Royal Russell School
Encyclopedia
Royal Russell School is an independent school in Coombe Lane, Croydon, south London
. The Royal Russell School is a co-educational day and boarding school
. The motto of the school is "Non sibi sed omnibus" meaning "Not for self but for all". The School is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
. The patron of the school is HM Queen Elizabeth II
.
There are currently 900 pupils at the Royal Russell School, aged between 3-18. The school occupies a site of 100 acres (0.40 km2), where it stands in beautiful gardens in a delightful rural, wooded estate 2 miles south-east of Croydon
. The School moved the boys part of the school from Russell Hill in Purley to the Ballards site in 1924, then moving the girls section of the school completely to the Ballards site in 1961, and selling the original school site on Russell Hill in Purley in 1961. The Junior and Lower Junior schools are in separate buildings from the Senior School, but are still on the same site.
put their heads together to see what could be done to help the widow and young family of one of their colleagues who had just died. They met in The George Hotel in Aldermansbury and set up a charity to look after orphan children from the families of their trade. It was founded by a committee of textile workers to provide free education for the sons and daughters of ‘necessitous’ employees in the trade. Almost from the outset it was under the patronage of the royal family.
Within a year they had more than a thousand subscribers and a school was purchased in New Cross. Lord John Russell the youngest son of the Duke of Bedford
and ex Prime Minister, consented to be President of the new school founded by subscriptions. The school was established in 1853 as the Warehousemen, Drapers and Haberdashers school, and opened by HRH Edward, Prince of Wales
with John Russell, Lord Russell
as its president.
Charles Dickens
who published his book ‘Bleak House' in 1853, made the following comment about those who supported the school in a speech he made at the London Tavern in 1857. ‘This is a school which can provide such a home as their own dear children might find happy refuge in, if they themselves were taken early away. And I fearlessly ask you, is this not a design which has claim to your sympathy? Is it not the sort of school which is deserving of your support?'
to new buildings which were opened by The Prince of Wales
. The demand for more places for children orphaned by the First World War saw the school need to expand to a new campus. In the 1920s, the estate of Charles Hermann Goschen, Lord Lieutenant
of the City of London
, was donated to the trustees of the school. The school remained in site at Purley and, in 1924, HRH Edward, Prince of Wales
, laid the foundation stone for the current Chapel on the Ballards site. Initially it was only the boys who moved up to the Ballards site, the girls remaining at Purley. During the second world war, the boys and girls changed venues as it was thought safer to have the girls further away from Croydon Airport
. The school operated on two sites until it was decided to sell the Russell Hill site and combine girls and boys in 1961. It is very important that we recognise that until that time, most of the pupils who had attended the school had been paid for by generous contributions from members of the Drapery trade through a cycle of annual appeals.
The current school that was built on the Ballards estate was, in part, a memorial to the former student war dead. The original mansion stood at the top of what we know as Cambridge slope and the current Headmaster's house is all that remains of it today. The Ballards mansion did not provide sufficient accommodation to house both teaching and boarding facilities so Sir Aston Webb
was asked to design the new buildings. Sir Aston Webb
was President of The Royal Academy
and is famous for designing the front of Buckingham Palace
, architect of Imperial College, Admiralty Arch
as well as other well known landmarks in London
. Parts of the new buildings were due to the fact that various benefactors of the school raised large sums of money. Other funds were sponsored by the large drapery stores.
The sale of the site at Russell Hill in 1961 concentrated the junior and senior education at the Ballards site. In 1968 the school became a fully independent fee-paying school with a separate Trust undertaking the fees for the foundationers.
At that time the senior school had three boys' houses and just one girls' house. It quickly became apparent that this situation needed to be changed with greater numbers in the school and new day houses for the girls were created for this. Boarding house life was considered a more friendly and personal environment than the basic class system and this was the reason for maintaining the house system for the day students.
from its early days and The Queen has visited the school on four occasions. Her first visit was in 1950 as HRH Princess Elizabeth
; in 1963 she opened Cambridge House and the Practical Block: she joined the celebrations of 125 years in 1979, and most recently the sesquicentenary in 2003.
The school is now independent of The Warehousemen, Clerks and Drapers Livery companies and operates as a charity under the direction of its own Board of Governors. Extensive changes have taken place in recent years and today there is a thriving IAPS Junior School and HMC
Senior School on the magnificent one hundred acre estate.
