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Royal Russell School

School typeIndependent

AddressCoombe Lane, Croydon, London, England, CR9 5BX

Royal Russell School is a mixed independent school in Croydon. Its 11+ entrance exam uses the Quest Admissions board and includes an interview stage. The school offers a warm, all-round community for Year 7 entry.

If your child would be happier in a warm, all-round community than in a hothouse, Royal Russell is worth a close look. The Good Schools Guide paints a picture of happy, busy people and a buzzy feeling all over, with something going on round every corner, in grounds it calls heavenly. It is a co-educational day and boarding school in Croydon, taking children from nursery age right through to eighteen, and it is ten minutes from East Croydon by tram, so the green setting comes without a long commute.

The school was founded in 1853 at New Cross as the Warehousemen and Clerks' Schools, set up to care for orphaned and needy children, and became one of the earliest co-educational schools in the country. In 1924 it moved to the wooded 110-acre Ballards estate, where it has stayed ever since. The Guide describes it as inclusive, family friendly and, it adds, dog friendly. Children follow individual pathways with a wide choice of subjects, and the list of things to do beyond lessons runs long, from drama where everyone can try acting, lighting or set design to virtually every sport going across floodlit pitches and the school's own cross-country track. Boarders are handed a soft lion mascot called Roary when they arrive and settle into a relaxed set-up with their own house games and sitting rooms. Means-tested bursaries and scholarships open the doors wider.

This suits a child who will do well in a kind, busy place that cares about the whole of them, whether boarding or coming in by day. Led since 2011 by headmaster Chris Hutchinson, it is a school built around understanding each child rather than pushing them through.

Key facts

Gender

Mixed

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

Sep

Registration closes

Nov

Admissions contact

admissions@royalrussell.co.uk

Admissions phone

0208 657 4433

Registration form

View registration details

What this school tests

Online Assessments

English17 question types

GrammarPunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSpellingVocabulary

Maths21 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning12 question types

Figure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMatch to a Group of FiguresMost Like Three FiguresOdd Figure OutOdd Shaped MatricesStar MatricesTriangle MatricesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning23 question types

Alphabet LogicAnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert 2 / 3 LettersInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersOrdering WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWord SwapWords and Codes

Spatial Reasoning14 question types

2D Rotations2D View of 3D Shape3D RotationsBlock CountingBuilding BlocksCombining ShapesDiagonal ReflectionsFigure Missing from ImageFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeNets of 3D ShapesShape Completion

Previous exam results

GCSE results

Most pupils at this school sit IGCSE and Pre-U qualifications, which are not reflected in DfE's published GCSE measures. See the school's own website for full results. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved a B average grade per A-Level entry. 16.9% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Royal Russell School use for the 11+?

Royal Russell School uses the Quest Admissions exam board for its 11+ entrance exam.

Does Royal Russell School interview as part of the 11+?

Yes, an interview stage is part of the 11+ admissions process at Royal Russell School.

Is Royal Russell School co-educational or single-sex?

Royal Russell School is a co-educational school, accepting both boys and girls for Year 7 entry.

What is Royal Russell School's website for 11+ admissions?

You can find 11+ admissions information on the Royal Russell School website at https://www.royalrussell.co.uk/admissions/welcome/year-7-entry-11.

What type of school is Royal Russell School?

Royal Russell School is an independent day and boarding school.

Does Royal Russell School offer bursaries or help with fees?

Yes. Royal Russell runs a means-tested bursary programme to help families who meet the school's entry requirements but need support with fees. To be considered, tick the box on the registration form; both parents then complete a Statement of Financial Circumstances form and provide proof of income and assets. The level of help depends on your circumstances and can go up to full fee remission in cases of proven need. Bursaries are reviewed every year, are offered from Year 7 upwards, and are only available to families resident in the UK.

What scholarships does Royal Russell School offer?

Royal Russell offers academic scholarships and scholarships in Drama, Music, Sport and Art. Every child is automatically considered for an academic scholarship based on their entrance exam or GCSE performance, so there's no separate form for that one. For Drama, Music, Sport or Art you apply with a specific form and your child attends an audition or assessment in that area. Scholarships are awarded as a percentage off tuition fees, up to a maximum of 35%, regardless of family income, and are reviewed each year.

What is the Royal Russell School 11+ interview like?

Every child applying for Year 7 has an individual interview with a senior member of staff, alongside the entrance exam. You're asked to bring a small sample of school work or an object of interest, which is often used as a starting point for the conversation. Interviews can be in person or online. The school also looks at the report from your child's current school and how they get on during the day. It isn't something to cram for; the aim is to get a rounded picture of your child, not to catch them out.

Location

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