Senior
The school is highly successful in meeting its aim to provide an outstanding academic education and an extensive range of co-curricular activities in the context of a family school. Throughout the school, from the EYFS to the Sixth Form, pupils' achievement in academic subjects is excellent. ISI Inspection Report
Wee Arree Roya W Ro oyyaall R Ru usseelll I am del elighted that you have expressed ssed an interest in joining Royal Russsell School S . Our happy, vibrant v and forward-looking ook king community provides our girls and boys with an exception onal educational exper xp ience and, in a so oci ciety seemingly obs obsessed with h data d and targgetts, it is alll too easy sy to lose os sight igh of what an exceptional educcation actu ually means. ans. A Royal Russel s ll educa ucation is one tha at is a per p sonal experie encce for every ch child. Our pu upils mat m ter to us and th hey are nur tured, valued and a praised prai . They are given op ppor tun nities and challenges n where they are alllowed to enj e oy their succcess and learn from theirr experiences. We recognise that the relative progress es and achie evem ments of the individual are just a ass impor tant as the success of the e cohor t as a whole. Our pupils are remarkable and a pleasure to teach. They are a e resp spe ect ctful, enthusiastic, motivated and tolerant. We expect them to take risks in the pursu s it of perso on nall developme pment and to be b com ome confident and resilient. We therefor ore select pupils who ho we feel will wor wo k hard, share the heir tale ents and take full advantage of the e oppor tunities R Royal Ru ussell sell has to offer by playing an active role in our community. I look forward to welcoming you o . Chris Hutchinson Headmaster
Sp S pace tto o Learn n Our extensive and impressive on-sit site ffacilit acil ies and state of the art technolo acilit ogy blend our campus. The buildings and grounds throughout our 110 acrre estate are professionally cared 1 ed for and d we take great pride in our environm ment.
Whe here bet etter than outside to read, re-enact ct a moment in history, or conduct an explossive science n expe p riment?
We make full use of our space and the op r tunities it offers. We play in it, we p oppo paint it,
Our pupils O p s have spa space to lea arn, space to play, space pace to laugh h, space pace to explor xplore, space s to grow, space to cha spac hallenge ge and a space sp to be themselves as par t of our close community.
run through it, we camp in it. it
Wee arree A W Acchiieeeve verrs A Royal R Russel u l educatioon will equip ussel ui your o child hi d tthorough oughly and a suitably ffor or a compet petitive and challenggin ng world. ld Our broad and stimu ulat ating cur urriculum, latest techn hnologgy and h highly dedicated staff combine to stretch h ima maginations, inspire creative thinking and ra aise a aspirations.. Ou O r pupil pu s have an extraordina ary range nge of tale entts, which ch we seek eek out, nu ur ture and celebrate. We believe strongly iin co-ed c ducation and tha hat tthe e best learning ttakes pllace w with girls and interpreta ationss, perspectives and learning styles. Emphasis is placed strongly on effor t, both academic and in the wide range of co-cu co rricular lar
activitiess o on offer to enrich learning. Hard work and com mmitment is expected, recognised and d rewarded. We have a well-developed and sophisticated Car areers Deparr ttment and specialist careers Our pupils deserve to achieve the best exam results they can. Our girls and a boys achieve excellent results due to the com ommitment of th heir teachers to deliver the very best lessons and the attitud de and a willingness of our pu up pils to learn rn.
Our children are very different and the school provides ffor or that. They are very haappy at Royal Russe R ussell. They willl leave the school well educaated, confident young adults with h a great grounding ffor or theeir futures.
Love the atmosphere a friendly feel the and s school creates, from s aff and children, st which is quite unique.