In 2003, the school held celebrations to mark its sesquicentennial year, being commemorated by HM Queen Elizabeth II
visiting the school again to open the library and Sixth Form Centre. In 2010 HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
visited the school, officially opening the Performing Arts Centre.
where it stands in beautiful gardens in a delightful 100 acre (0.404686 km²) rural, wooded estate. Its elegant and well-appointed buildings include a fine chapel and excellent modern facilities. The school is affiliated to the Church of England
, and the approach to daily life is founded on Christian principles, but pupils of all faiths are welcome.
A good all-round education is provided to pupils, and examination results are consistently high.
in which inspectors spent 3 days reviewing the Boarding provision. The inspectors were very impressed by all that is done for the schools boarding community and thus obtained a 'Good' classification in each of the 6 categories inspected. The Ofsted report can be found on the Royal Russell School site or here http://www.royalrussell.co.uk/uploads/1/OFSTED_2010_Boarding_Report_1.pdf.
GCSE is taught from years 10 and 11, though it is possible to study maths a year early, starting in year 9 and completing the course in year 10. Required GCSE subjects include Triple Science (or Double Award Science), English Language, English Literature, Maths, and a language, (French, Spanish or English as a Foreign Language). GCSE choices include: French, Spanish, Geography, History, Business Studies, Drama, Art, Music, Design Technology, Food Technology, Philosophy and Ethics, Physical Education, and ICT. There are a choice of 19 subjects at GCSE including the compulsory subjects. Students undertake the required 5 subjects (if studying Triple Award Science this equates to 6), plus 4 of their choice.
The sixth form at Royal Russell follows the A level Course. Sixth formers are able to undertake 4 AS levels (occasionally 5 if the time table allows for this) during their first year. Some carry on with 4 A2's, but many carry on in upper sixth with 3 of these as A Levels, or 3 A2's picking up another AS. There are 23 subjects available. 34% of sixth form students take science A-levels; 25% arts/humanities; 41% both.
Each year the school's boys' houses compete in sports competitions in the annual house football (outdoor and indoor), hockey, basketball, badminton, table tennis, tennis, cricket, sports day activities and the cross country event. The girls' houses participate in many of the same activities with the odd exception in a few of the sports listed earlier as they participate in competitions in netball as well, amongst others. The house points are added up at the end of the year and are announced on Royal Russell Day, where the house shields and trophies are awarded.
At least once a week the senior school holds an assembly, which is split into one for the juniors and another for the seniors, and a chapel service which students attend each week.
opened the school's new sports hall, including two gymnasiums and multiple locker rooms. The Senior School library was opened by HM Queen Elizabeth in 2003, along with the sixth form centre. Michael Morpurgo
opened the Junior School library. HRH Prince Edward
in 2010 officially opened the Performing Arts Centre.
Other visits by:
Sir Trevor McDonald, Brian Moses
and Jeremy Strong
.
and Peru
, and the various geography department trips. In 2008 the school held a trip for students allowing them to go to Kenya
to help Magnet High School for a month. Royal Russell School had been helping to donate money to Magnet High School over the past years forming a strong relationship with the Kenyan school.
(MUN) encouraging students from year 9 onwards to join. The School's MUN holds regular meetings and debates at least once a week on numerous current global issues. The school holds an annual four day international MUN conference in October, and was the first school in Britain to host one, first holding a Model United Nations conference in 1981. It attracts schools from as far away as Japan and California with up to 500 delegates attending. The School's MUN participates in the largest conference in the world, The Hague international Model United Nations conference every year and is affiliated to them. The schools MUN attends conferences at St Andrews College MUN (Dublin), Haileybury MUN (Hertfordshire), The Hague MUN (Hague-THIMUN), City of London school MUN, Haberdasher Aske Boys school MUN (London) and Reigate MUN (Reigate) to name a few.
with a large Army section (affiliated to the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry
) and a small RAF section. The CCF serves in teaching cadets the art of leadership, as well as an extensive variety of other skills and qualifications in first aid and radio using, of which the contingent has a signals arm. Formal qualifications include the BTEC
Diploma in Public Services run via the Cadet Vocational Qualifications Organisation (CVQO
). Cadets are able to attend the Nesscliff or Frimley cadet leadership courses, Blandford Signals courses and the Basic Infantry training course to name a few. The Royal Russell CCF contingent is also in partnership with a local school allowing their students to join the contingent. The corps has three camps a year: an Autumn, January, and Summer camp, with a weekend exercise in April called Wild Bush, involving three days of outside manouvres. In the summer of 2010 the contingent went to Germany and spent time with the British Army
there and the German Amoured corps. In 2010 the corps was rebadged under the Royal Yeomanry
cap badge. The schools CCF contingent parades once a week on Monday evenings.
