The Russell School Review 2026, Elite KS2 outcomes with a calm, high-expectations culture

A small, one-form entry primary with nursery provision, this is a school where expectations are explicit, routines are consistent, and pupils are encouraged to take responsibility early. In the most recent inspection cycle, every graded judgement was Outstanding, including early years provision, which is a strong signal for families weighing nursery and Reception entry alongside Key Stage 2 outcomes.

Results sit in rare territory. The school ranks 93rd in England for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), placing it among the highest-performing in England (top 2%). At the combined expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, 97% of pupils met the benchmark in the latest results well above the England average of 62%. The higher standard figure is equally striking, with 54.33% achieving greater depth compared with an England average of 8%.

For families, the two practical headlines are demand and deadlines. Reception entry has been heavily oversubscribed in the most recent allocation year shown, and September 2026 dates include a nursery application window that opens on 26 January 2026 and closes on 26 February 2026, with offers scheduled for 10 March 2026.

The ethos here is built around high expectations paired with a warm, orderly tone. Pupils are described as motivated and interested in lessons, with behaviour managed through routines and pupils taking ownership of their choices.

Leadership has had time to settle into a long-term arc rather than short-term change. Mrs Claire Pitt is the current headteacher, and official inspection history records her appointment as a new headteacher in September 2014, following a period of staffing turbulence at that time. That context matters because it helps explain why the current culture emphasises clarity, consistency, and staff development. The most recent inspection narrative highlights training and shared approaches, suggesting a staff team working from the same playbook rather than individual classroom styles pulling in different directions.

Pupil leadership is part of daily life rather than an add-on. Roles referenced in official commentary include house captains, an eco-squad, and play leaders, which signals a school that deliberately builds responsibility and contribution into the primary years. For many pupils, that translates into confidence with routines, speaking up, and managing minor issues without adult escalation.

Nursery is not treated as a bolt-on. The school’s early years judgement was also Outstanding in the most recent inspection, and the published admissions information sets out the nursery pathway and hours clearly, including funded entitlement and the option of 30 hours for eligible working families.

The results profile is exceptional and it is consistent across measures rather than being driven by one standout number.

Start with the headline: 97% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. Against an England average of 62%, this is a substantial gap and one that is hard to achieve without both strong teaching and tight curriculum sequencing. The scaled score picture reinforces that. Reading is 112 and mathematics is 111, both comfortably above typical national benchmarks for scaled scores.

The higher standard outcomes also matter because they tell parents what happens to the most able learners. Here, 54.33% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. That is a differentiator because it suggests the school is not merely getting pupils over the line, it is moving a large proportion into deeper mastery.

Rankings add context for families comparing strong local options. Ranked 93rd in England and 1st in Rickmansworth for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits in the elite tier, placing it in the top 2% of schools in England.

If you are using FindMySchool to shortlist across the district, the Local Hub page and Comparison Tool are useful here because they allow you to view the full cluster of KS2 measures side-by-side rather than relying on a single headline percentage.

The learning model implied by the evidence is structured and cumulative. The most recent inspection commentary describes a curriculum that sets out precisely the knowledge and skills pupils will be taught from early years onwards, with consistent routines that help pupils recall prior learning and then move to more complex ideas.

That approach tends to suit pupils who enjoy clear success criteria and predictable classroom systems. It can also be supportive for pupils who need routines and repetition to build confidence, provided the school continues to balance pace with scaffolding. Staff subject knowledge is referenced as a strength, including attention to technical terminology, which usually shows up in pupils’ spoken explanations and writing quality as they move through Key Stage 2.

Early reading is an explicit priority, which is consistent with the early years judgement and the headline attainment profile. The combination of a firmly embedded early reading programme with a well-sequenced curriculum is often what produces the “all subjects” strength described in official commentary, because pupils who read fluently can access a broader range of texts and tasks across the timetable.

For a primary school, the “next step” conversation is usually about the Year 6 to Year 7 transition, and in this area families often have a mix of priorities: travel time, friendship continuity, and whether a child is likely to pursue selective entry routes.

Specific destination lists are not consistently published in the sources accessed for this review, so it is best to treat secondary choice as a separate decision point rather than assuming a single dominant pathway. What can be said with confidence is that the school’s attainment profile means pupils typically leave with strong literacy and numeracy foundations, which keeps options open across both comprehensive and selective routes.

Practical planning is where families can gain an edge. If secondary schools are allocated partly by distance or defined areas, it is worth using mapping tools early, especially in Year 5, to understand how your home address compares with recent allocation patterns. This is exactly the situation where FindMySchool’s Map Search helps, because small differences in distance can matter in oversubscribed systems.

Admissions operate on two tracks, and families should treat them separately.

Reception entry (September 2026)

Reception applications for September 2026 were submitted through Hertfordshire’s coordinated admissions route, with the on-time deadline shown as 15 January 2026. As of 25 January 2026, that date has passed, so families considering a move or a late application should check Hertfordshire’s late application process and how it interacts with waiting lists.