We love We ovvee Spoorrt Participation and enjoyment of sport, at all levels, is at the core of our etho h s. Spor t promotes a healthy lifestyle and devel e ops teamwork, discipline, resilience and personal motivation. Above all, spor t at Royal Russell is an enjoyable experience. We offer an exxttensive range of sports for quality participation, fitness and fun including Football, Netball, Hockey, Cricket, Gymnastics, Trampolining, lining Table Te ennis, Basketball, Athlettics and Rounders. All pupils have timeta t bled PE lessons ssons along with a games afterno noon n. We enjoy a busy fixture list throughou ut the year and are ar proud to put out a large nu o n mber m of teams, s giving all pupils the oppor tunityy to o repr ep esent their school, regularrly winningg local, regional and national titles. For o our elite athl th etes, we employ the latest coaching ch techniques, physical conditioning method ds and video technology alongside
training from sp pecia alist coaches, each c exper t in ttheir eir field field. We are able to identify those students displ playing spor ting talent and provide de e tailor m made development programmes mes for m teams and individ ndividuals. Scholarsh hips help recruit outstandi nding athlete es and we suppo or t their aspirationss through ou ur Academy programme. eavil v y in spo s r t and our We continue to invest he exception c onal o on-si site facili a ities es include four full size and four jjuni nior size grass football pitches, s, a new nationa t l standard flood fl lit it astroturf pitch ch for Hockeyy and d two further rt er ne ew floodlitt allweather games ames areas for Nettball all and Tennis. e . We also have a large, ge well equipped pped spor ts ha all, gymnasium, nas 25 metre indoor swimming mi g pool and d a new athle t etics fiel ield and d cr c icket square. A ch hallllengingg cross-cou o ountry course e winds its way through ou ur extensi en ve grounds.
My daughter has grown much more confident and has developed a keen sense of academic purpose that we can attribute to the excellent care and nurturing en nvi vironment at Royal Russe R ussell School.
We ar We arree P Peerffo oorrmers Music and Drama play an excitingg and nd prominent rolee at Royall R Russel u l, with pupils ussel of all abilities regularrly ly participating. Activity centres around our superb Per formingg Ar ts Centre at the heart of our campus pus, providing ing an abundance of opportunities es for music sic making and performing. Our Drama department is lively and dyna amic. c. It offers all pupils the opportunity to take pa p r t, both within wit the curriculum and as a co-curricular develop their ability to spea ak in pu ublic, lic, as welll as enabling those with a creativve streak to fully express themselves. Therre are many productions throughout the year, including ng House competitions and the eagerly anticipated d annual School Play. The year 7 to 9 production provides the opportunity for our younge ng r pupils to be in the spotlight. Our thrivin ving Music dep epar tment has gained a
repu puta t tion for musical excellence with a grea eat ma any of our pupils taking individual musicc tuition t and nd achieving achievin significant musical success. s. We have a Jazz Band, Swing Band d, Orchestra tra a d variou and i us choirrs, s includ din ing the e Chamb Chamber mber Choir hoir ir and nd Barbe B ersho op for o male ale voic oices. Pupils P have an abundance nce o of oppor pportunities ties to perform in the e many concerts held throughout the year. Music willll always remain a non-elitist departm ment, encouragingg music making of any standard or genre simplyy for personal enjoyment. One of our great stre rengths iss the close collaboration between the Music and Drama depar tments, who regularly rly come toggether for school productions.
I wish I was a pupil! An excellent school with caring and professional staff.
Wee arree Crreeativ W attiivvee There is immense enjoyment nt and d personal satisfaction in the bringing to life of ideass and concepts. an The e iis nothing Ther t ng like e cr c eating som omething that is beautifu b ti ull, usefu eful,l en e ter taining ing, captures a momentt in ttime, orr is si s mply well presented and delicious! Creatiive expression iss liberating and rewarding ng. It encourages ges independent thinking, experimenta tation and risk taking. Our Art, Photogr grap a hy, Med edia ia, Food and Design nts nurture the creative Technology depar tments
streak in every pupil, with exceptional results. Our pupils’ creations can be seen throughout our school. Art and Photography pieces adorn our o corridors and the results of Design and Technology projects ts can be seen in our reception ception areas. Media pupilss prod p uce all our offficial ficial school videos and theirr work is showcase ca d in our an annual Royal Russell ‘Roscars’ ca event. e
Wee arree Con W nttri riib bu b utto uto orrs achieved through a purel e y academi micc curricul culum. m W Wee encou urage a healthy balance of accademic ic rigour ri ur and an co-curricular ric la participation, wh heree pupils can explore alternative iinteressts and u unearth hidden talents. We run u an n exxciting programme of enriching clubs and a a activities, in n which ch all pupils are enccouraged to pa ar ticip pate, to enha nh nce their sttudies, learn n new sskillls, extend nd their friiendship group ps or si s mply pl ju ust to have fun and an relaxx at the th end off a busyy ssch hool da ay. Our Mod O Mo el e United Nations (MU UN) programme iis second cond to none in the UK and d ou o r own annual conference, held in October, has an international reputation for excellence. e Pupils develop excellent debating and public spe eaking a skills and have the oppor tunity to attend many ny conferences both in the UK and worldwide. We have an active Combined Cadet Force
(CCF) CC w who train weekly within our extensive grou oun nds, in Army and RAF sections. Our cad adets attend prestigious leadership co rses and travel to many residential camps cou p at military bases throughout the year. Our Duke of Edinburgh trra aining represents significant personal challenge ge, with regular Bronze, Silver and Gold expeditio tions. Pupils are e enc encouraged to get involved ed in all aspects of school life and contribute to the aspe th running of their school hool. Through the Student ntt Cou uncil, Food Comm C mmittee, pupil-led School Newspaper and in their Hou uses ses, pupils sharre ttheir ideas, collabor l ate positi p sitively and organise socia ial and charity t e events.
