Competition, which involved eight activities based on lifesaving skills, including rope-throw, sculling and a brick dive. The A team finished in a fantastic 2nd place!

After a great set of swims at the individual London Schools qualifier, we were delighted to have four pupils qualify for the London Schools finals. The pupils swam brilliantly at the finals, achieving three Top 10 finishes.

has been wonderful to see lots of girls getting fully involved in Football at both clubs and in lessons. The Year 5/6 pupils have enjoyed a variety of matches and competitions; their game awareness has improved, and so has their confidence to strike the ball. We hosted the Croydon Schools Mini League tournaments, and the U11A team secured the league win after some great play and awesome goals.

Before Christmas, Denise Richmond, Chair of the Kent FA and the only female Chair, visited Royal Russell to chat to the girls about her journey and talk about the work she does.

The girls travelled to Portsmouth and had a great day at the IAPS festival, finishing in a credible 6th place out of 15 teams.

It has been fantastic to introduce some mixed football fixtures with great success. This is a brilliant development and will feed into next year’s programme.

Junior & Senior Trampolining

Trampolining across the School continues to thrive, with over 90 pupils attending sessions each week. This year’s theme has been ‘Style and Consistency’, complemented by improving existing skills and focusing on somersaults.

The hard work has led to wonderful achievements at local, regional, and national levels. We hosted the Croydon Schools’ Junior and Senior events, where the squad walked away with nine individual titles and won every team event entered! At the London Schools’ event, 45 pupils competed for a place in the Southern Zonal finals; it was a superb day with brilliant results.

Three individuals and five teams were crowned London champions, with four individuals and three teams winning silver, while ten individuals finished in 3rd to 5th places, all qualifying for the next round. We travelled to Worthing for the Southern Zonal finals, where once again the squad did not disappoint; it was another great day with spectacular results. Five of the teams bounced into 3rd place and narrowly missed out on a place in the National Schools’ finals. However, the U11 Boys’ Novice and U11 Girls’ Intermediate teams secured silver, alongside Lukyan, who competed in the U14 Boys’ Elite group. Evie and Alex both finished in bronze medal positions in the intermediate categories to qualify for the Nationals.

A long drive to the Telford International Centre for orientation training was followed by a team meal. The BSGA National finals were an outstanding event, and the team rose to the occasion with great determination and focus. Individually, Evie competed with two stunning routines in the U14 Intermediate group to finish in a credible 4th, with Lukyan using a complex voluntary routine in the U14 Elite group to finish in a superb 6th place. Finally, Alex, also competing at Intermediate level, used a new five-somersault voluntary routine to finish in 12th place. The U11 Intermediate Girls bounced into 5th place despite a few unusual errors; however, they gained lots of experience for the future. The U11 Boys were the stars of the day, with eight out of eight routines completed, earning them a bronze medal! Their focus and determination were commendable; congratulations to Bevon, Nathan, Arthur, and Zeplin.

The final competition of the academic year was the prestigious IAPS National Championships, which we once again hosted. The professional set-up and atmosphere on the day were noted, and the squad stepped up with outstanding results. In the team events, the U11A and U11B Girls’ teams both finished as runners-up, with the U11 Boys’ team in 3rd place. The U9A and U9B Girls’ teams both bounced brilliantly to win the team events!

Individually, the results were also outstanding, with Evie taking 6th place in the U9 event, Alex finishing 5th in the U11 group, and Emily, in the biggest group of the day, securing 3rd place after a superb performance. The highlight of the year was Darcey’s composed performances in the U9 group, where she was crowned IAPS National Champion.

What an astonishing year, marked by outstanding success and progress!

Congratulations and thank you to the coaching and volunteer officials’ team who make these successes possible.

Boys’ Football

Football at Royal Russell Junior School is epitomised when watching games in the Autumn Term or Football Club throughout the first two terms of the year. It is the most popular sport, with participation levels through the roof! Girls and boys alike hold extra training sessions at break and lunchtime, which sharpens their skill set immeasurably. Principally, our focus remains on participation, where this year we have endeavoured to give every pupil the opportunity to experience competitive action and whet the appetite for more. As an example, our U11B team has competed in the Croydon League, which exposed them to the fiercest of adversaries, and they thoroughly enjoyed it.

We start our highlight reel with our talented U8 team, who showcased their skills and sportsmanship with many impressive results. They shone at the KCS tournament, claiming a stellar 2nd place in their group and securing 3rd place in the playoffs. Not stopping there, they dominated the CHS mixed tournament, claiming an impressive 3rd place overall, while only conceding a jaw-dropping 2 goals throughout the entire competition—a true testament to their hard work and dedication.

We proudly hosted our annual U9 tournament, a highly anticipated event for players and supporters alike. The energy on the field was electric as our U9 teams enjoyed the exciting nature of tournament football. The C team secured a 7th place finish, while the B team claimed an impressive 6th place, with our U9A team seizing 3rd place. The annual tournament provides the platform for Royal Russell and all visiting teams to showcase their talent and promising potential. Our U9 teams also had a great experience at the Downsend Football Tournament. The excitement was palpable as they immersed themselves in the competitive atmosphere and learned invaluable lessons.

The U10 team had an unforgettable experience at the Dulwich College tournament. Despite facing strong competition, our boys displayed exceptional skill and determination, advancing to the final with unwavering focus. Though they narrowly fell short against a formidable

opponent, their remarkable performance earned them a well-deserved 2nd place finish.

Representing the School in Year 6 comes with the responsibility of being a role model to the lower year groups, who look on ambitiously with eager anticipation. We could not have asked for a more diligent and motivated group, who ultimately had a wonderful year, showcasing their talent, determination and growth every step of the way.

From qualifying for the knockouts at the ISFA competition to finishing 4th in our own annual U11 tournament, the boys constantly displayed incredible skill and sportsmanship. Winning their group at the IAPS Qualifier and finishing 2nd overall after the knockouts secured them a spot at the IAPS National Finals. This was most certainly a highlight of the year. They travelled to Millfield Prep and competed against the highest calibre of teams, finishing 2nd in the Bowl. Clearly, an unforgettable experience, and the boys have a special kit to remember this experience and cherish fondly. Finally, the U11 Boys had an outstanding run in the Croydon Cup, reaching the final where they played great football, though they finished as runners-up, a spectacular way to round off a year of brilliant football.

Netball

Netball has continued to thrive with lots of friendly and competitive matches and tournaments throughout the year. The Year 3 pupils had a lovely time at our Open Morning taking part in some fun drills before having their first taste of match play. The Year 3 and 4 club has grown, and it has been great to see progress in this space. In Years 5 and 6, the pupils’ focus on positional skills alongside accuracy when shooting has led to lots of fantastic goals during matches. Finding key spaces to drive into when receiving the ball and the hard work in defence stopping the opposition getting the ball to goal has also been a key area of improvement. We hosted a friendly Netball Festival where the Year 3 and 4 teams played some great netball and finished 2nd and 3rd. The U10A team battled hard in the Croydon Schools’ tournament to finish in a brilliant 2nd place.

Cross-Country

Our weekly Cross-Country Clubs continue to thrive under the supervision of legend Mr Swann. This feeds into the Croydon Schools cross-country event where Caleb finished 2nd in the Year 5 event, following this super result, he ran brilliantly to finish in 7th at the Surrey Schools competition. The Year 5 Boys’ team finished in a fantastic 2nd place and the Year 3 Boys won the Croydon Schools’ team event, with Caleb, Daniel and Dylan finishing in the Top 12 after superbly paced running! House cross-country was once again a hotly contested event, with all pupils doing their best for their House.

Senior School Sport

Boys’ Football

This season has been a rebuilding season after losing all but two of the National Cup winning team last year. Therefore, we were predominantly a Year 12 team, which has been a learning curve for many of the players, yet a great experience for all involved.

Our captain Harry Hogben, George Bond and Fate Kotey were all secured and represented England ISFA this season. Harry Hogben won the Player of the Season award from the HUDL League, which is the first time a Royal Russell pupil has gained this award. The performance programme has grown in numbers and quality, which is exciting for next season. With 34 pupils involved, competition for places is high. This is a testament to the provision available for these pupils; the ability to train during the day around their A Level/BTEC studies is unique. The enthusiasm of the staff and the group has been great, training during daylight before lunchtime twice a week and one evening training session, working with the GK coach, S&C coach, physio, position-specific sessions and analysing footage to develop their skills in playing and studying the game.

It was an amazing experience to host Sheffield United prior to their Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace. We were able to see Rhys Norrington-Davies, speak to the first team management and players, and watch them train. Chris Wilder was very complimentary about our facilities and the quality of our football programme.

Our link with Sutton Common Rovers in the Isthmian continues to grow and provides the opportunity for these pupils to play against the best academy non-professional teams in the region. Unfortunately, we lost on penalties, missing out on being one game away from playing Charlton at The Valley.

U12s reached the semi-final of the Surrey Cup, the last eight in the National Cup, and players have been excellent in their first year playing football together. U13s did very well playing some attractive football, with lots of learning, and two of our players have been selected to train and sign for professional academies after training in our programme for a year. U14s have had an indifferent season, beating some of the best teams on the circuit while adjusting to a new playing system, with one of the boys gaining a contract at Charlton Athletic. U15s have been the season’s success, making the semi-final of the ESFA Elite Cup, the furthest any team has ever made in an Elite Cup. They lost 1-0 to Reading Academy due to a penalty. They managed to win by 6 goals to Bede’s in the last league game of the season to reach the playoffs and beat National Champions Aldenham 3-0 to make the final of the Elgin League.

The B teams and now the C teams are following a spiral curriculum, working on a systematic approach similar to the A teams to get the same messages. This has been successful as players have moved up into the A teams, raising the standards all over. C teams have been super enthusiastic and represented the School well in both home and away fixtures. We now have enough for an U15D team, compared to four years ago when we could just manage an A and B team.

The coaching team has been working tirelessly on ways to improve, support and develop each other, recording sessions to provide self-reflection and peer feedback. Many of the coaching staff have gained further qualifications or taken advantage of professional development opportunities to continue our progress within this competitive football space. Overall, a very successful season, and we are excited about the next one!

Girls’ Football

Since the beginning of the year, Girls’ Football has not only grown significantly but has had unprecedented success. All age groups have had several fixtures and the improvement observed from the first fixture to the last has been exceptional. The Year 7s coming in to join the Year 8s for the U13s have begun to gel, and the Year 9s joining the Year 10s in our U15 squad reached the ISFA National Cup semi-finals. For the U18s, this was the first year of the Girls’ Football Programme combining strength and conditioning, futsal and football throughout the year.

U13

The girls had a tough start to the season, losing 3-0 in the ESFA cup. It was the first time the girls played a competitive match together, and although there were many impressive individuals, we did not gel enough as a team. The takeaway was positive, especially with the opponents Grey Court being particularly strong in the age group. The following games saw a few narrow losses and wins, and with the team having so much potential, we were excited for the time that everything would click. The highlight of the year was when the team played Shirley High School in the Croydon Schools Girls’ League, with the U13s winning 6-1. Their creativity and ruthless finishing left the School looking forward to next year for this squad.