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. The Royal Russell School is a co-educational day and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. The motto of the school is "Non sibi sed omnibus" meaning "Not for self but for all". The School is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
. The patron of the school is HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
There are currently 900 pupils at the Royal Russell School, aged between 3-18. The school occupies a site of 100 acres (0.40 km2), where it stands in beautiful gardens in a delightful rural, wooded estate 2 miles south-east of Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. The School moved the boys part of the school from Russell Hill in Purley to the Ballards site in 1924, then moving the girls section of the school completely to the Ballards site in 1961, and selling the original school site on Russell Hill in Purley in 1961. The Junior and Lower Junior schools are in separate buildings from the Senior School, but are still on the same site.
History
1853-1866
In 1853 a group of clerks from the wholesale warehouses in the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
put their heads together to see what could be done to help the widow and young family of one of their colleagues who had just died. They met in The George Hotel in Aldermansbury and set up a charity to look after orphan children from the families of their trade. It was founded by a committee of textile workers to provide free education for the sons and daughters of ‘necessitous’ employees in the trade. Almost from the outset it was under the patronage of the royal family.
Within a year they had more than a thousand subscribers and a school was purchased in New Cross. Lord John Russell the youngest son of the Duke of Bedford
Duke of Bedford
thumb|right|240px|William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordDuke of Bedford is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time...
and ex Prime Minister, consented to be President of the new school founded by subscriptions. The school was established in 1853 as the Warehousemen, Drapers and Haberdashers school, and opened by HRH Edward, Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
with John Russell, Lord Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
as its president.
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
who published his book ‘Bleak House' in 1853, made the following comment about those who supported the school in a speech he made at the London Tavern in 1857. ‘This is a school which can provide such a home as their own dear children might find happy refuge in, if they themselves were taken early away. And I fearlessly ask you, is this not a design which has claim to your sympathy? Is it not the sort of school which is deserving of your support?'
1866-1970
By 1866 the school had grown considerably and moved to PurleyPurley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
to new buildings which were opened by The Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
. The demand for more places for children orphaned by the First World War saw the school need to expand to a new campus. In the 1920s, the estate of Charles Hermann Goschen, Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, was donated to the trustees of the school. The school remained in site at Purley and, in 1924, HRH Edward, Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, laid the foundation stone for the current Chapel on the Ballards site. Initially it was only the boys who moved up to the Ballards site, the girls remaining at Purley. During the second world war, the boys and girls changed venues as it was thought safer to have the girls further away from Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
. The school operated on two sites until it was decided to sell the Russell Hill site and combine girls and boys in 1961. It is very important that we recognise that until that time, most of the pupils who had attended the school had been paid for by generous contributions from members of the Drapery trade through a cycle of annual appeals.
The current school that was built on the Ballards estate was, in part, a memorial to the former student war dead. The original mansion stood at the top of what we know as Cambridge slope and the current Headmaster's house is all that remains of it today. The Ballards mansion did not provide sufficient accommodation to house both teaching and boarding facilities so Sir Aston Webb
Aston Webb
Sir Aston Webb, RA, FRIBA was an English architect, active in the late 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century...
was asked to design the new buildings. Sir Aston Webb
Aston Webb
Sir Aston Webb, RA, FRIBA was an English architect, active in the late 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century...
was President of The Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
and is famous for designing the front of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, architect of Imperial College, Admiralty Arch
Admiralty Arch
Admiralty Arch is a large office building in London which incorporates an archway providing road and pedestrian access between The Mall, which extends to the South-West, and Trafalgar Square to the North-East. It was designed by Sir Aston Webb, constructed by John Mowlem & Co and completed in 1912...
as well as other well known landmarks in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Parts of the new buildings were due to the fact that various benefactors of the school raised large sums of money. Other funds were sponsored by the large drapery stores.
The sale of the site at Russell Hill in 1961 concentrated the junior and senior education at the Ballards site. In 1968 the school became a fully independent fee-paying school with a separate Trust undertaking the fees for the foundationers.