We believe that th We he wide range of opportunities botth academic, the arts and sport give a well rounded education and caapitalises on the strengths of the in ndividual child.
We arree Adv We Ad Ad dvventtu urroou ous comp prehensi e ve schedule of day and nd residentiall trips ffor or every year group. Academ e ic depar tments lead educationa nal trips to o insp spire and en engage pupils in the th topics being first-ha irst hand experience. visits to galleries and museums and attending conferences and d worrkshops. k Residentia n l trriips provid ide the th oppor tunity for adventu e ure, study and the broadening of ho orizons. Pupi pils gain independen nce away from m home and form new friendship p groups. Geography pupils have recently travelled
to Waless, Spain, Ame erica and Iceland. Our Linguists have enjoyed cultural a exchanges to France and Spa ain. The Histtory depar tment has visited the battlefields in Ypres. es. s. The Science department has visitte ed the Eu urope pean Organisation for Nuclear Research (CE CERN) in Switzer tzerland and a large group off pupils of allll ages attend ded the annual ski trip to America. We also run regular evening and weekend trips to the theatre, theme pa arks and London Lo attractions, purely for our pupils' p enjoyment, ent, as well as a comprehensive programme of activities for our boarding pupils. p
All three of our children haavve attended the Senior School at some stage of their education. They haavve thoroughly enjoyed their years at R Rooyal R Russe ussell and have achieved their full academic potential, benefitting from very caring and supportive staff who have enabled them to become confident and well rounded young people. As parents, we have been extremely pleased with our choice of school ffor or our children in all aspects and a would (and do) recommend it very highlyy..
Wee F W Feeel aatt Hom mee Around one fifth of ourr girls and boys livee at school in our well-positioned d and homely boarding houses. Pupils within our thriving ng boarding ng community ea and from overseas join us from the local area and add a vibrant international dimensio im ion to our 24 hour school life. Boarderrs are able to enjoy their school day with day pupills, s have time to take part in activities after sch chool and complete their homework in a quiet, supervised environment. Their free time can be spent socialising and relaxing with their friends in comfortable surroundings. W st boarders may spend weekends with Whil theirr ffamily or guardians, the majority remain in school ol, taking part in the host of activities ies and trips laid id on for their enj e joyment.
We arree Im We mp poort rtan ntt
Ultim U mately, each boa b rding house is a home. All our boa b ard diing staff live on-site, creating a friendly, happy and supportive family atmosphere.
Our new ew Boys' Day and Boarding ing House e wa w s builtt in 2017 and a an impressive pressive new building ng for ou ur Girls' will open pen in September er 2020. Ou ur boa b rd ding pupils thrive, enth e husiastically l embra e racing their increased d re esponsibilities. b They ey lea arn impor m tant life skills,, inc including those hose of collabor aboration, tolerance and resilience, esilience, that p prepa re them well for university n versity and beyond. They T forrm la lasting relationships hips ps that spa an the world, d, gene enerating those future networking ng opportu opp t nities ties ies that are imporrta t nt in tod day's globa g obal ssociety. All our pupils, both boarding and day, enjoy their eir time me at school and feel h happy, safe and secure within h n our our caring, a family orientated ccomm munity.
It is of paramount importance that our ggirls and boys are happyy an nd enjoyy th heir time me at school and their emotional and physi ysical needs are catered ffoorr.. Pu upils pils perffoor m best when they feel secure, accepted and support p or ed d an nd d are not n t und unduly d stresssed or pressurised. W Wee do all that we can n to ensu sure that p pupils il quickly i settle in, get involved and make new friends. Our ap approach to individual warmth, care e and attention o is highly valued by our pupils an nd their parents.
intere ests, n needs, aspirations and con ncer erns. Th hey work hard on a an individu vid al leve el to nurtur ure, ins nspire,, motivate an and enco n uragge self elff-beli f b ef and confidencce.