U15

The year started strong for the U15s with a 5-1 win in the ISFA Cup against Lingfield. It was evident the girls had played together in previous years, and they quickly became an exciting team to manage. Reaching the quarter-finals of the ISFA Cup, we played Highgate School. The game was close throughout and, with a 2-2 draw after extra time, it was time to see if the girls could keep their nerve. The game finished with a win, 4 penalties to 2, and we progressed on to the semifinal, which was the unfortunate end to our journey in the cup. This was a huge achievement for the girls and the School and we are incredibly proud. To extend the U15 success, the girls made it to the semi-final of the Croydon Schools League.

U18

Our first team opened the season with a narrow 2-1 loss away to Sevenoaks School; however, this was quickly followed by a win against local side Coloma. After more focus and training, our results started to pick up, reaching the quarterfinal of the County Cup and the round of 16 for the ISFA Cup. Unfortunately, despite two great performances, both games finished 2-2 and we were unable to progress into the next round due to losing on penalties. Our final game of the season was called off due to bad weather; however, it was still a successful season for the girls in terms of development and we await next year’s fixtures with confident anticipation.

Netball has had great success this year, welcoming three new coaches to the team and expanding the number of training sessions offered. Netball has been represented across 40 teams, ranging from U8s to U18s.

We have won over 100 fixtures out of a total of 174 fixtures across 33 teams from U8s to U18s. Our U12, U13, U15 and U19 teams all reached county finals. Other successes include both our 13A and U15A teams reaching the National Cup semi-finals and therefore finished in the Top 4 schools nationally. Both our U13B and U15B teams won the Croydon Schools Cup, and the U12B, U13B and U15B teams all won the Croydon Schools League.

After the launch of the Netball Academy, we have seen huge growth in our Netball Programme, which is aimed at supporting pupils with exit routes into professional netball, careers in sport or lifelong participation in sport.

Our U19 team entered an evening adult league where they won 75% of their fixtures (12/16). Our first team scored 634 goals in match play over 40 matches, not including tournaments, and reached the fourth round of the National Cup.

Our U12C were undefeated all season after their extra efforts attending the Friday lunchtime club and all Year 7 girls have taken to the court competitively this season. It has been great to also see some boys involved.

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. It has been so rewarding to see so many of our pupils step onto court in competitive fixtures and represent Royal Russell.

Next year, we will again be entering the following competitions, as well as a full fixture list of friendlies for all teams: ISNC Cup, SnS Cup, Shield & Trophy, Schools’ Magazine Cup, Surrey Schools, Croydon Schools Leagues and Surrey Leagues as well as the England Netball National Schools competition.

The Head of Netball has met with all netball scholars to ensure individual one-to-one support is in place. On top of this, coaches have ensured all netball players from U12 to U18, A to D teams, have been able to access and complete an individual development plan. This has supported all our pupils to ensure they have met targets within netball over the year. Next year, it would be nice to utilise our strength and conditioning support more and increase awareness and injury prevention protocols.

The netball coaching team is looking forward to working with their teams in the new season and having another successful year.

Hockey

The 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-a-side fixtures and once they move into the upper school, we field 11-a-side 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 furthered 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 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.

Strong community links are essential; 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 in our fantastic facilities too. Our all-weather, full-size, floodlit AstroTurf and all-weather, multi-use games area (MUGA) are at the heart of a local club and allow the School to host junior tournaments throughout the year.

Over the years, participation numbers in our sport have increased significantly and this current academic year Royal Russell saw, for the first time, two of their boys’ hockey teams going into National Finals. Separately from this incredible achievement, many other girls’ and boys’ teams qualified for and performed in their respective regional finals - a great foundation for the upcoming future.

Cricket

Cricket is continually improving at Royal Russell with the assistance of increased investment and staff recruitment.

Autumn Term 2023

We were extremely pleased to see a large increase in both boys and girls attending after-school club cricket nets in the Sports Hall.

In addition to this, our new RRS Cricket Academy started, where over 70 participants attended each week over the 12week programme.

We also set up a cricket relationship with CMR, a local cricket equipment provider, to provide our pupils with state-of-the-art cricket equipment and bat repair to improve player safety and performance.

Spring Term 2024

As part of our ongoing strategy, Royal Russell heavily invested in improving our facilities with a state-of-the-art three-bay net manufactured to county professional standards, resulting in the School now having a six indoor cricket net facility.

A new non-turf pitch was installed on Top Pitch, with the aim of ensuring pupils have more opportunities to play matches. With the added benefit that, with our roll-on cages, we can net on the square without affecting the turf wickets.

We also held a Cricket Camp for pupils and those from the local community over Easter.

Summer Term 2024

With the knowledge that the Cricket Programme is ever-expanding, we were pleased to add to our great coaching team. For the boys, we welcomed Mr Gallagher (first team player at Bromley Town CC) and Mr Burtenshaw (Teacher and Sports coach specialising in Cricket & Football). For the girls, Miss Fillingham (Surrey Girls Pathway Performance Cricket Coach and ex Surrey Women’s cricketer) and Miss Kourea (teacher and sports coach specialising in cricket and hockey).

Investment in our coaching team saw staff attend Foundation Level 1 and Core Level 2 coaching courses, and in one of our recent INSET training days Mr Udall and Miss Fillingham (both of whom are Surrey Pathway Performance Cricket Coaches) led cricket coaching for over 25 staff members from both the Senior and Junior School.

Old Russellians have kindly donated funds to purchase a state-of-the-art digital scoreboard, which has been delivered and installed on Top Pitch.

At the start of the season, it was fantastic to see our participation in numerous cup matches, the growing demand for B teams, and an increase in the number of matches for our girls’ teams, including their entry into the Starburst Festivals.

Some notable performances on the pitch have been made by our Year 11-13 boys, who have won all their matches up to Half Term, with Tom Lang scoring two fifties, one taking only 17 balls and Stan Moore scoring two fifties as well. We look forward to the girls’ teams competing in the Starburst Festivals and the continuation of other matches for all year groups.

Danceat Royal Russell has grown from strength to strength, with Year 8 to 13 pupils being able to select dance as an option during their afternoon games session. For the first time, we have introduced dance into the core curriculum for Year 7-9, which has been a breath of fresh air for many, meaning they will all learn dance as part of the physical education carousel. It has opened doors for some very talented dancers to create and excel, whilst unlocking a space for others who may never experience dance.

Pupils have been devising their own routines, working in groups, and looking at current topics in the world, retelling stories important to them through movement. They have learned a variety of genres, from contemporary to jazz and street dance.

We have world dance champions in ballroom and dancers competing in national finals for freestyle and ballet, and it has been wonderful to give these pupils more space at school to develop their skills.

We have built a relationship with The Brit School, attending shows and being invited to workshops with talented pupils at their amazing dance facility. This is a relationship we hope to maintain and grow.

Pupils also showcased their choreography on Royal Russell Day, providing an opportunity for them to perform in front of a large audience and gain confidence in their abilities.

Tennis

This Summer Term saw tennis surge in popularity, with both open and squad training sessions drawing large numbers of enthusiastic participants. Our sessions were expertly guided by professional tennis coaches, ensuring highquality training for all players involved.

The competitive season kicked off early, presenting our teams with formidable opponents across all age groups in the Surrey Schools competition. Despite the challenging matchups, our players showed remarkable improvement as the season progressed. Their dedication was evident in several impressive individual and team victories, along with some narrowly contested losses that demonstrated their growing skills and resilience.

A highlight of the season was the standout performances by our Year 8 girls winning all their games. We were invited to compete in the Surrey Schools Festival at St George’s School in May 2024. We had 12 talented players representing various age groups at this prestigious event, where they all showcased their abilities admirably. Our teams advanced to the latter stages of the festival, surpassing expectations against some of the best tennis schools in the South of England.

Overall, it was a positive season marked by high levels of participation and significant player development. The commitment and hard work of our players, coupled with the excellent coaching they received, laid a solid foundation for future successes in our Tennis Programme as it continues to grow.

Basketball

Basketball at Royal Russell has continued to flourish, maintaining its status as one of the most popular sports among pupils. This season saw an increase in participation, with teams competing across various age groups. Notably, the inclusion of a girls’ squad marked a significant step forward for the programme.

Girls’ Squad

A notable milestone this season was the establishment of our first girls’ squad, marking a significant step towards inclusivity and diversity within our basketball programme. The girls exhibited remarkable commitment to training and showcased their skills in friendly matches against Sevenoaks School. Their enjoyment and performance during these encounters underscored the success of this initiative.

Junior School Programme

The Junior School basketball programme remained highly popular, with pupils attending regular training sessions throughout the season and eagerly participating in friendly matches against schools such as Elmhurst School and Whitgift School. These matches served as valuable preparation for the annual IAPS tournament at Sevenoaks School, where the team excelled and secured the plate title for the second consecutive year.

U15 Team Performance

A notable highlight of the season was the U15 team’s impressive victory against Dulwich College (56-29), showcasing their skill and determination. Although narrowly missing out on playoff qualification, the team’s performance throughout the season demonstrated their potential and competitive spirit.

Staff vs Old Russellian Match

The 2023-2024 season concluded with the traditional staff versus Old Russellian match, which provided an opportunity for former pupils to reconnect with the School community. Despite the valiant efforts of our staff, the youthful vigour of the ORs proved decisive, resulting in a well-earned victory for the alumni (76-56).

The coaching staff extends their appreciation to all pupils who participated in the basketball programme this season. Their dedication, resilience, and sportsmanship were evident throughout, regardless of the challenges they faced. Royal Russell takes pride in fostering a supportive and competitive environment for basketball enthusiasts and looks forward to continued success in the seasons to come.

House Sport

One of the jewels in the Royal Russell sporting crown is the annual House Sport Competition. Every pupil, in every year group, can compete regularly and frequently against their peers in a wide variety of sports throughout the year. The competition dates back to 1936. Boys’ football joined the competition in 1981, and most recently, girls’ football was finally introduced in 2018. From indoor athletics to boys’ and girls’ cricket, hockey to table tennis and not forgetting the whole school cross-country, there is something for everyone and everyone gets the opportunity to shine.

For cross-country in April, every able-bodied, Senior School pupil ran, walked, or otherwise made their way around the course. The courses vary in length, progressing as we move through the years. Boys and girls run the same courses: the Junior race (Years 7 and 8) is 2.2 km, the Intermediates (Years 9 and 10) is 2.5 km and the Seniors (Years 11-13) is 3.2 km.

In an unusual turn of events, the boys’ race winners were the same as last year’s! Huge congratulations to Logan Hatchwell-Wray, Zac Brennan and Lorcan Oliver! The winners of the girls’ races were almost the same as last year too, except Harriet Hughes made it a day to remember, doubling up with her sister Mia, who won the Intermediate race, to win the Juniors. Emily Hayden de Carbonnières won the Senior girls’ race. Overall, Queen’s tied with Reade for 1st place (with Hollenden and Buchanan tied for 3rd!) while Oxford won this year’s boys’ cross-country.

