Chris Hutchinson, Headmaster of Royal Russell, on its Development Foundation and campaign to raise a million pounds by 2028
Royal Russell’s motto, Non Sibi Sed Omnibus, translates as “Not for oneself but for all”, a principle that has guided our school since its original foundation in 1853. Thanks to the commitment of patrons and dignitaries, including Charles Dickens, it opened as the Warehousemen Clerks and Drapers Schools for Orphan and Necessitous Children. The school has since grown significantly and we now have more than 1,200 pupils, both boys and girls, aged 3-18, on our beautiful 110-acre campus in the Shirley area of Croydon.
In Croydon, less than half of 16 to 18 year olds take the A level exam necessary for university entrance, and fewer than 8% of students have access to a Russell Group University education. Our school currently partners with local primary schools and the Rowdown Foundation to run a tuition programme for academically able children who are at risk of not fulfilling their potential due to their financial resources.
We now mark the next chapter in our school’s history with the launch of the Russell School Development Foundation, a charity dedicated to creating a new programme of fundraising that will establish additional means-tested bursaries to support pupils from low-income backgrounds. In 2028, we will be celebrating the school’s 175th anniversary. The Foundation’s 175th Anniversary Bursary Campaign aims to raise £1m to ensure that up to 10% of pupils can receive financial support to attend our school.
There are many talented and deserving young people in local communities whose lives would be transformed by such an education. Through the bursary scheme we are able to help them to overcome the barriers placed in their way and disrupt the pattern of stalled social mobility.
Old Russellian Joshua (2019-2021) is one of the talented pupils who came to us on a sports scholarship and bursary. This helped him pursue his academic interests as well as his talent for football. He is now enjoying his third year of a degree apprenticeship at Mace, working in the Project Controls discipline. Reflecting on his time here and the life-changing impact, Josh commented: “You can’t box yourself in at Royal Russell and they won’t let you anyway – they’ll push you to become the best version of yourself”.
The Development Foundation is governed by the Foundation Board of Trustees, chaired by Sir Philip Moor. This oversees the disbursal of means-tested bursaries. Trustees are drawn from all sectors of the school community and are Bursary Fund supporters in their own right. As such, they are able to represent the views of those who donate and ensure that all donors’ wishes are respected. I hope that many of our parents, former pupils and other supporters will feel able to join me in committing to help as many pupils as possible to receive an outstanding education, enriching their lives and benefiting the whole school community.
Royal Russell School royalrussell.co.uk
Further reading: Queen’s Gate School on a tradition of giving
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