Our outsta ts nding pastoral care is strengthened by our House system. Whilst we cel elebr eb ate all that is successful in co-education u n, we are aware that girls and boys have difffer e ent pastoral needs, especia p ecially du d ring the tr t ick cky tee enage years.
Each pup pil’s academic progress, effor t and social wellbeing are monitored closely and our high sta tandards dictate a swift ressponse to any concernss th t rough our warm and caring etween pupils, parentts and sta st ff. f relationships bet
All pupililss, boarding and day, are attached to one of n nine Houses and are supported by our Tutor sys sy tem. Personal Tutors get to know each child d well and understand their
Pupils have a varietyy of o routes for advice vice, suppor t or just a reassur uring chat; witth older pupils, their Tutor, teachers, the t Scho ooll Counsellor llo , Independent Listener and our Schoo Sc ol Chaplaiin. n
The most import i ant reason ffor or choosing Royal R Russe ussell ffor or my child was the house system that provides excellent pastoral care. The social skills ffost ostered at R Ro oyal Russe R ussell are equally as important as the high academic achievement.
Ro Roya oyyaall an an nd d Loy oyyaaall Royal R Russel ussell is proud to haavve enjoyed Royal Patronage on ffrrom its ffound ound u ation n an and Her Majestyy,, Queen Elizabeth II has visited our school h ol on ffour our occasion occasiion ns. In 186 863, Edward, Prince of Wales become our first Roya yal Patron. Upon the death of his m mother , Queen ee Victoria, and his succession succes i to tthe tthrone, Kingg Edward E VII became our first Patr at on n who was the he Ruling Monarch. King Edw Edward d VII was succeeded by King George V, Kingg E Edward VIII and King George VI, allll Patrons of our schooll, until in 1952 our Patr Pa onage was accepted by Queen Elizabeth th II. Royal Russell is privileged to be one R e of a very selle ect group of or o ganisations to have each monarcch in success ssion accepting the office of Patron. n
Her Majesttyy’s first irstt visit to Royal Russe sell was in 1950 0 as Princess ss Elizab beth and she returned in 1963 963 to open nC Cambri bridgge Boarding House and the a t e Practical Block.
I have not been back to the school for a while and, as an Old Russellian, what struck me was the whole ambience and atmosphere being indicative of a successful and thriving community, and long may it last.
In 1979, 7 Queen E Elizab abeth II joined ne ce c le ebration br ns to mark our 125 years and vvisited us aggain n in 2003, 003 our se sesquicentennia e nial year, to open the e Libraryy and Sixth Form Centr t e. The e Scchool ccelebrated the occasion n of Her Majes M esty’s D Diamond Jubile ilee in 2012 2 and, in 2016, w 2016 we were invited to att t end the e Patron’s Lunch event, with our pupils joining jo g the spectacular parade along The Mall, Ma , to celebrate Her Majesty’s 90th Birthd day. a
We haavvvee Histtory We orry Wee are proud W ud of the loong and honorable history of our scho hool. Royal Russe ell wa was founde ed in 1853 as a charity to look afterr th he orphan children of families from the textile il trades. For F mer Prime Minister Lord John Ru ussell, consented to be President of the School ol and the majority of pupils were supported by generous donation nations and scholarships. s.
My son Téo was 3 years old when he was chosen byy his teachers to greet the Queen and present her with a bouque uet of flowers during her visit to Royal Russell in 2003. It was such uch an exciting day for all the children en and we feel honoured to havve been part of such a wonderfull occasion.
Charles Dickenss spoke of those who ho supported our school in a spee eech he made at the e London Tavern in 1857: ‘This is is a school which can an provide such a home as their own dear child dre ren might find happy refuge in, n, if they themselves were taken earlyy aw away. y And I fearlessly ask you, is this not the sort off school which is deserving of your support?' At the end of the First World War, the School Sch had 327 girls and boys in its care ca and had outgrown its site in Russell Hill, Purley. y A new n site was needed and in a breathtaking act of generosity, in 1924 Lord Howard Hollingswor orth purchased our current site and donated it to o
the Trustees ass a gift in memory off the t members of the h textile trad ades who had d left their peaceful occupations and an gave their lives for their ccountry in the Great ea War. Lord Hollingswor worth felt that the best st and most practical way to honour those who died was to provide a good education and a fair chance in life tto the sons and daughters the hey left behind. Reference to ou o r heritage e can be se een throughout the e school in n the e manyy plaqu p q es laid by our generous benefact be ors, the stained glass in the Chape pel and Great at H Hall and d the many portraits of our Patron onss, Presid dents and Head admasters. The original architectu chi ecture, designe es g d by Sir Aston o W Webb, continu n es to blend effor ffo tlessly with our more modern buildings. W Whilst our school d datte es back almost 165 year ars, we are very much h a forward-thinking hinking 21st century school, uph holding the e values off our founders.
