THIS week, James Thompson tells us more about life at Croydon's Royal Russell School... Describe the school's ethos…
Royal Russell offers the kind of high quality education that any parent would wish for their child. Our stunning 110 acre parkland estate complements and enhances every learning experience. The school aims to instil a love of learning, in an environment where achievement and self-confidence are championed. This equips our girls and boys with the skills for independent, life-long learning. We treat all of our children as individuals and will, through a team of highly dedicated and talented staff, enable them to achieve the best of their ability both inside and outside the classroom. What are the school's greatest recent achievements?
There are so many achievements I could talk about. I am proud to have awarded 11 senior school scholarships to our Year 6 children in music, sport and academic subjects. The junior school continues to be a popular choice and we added a 3rd reception class to meet demand. We are operating a waitlist policy for nursery and reception and are encouraging parents to register now for 2014 and 2015. We have also just rolled out our site wide Wi-Fi, meaning that all children can utilise our fleet of new laptops wherever they are in the school. What are your ambitions for the future of the school?
We are constantly keeping up to date with new technical developments and the use of ICT in our classrooms. We aim to be able to teach our children using a wide range of technologies. I am also looking to extend the provisions we have for our high achievers and the support for those who may struggle with the academic demands of the school. Why should parents send their child to your school?
Royal Russell offers a truly exceptional education and a happy environment where children enjoy coming to school. The small class sizes and motivated, inspirational teachers ensure that every child has the opportunity to excel. We have extensive playing fields and sports pitches, an on-site swimming pool, large sports hall for a wide range of sports, including our own cross-country track that runs through our woodland areas. Well equipped playgrounds and an adventure playground provide a spacious and secure environment in which to learn and play. Subjects such as music, science and art are taught in well-equipped rooms by trained specialists. Modern foreign languages are taught from nursery. We share the use, with the senior school, of our chapel and the newly built performing arts centre, with auditorium, which was recently opened by HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. We seek to ensure that all children, whatever their background, will achieve their best and to this end, we use every opportunity to foster and develop individual children's talents and interests. We also operate a breakfast club and a full programme of free after school activities, including a hot dinner, until 6pm.
School name: Royal Russell School, Junior School
Address: Coombe Lane, Croydon, CR9 5BX
Number of pupils: 306 pupils in the Junior School
Headteacher's name: James C Thompson
