Royal Russell School Entrance Guide

Royal Russell School strongly encourages attendance for prospective pupils and their families at one of their open days; private tours are also available. There are regular events for specific entry points; families should register for these events on the school website. A virtual tour also provides a useful insight for those families unable to visit due to geographical restrictions. Early registration and the payment of a small registration fee to the school also means Royal Russell can offer a personalised approach to entry. 

Royal Russell School offer entry points at any stage from Year 1 (5+ entry) to Year 6 (10+ entry); assessments are held in the Autumn Term of the previous school year. For example, if your child wanted to join at Year 3 (7+ entry) they would sit an assessment day in the Autumn Term of Year 2. This day is likely to include group activities, English and Maths assessments, and a short interview with a member of staff. Following the assessment day, selected pupils are invited back for taster days at the school, and offers are then sent out early in the Spring Term (around mid-February). 

11+ is one of the most competitive entry points for Royal Russell School, as most pupils from the Junior School who have joined at an earlier age progress through to the Senior School. This is the first entry point at which boarding is available. As with earlier entry points, an assessment day is held (for 11+, this is in the Spring Term of Year 6) and takes place at the school, with a full day of activities including an English and a Maths assessment. The English assessment consists of a comprehension, a language section and a writing paper, with a choice of questions for the writing. The comprehension is a mix of short and long answers and the language section assumes knowledge of age-appropriate linguistic terminology. In terms of Maths, there is a non-calculator paper with questions ranging from simple arithmetic to more complex problem-solving, again age-appropriate. Following the assessment day, offers are sent out the next month for places starting in September.

For 13+ entry to Royal Russell School, children should be registered in Year 5, and are then assessed in year 8. Following a similar structure to 11+ entry, candidates for 13+ entry are invited to a full day of assessment activities, with English and Maths papers, group activities and a chance to see the school at work. No sample 13+ papers are available, but they are likely to follow the same format as those at 11+. Following the assessment day, offers are sent out the next month for places starting in September.

Academic scholarships are available for 11+ and 13+ entry at Royal Russell School and include a small fee remission of between 5% and 35% (the latter figure is more likely if the pupil holds an additional scholarship in Art, Music, Sport or Drama). There is no separate academic scholarship assessment; these are awarded following the assessment day to pupils who have performed particularly well. 

Art Scholarships are available at Royal Russell School; the application process involves submitting a portfolio of work; selected candidates then attend an interview and assessment day. Music Scholarship awards follow a similar pattern, with candidates who meet the criteria invited to an audition day. Drama and sports scholarships are also a two-stage process, with prospective applicants completing an application form and statement, and then being invited to an assessment day. The two stage process here is important, as candidates are effectively screened based on their written application in the first round. 

Bursaries are available at Royal Russell School and can also be awarded in conjunction with scholarships for those pupils in need of extra financial support. During the application process parents must complete the bursary application form, and this is then evaluated alongside the child’s performance at the assessment day. It is useful to know that bursaries at Royal Russell School are index-linked, so if the fee increases, so does the bursary.