On Sports Day we were treated to some excellent performances and three new school records:

• Noah Africa – Senior Boys’ Triple Jump: 12.65m

• Emily Hayden de Carbonnières – Senior Girls’ Triple Jump: 10.20m

• George Yarker – Junior Boys’ 800m: 2 mins 30 secs (by 1 second!)

Perhaps the best race of the day was the Year 10 boys, where Max King (Madden) pipped Cameron AndersonGreen (St Andrew’s) by the width of his shirt (or 1/100 of a second - thank goodness for that app!).

Overall, the day was won by Reade and St Andrew’s. Buchanan and Queen’s tied for second, then Hollenden. Keable were second for the boys, then Oxford, Cambridge and Madden.

As we went into the last set of fixtures, we did not know who would finish where in the table, which shows how broad the competition is and how spread out the talent is across all Houses. There may be standout winners this year, but all the other places have changed hands over the last two events.

Year 7 Croydon Schools Athletics

Cold, wet and windy conditions did not dampen the spirits of our Year 7’s as they competed in all events in the Croydon Athletics finals day. There were some excellent performances from our pupils among the 16 schools competing on the day: Harriet came 2nd in 800m, Matilda came 4th in 100m Hurdles (first time competing on a track with higher hurdles) and India made the finals in the 100m.

Year 8 Croydon Schools Athletics

A great day of athletics for the Year 8 team. For some, this was the first Croydon Schools event they had attended. A mixture of results from the day with some notable performances in the 800m, 1500m, javelin, long jump and triple jump. George placed 3rd in the 800m. Logan placed 1 st in the 1500m with an impressive race plan that he executed to perfection. Thomas C placed 3rd in the javelin, throwing 22.74m. Malakai placed 2 nd in a competitive long jump competition, leaping 4.70m. Caden placed 2 nd in triple jump despite having a shaky start with two no-jumps. The boys’ relay team suffered an unfortunate disqualification in the 4x100m relay but did finish 1 st, demonstrating an impressive race. Well done to all involved in events throughout the day; Royal Russell finished 3 rd overall.

Year 9 Croydon Athletics

On Wednesday, we took a team of Year 9s to compete in the Croydon Schools Athletics Meet. It was a very successful day, during which we managed to win six medals. Our first medal of the day came from Sophia in the 1500m race; she finished 3rd. Our next medals came from Sophie and Sapphira in long jump and shot put, where they both placed 2 nd in very competitive events. Jason managed to get himself a medal in the long jump. Our last medal came from Xoel who finished 3rd in the 300m race. Even though he’d never competed in this event before, Xoel also finished 2 nd in the long jump. Also competing throughout the day, we had Ivy in javelin, Nicolas and Kian in triple jump, and Lottie and Lincoln in 800m. Special mention to the boys’ relay team (Nicolas, Kian, Jason and Xoel) who managed to finish 5 th out of 16.

Well done to everyone who competed!

Library News

Selected pupils in Year 8 were invited to take part in the 2024 Trinity Schools’ Book Award scheme. This year’s theme, ‘Elemental’, included a wide range of genres, including graphic novels, fantasy and historical fiction, with a focus on wind, earth, fire and water. Pupils aimed to read all the shortlisted books and met together throughout the Autumn Term to explore the themes behind the stories. At the start of the Spring Term, pupils voted for their favourite book on the shortlist and had the opportunity to enter the TSBA competition by producing a book review or a creative response to one of the books. This year, we received some fantastic entries, including wonderful book sculptures produced by Ayra, Evie and Ally.

InOctober, we welcomed parents and friends to our Poetry Evening to celebrate the wonderful work produced by pupils to mark National Poetry Day. This year’s theme, ‘Refuge’, provided an emotional source of inspiration, producing a variety of interpretations across all year groups.

Lunar New Year was celebrated in style this year as we welcomed in the Year of the Dragon with musical interludes featuring traditional Chinese instruments and a pupil-led presentation on the various customs and traditions observed in different parts of the world. Once again, Mrs Si-Wen Tang provided some authentic Chinese snacks for everyone to enjoy at the end of the event.

Award-winning author, Sarah Govett, visited the School to give interactive talks to pupils in Years 7 and 8 as part of our World Book Day celebrations in March. Sarah gave pupils an insight into the life of an author, sharing the motivation behind her writing and explaining how language can be used as a tool to evoke a dystopian world.

The Library has also hosted a huge range of Russell Talks this year for both Junior and Senior School pupils. Topics included ‘Exploring the Cosmos’, ‘Top 10 Most Venomous Animals’, ‘Failures of the Justice System’, ‘The History of the Witch Trials’ and ‘Sportswashing’. Pupils in all year groups have enjoyed attending the lunchtime sessions and many pupils in the lower school have been inspired to volunteer and give a presentation themselves.

Celebrating 100 Years Since the Chapel’s Grand Opening

To mark 100 years since the Prince of Wales laid down the foundation stones of the Chapel and the Aston Webb buildings, Mr Graham Moseley led a special service, which took us all on a journey back to 1853, borrowing Doctor Who’s TARDIS to retell the story of its remarkable history. The service included vlogs of his time-travelling experience, which have been transcribed below.

1853

1854 1921

Introduction – 1853

Hello there. I’ve managed to travel back in time to Wednesday 14th December 1853 by using Doctor Who’s Tardis - I borrowed it from the BBC for the weekend!

I’m here in a corner of the George Inn on Aldermanbury, near the Guildhall in the City of London. It’s thick with coal smoke, and I can hear the sharp notes of carriages clashing over the cobblestones outside. There’s a group of warehouse men and clerks from the drapery and textile trade gathered here; their faces are poorly lit by the flickering oil lamps.

This is the third night that they’ve been discussing their plight. Three resolutions have just been approved. They are forming some kind of charity to open a school with lodging for five boys and one girl. Resolution three calls for door-todoor canvassing to build a list of subscribers; they’re going to ask people to donate 10 guineas a head (that’s about £1600 in 2024 money). How courageous!

Oh, they are just leaving. Best be off myself then - I want the TARDIS to take me forward in time one year.

1854

The TARDIS has managed to locate the former Liberal Prime Minister, Lord John Russell.

He’s giving me a progress report:

“They tried to find a school – but Reigate Grammar turned them down as did the Commercial Travellers’ Schools in Wanstead. Eventually an advert for a suitable home to house 100 children led them to the 30 rooms of Hatcham Grove House at New Cross. Then, on 9 August 1854, I agreed to become the first President of the School. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, your lordship, but I must continue my journey.”

Now let’s climb aboard the TARDIS again and zoom off to the 1920s.

1921

The country is slowly recovering from the twin disasters of the First World War and the Spanish Flu pandemic. The original charity boarding school operating at Russell Hill, Purley, from 1865 has suddenly become overwhelmed by the needs of 300 new war orphans of drapery trade families. It’s time for action!

The Warehousemen Clerks and Drapers’ Schools have managed to raise a massive £76,500 for a war memorial (that’s £4,693,369 in 2024 money) but the trustees want something more than a white elephant. Why not another school, more grand and bigger than the first two.

Ballards estate (120 acres) was to have been purchased from Howard Houlder, a shipping magnate, by the fund trustees for £21,000, but Lord Howard Hollingsworth of the Oxford Street department store Bourne & Hollingsworth stepped in to buy it and then gifted it to the trustees for free. The School itself will be built as a memorial to employees of the drapery trade killed in the 1914 -1918 Great War.

Sir Aston Webb, premier architect of the time, has been selected to design the School. Eric Gill has been chosen to embellish the buildings with sculptures and lettering. Both are in the pay of the School’s treasurer, Sir Ernest Debenham (yes, of Debenham’s fame).

On 10 June 1921, Ballards was officially launched when 40 boys aged 12-13, walked from Russell Hill to Purley station, caught the train to South Croydon and walked up the hill to Ballards. They occupied the estate house, which they called St Andrew’s.

The Grand Opening - 23 July 1924

What a day! I’ve found myself a quiet spot in the School Library to report back to you on all the excitement. Here’s what I have seen and learnt:

The new buildings were constructed to Webb’s design from early 1923 to April 1924 – a remarkable undertaking. The textile company, I & R Morley, has collected money to build a Chapel to commemorate the war dead as well as the 50 years’ service of Lord Hollenden as treasurer of the charity. The Honourable Geoffrey Hope-Morley (later the second Lord Hollenden) persuaded HRH Prince Edward to open the School and lay the foundation stone to the Chapel – in July 1924.

Here’s a summary of the day:

Addington Hills basked in a day of sunshine, as Ballards Estate played host to a most auspicious event. The air was thick with anticipation as 1,500 guests arrived, making their way from London on specially commissioned trains to East Croydon Station. From there, charabancs ferried the excited attendees to the grand opening of our school. As the guests alighted, they were greeted by the stirring melodies of the Band of the Grenadier Guards, who played on the East Lawn (known as Lime Tree Quad today).

The Prince of Wales, known for his meticulous attention to duty, was slightly delayed as he conducted a thorough inspection of the Guard of Honour. Once satisfied, he proceeded to the flower-bedecked dais positioned in front of what is now Latessa House, where the crowd eagerly awaited his address. In his speech, the Prince highlighted the cooperative efforts of both employer and employee in bringing the School to fruition.

The ceremony continued with a series of speeches and a short service led by the Bishop of Southwark. The choir’s rendition of Come, Gladsome Spring echoed across the grounds, followed by a heartfelt communal singing of Now Thank We All Our God

The crowd then gathered around the site of the proposed new Chapel. The opening prayer was beautifully followed by the choir’s “God Be in My Head”, creating a solemn and reflective atmosphere. The Chapel’s foundation stone was laid by the Prince and blessed by the Bishop, with the choir singing Psalm 127, “Except the Lord build this house”. The spiritual undertones of the ceremony were a poignant reminder of the School’s charitable mission.

As the formalities concluded, guests were invited to a picnic tea. Amidst the laughter and chatter, an unexpected moment of levity occurred when the Prince, demonstrating his affable nature, managed to slip away from his security detail. He was eventually discovered enjoying a picnic with some pupils near the woods. This charming encounter saw several enterprising boys securing the Prince’s autograph, a memento they will no doubt treasure for years to come.

The School, now home to 149 war orphans, stands as a testament to the textile trade’s commitment to providing for those who have lost so much. Today’s celebration not only marks the opening of an educational institution but also the beginning of a brighter future for its young residents.

The Chapel’s History

The Chapel was a gift of the Partners, Staff and Friends of Messrs I and R Morley, hosiery makers of Nottingham. The Morleys also gave money for the tower with clock and chimes to commemorate 50 years of Lord Hollenden as treasurer. It is an official war memorial of the Textile Trade.

Why St Christopher? The Latin inscription on the Aston Webb building is translated as: We have Christ as our Leader in our journey; He is our light in darkness and danger. Therefore, the choice of St Christopher seems quite logical as he is venerated as the patron saint of travellers, protector and guide for those who embark on journeys, both physical and spiritual. The young orphans were certainly on a difficult journey.

