The Russell School

The Russell School is a highly effective primary school where pupils learn and play together cheerfully, are thoroughly motivated in lessons and benefit from a wide range of enriching activities. Inspectors found exceptional provision across the curriculum, behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years, with pupils thriving academically and socially because staff know them well and support individual needs. The school has high expectations for every pupil, and pupils respond by being kind, respectful and responsible for their own behaviour.

Strengths

• A well-established, broad and ambitious curriculum provides high-quality education across subjects.
• Pupils achieve consistently highly in reading, writing and mathematics, which supports learning across the curriculum.
• The early reading and phonics programme is firmly embedded, and children learn to read from the earliest opportunity.
• Staff receive strong training and support, including help with workload and well-being.
• Pupils with SEND are identified promptly and supported effectively to access the same curriculum and achieve highly.
• Behaviour and attitudes are excellent; pupils are motivated, self-managing and safe in school.
• Personal development is exceptionally well organised, with strong PSHE, RSE and age-appropriate safety guidance.
• A wide range of clubs, trips, responsibilities and initiatives enriches pupils’ learning and broader experience.
• Early years provision is highly effective, with children settling quickly into routines and concentrating well.
• Attendance is good, and the school provides guidance and support to improve attendance where needed.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Leaders and governors prioritise ensuring all pupils benefit from the school’s wide range of opportunities.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Russell School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.3% of pupils at The Russell School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Russell School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 9.3% of pupils at The Russell School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 The Russell School received £6,657 and spent £6,750 for each of its 235 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £8,000 (£36 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Rickmansworth · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is The Russell School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Russell School is Outstanding, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was The Russell School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Russell School was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does The Russell School have?

The Russell School has 237 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Russell School cover?

The Russell School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are The Russell School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Russell School?

The Russell School is at Brushwood Drive, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 5RR.