Demand has been high. The dataset shows 100 applications for 29 offers for the Reception entry route, and the school is flagged as oversubscribed, with 3.45 applications per place. That level of competition is significant for a one-form entry school because the margin for late movement is narrow.

Allocation rules for community and voluntary controlled schools in Hertfordshire follow an ordered set of oversubscription criteria, including looked-after children, medical or social need, siblings, nearest school considerations, and distance as a tie-breaker where relevant. The Hertfordshire directory also provides a clear breakdown of how places were allocated under each rule in the most recent year shown, which is a helpful reality check when families are trying to assess likely routes to a place.

Nursery entry (September 2026)

Nursery is a direct-to-school process for the September 2026 intake. The published timeline is unusually clear: applications open on 26 January 2026, close on 26 February 2026, offers are made on 10 March 2026, and the deadline to accept an offer is 20 March 2026.

Hours and funding are also set out. The school states that all children are entitled to 15 hours of free nursery education per week from the September after their third birthday, and that it offers 30 hours of nursery provision running 9:00am to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday, with the additional 15 hours for eligible working families.

Open events appear to run in a structured cycle, with early years tours scheduled in autumn and early spring. While some dates listed for the September 2026 cycle have already passed by late January 2026, the pattern is clear enough to plan around, and families who miss scheduled tours are encouraged to arrange an alternative visit.

Pastoral strength here is less about large-scale programmes and more about daily consistency. Official commentary describes staff knowing each pupil well and providing support that enables pupils to achieve highly, alongside pupils learning and playing together cheerfully and handling reminders and corrections quickly.

The other helpful signal for parents is pupil responsibility. When a school invests in roles such as play leaders and eco-squad, it is usually because leaders want pupils to practise contribution and peer support in normal school routines, not just in one-off charity events. That tends to correlate with calmer breaktimes and fewer low-level issues escalating into bigger incidents.

Safeguarding is not an area to infer or generalise about, and the most recent official documentation provides reassurance on this point. The published report confirmed that pupils are safe in school.

Extracurricular life here seems designed to do two things: broaden horizons and build responsibility.

The most recent inspection narrative refers to a wide range of clubs and events spanning music, sport, art, drama and cookery, and it links these opportunities to pupil motivation and engagement. That matters because enrichment only changes outcomes when children actually participate, and the evidence suggests pupils do.

Two school-specific examples stand out because they show depth rather than generic provision. First, the eco-squad is described in inspection history as meeting regularly to promote eco-friendly strategies, which indicates sustained pupil-led work rather than an occasional themed week. Second, the JK Club is listed as a named offer for families, which typically indicates a formal wraparound structure rather than ad hoc after-school supervision.

A further advantage of a small school is that participation can be broad. In larger settings, popular activities often become narrowly selective. In a one-form entry environment, pupils can be more likely to try something new, take a role, or perform publicly, which supports confidence and communication skills as much as it supports talent development.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual associated costs such as uniform, trips and optional activities.

For nursery, the school publishes clear hours of 9:00am to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday. Start and finish times for Reception to Year 6 are not consistently available in the accessible sources for this review, so families should confirm the current school day directly, particularly if commuting or coordinating siblings.

Wraparound care appears to be offered via the named JK Club, but session times and booking arrangements should be checked with the school because they are not reliably visible in the sources accessed here.

For travel planning, the school is in Chorleywood within Hertfordshire, and most families will be arriving by foot, car, or local public transport depending on their address and whether they have younger siblings in tow. Where parking and drop-off constraints are a concern, it is sensible to test routes at peak times before committing to a plan.

• Competition for Reception places. The most recent demand data shows 100 applications for 29 offers and an oversubscribed status, which can make planning difficult for families moving into the area close to application deadlines.

• Deadlines are real, and late routes need careful handling. The on-time Reception deadline shown for September 2026 was 15 January 2026, which has already passed as of 25 January 2026. Nursery has an upcoming application window opening 26 January 2026 and closing 26 February 2026.

• Primary day timings and wraparound detail should be verified. Nursery hours are clearly published, but day timings for older year groups and the practicalities of the JK Club are not consistently visible in the sources accessed for this review. Families who need predictable childcare coverage should confirm arrangements early.

• High attainment can come with pace. With outcomes at this level, teaching may move quickly through content, which suits many pupils but can feel demanding for children who prefer slower consolidation. A visit and a frank conversation about support and differentiation is worthwhile.

This is a high-performing primary with a disciplined, positive culture and a leadership story that suggests sustained improvement rather than a temporary spike. The published figures indicate elite outcomes in England terms, backed by a recent inspection cycle in which every graded judgement was Outstanding, including early years.

Best suited to families who value clear routines, strong academic foundations, and a school that expects pupils to take responsibility early. The limiting factor is usually admission, so families serious about this option should plan early, use mapping tools to understand local allocation dynamics, and track deadlines closely.