The oak seating was donated by Sir Sydney and Lady Skinner. The front rows were added in the 1960s after the girls moved here from Russell Hill.

The pews were laid in monastic or collegiate style. The facing arrangement symbolises the equality and fraternity of the worshippers, as you look at one another instead of all facing a single focal point. It also emphasises the community gathered in worship, rather than focusing solely on the clergy or the altar.

Why two pulpits? The two-pulpit arrangement dates back to pre-Reformation practices (16th Century). The “Gospel pulpit” is left of the altar to symbolise the spread of the Gospel to the north (the heathen world in Medieval times) and is used for reading the Gospel; the other, the “Epistle pulpit” is on the right to symbolise the established Christian world used for reading the Epistle or other readings.

The two angels with golden trumpets either side of the chancel arch were made by Eric Gill working to a brief from Sir Aston Webb. On 7 November 1925 the completed angels arrived on site, Gill being paid finally on 31 December. By then Eric Gill had completed the 10-inch serif lettering facing the Lime Tree Quad, two panels on the Dining Hall walls, the Chapel foundation stone and keystone angel on the arch, the tower frieze and the two angels with trumpets.

The memorial prayer books and hymnals were presented by Old Russellians and dedicated to the memory of their school fellows who died in the Great War.

The organ was added in 1927 by Mr Allan Oguine in memory of his late father R Alexander Oguine of Glasgow.

The stained glass window of St Christopher and the Infant Jesus was added in 1938, a gift from the son of Joseph Miles, one of the founders of the School.

Senior School Music

Bill Clinton once responded when asked about The Arts in school, “Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and by studying music in schools, pupils have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.” Clinton’s words certainly resonate when we consider what Royal Russell offered its pupils over the past year.

In the first week back, GCSE and A Level pupils demonstrated their instruments as we invited Year 7s to the annual Instrument Taster Lunch, where practice rooms were full of pupils tooting, hitting, blowing and plucking potential instruments to learn. September 2023 also saw the Activities Fair, in which pupils signed up to the large range of ensembles and clubs that the Music Department offers, with record numbers taking part in choirs and ensembles this year. Weekly performances in assembly started, and pupils dazzled in front of prospective pupils and parents in two locations for five hours of performances during Open Morning.

Our Rush Hour Concert series started in September with the first of six 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. Increasingly, we’ve seen pupils sign themselves up for these concerts. This proactivity exemplifies the distinctive nature of Royal Russell musicians. Before the Half Term was out, Consort Choir sang in one of two Choral Evensongs over the course of the year. Both Choral Evensongs featured settings of the canticles familiar to longerserving members of the choir and provided our younger pupils with fantastic learning experiences.

October and November were typically busy times for the Music Department. The Autumn Concert was full of wonderful items, notably Anxo Garcia Missan and the orchestra’s performance of the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 , a feat of incredible musicianship and hard work. Shortly after this was the Scholar’s Concert, where all our music scholars demonstrated their considerable musical talent and self-discipline in a concert of the highest quality. The week of Remembrance featured two poignant services, with music to match. Additionally, Chamber Choir and Choral Society combined to sing Duruflé’s beautifully crafted Requiem at a concert at the start of the week, which was bolstered by returning alumnus and soloist, Francesca Pringle.

In December, the Music Department brought Christmas joy (and an awful lot of music) to the Royal Russell community. We returned to Croydon Minster for the carol services. Those not involved last year were stunned by the sheer beauty of the Minster, matched only by the beauty of the singing of Consort Choir and Choral Society. The following week, with a more light-hearted tone, the Christmas Concert concluded a very busy term.

A cast and crew of well over a hundred pupils brightened our January with garish pink in the Royal Russell Senior School musical, Legally Blonde. A more thorough account will exist in the Drama section, but it should be noted that the 13-strong band, comprised primarily of our pupils, had the gruelling task of learning close to two hours’ worth of music. This is a massive undertaking for professional musicians; therefore, the dedication of young people who mastered these parts should not be underestimated.

We were then propelled into warmer weather and longer days with the arrival of the Spring Concert. This collaboration between the Junior and Senior School gets bigger every year, but somehow approximately 400 people squeezed into Great Hall for a concert ranging from the String Ensemble’s accomplished performance of Brandenberg Concerto No. 3 to Glee Choir’s rendition of the Stevie Wonder’s classic, Isn’t She Lovely. A very short 10 days later, Great Hall was adorned with all things Love and all things Italian for the Music Dinner, which this year had the theme ‘That’s Amore’. Those present were not just treated to an evening of musical treats but also to culinary delights: chicken stuffed with mozzarella & basil in Parma ham, Palermo-style steak and tiramisu to list just a sample of the feast on offer.

The Music Dinner also was an opportunity to say goodbye and thank you to our wonderful Year 13 pupils. Our Head Chorister, Amber Lukes; Head of Chamber Choir, Adam Court; Head of Barbershop, Roshan Dosanjh, Head of Swing Band, Sam Stealey, and Head of Orchestra, Juliette Poon-Jamin have all been truly excellent in their positions. They have all made their mark in the musical like of the School and we wish them all the best as they embark on their next chapter.

The Summer Term started with a bang, a crash, and a lot of serious shredding with our Guitar and Drums Evening, casting a light on a lot of new talent who I look forward to seeing develop over the next few years. 2024 marks 100 years since the foundation stone was laid in Chapel and 100 years of Royal Russell on our current South Croydon site. To mark this, we held a special service, welcoming back alumni, pupils and staff. Music was key to the service, as it has been to chapel life over the past century. Following on from this, there was the Music Picnic for a relaxed summer festival-like afternoon and evening of music. As always, the School year came to an end with Royal Russell Day, where musical triumphs from the year were brought back, along with a finale of Sondheim’s Our Time on the theme of 100 years at Coombe Lane.

As always, in addition to the concerts and events the Music Department puts on, our pupils took part in over 100 instrumental and singing exams (ABRSM, LCM, Trinity), with highly successful outcomes. 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 are greatly appreciated by staff and pupils alike.

The Music Department looks forward already to an exciting 2024/25 academic year.

Junior School Music

It has been another exciting year of super performances in the Junior School Music Department.

Notable

musical highlights of the Autumn Term included the annual Harvest Festival and the Christmas Carol Service, both of which brought our school community together once again, for seasonal reflection within a most fitting musical context.

Our young musicians have continued to impress us with their talents from both informal and formal performance perspectives. Congratulations were extended to Durham House, who won the Upper Junior House Singing Competition and to Canterbury House, who won the Lower Junior Singing Competition.

Charity Busking Events, Music Cafés, String, Vocal, Drums and Piano Soirées were all much anticipated by performers and enjoyed by appreciative audiences throughout the academic year.

The Upper Junior School Choir remains very strong and buoyant, and our choristers have enjoyed learning a variety of repertoire from across the musical genres.

Musical collaboration with the Senior School continues to be an important element of the life of the School. The Spring Concert in March demonstrated the range and breadth of choral and instrumental ensembles from across many key stages and it was wonderful to see all the performers enjoying the camaraderie of the event.

‘Our Wonderful World’ was the focus for our Junior School Symposium and there was a strong element of both instrumental and choral music to capture the theme of the Symposium and combine and support a wonderfully eclectic week of class curriculum activities.

Singers and instrumentalists joined forces in the Summer Term, to present the annual Serenade Concert. The evening was a spectacular showcase of the high level of musicianship by Junior School pupils and was much enjoyed by all in attendance. We also came together once again for music collaboration as part of the Royal Russell Day celebrations at the end of the Summer Term.

Appreciative thanks to music colleagues and congratulations to all who have made this such a memorable year of music-making in our Junior School Music Department.

Media Department

The Media Studies Department has been busy this year with a plethora of curriculum-based and extracurricular projects. Our 1853 Productions team was a key feature at October’s Model United Nations Conference as usual, and represented the Media Studies Department extremely well with our biggest team ever for an MUN conference. The team’s productions were impressive and their entertainment package included humourous homage to ‘Taskmaster’, ‘The Masked Singer’, ‘Would I Lie to You?’ and our very own ‘MUN’s Got Talent’. They also ensured we had suitable social media coverage with some engaging pieces, such as ‘Tuck Shop Date’ and ‘Philomena Clunk’.

1853 Productions has also been working with local charities, producing videos for:

• The Veterans Lunch

• Develop Croydon Conference

• Young Stars of Croydon Gala

Outside of the Media Studies pupil team, the Year 7 Film Club has produced some impressive projects, such as ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and a short film.

As a department, our GCSE, A Level and BTEC pupils have been busy working on producing film marketing materials, coming-of-age films, sports movies, music videos, magazines, TV crime dramas, news reports, live-streaming events and multi-cam performances.

This year’s Roscars ceremony celebrated the outstanding video work created by all of our Royal Russell Media Studies pupils. Selected scenes were screened from across all courses and covered a variety of genres and types.

The winners this year were as follows:

• Best GCSE Page Music Video: Seb Stretton

• Best A Level Music Video: Anatoliya Ageeva

• Best A level/BTEC Drama: Sabrina Liang

Our BTEC pupils also enjoyed

a trip to the iconic Pinewood Studios.

Senior School Trips

Chatsworth and Ecton Mine - A Level Chemistry

InJune, we travelled to Chatsworth House and were amazed by the size and beauty of the place. Wandering around the house and grounds, time and time again we were blown away by the beauty of our surroundings. From the grand murals that covered the walls and ceilings of the manor to the carefully crafted gardens, which transported you back to the Georgian era of Britain.

What awaited us on our second day out was Ecton Mine, a huge expanse of man-made mines deep in Ecton Hill. Nicknamed the ‘Hollow Hill’, the miners of the late 17th and early 18th centuries had dug out a cavern big enough to fit St Paul’s Cathedral inside! Our guides also showed us the conditions that the miners had to go through, using only a candle on the brim of their bowler hats (no hard hats in those days!). We were told that being down in the larger cavern was as if you could look up and see a ‘dark sky full of stars’, with the miners up the very top chiselling away.

We ended our trip with some practical chemistry, using fragments of various rock types that we had found on top of Ecton Hill earlier in the day. With these samples, and the careful eye of our teachers, we could identify the different mineral compounds within each rock. The highlight of the second day was making black powder! Using an equation given to us, we had to calculate the different masses of each element and concoct a recipe for this black powder, which we then combusted in a fiery end to our trip.

Written By Dylan, Ocean, Cici and Hilary

French Exchange to Nîmes

In May, Year 11 pupils participated in a French exchange trip to Nîmes, in southern France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region. Staying with host families, they immersed themselves in French culture and attended a local school. Alongside their exchange partners, they attended lessons in French and History and were warmly welcomed. Visiting iconic landmarks such as the Roman amphitheatre, the Jardin de la Fontaine, and the Tour Magne, they gained a deeper appreciation for the city’s history and heritage. Pupils also enjoyed excursions to Montpellier, the beach, and the local Haribo factory, building friendships and improving their language skills.