1970's
Sadly early in the 1970s the school fell upon hard times and the governors decided that it should close. This, for staff and pupils concerned was devastating news and immediately prompted a new group, that eventually formed the new board of governors, to be set up. This group soon established that the school could survive and so started the new era. Before the threatened closure, the Junior School had been phased out and there were very few fee paying day students. This soon changed as it was necessary to create more income for the school. The Junior School reopened and many more day students were taken into the senior department.At that time the senior school had three boys' houses and just one girls' house. It quickly became apparent that this situation needed to be changed with greater numbers in the school and new day houses for the girls were created for this. Boarding house life was considered a more friendly and personal environment than the basic class system and this was the reason for maintaining the house system for the day students.
2000's - to the present
Since the 1970s, the school has gone from strength to strength. New and better facilities have been built, numbers of girls have increased and the academic record is one to be proud of. The status of being a HMC school is one to be proud of and is testament to the dedication of all those concerned with the running of the school. The school has enjoyed Royal PatronageRoyal patronage
Royal patronage may refer to*Royal patronage in arts, commerce, etc.*Patronato real*Padroado...
from its early days and The Queen has visited the school on four occasions. Her first visit was in 1950 as HRH Princess Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
; in 1963 she opened Cambridge House and the Practical Block: she joined the celebrations of 125 years in 1979, and most recently the sesquicentenary in 2003.
The school is now independent of The Warehousemen, Clerks and Drapers Livery companies and operates as a charity under the direction of its own Board of Governors. Extensive changes have taken place in recent years and today there is a thriving IAPS Junior School and HMC
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
Senior School on the magnificent one hundred acre estate.
In 2003, the school held celebrations to mark its sesquicentennial year, being commemorated by HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
visiting the school again to open the library and Sixth Form Centre. In 2010 HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
visited the school, officially opening the Performing Arts Centre.
School Information
In 1924 the school moved to its present site two miles (3 km) south-east of CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
where it stands in beautiful gardens in a delightful 100 acre (0.404686 km²) rural, wooded estate. Its elegant and well-appointed buildings include a fine chapel and excellent modern facilities. The school is affiliated to the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, and the approach to daily life is founded on Christian principles, but pupils of all faiths are welcome.
A good all-round education is provided to pupils, and examination results are consistently high.
Academic
The most recent ISI report assessed the school in 10 specific areas on a 3 point scale: unsatisfactory, satisfactory and good. In certain circumstances if the lead inspector decides that the standard exceeds those set nationally then an 'excellent' grading can be given. The inspection lasted a full school week (5 days), and in 5 of the 10 categories tested Royal Russell School achieved an 'excellent' grading, and in all others the school was 'Good'- often with comments relating to 'outstanding features'. The ISI report can be found on the Royal Russell school site ore here http://www.royalrussell.co.uk/uploads/1/Royal_Russell_Senior_090310_Final_01.04.2010.pdf.. Royal Russell's Boarding provision was inspected too, as part of a 3 year cycle by OfstedOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
in which inspectors spent 3 days reviewing the Boarding provision. The inspectors were very impressed by all that is done for the schools boarding community and thus obtained a 'Good' classification in each of the 6 categories inspected. The Ofsted report can be found on the Royal Russell School site or here http://www.royalrussell.co.uk/uploads/1/OFSTED_2010_Boarding_Report_1.pdf.
GCSE is taught from years 10 and 11, though it is possible to study maths a year early, starting in year 9 and completing the course in year 10. Required GCSE subjects include Triple Science (or Double Award Science), English Language, English Literature, Maths, and a language, (French, Spanish or English as a Foreign Language). GCSE choices include: French, Spanish, Geography, History, Business Studies, Drama, Art, Music, Design Technology, Food Technology, Philosophy and Ethics, Physical Education, and ICT. There are a choice of 19 subjects at GCSE including the compulsory subjects. Students undertake the required 5 subjects (if studying Triple Award Science this equates to 6), plus 4 of their choice.
The sixth form at Royal Russell follows the A level Course. Sixth formers are able to undertake 4 AS levels (occasionally 5 if the time table allows for this) during their first year. Some carry on with 4 A2's, but many carry on in upper sixth with 3 of these as A Levels, or 3 A2's picking up another AS. There are 23 subjects available. 34% of sixth form students take science A-levels; 25% arts/humanities; 41% both.