Wee arree Su W up pp p poorrtteers We are extremely fortunate thatt our parents enthusiasticallyy supportt our school ol and their children's education. From our energetic Parents' Ass ssociation to attendan an nce n at our many events throughoutt the year, our parents get involved and are our greatest advocates. I feel both my children have been given the best academic start in life possible by Royal Russell. It’s been a great experience. Thank you! The e school community is great, very warm a atmosphere and lovely staff. Grounds are a superb. Passtoral care in n the house sy system e
relationship wi w th his year Tutor and d Housemaster – both of whom om have made themselves available for discussions with us. The experience both our childr dren have enjoyed at Royal Russell go oes d in i beyond education and has resulted a genuine i love l off the th ir i scho hooll days d and respect and affection of the teaching staff. I believe their ties to the school will prove to be life l long. I receive a lot of help with fees from Royal Russell so that my dau d ghters can if I could afford the full fees: it has a family feel and provides wonderfu f l extra curricular
and cultural opportu unities, nities as well as hipss high quality teaching. The relationsh between staff and pupils are excellent, and the house system impresses everyone that I recommend the schoo ool to. My daughter is very happy and doingg extremely well and we are happy wiith her progress. On the two occasions I have contacted the school hool, my ques estion ns have b been dealt with promptly and to my satisfaction. Right choice for my daughter. Really like strong sense of community. We have always felt the campus/ us/facilities ess are great. Royal Russell pupils arre always polite and well presen nted. Sam has bee been n extremely happy at the e school scho from the he age of four and a large part of this has b been be down to the th excelllent l t pastorall care re and d genu g ine interest in the individual. Strong rea asson for choosing Royal Russell is it ca aters for different levels off acad demic achievements and we though ht it would d help our son n get the best grade es he can ach hieve. I am very satisfied ed with the sta tandard of service and educa cation provide ed for both my daughters. Roy oyal Russell turned their academic carreers around d and we owe the school a huge ge debt of gratitude for this success. We are very pleased that we chose Royal Russell for our children.
characteristics that successful members of this community show. At Royal Russell we understand that there is more to success than just one dimension and I believe that successful people and particularly successful pupils, show some or all of the following: They show passion for areas of the curriculum and co-curriculum at the same time as having a balanced view of the passions and interests of others. They are hardworking and focused without becoming obsessed. of service and of Non Sibi Sed Omnibus. Everything we do involves relationships with people. People we know, people we don’t; people we see everyday, people we see once and never again; people we love, and people with the capacity to be loved. People who we respect, people we care for and who care for us. Many of you will know that the Duke of Wellington, as well as being a successful military leader, was also twice the Prime Minister, as was our own Lord John Russell. Wellington’s biographer wrote; “Sir Winston Churchill once told me of a reply made by the Duke of Wellington, in his last years, when a friend asked him: “If you had your life over again, is there any way in which you could have done better?” The old Duke replied: “Yes, I should have given more praise.” So, with the Old Duke in mind I would like to praise and thank those who have made this year so successful for us all. Firstly, ‘Thank you’ to our Teaching and Classroom Staff who mirror so many of those success characteristics and have given their expertise, their knowledge, their time and of themselves to ensure that this year is as successful as possible for all our pupils. My second ‘Thank you’ is to our wonderful Royal Russell pupils. I cannot think of a more lively and interesting bunch and I want you to know just how much of a privilege it is to work with you all. In my newsletter last week I described you as:
R emarkable O penhearted Y outhful A dventurous L imitless
R eliable Understanding S ociable S ensitive E xciting L oyal L oving
amazing range and variety of activities that you have undertaken. support of your children and of the events we are running or indirectly in the positive messages that you send to those who have not yet experienced this amazing school.
Simply put, ‘ We Are Royal Russell ’. Chris Hutchinson Headmaster
Royal Russell School Coombe Lane | Croydon | CR0 5RN www.royalrussell.co.uk Tel: 020 8657 4433 /RoyalRussellSchool
@Royal_Russell