The Kew Gardens visit provided Year 10 GCSE pupils with the opportunity to develop further primary resources to support their nature project. The Palm House proved to be the perfect environment, full of fantastic shapes and forms to utilise in future 3D development. We then moved to explore the Davies Alpine House, where we met a fellow artist and Central St Martins lecturer, who was intrigued by the wonderful sketches the pupils were creating. We finished the day in the Temperate House, with its stunning Victorian architecture and more fantastic plants. The observational studies will now form the inspiration for 3D outcomes developed in wire and clay.

Kew Gardens

Media Trip to Pinewood Studios

During November, a group of media pupils ventured to Pinewood Studios to participate in the Futures Festival held there. They explored the studios and had the opportunity to talk to experts in the industry, ranging from specialists in colour grading to visual effects artists. Pupils experimented with green screen and had the opportunity to hold real-life props. After exploring for a while, the pupils watched an interview conducted by Ali Plumb from the BBC, who spoke to Director Tim Kent and Oscar-winning cinematographer James Friend. They discussed the best ways to break into the industry and what their jobs consist of. Everyone had a great time and left feeling inspired and equipped with information on how to kick-start their careers in the film industry.

Computer Science Trip to San Francisco

During the Autumn Half Term break, 40 pupils and four teachers went on a trip of a lifetime to sunny San Francisco on a Computer Science trip. On their first full day, they embarked on a coach tour visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, Civic Center Plaza, the viewpoint at Twin Peaks and the Golden Gate Park.

They visited the Intel Museum in Silicon Valley, where they learned about the history of CPUs and the History of Computer Science Museum, The Tech Interactive Museum in San Jose, where they explored a wide range of technologies, and the Apple Visitor Center, where they navigated their campus using AR.

One of the highlights of the trip was their visit to Google, where they met an Old Russellian, Jesse, who currently works there. He gave a very informative talk about his time at Google and his journey from GCSE Computer Science to where he is now. They ventured around the campus and then visited Stanford University and saw the first-ever Google server in their computer science department.

They also explored the island of Alcatraz, which was another highlight of their stay. In the afternoon, they took a bus ride back towards Golden Gate Park to the California Academy of Sciences, where they experienced an earthquake simulation and saw rare creatures in the aquarium.

Wakehurst Place - A Level Biology

At the beginning of June, Year 12 Biologists went to Wakehurst to develop their ecology skills and investigate biodiversity in a meadow habitat and coppiced hazel woodland. The sun was shining, and everyone had fun while completing the practical skills required for the A level course.

Year 7 Trip to Boulogne

Year 7 began their trip to France with an early coach and then got on the train to cross the border. Shortly after, we arrived in France! We all then went to an aquarium, which was very fun. We had an hour to explore and some of the highlights were seeing the penguins, seals and sharks. After that, we all walked to the beach where we had the opportunity to play on the beach and eat our lunch. Then we got back on the coach to go to the old town. Here we were able to walk around and spend some of our money. Lots of us enjoyed ice creams and French baguettes. After, we all got back on the coach and headed back to school. Some of my highlights from this trip were walking around the old town, as that was really fun, and I loved the fresh pastries and ice creams!

Written by Ella Gates

Year 13 Chinese A Level Trip

The Year 13 Chinese A level pupils visited the British Museum to attend a private exhibition about the resilience and innovation of 19th century China. This period in China’s history endured numerous civil uprisings and foreign wars, with revolution ultimately bringing an end to nearly 2,000 years of dynastic rule and giving way to a modern Chinese republic. This extraordinary exhibition opened a new page in their understanding of late imperial China. After the exhibition, the pupils enjoyed a very nice meal in Chinatown.

Year 13 History Trip

The History in Action Conference on Russian History featured several prominent historians discussing key events and figures of 20th century Russia. The conference provided a comprehensive and insightful look at Russian history, with each speaker offering a unique perspective on pivotal moments and figures. The event was a great success and attendees appreciated the opportunity to learn from such esteemed historians.

Year 13 Trip to Wakehurst

Atthe end of January, Year 13 biologists took a trip back to Wakehurst Place, which they visited in the summer to further their knowledge of genetics. During the day, they carried out gel electrophoresis, which allowed them to observe different-sized fragments of DNA. They could then compare the DNA bands to known samples; this technique is used in forensic analysis, paternity testing and identifying illegal imports of plants and other organisms. After lunch, they cloned a cauliflower, taking them back to school to see whose will grow the largest! They were also extremely fortunate to visit the Millennium Seed Bank, in which over 2 billion seeds are stored, used for research, and conservation efforts, and kept if a crop emergency should ever arise.

Year 8 Trip to Mallorca

In October, Year 8 pupils went on an exciting trip to Mallorca. On the first day, they had time to enjoy the beach and dinner at their hotel. Their trip’s itinerary included visits to many of the beautiful beaches, with opportunities to participate in hiking, snorkelling, and cliff jumping for those brave enough. They also enjoyed shopping and eating tapas in the early evenings. For their last day, they visited a beautiful cathedral called the CathedralBasílica de Santa María de Mallorca before getting some more free time for last-minute shopping.

Year 9 & 10 Trip to Norway

In May, 30 pupils and three staff members travelled to Bergen, Norway, for a trip focused on adventure activities. During our first full day, we visited the Folgefonni glacier. There, we put on our crampons, attached ourselves to the guide rope, and hiked up the glacier. The breathtaking views, especially at the top of the glacier, made the challenging 4-hour, 5-6 km hike with a 300-400 metres height difference worthwhile.

On our second day, we hiked to Husedalen, known as the Valley of Waterfalls, starting from Kinsarvik. We ascended 360m up the valley and saw three large and powerful waterfalls. In the evening, back at the hostel, we lit a small fire by the lake and toasted marshmallows.

The third day took us to Tyssedal for an informative talk and tour of the power station, followed by the main activity of the day, Via Ferrata. This exciting activity lasted 5 hours with a total ascent of 400m.

On our final day, we enjoyed whitewater rafting along the Voss river, which was probably our favourite activity overall. The river offered a good mix of fast, bumpy sections and calmer areas suitable for swimming. After returning to our base and changing, we headed to the airport for our return to London.

Duke Of Edinburgh Award

For the first time at Royal Russell we have had pupils undertaking the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.

The scheme has proved to be very popular amongst our pupils for a number of years and this year we have over 100 pupils signed up to the three awards. All pupils, regardless of the level they are completing, have been doing an activity based on a skill, a physical activity or some form of volunteering. On top of this, pupils will train for and complete an outdoor expedition.

This year, we have partnered with ‘School of Outdoors’ for all of the outdoor training and expeditions. All groups have had a day of training at the School. On top of this, they have also had further training at the campsites and on the pathways and bridleways of south east England and beyond.

Bronze Award

In April, 63 pupils signed up for the Bronze Award and went camping near Epsom. Led by their instructors, they spent the evening setting up their tents and cooking their meals (and staying out of the rain). The next day they learned how to use their compasses and maps. They completed their assessed expedition over a weekend in June, slightly further away from home in East Sussex.

Silver Award

The Silver Award pupils, having already completed Bronze, had a good idea of what they were in for. Their expedition training was held over the Easter holiday weekend in an extremely muddy Ashdown forest. This weekend, if nothing else, taught the pupils the importance of ankle high boots! Again, they practised setting up tents, cooking, compass and map skills in preparation for the assessed expedition which took place over the weekend of 22 to 24 June in East Sussex, a bit further away from home. The progress they have made from the Bronze award and they comfort they feel in the great outdoors is clear to see.

Gold Award

This year, we have had seven pupils take on the Gold Award. Their training for the assessed expedition, a 4 day, 3 night trek in the wilderness of Wales, took them to Oxfordshire, Brecon in Wales, and ultimately Rhayader, again in Wales. On top of their sections and the gruelling expedition, each pupil will also need to complete a 5 day residential camp away from the School. Completing the Gold award is a major achievement and the School is proud to have seven pupils in that position.

Senior School Annual Ski Trip

In February, 45 pupils and four staff, departed from Royal Russell, heading to London Heathrow and then to Canada. After 17 hours of travel, excluding the 7-hour time difference, we arrived at the Lobstick Lodge, which was our accommodation for the week. The lodge was warm, comfortable, and provided plenty of hot water to refresh our tired bodies.

We usually had breakfast and dinner at the nearby Chateau Jasper. Marmot Basin was a new destination for the ski trip, which, despite COVID, has been running continuously for about 20 years. The resort has a dedicated beginner’s area, several quad chairs ascending from the base area to different points on the mountain, and a further set of lifts mid-way, providing a wide choice of runs depending on skill level and conditions. With bluebird days, where the sun shone brightly, and cloud inversions in the morning, Marmot Basin was picture-perfect. Pupils made excellent progress, and with only one notable injury, everyone returned home safe and sound.

The group enjoyed the pool, sauna, and hot tub at Lobstick, visited Jasper’s planetarium, had pizza at the best pizzeria in town, and went on a shopping trip to a large outlet mall on the way back. But all too soon, we were touching down at Terminal 2 and putting our pink trip hoodies in the wash. Special mention goes to Amy Tree, Ella Smith, and Gabriel McKenzie, who have all been on multiple trips over the years.

Junior School Trips

Year 4 Tate Modern Trip

Year 4 had an exciting opportunity to visit the Tate Modern gallery in London. We have recently been learning about Pop Art and were immensely excited at the prospect of seeing a Lichtenstein, having learned about the refurbished power station’s fascinating history and the amazing artworks found inside! During our fun-filled trip, we saw the vast collection of modern and contemporary art, had creative and engaging conversations regarding the art and created observational studies of inspiring works in our sketchbooks. We took time to engage in some experimental drawing together using a Matisse inspired stick drawing technique, in which we extended our drawing tool for an extra challenge. We also worked together to make a collaborative picture in which we had to guide our drawing tool together which was quite difficult but incredibly fun.

Reception Addington Fire Station Trip

Reception had a wonderful trip to Addington Fire Station. The children learnt a lot about what firefighters do to help us. They used the hose, went in the fire truck, looked at equipment and tried on their uniform. It was a very special day, and we were proud of how well Reception represented Royal Russell.

Year 2 Tower of London Trip

The Tower of London was an exciting visit for our Year 2’s this year. We had a lovely walk along the Thames when we arrived and were very fortunate with the weather. When we reached the Tower of London we jumped back in time to 1666 and took part in a workshop all about ‘The Great Fire of London’. The children were all fully engaged. After lunch, always a highlight, we walked around the Tower of London and saw the dazzling crown jewels which we were all very impressed with. We walked along the wall and saw Monument.

The children behaved beautifully, and we were all very proud of them. A huge thank you to our parent helpers who gave up their day to accompany us.

Year 3 Bignor Roman Villa Trip

Year 3 visited Bignor Roman Villa; Bignor is located near to the City of Chichester, which was a Roman stronghold after the Roman invasion in AD 43.

We were met by the amazing museum staff who were our guides for the day. We began with a snack in the sunny picnic area, and we were then transported back into Roman times with a guided tour of the Roman Villa and a workshop, where we experienced Roman lifestyle.