School Structure
The school is based on a house system having two boarding houses for boys (Oxford and Cambridge), whilst there is one boarding house for girls (Queens). There are three day houses for boys (Keable, Madden and St Andrews), and three day houses for girls (Buchanan, Reade, and Hollenden). Each house has its own Head of House and House Sports Captain. The school elects prefects each year, and has a Head Boy, Head Girl, and a Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl, along with a Girls' Head of Sports and Boys' Head of Sports as the senior prefects of the school. Each house has its own prefects that help aid the school during day to day running and school functions.Each year the school's boys' houses compete in sports competitions in the annual house football (outdoor and indoor), hockey, basketball, badminton, table tennis, tennis, cricket, sports day activities and the cross country event. The girls' houses participate in many of the same activities with the odd exception in a few of the sports listed earlier as they participate in competitions in netball as well, amongst others. The house points are added up at the end of the year and are announced on Royal Russell Day, where the house shields and trophies are awarded.
At least once a week the senior school holds an assembly, which is split into one for the juniors and another for the seniors, and a chapel service which students attend each week.
Russell Hill, Purley
- 1856-1866 Mr F Gruzelier
- 1866-1870 Mr J Combs
- 1870-1871 Mr J Putnam
- 1871-1877 Mr J Garnett
- 1877-1878 (Acting) Mr Jones
- 1878-1896 Mr A G Ayles, AKC
- 1896-1905 Mr C Collis, MA
- 1905-1914 Mr C B Gutteridge, MA
- 1914-1937 Mr G A Roberts, MA
Royal Russell School, Ballards Estate (Co-educational)
- 1937-1967 Mr F A V Madden MA (Oxon)
- 1967-1974 Mr N Bradshaw, MA
- 1974-1981 Mr S Hopewell, MA
- 1981-1996 Mr R D Balaam, MA Cantab, JP
- 1996-2011 Dr J R Jennings, BSc, PhD
- 2011- Present, Mr C J Hutchinson, BMet Sheffield, MInst P, FRSA
School Terms
All terms have a half-term holiday.- Autumn Term - Early September to mid-December (most pupils join the school during this term)
- Spring Term - Early January to early April
- Summer Term - Late April to early July
Visits and Open Areas
In 2003, Tim HenmanTim Henman
Timothy Henry "Tim" Henman OBE is a retired English professional tennis player and former British Number One. Henman played a serve-and-volley style of tennis that suited the grass courts of Wimbledon. He was the first player from the United Kingdom since Roger Taylor in the 1970s to reach the...
opened the school's new sports hall, including two gymnasiums and multiple locker rooms. The Senior School library was opened by HM Queen Elizabeth in 2003, along with the sixth form centre. Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
opened the Junior School library. HRH Prince Edward
Prince Edward
-People:* Edward, the Black Prince , eldest son of King Edward III and father of King Richard II* Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales , son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou...
in 2010 officially opened the Performing Arts Centre.
Other visits by:
Sir Trevor McDonald, Brian Moses
Brian Moses
Brian Moses was born in 1950 and is a French poet. He mainly writes for children, has over 160 published works and is a well known children's poet. Brian was asked to write a poem for the Queens 80th birthday....
and Jeremy Strong
Jeremy Strong
Jeremy Strong is a children's author. He has published 77 children's novels. After an eventful childhood Strong left school in 1968 and studied English at York University. He held various vacation jobs, including the infamous bakery where he put the jam in doughnuts. After university he became a...
.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Music, drama and art are strong at the school. The Drama department have their own drama studios as well as a purpose built theatre. The Drama department regularly holds school plays and nurtures dramatic talent, with Old Russellians going on to participate in events such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The music department have facilities including a recording studio and numerous practice rooms. The school choir and Barbershop both actively participate far abroad and have sung on an occasion for the British Ambassador to Thailand. There are very good facilities for sports and games, including a large sports hall, gymnasium, indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, and flood lit pitches. Other facilities include a prep library, senior library and sixth form study centre and sixth form cafe. There is a plentiful range of clubs and societies. Full use is made of the estate and a good deal of enterprise is shown in cultural visits, and expeditions abroad such as the annual ski trip to the Rocky Mountains, various language department trips, expeditions to the HimalayasHimalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and the various geography department trips. In 2008 the school held a trip for students allowing them to go to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
to help Magnet High School for a month. Royal Russell School had been helping to donate money to Magnet High School over the past years forming a strong relationship with the Kenyan school.
