Sport

All children receive high quality coaching during PE lessons, games afternoons and Football Clubs.

All teams are encouraged to play a passing style of football and there is great emphasis on using the game to help develop a team ethos. Competitive matches are played against many local schools from Year 3 up to Year 6. We aim for every child to represent the School throughout the year and there is also the eagerly contested House Football Competition which everyone enjoys.

The Junior School has achieved great success over the past few years in Football across many age groups. Highlights include the U10 Boys winning the Surrey Cup, the U11 Boys qualifying to both the IAPS and ISFA National finals. The U9 girls won the Croydon schools tournament and the U11 girls won the Croydon league.

Royal Russell is following the new England Netball initiative called Bee Netball, this starts with the Buzzer stage which both boys and girls are taught in Years 1 and 2.

In Year 3 and 4 the pupils progress to the Flier stage and start playing small, sided games in lesson and against other local schools. The final Stinger stage for Year 5 and 6 pupils, introduces more formal positions and allows for rotation of players in matches.

The School enters and hosts local and regional tournaments, alongside several friendly fixtures against other schools. The teams are coached by our wonderful netball coaches from across the School.

The Junior School hockey programme makes full use of our first class astro-turf facilities and highly qualified coaching staff at the School.

The pupils enjoy a huge variety of fixtures with the U8 and U9’s playing small sided games. At U10 and U11 level there are more opportunities for tournaments and full 7 a side matches against a host of other schools.

The Junior School trampoline club is coached by ex GB trampolinists and offers an extensive programme catering for our recreational bouncers to our Elite level performers.

Training is held in our large Sports Hall where we have 6 trampolines. We work closely with RSC who train at Royal Russell and compete on the National circuit, we have access to their 3 National standard trampolines when required.

At local level we host Novice competitions and the Croydon Schools event where we win several individual and team events at both Novice and Elite level. We also host the IAPS Trampoline National with over 200 competitors attending from all over the country, it’s a great event. Here we also have wonderful success winning National titles.

We enter the National Schools competition pathway. Many pupils qualify through to the Southern Zonal finals after competing at the London Regional competition. The final event is the National Schools finals which is the highlight of the year. At the 2025 finals Evie won the U14 Advanced competition with 3 teams also picking up bronze medals.

With our extensive woodland facilities there is endless opportunities to run a real cross country course. The pupils love ‘devils hill’ and practise shuttles up and down it!

We have a popular running club run by an exceptionally experienced coach who has run every London marathon except one! Mr Swann also enjoys cross country running and the pupils gain a lot of hints and tips from his expertise.

The pupils take part in a variety of ‘meets’ over the year and we enjoy success at Croydon level as well as local school events. All pupils take part in the House cross country event with enthusiasm and a smile on their faces.

Gymnastics is a key part of our curriculum offering with our youngest pupils exploring our extensive apparatus, they continue their journey with specific gymnastics teaching from Year 2 to Year 6. Pupils who show particular aptitude in gymnastics are recommended to the outside clubs we have links with.

Our swimming programme in the Junior School allows every child to swim during the school year. Our Upper Junior pupils swim as part of our Sports Fitness carousel of activities with Lower Junior pupils swimming once a week. Our most confident Upper Junior swimmers are invited to join our Swim Squad sessions, which run before and after school.

This allows us to compete at a high level locally and nationally. Like all other sports, every child in the Upper Juniors will represent their House in a fun and noisy House Swimming Gala.

The school has 12 tennis courts which are used during core PE lessons as well as during Games time and for after-school clubs. Whether your child is a beginner or more advanced at the game, there is a club for everyone.

We have seen great success in the Croydon Schools Competitions and the future is most definitely bright, with our younger children working on their racket skills from Year 1.

Cricket is a popular option for students at Royal Russell. All players are given a grounding in the basics of fielding, bowling and batting and the opportunity to experience small sided games.

We have an extensive cricket fixtures programme in the Summer term and play friendlies and cup matches in our games afternoons and after school clubs.

Pupils start their Athletics journey preparing for our wonderful Lower Junior Sports Day including a host of fun activities including long jump, egg & spoon racing and the class relays.

In the Upper Juniors pupils develop their track and field skills learning how to throw further or run faster. The highlight of the year is the Croydon Schools Athletics competition closely followed by a brilliant sports day.