Year 5 Bowles Trip

Awonderfully excited group of Year 5 pupils and teachers arrived at Bowles Outdoor Activity Centre in Tunbridge Wells for a 3-day residential trip. Rock climbing, skiing and teamwork, provided opportunities to test the children’s limits and take risks. Whilst some children laughed and raced around the high ropes, others faced genuine fears. Encouragement and supportive words from their peers and teachers helped them to overcome their concerns and the smiles on their faces told the story of how proud they were to achieve their goals.

There were also many opportunities for the children to use their teamwork skills and powers of collaboration and communication: from raft building in the pool, to traversing dark tunnels underground and from jumping off the Leap of Faith to shooting arrows in archery.

The children demonstrated such kindness and consideration to all, and we are so proud of how they looked after one another in all aspects of the trip. They have come back full of pride and selfconfidence, knowing that they have achieved great things and made lasting friendships.

Year 1 Hever Castle Trip

We had a beautiful, bright and sunny trip to Hever Castle with Year 1. The children used their ‘Curiosity’ Russell Powers asking interesting questions of our guides for the day, Ian and Maggie. The children impressed our guides with their knowledge of castle defences; and were fascinated to see ‘in real life’: battlements; machicolations; murder holes; portcullises (Hever Castle has 3!); a moat; AND to walk across an actual drawbridge. Well done, Year 1 and thank you to Mrs Willis, Mrs Clark and Ms Johar for accompanying us!

Year 3 Addington Hills Trip

Year 3 went on a field trip to Addington Hills to view the Roman town ‘Londinium’ from the viewpoint. We were able to locate the different compass points using compasses and reflected upon how London would have looked when the Romans first invaded. On our walk back, we had a look at the different nature around us and discussed how we can make sure we are looking after our environment. We even saw some bat and bird houses in the trees!

Year 4 Hampton Court Palace Trip

Year 4 were transported back in time to the Tudor era when they visited Hampton Court Palace. The children marched through the grand gates of Hampton Court Palace and gazed in awe at the incredible scale of King Henry VIII’s palace. Journeying through to the Great Kitchen they saw where the food was prepared, smelt fresh herbs and stood by a large roaring furnace. There they learnt about the role of a Spit boy, a 14-year-old whose job it was to rotate the meat in front of the fire. Sitting in King Henry’s seat in the Great Hall brought hierarchy to life as they imagined what it would be like to be King or Queen and learnt about the musicians who would have played in the minstrel gallery.

We then had a guided tour from a costumed actress who was head of the Tudor laundry at Hampton Court, who explained the different roles in Tudor society. Fortunately, some children were very enthusiastic to work at the court and jobs were handed out to the worthiest. Commoner’s jobs included a pastry chef and a gong scourer (toilet cleaner). Some were yeomen, who protected the King, some were nobility, and some were the gentry; page and maid for the Queen. The children were also all taught how to pay reverence just in case they bumped into King Henry!

We were so proud of the children, applying and extending their knowledge whilst showing excellent engagement and curiosity throughout. We all had a fantastic day at the palace.

Year 5 Horton Kirby Trip

Year 5 set out in their welly boots and waterproofs to Horton Kirby, to carry out investigations about the river as part of their Humanities topic. The children were all incredibly excited to go on their first school trip of the year and were filled with energy and enthusiasm to begin their learning. We were greeted by our river experts on arrival and shown around our dry base for the day, before making our way down to the river and spotting what nature we could see. The children had lots of fun using rubber ducks to measure the speed of the river at different points and measuring the river’s depth using metre sticks. We also had a talk about conservation and the importance of keeping our river clean and healthy.

Back at dry base, we tucked into our well-deserved lunches, which were thoroughly enjoyed by all. The afternoon was spent creating models of rivers using mud and Lego, looking at rocks through microscopes and listening to fascinating facts about the River Darent.

After Half Term, we will be using the data we gathered to create cross sectional graphs.

Year 5 Kew Gardens Trip

Ona bright, sunny spring morning, an excited group of Year 5 children headed off to Kew Gardens. On our arrival, half of the year group went off to undertake their workshops, learning about the rainforest and exploring the many plants in the Palm House. The children learned about the important role each plant plays, from adding flavour to our food, to being used for medicinal purposes or even as a toothbrush! Much to the enjoyment of the children, we learned about the clever way that the papaya fruit ensures seed dispersal. You can ask the children if you want to learn more! The other half of Year 5 began their day exploring the many wonders of Kew Gardens, including the Temperate House and the Tree Top Walkway. It was such a beautiful day that we even managed to have a picnic lunch outside.

Year 2 London Zoo Trip

Despite the wet weather, the Year 2 children had a fantastic time at London Zoo seeing all the different animals. We travelled there by public transport and the children were very excited to go on the Tube. When we arrived at the zoo, the first animals we visited were the gorillas. We were very lucky to see a baby gorilla who was only a couple of weeks old. After lunch, we split into two groups and made our way around the zoo. The children loved seeing all the different animals and trying to spot them in their enclosures.

The children behaved brilliantly throughout the day, and we were really proud of them. We received several compliments from members of the public about their behaviour and they were great ambassadors of the School. A huge thank you to the parent helpers who gave their time to accompany us for the day.

Junior School Pantomime

In the run-up to Christmas, the whole Junior School went on a trip to watch the pantomime ‘Beauty and the Beast’. It was in a big top in Redhill: “Oh no it wasn’t!! Oh yes it was!!!”.

Sherry Trifle and Felipe Filop entertained us all from start to finish with their hilarious jokes. There was dancing, sparkle and magic all around. At the end, we all got up to dance and a member of staff was invited to show his moves on the stage! What a lovely treat for all of us and thank you to all the amazing organisers.

Year 6 Portland Residential

Year 6 enjoyed an exciting residential trip to the island of Portland. Each day was filled with activities such as rock climbing, abseiling, water sports, a lighthouse tour of Portland Bill, team-building challenges, campfires and making bread – some more edible than others!

In the evenings, we enjoyed murder mystery challenges, a movie night, and a trip to the immersive and informative D-Day Museum. The week was a brilliant opportunity to collaborate and demonstrate resilience, as lots of the children overcame their fears and took part in activities despite some initial nerves. Overall, it was a wonderful, memorable week that will stay with us all for a very long time.

Junior School Ski Trip

InApril, 100 excited children, parents, and staff embarked on the highly anticipated Royal Russell Family Ski Trip to the stunning resort of Folgarida in the breathtaking Italian Alps. With suitcases packed, personalised sweatshirts on, and passports in hand, the group eagerly left the School at the break of dawn - destination Gatwick Airport. The journey to Folgarida, although lengthy, was met with much enthusiasm from children and parents alike. The stunning Italian countryside immersed us in our skiing adventure instantly. After settling into our welcoming hotel, we all enjoyed a delightful dinner before heading to the ski shop for equipment hire. Once we were all sorted, we went back to the rooms, buzzing with excitement for the days ahead.

On the first morning, the weather did not look too promising. However, everyone enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast and headed for the slopes for their first ski class of the season. Folgarida, nestled in the expansive Trentino region, boasts easy access to the magnificent Madonna di Campiglio. This tempted many parents to explore the impressive 150km of pistes and the higher slopes on the glacier. Meanwhile, the children and beginner skiers enjoyed the picturesque tree-lined runs and charming wooden lodges of Folgarida.

The week was brimming with thrilling skiing, a few tumbles, endless laughter, and countless proud moments. By the end of the week, some of our advanced young skiers confidently ventured to the slopes of Madonna and even tackled the snow park. Our novice skiers transformed into pros, zooming down red slopes with newfound confidence!

Each afternoon, we returned to the hotel for steaming hot chocolate and tasty snacks, providing a perfect opportunity to reconnect with friends and family after a busy day on the slopes. Pre-dinner activities included board games or some relaxing downtime in their rooms. This year, the children even had the fantastic chance to splash around in the hotel’s pool!

Evenings were equally exciting, with après-ski activities such as lively bingo (hosted by our beloved ‘Miss T. Heavens’), Folgarida’s Next Top Model, an engaging quiz, a cosy film night, and a grand finale disco on the last night! The week concluded with immense joy and pride as our talented ski instructors joined us at the hotel to award the children their well-deserved ski badges, celebrating their achievements on the slopes.

It was a week filled with incredible experiences and cherished memories, a truly unforgettable adventure that will be remembered fondly for years to come.

EYFS – Joy, Purpose & Partnership

We have had another joyous year in Early Years, celebrating our creativity, diversity and uniqueness. Our Learning Adventures have included ‘Ourselves, Our Family and Our Communities’.

Highlights of this have included our parents and grandparents sharing stories and experiences with the children and our amazing Early Years Carnival, where parents and children danced and made music in an array of beautiful outfits. We continue to plan our learning around our children’s passions and interests, and this has brought all our learning journeys to life.

This year, we have expanded our outdoor learning experiences and made the most of the 110 acres of nature that we have in our Royal Russell grounds. We really believe that ‘the sky is the limit’ when it comes to outdoor learning. With the help of Pupil Parliament, the children have designed our new Royal Russell Community Garden and the brilliant Estates Team have made it a reality. All Early Years families have contributed to planting, watering and nurturing our first fruit and vegetable crop. This experience, as well as our free-flow continuous provision between inside and outside in all weathers, creates distinctive opportunities and a relationship with nature that will ensure environmental stewardship for the future.

Careers

We continued to deliver careers education to pupils in Years 7-11 through the Wellbeing Curriculum and several new and exciting careers events and opportunities were introduced.

Year 11 pupils with a strong interest in engineering were invited to apply for the prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, which if successful, following a highly rigorous selection process, would mean practical and financial support from industry mentors throughout Sixth Form, providing valuable opportunities with benefits that could last a lifetime. Our Year 11 pupil, Isabelle Ward, was selected for the final interview, and although she wasn’t ultimately successful, she commented on how useful the whole process had been in helping her determine where her strengths and interests lie.

Year 10 pupils with a passion for Science and languages were invited to participate in an International Space Challenge, where their challenge was to design and build a model of a hotel that could operate efficiently in low orbit, present the engineering aspects of their design to an experienced RAF Space Liaison Officer, and make a separate marketing pitch of the hotel, in Spanish, to a panel of RAF linguists. There were multiple other tasks as well. We had great support from Year 12 pupils, James Jones and Ocean Chiu, in preparing for the challenge and were thrilled when our team was announced as the winners. The pupils’ prize is a unique experience at RAF Odiham.

Onceagain, we were well supported by our parents and the local and wider business community, and we continue to develop our contacts with alumni, most notably our recent leavers who add great value to our pupils’ career decisions. Support in the form of guest speakers, small group conversations, focused workshops, and advice clinics was well received and included tax consulting at Deloitte, careers in Politics, Law, Pharmacy, Media, Conservation, Business & Marketing, Investment Banking, Medical and more.

Networking with our local business community has provided several exciting and high-profile opportunities for Sixth Form pupils this year, including supporting the media campaigns for the Annual Veterans’ Lunch, the Develop Croydon Conference and a fundraising event for young people in Croydon through the ‘Love Not Hate’ campaign. Repeat requests for our pupils to assist with key events demonstrate the quality of our pupils’ skills and their professional approach to such challenges.