RRS MUN
The school is greatly involved in the Model United NationsModel United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
(MUN) encouraging students from year 9 onwards to join. The School's MUN holds regular meetings and debates at least once a week on numerous current global issues. The school holds an annual four day international MUN conference in October, and was the first school in Britain to host one, first holding a Model United Nations conference in 1981. It attracts schools from as far away as Japan and California with up to 500 delegates attending. The School's MUN participates in the largest conference in the world, The Hague international Model United Nations conference every year and is affiliated to them. The schools MUN attends conferences at St Andrews College MUN (Dublin), Haileybury MUN (Hertfordshire), The Hague MUN (Hague-THIMUN), City of London school MUN, Haberdasher Aske Boys school MUN (London) and Reigate MUN (Reigate) to name a few.
Royal Russell CCF
The school has a contingent of the Combined Cadet ForceCombined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
with a large Army section (affiliated to the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry
Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry
The Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry is a unit of the Territorial Army that was formed in 1961 as the Kent and County of London Yeomanry by the amalgamation of two yeomanry regiments, the 297 Regt, Royal Artillery and the 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry...
) and a small RAF section. The CCF serves in teaching cadets the art of leadership, as well as an extensive variety of other skills and qualifications in first aid and radio using, of which the contingent has a signals arm. Formal qualifications include the BTEC
Business And Technology Education Council (BTEC)
The Business and Technology Education Council is the British body which awards vocational qualifications. Such qualifications are commonly referred to as "BTECs"....
Diploma in Public Services run via the Cadet Vocational Qualifications Organisation (CVQO
Cadet Vocational Qualification Organisation (CVQO)
The CVQO manages Vocational Qualifications for members of the British cadet organisations.- Rationale :Young people who are members of the Cadet Forces gain skills that include :* Leadership* Team building* Problem-solving* Communication...
). Cadets are able to attend the Nesscliff or Frimley cadet leadership courses, Blandford Signals courses and the Basic Infantry training course to name a few. The Royal Russell CCF contingent is also in partnership with a local school allowing their students to join the contingent. The corps has three camps a year: an Autumn, January, and Summer camp, with a weekend exercise in April called Wild Bush, involving three days of outside manouvres. In the summer of 2010 the contingent went to Germany and spent time with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
there and the German Amoured corps. In 2010 the corps was rebadged under the Royal Yeomanry
Royal Yeomanry
The Royal Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons and a military band:*A Squadron *B Squadron...
cap badge. The schools CCF contingent parades once a week on Monday evenings.
Old Russellians
Alumni are referred to as Old Russellians. The Old Russellians society holds an annual football tournament between Old Russellians on the school grounds as well as many other events such as the annual Winter Reunion, the school carol service and the O.R. Riverside Reunion amongst many events run by the Old Russellians Society.Notable Old Russellians
Notable Old Russellians include:- Ali AnsariAli AnsariAli M. Ansari, PhD, is one of the world's leading experts on Iran and its history. Having obtained his BA and PhD from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies , he is currently Professor in Modern History with reference to the Middle East at St...
- Professor in Modern History at St. Andrews University - Martin ClunesMartin ClunesAlexander Martin Clunes is an English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin....
- actor - Elly JacksonElly JacksonEleanor Kate "Elly" Jackson is an English singer-songwriter and the lead singer of the electropop duo La Roux. She is well known for her red hair and androgynous style.-Biography:...
- vocalist of the musical duo La RouxLa RouxLa Roux are an English electropop duo made up of singer, keyboardist, co-writer and co-producer Eleanor Kate Jackson, and co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid. Jackson describes their relationship as "very much a half and half sharing situation... not like a singer producer outfit", but also... - Naoko MoriNaoko Moriis a British-Japanese actress known for roles as Sarah, Saffron's "odd" friend in Absolutely Fabulous, Mie Nishikawa in Casualty, and Toshiko Sato in Doctor Who and Torchwood.-Early life:...
- actor - Tom WrightTom Wright (British architect)Tom Wright is a British architect. His most famous design is the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Born in Croydon, a town in Greater London, United Kingdom on 18 September 1957, Wright studied at the Royal Russell School and then later at the Kingston University School of Architecture...
- architect and designer - Mark Bateman - Professor of Geography at Sheffield University