School Chooser

Royal Russell School

Independent · ages 3-19MixedIndependent (grammar)1,296 pupilsSixth formNurseryCroydon
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Places54 spare1,296 pupils, 1,350 places
Average A level gradeB2024/25
Pupils on roll1,296Census January 2024

Royal Russell School is an independent school in Croydon for boys and girls aged 3 to 19. It has 1,296 pupils and room for 1,350.

Coombe Lane, Croydon, CR9 5BX020 8657 4433royalrussell.co.ukMr Chris Hutchinson headteacherAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

148 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score20.3
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 16.516.520182019: 15.915.920192022: 16.316.320222023: 17.317.320232024: 20.220.220242025: 20.320.32025
Since 2018: +3.8
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018CroydonEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 1114813512612711093
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 820.320.217.316.315.916.544.546.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%41%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%61%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score1.351.220.780.690.670.814.024.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%55%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 13 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Design & Technology100%grades 9 to 5, England 50%
Food Preparation & Nutrition100%grades 9 to 5, England 52%
History100%grades 9 to 5, England 52%
Media / Film / TV100%grades 9 to 5, England 55%
What is taught hereOffers music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Business79 entries
94%England 51%
Geography67 entries
91%England 51%
87%England 49%
History34 entries
100%England 52%
100%England 55%
78%England 56%
50%England 36%
100%England 50%
100%England 60%
Drama19 entries
100%England 60%
100%England 52%
Art and Design14 entries
100%England 58%
Music13 entries
100%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Business7942%94%96%51%
Geography6749%91%97%51%
Other Modern Languages4680%87%87%49%
History3477%100%100%52%
Media / Film / TV3269%100%100%55%
Physical Education3234%78%91%56%
Combined Science260%50%81%36%
Design & Technology2152%100%100%50%
Religious Studies2186%100%100%60%
Drama1974%100%100%60%
Food Preparation & Nutrition1553%100%100%52%
Art and Design1450%100%100%58%
Music1369%100%100%61%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

128 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeB39.2 points per entry
A level progress-0.15Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better17%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students128137116131223230
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry39.1840.7639.9344.7940.6638.16
Average A level gradeBBBB+BB-
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS39.5541.0840.9845.0241.3838.60
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects17%20%32%34%34%28%
A level progressA level value added-0.15+0.14+0.16+0.15
Applied general courses: points per entry41.8636.1536.1841.39
T levels: points per entry35.8840.5641.67

A level subjects

19 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

Strongest A levels

History94%A* to B, England 55% · 17 entries
Chinese100%A* to B, England 64% · 22 entries
Psychology70%A* to B, England 46% · 20 entries
Business Studies64%A* to B, England 47% · 14 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsMathematics57Chinese22Government and Politics21Psychology20Chemistry17History17Economics16Biology15Business Studies14English Literature14Design and Technology (Product Design)10Geography9Spanish8Mathematics (Further)8Drama and Theatre Studies7Media / Film / TV Studies7French6Fine Art5Religious Studies5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Mathematics57 entries · 37% A* or A · 97% passed
67%England 60%
Chinese22 entries · 96% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 64%
Government and Politics21 entries · 14% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 55%
Psychology20 entries · 25% A* or A · 100% passed
70%England 46%
Chemistry17 entries · 24% A* or A · 100% passed
71%England 53%
History17 entries · 59% A* or A · 100% passed
94%England 55%
Economics16 entries · 31% A* or A · 88% passed
69%England 57%
Biology15 entries · 7% A* or A · 100% passed
27%England 49%
Business Studies14 entries · 29% A* or A · 100% passed
64%England 47%
English Literature14 entries · 29% A* or A · 100% passed
43%England 52%
Design and Technology (Product Design)10 entries · 10% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 38%
Geography9 entries · 11% A* or A · 100% passed
56%England 51%
Spanish8 entries · 25% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 59%
Mathematics (Further)8 entries · 63% A* or A · 100% passed
88%England 76%
Drama and Theatre Studies7 entries · 29% A* or A · 100% passed
86%England 54%
Media / Film / TV Studies7 entries · 43% A* or A · 100% passed
86%England 46%
French6 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 60%
Fine Art5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 65%
Religious Studies5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 50%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
19.920.9
Gap 1.0England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Grammar school. This is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Croydon council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll1,296Census January 2024
Places1,35096% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support24%304 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%8 pupils with a plan
Boys and girls772 / 524
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,2961,2631,2251,1861,1311,090
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support22%22%21%20%20%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%0%0%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 115 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training73%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training73%84%89%
Education61%77%75%
Apprenticeship1%1%4%
Work11%7%10%
Not in education, work or training6%5%5%

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m4612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate57 per 1,000 people37% lower than the England average
Typical house price£425,000Croydon
Nearest bus stop470 mCoombe Lane Tram Stop, 2 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Coombe Wood SchoolFree school920 m1,162Good 202380Compare
Maypole School - MelvilleIndependent0.6 milesNot inspectedCompare
Rutherford SchoolIndependent0.7 miles33Not inspectedCompare
The Quest AcademyAcademy0.8 miles853Requires improvement 20247Compare
Selsdon Primary and Nursery SchoolFoundation0.9 miles325No overall grade 202522Compare
Quest Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles199Good 202322Compare
Red Gates SchoolCouncil1.0 miles160No overall grade 2024Compare
Coloma Convent Girls' SchoolAcademy1.0 miles967Report card 202684Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Royal Russell School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Royal Russell School yet.

How good are Royal Russell School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 20.3, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Royal Russell School have?

1,296 pupils aged 3 to 19 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 1,350 places, so it is 96% full.

Does Royal Russell School have an entrance exam?

Yes. It is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test, usually sat in September of Year 6. Check the school's admissions page for the test dates and the pass mark.

Does Royal Russell School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B. 19 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Coombe Lane, Croydon, CR9 5BX
Telephone
020 8657 4433
Website
www.royalrussell.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Chris Hutchinson
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 3-19, with nursery, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Croydon
Ward
South Croydon
Constituency
Croydon South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1920
URN
101835 · LAESTAB 3066009 · UKPRN 10008471

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from