Another annual highlight of the Careers calendar is the Year 10 Careers Challenge and notably, the Mock Interviews. As ever, our pupils impressed their interviewers with their obvious preparation and breadth of experiences, gained both in and out of school, and with how they could link these to skills desired by employers.

And finally, perhaps the Careers Department’s flagship event, the Higher Education & Futures Fair for our Year 10 and 12 pupils and their families, was as always, brilliantly supported by UK and international universities, Old Russellians who are now apprentices or in their early careers or studying at university, as well as some of our fantastic parents who shared their professional experiences. There was a huge buzz of activity throughout the evening as our pupils learned about the impressive range of opportunities open to them.

Food Preparation & Nutrition

The School year began with very eager Year 7s ready to learn about Food & Nutrition and begin their exciting journey in Food Preparation. The pupils were introduced to the importance of staying safe and hygienic in the kitchen while learning various cookery skills. As the year has progressed, they have become more confident and independent in the kitchen.

The annual ‘Festive Decoration Project’ saw a fabulous array of chocolate oranges planned and decorated.

We continued with a Yuletide theme with our Christmas House baking competition. Each House was challenged to make a festive-themed Yule log, by making a Swiss roll and then designing their own decorations.

Competition winners:

Joint 1 st - Madden & Queen’s

3 rd- Keable

4 th - Buchanan

5 th - Hollenden

6 th- St Andrew’s

7 th - Cambridge

Joint 8 th - Oxford & Reade

Our Year 8 pupils have been focusing on how to adapt recipes and menu planning for individuals with specific dietary requirements. This has seen classes preparing vegetarian dishes and cooking with alternatives such as gluten free flour and lactose free milk. The classes were tasked with completing a project on morals and ethics in food, with topics that included ‘Are animals fairly treated in the food industry?’ and ‘Would a vegetarian diet help solve the impact of global warming?’. Their projects included planning and preparing a main course dish that reflected their topic choice.

During the Summer Term, we welcomed Year 3 to the kitchens to introduce the pupils to cooking in the Senior School. We discussed the importance of breakfasts and how to keep energy levels high. They enjoyed making batches of blueberry muffins and learning how to wash up!

Individual Winner - Ella

Second place - William

Third Place - Izzy

At the start of the year, our GCSE pupils visited the London Southbank University Bakery School to tour their college and its extensive facilities while participating in a baking demonstration.

The Year 10 focus has been building on practical skill development, the dovetailing of dishes and time management. Their hard work and planning culminated in an end-of-term assessment in which they prepared three courses and accompaniments in three hours.

Next year sees more trips planned, including Westminster Kingsway College, Sushi Café, and a walking food tour of East London and Sorrento.

Old Russellians

Sport Tournament

In 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.

Results were as follows:

• 1st place, Dave Jewiss (Royal Russell Staff) with a very impressive score of 40 points.

• 2nd place, Robin Parker (1969 - 1975, Oxford) who also had a score of 40 points but came second on countback.

• 3rd place, James Simpson (1975 - 1983, Cambridge) with a score of 38 points, beating Jerry Winter (1966 - 1971) into 4th place on countback.

Riverside Drinks

We 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.

Golf Tournament

The Old Russellians Golf Society was established in 2015 with an original membership of just a dozen players. 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.

Reunion for New Alumni 2024

We welcomed back the classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023 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 all ORs for a drinks reception on Royal Russell Day in a new format for the event.

Year 3 Viking Day

In February, Year 3 discovered what it was like to be a Viking, when we were visited by a brave Viking warrior called ‘Bjorn’. They took part in lots of fun activities, including Viking board games, spear wrestling and a fun fact quiz.

They also found out lots of interesting information about the Vikings. Did you know that there is no evidence that Vikings actually had horns on their helmets? Also, the Vikings were extremely superstitious,and they believed that if they did not die in battle, then they would not go to Valhalla. This meant that there were lots of battles and raids!

The Year 3 pupils finished the day by preparing for a raid on Year 6, where they more than proved their skills as convincing, scary, and fearless Viking warriors, taking lots of prisoners.”

I enjoyed stealing the Year 6s. It was really fun to go into their classrooms!” Dylan

I liked the Spear Wrestling Game because you had two people on your team and worked together.” Daniel

I liked seeing all of the different weapons that Vikings used. We got to see a real axe and spear!” Amelia

My favourite part was attacking the Year 6s. It was funny.” Olivia

Ancient Egyptian Day

Year 4 arrived at school in their fantastic Egyptian outfits; Mummies, Explorers, Pharaohs, Cleopatras and even the God Anubis. They were then transported back in time some 4,000 years ago, to the Ancient Egyptian era. First, the children impressed our guide, Lauren, with their confident geographical knowledge of Egypt. They were then challenged to a quiz, where they had to research the answers related to many different Egyptian topics.

The children looked at photos of Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. They then held precious Egyptian artefacts including jewellery and Canopic jars. Some even smelt the jars for evidence of their past contents, which could have included intestines or lungs!

The children loved taking centre stage as they performed in a role play and learnt about some of the most important gods and their relationships to each other. Then they performed a story about ‘A Day in the Life of a Pharaoh’.

Prayers were made to the gods of the organs. After 30 days, when the body was dried, it was wrapped up in linen. The children were surprised to find out that this process could take up to 10 days and use up to 60 metres of linen!

The mummified body was then taken on a mournful procession through the ‘streets of Ancient Egypt’ before being taken to its final resting place, inside a wooden sarcophagus. Everyone said a final goodbye to the mummy and closed the tomb. The next Pharaoh was now his widowed wife, and all praise was given to her!

I found out that they had a top 9 gods amongst the 2,000 gods, including 3 goddesses.” Eloise

It was amazing to be able to play games that were played by Egyptians thousands of years ago!” Seren

I enjoyed being the part of the messenger when I had to deliver news from Upper Egypt to Lower Egypt and back again!” Alexis

I liked the mummification part especially when they stuck the hook up the nose and pulled out all the stuff, which was the brain.” Zak

It was really funny, and it was something I hadn’t ever seen before!” Neil

I really enjoyed learning about mummification!” William

I loved how we got to act out each part of our day!” Mackenzie

The children had a fantastic day and learnt so much from the interactive Egyptian workshop.

FYI - No children or bodies were harmed in the making of this workshop!

Model United Nations

MUN (Model United Nations) is an extracurricular activity in many schools and universities, where pupils assume the roles of countries and organisations represented in the United Nations within specific committees and debate issues concerning the world. This has been a key activity offered at Royal Russell for 41 years. Beyond the varied debates held during our weekly Senior MUN and Mini MUN sessions, our pupils also have the opportunity to develop their public speaking skills and meet pupils from other schools when attending a range of conferences throughout the year.

Reigate MUN 2024

We began our MUN season with the 27th Reigate MUN conference. Archer Stephen, Joseph Soya-Bongay and Zachary Devlin represented Germany in the Historical Security Council, the Disarmament and Security Committee and the Social Humanitarian Committee, respectively. Doris Vucinic, Rohan Phillpot, Mahalea Mitchell and Manha Chaudhry represented France in the Security Council, the Environment, Health and Social Humanitarian Committees. As Chair of the Crisis Committee and Vice-President of the Historical Security Council, Mark Ben Mikhelson and Johan Prinsloo showed great professionalism, just a week before officiating at our Royal Russell IMUN Conference as Presidents of the General Assembly.

The Hague International Model United Nations Conference 2024

Agroup

of Royal Russell pupils once again had the privilege of attending the 56th edition of the prestigious International MUN conference in The Hague, one of the key United Nations cities, where around 3,000 delegates from all over the world gathered to debate the theme of ‘Peace, Law and Justice’ and develop their public speaking skills in a very special environment. Our pupils successfully represented the Maldives through their participation in lobbying and debating topics such as The question of the Chagos Archipelago, The question of working towards the elimination of crimes against women and girls committed in the name of honour, The question of development of sustainable agriculture practices in the context of a green economy or The question of strengthening the role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) amongst many other current global issues. All delegates were actively involved in their respective committees, making speeches, points of information and submitting resolutions.

41st Royal Russell School International MUN Conference

InOctober, the School transformed into a conference centre to welcome hundreds of pupils and staff from 38 different schools, who travelled from 10 countries to attend this annual landmark event. Over the following days, pupils debated in 11 different committees, covering current issues such as The question of the expansion of NATO, The question of nuclear in a low carbon economy, The question of gender equality, The question of reparations for slavery, The question of advancing the role of women in leadership and political participation, The question of justice for war crimes amongst many others, and The Question of Artificial Intelligence in the Crisis Committee.

Well done to Winnie Wang, Raashmi Niranjan, Caprice Walsh and Francesco Licheri. Our Heads of Secretariat, Conor Morris, Jasmine Rihal, Nadra Webb and Fabio Marmarchi, ensured the smooth running of committees. Hollie Taylor and Tahnee Dione and their Press Team, produced four fantastic new editions of our MUN Magazine, ‘The Delegate’. Poppy Clements and Will Press, along with the Media Team, are to be commended for their incredible work in the production of a game show, the filming and streaming of the General Assembly, Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and of course, our very own ‘MUN’s Got Talent’ event. Our Senior Officers made our school very proud with their commitment, thoroughness and diplomacy when leading the General Assembly and Security Council.

Congratulations to Iris Nuredini, our Secretary General; Jiya Desai, Mark Ben Mikhelson, and Johan Prinsloo, Presidents of the General Assembly; and Lucas Easton and Alexander Chesters, Presidents of the Security Council. Well done to all our delegates who represented Cyprus, Jamaica and Syria, and a special mention to Rohan Phillpot, who received the Distinguished Delegate Award in the Social and Humanitarian Committee.

Haileybury

MUN 2024

Finally,

Royal Russell delegates attended the 29th annual Haileybury MUN conference, representing the School with enthusiasm and panache for Ecuador and Kenya. Marcus Leung and Rohan Phillpot led a successful debate with excellent speeches on the issue of labour rights and modern slavery, and had their resolution passed with an overwhelming majority. Uliana Tokolova was the Ambassador for Ecuador and played a proactive role in the Security Council. As the Ambassador of Kenya, Johan Prinsloo was equally productive in submitting two resolutions on, The question of the restitution and reparations to formerly colonised states and The Question of the distribution of natural resources acquired from outer space by both Member States and private corporations. Well done to Zoë Spellings and Shailen Mistry for their participation in the Conference Special Committee and Ecology and Environment Committee respectively, as well as Lauren Silvera and Emilie Marshall-Tate as delegates in the Disarmament and Security Committee. Congratulations to Marcus, who received the prestigious Distinguished Delegate Award.

PEB Magazine

PEB (Politics, Economics and Business) is a pupil-run newspaper coordinated, edited and written solely by Year 12 pupils at Royal Russell. It has provided them with a chance to research what they are interested in outside the A level curriculum, allowing space to link what they are taught in the classroom to real-life events.

Editors Hayden Randall and Isaac Hayden have worked to ensure each edition is coherent and well punctuated. Meanwhile, Graphic Designer Katja Windle has produced two stunning front covers that are both eye-catching and sophisticated.

As a team, they would like to thank everyone who has read PEB.

This year, they produced two editions with a combined total of 15 articles. The journalists included Roan Ecott, Alexander Mazzoni, Mina Chung, Dylan Mistry, Hayden Randall, Kevin Sheng, Isaac Hayden, Vladislav Ageev and James Farrell. Standout articles from both releases cover topics such as GTA VI, world economies, girl math, sports leagues, Brexit, stocks and the Fortnite World Cup.

Theatre Society

‘Mamma Mia!’ What a ‘Wicked’ season of shows for Royal Russell’s Theatre Society this year. ‘Six’ amazing trips, including the hilarious ‘Book of Mormon’, there were no ‘Miserables’ amongst us that night! (Sorry!) Our May outing saw a spectacular Grand Finale, with a trip to the award-winning production of ‘Cabaret.’

We were welcomed into ‘the KitKat Club’, down smoky corridors, through greenlit rooms and winding passages, greeted by glamorous dancers direct from Berlin in the 1930s, all encouraging us to ‘loosen up, relax and be ourselves.’ We soon learnt that life back then was not to be so beautiful, in a stunning, moving and thought-provoking show. We were at a ‘party at the end of the world’ and as one pupil said afterwards, “That experience was life-changing.”

What a privilege to share the experience with such a fabulous group of fellow theatre lovers. As ever, it’s been a delight to spend time with the Theatre Society members, staff and pupils, and we can’t wait to start planning our 24-25 season of shows. A huge thank you to everyone involved, especially Ms Smith!

Parents’ Association - The 1853 Society

The Parents’ Association (The 1853 Society) delivered a series of wonderful events, starting with the Christmas Fair in November. This was followed by a line-up of exciting gatherings, including the Ball, R-Fest, social evenings 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 Parents’ Association and all the volunteers who make these events happen - the community is truly grateful for everything you do.

CCF – Army Section

2024 has been a great year for the Army Section at Royal Russell CCF. We have grown in size, with 85 Army section cadets parading at Royal Russell on a weekly basis and have conducted the highest number of activities in a year, this side of the global pandemic. We have also had two former cadets return as Cadet Force Adult Volunteers to continue developing and improving the experience on offer.

Most recently, we had 68 new cadets join us from Year 9 in September and they are currently undergoing a joint training package prior to choosing their section for the Spring Term. This year, the CCF is led by Company

Sergeant Major Stanley Harrison, who is also a Deputy Head Boy. Over the Summer holidays, CSM Harrison and SSgt Cascarini attended and passed the Master Cadet Course at Frimley Park, which is the most advanced and challenging course available to Army Cadets involving a 4-day Fieldcraft exercise.

Since January, the Army section has undertaken a variety of “green” activities, from live firing on ranges, first aid and signals training and blank firing on tactical fieldcraft weekends. We have also implemented a new Army Cadet Syllabus (ACS21) with training now split down into mandatory and elective modules, tailoring the experience for each cadet. Training is based around the values and standards of the Army and Army Cadets: Courage, Discipline, Respect for Others, Integrity, Loyalty, Selfless Commitment. Over the course of the year, the Army Section has fired 9,395 live rounds, 15,826 blank rounds, 36 flares and 17 smoke grenades, whilst also consuming 160 ration packs (equal to a massive 800,000 calories!).

Highlights include the Contingent taking part in London Poppy Day for the fourth year in a row. Ten cadets and four instructors raised almost £30,000 for the Royal British Legion in a single day. Our Army Section Summer Camp was memorable thanks to Major Owen Larsen from the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME). Major Larsen left Royal Russell School in 2005 and embarked on a career in the Regular Army. Making use of the contacts he has gained throughout his service, he helped deliver a brilliant training package, which was enjoyed by all the young cadets who took part.

In addition, we have received a presentation from Regular REME soldiers who were attached to the 3 Rangers Light Aid Detachment (LAD). Every time the Rangers go on an expedition/deploy, at least one REME specialist must accompany them in order to repair and maintain their vehicles and equipment. As part of the presentation, a REME armourer showcased various weapons and answered all questions. Afterwards, the cadets were allowed to handle the weapons too. The cadets also received a talk from REME vehicle mechanics, along with the chance to enter and explore the vehicles used by the mechanics, such as ATVs and Land Rovers.

The Army Section is particularly proud that we have been able to significantly increase the provision of Adventure Training (AT) this year. AT is designed to take cadets out of their comfort zone with challenging, inspirational, progressive and safely managed events. Cadets are given the chance to gain National Governing Body (NGB) qualifications at all levels too. As part of this, the Army Section has completed various activities: high ropes at Go Ape, white water rafting at Lee Valley, parachuting at Netheravon Airfield, and Ninja Warrior inflatables at St Andrews Lakes.

Our cadets have also been invited to attend the Cadet Centre for Adventurous Training (CCAT), which is based at Capel Curig Training Camp in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park. Over the Summer holidays, three Army cadets attended CCAT, taking part in a multi-activity package. This unique opportunity gave our lucky cadets a taste of various sports, including mountain biking, kayaking, hill walking and rock climbing. The three cadets enjoyed themselves so much that they even went back over the October Half Term for a week-long mountain biking course!

Through CCF, our cadets have been able to access opportunities unavailable elsewhere. This helps to explain why our numbers continue to go from strength to strength.

InterSchool Maths Challenge

In May, the School hosted our annual Year 5 Primary Mathematics Olympiad, involving 16 local independent and state schools. The young pupils from across the borough and beyond were enthusiastic and worked hard on the competition. Congratulations to overall winners Royal Russell Junior School, with Elmhurst School and Laleham Lea School as runners-up.

Thepupils were rewarded with some welcome refreshments and enjoyed a presentation from professional magician Andrew Jeffrey. His show on ‘The Maths and Magic of the Rubik’s Cube’ took the young people on a journey through the construction of not just the cube, but numbers themselves. It was a show full of mathematics and magic. A huge thank you to Mrs Smith, as well as our Sixth Form helpers, for coordinating the competition part of this successful event.

Russell School Foundation

In September, we launched the Royal Russell Development Foundation in the Great Hall. The attendees consisted of a mix of parents, former parents and Old Russellians. One of the Heads of School, who is in receipt of a bursary, also spoke about the marvellous opportunities Royal Russell has given her as a result of the School’s generosity.

Theglossy brochure talks of raising £1 million for bursaries and the Fund between now and the School’s 175th anniversary in 2028, providing one-half of the School’s bursaries to take the burden off current parents.

Charity No.1206813 | royalrussell.co.uk foundation@royalrussellschool.co.uk

We believe that this will provide lasting benefits not only for the bursary recipients themselves, but for the whole pupil body: increasing the socio-economic diversity of our pupil body is a key part of our ethos and fundamental to providing a balanced, grounded, and positive education for all our children. The Russell School Development Foundation has been created to help the School meet its bursary goal by providing a conduit for the continued generosity and philanthropy of the Royal Russell community of parents, former pupils, and friends. With the help of our supporters, we believe we can change the lives of young people forever by offering them the best gift of all: an outstanding Royal Russell School education.

Old Russellians are asked to consider donating whatever they can, either in the form of a one-off gift or a regular, monthly gift. More details can be found on our website or you can donate using the QR code shown below.

The Russell School Development Foundation

Eco Week

Our inaugural Eco Week was a week dedicated to sustainability from 17 - 21 June, designed to educate everyone on how our actions impact the planet and how we, as a school, can improve going forward. True to our school motto, ‘NonSibi Sed Omnibus’—Not For Oneself But For All—Eco Week inspired a collective commitment to environmental responsibility. Throughout the week, the School held geography, politics, and physics talks, offering further insights into environmental topics from political and historical perspectives. A Year 7 Science class made pollution particle detectors out of recycled cardboard milk cartons. Year 10 pupils engaged in their Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) classes by researching and presenting environmental problems and solutions to each other in Spanish. We also enjoyed a special Russell Talk on ‘The History of the Earth’s Climate’ by James Jones and Tahnee Dione, which added depth to our understanding of environmental issues.

The Junior School held an assembly on ‘Air Quality’ and encouraged as many people as possible to walk to school for ‘Walk on Wednesday.’ In addition, all pupils wore their own clothes that day to raise funds for Climate Recovery Fund and WWF UK. We unveiled our wonderful new Community Garden with CBeebies star Mr Bloom as the guest of honour. As well as being a community hub, our garden has become a wonderful place for learning and fostering a sense of ecological stewardship. We continue to be grateful to the Parents’ Association for their funding of the project and to Mrs Mawanda for organising the Grand Opening.

The Senior School also hosted a Clothes Drive on Monday and a Book Swap on Thursday, both held at lunchtime. We were grateful for all donations received, as they greatly supported these events. Pupils and staff embraced the challenge to ‘travel green’ and reduce their printing throughout the week, contributing to our goal of reducing our environmental footprint and promoting sustainable practices.

All proceeds raised in Eco Week were donated to the Climate Recovery Fund and WWF UK.

Knight Frank Schools Triathlon

£83,046 raised by 700 young triathletes at Royal Russell

700 children from 26 local schools came together at Royal Russell on Sunday 19 May to take part in the Knight Frank Schools Triathlon, the UK’s largest fundraising event for children. In teams of four, they swam, cycled and ran their hearts out and raised over £83,046 for Restless Development and numerous other charities chosen by the participating schools. It is a truly inspiring story of local children supporting young leaders around the world.

Pupils ran, swam and cycled a total equivalent to the distance between Bristol and Barcelona.

Royal Russell has supported and hosted the event since it began in 2015. It is truly a community-centred day, with local businesses and over 2,000 attendees coming together for a feel-good event. Generous volunteers and Royal Russell pupils kindly gave up their Sunday to ensure the event ran smoothly.

Lots of inspiring stories came out on the day, including top fundraisers for a second year running; Archie, Caleb, Josh and Rafe. They set a challenge to beat their fundraising from the previous year and they achieved this by putting on competitions at schools, bake sales and selling plants and books.

When asked why they believed it was important to fundraise, they said, ‘To help young people who aren’t as fortunate as us,’ and that they hoped to ‘give people the chance to lead the life they want to’.

Fundraising continued post-event with The Fire Ants Dash team from Royal Russell Junior School, who have raised an incredible £1,084 for charity.

The Knight Frank Schools Triathlon is an event that captures the determination, power and compassion of young people.

A team crossing the finish line of the Schools Triathlon event at Royal Russell (Photo: Year 12 pupil Ryan Lee)

Top fundraisers Archie, Caleb, Josh and Rafe with their ‘Champion of Change’ medals (Photo: Restless Development)

years of Royal Russell at Ballards

100 years ago, Edward, Prince of Wales, laid the foundation stones for the Aston Webb buildings and the Chapel on our current site, previously known as Ballards Estate. Over 1,500 guests attended the Grand Opening on 23 July 1924. At the time, the site was home to 149 war orphans, marking not only the establishment of a new institution but also the start of a brighter future for its young residents.

100 years

since the laying of our Chapel’s foundation stone