Holds Royal Patronage, with four documented visits from Queen Elizabeth II to the school.
RU Co-educational British boarding school near London, ages 3–18
Why this school
Holds Royal Patronage, with four documented visits from Queen Elizabeth II to the school.
All-in boarding fee of £51,900 (2025/26) covers meals, laundry, activities, and EAL tuition.
Single-campus all-through school accepting pupils from age 3 to 18 in one community.
Royal Russell School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Croydon, Surrey, founded in 1853. Around 900 pupils attend, from nursery through to sixth form. Among British boarding schools it occupies an unusual position: a genuine all-through school where families can place a child at three and follow a single consistent educational culture all the way to A-levels at eighteen. The school holds Royal Patronage, confirmed by four visits from Queen Elizabeth II, and that connection sits at the centre of its institutional identity. Accredited by HMC, BSA, IAPS, AEGIS, and ISC, it operates as a registered charity (no. 271907). Boarding fees for the senior school stand at £51,900 per year (2025/26), all-inclusive of meals, laundry, activities, and EAL (English as an Additional Language) tuition where needed.
Royal Russell runs a full senior curriculum from Year 7 through to Year 13, taking pupils through GCSE and into the sixth form. Because the school is all-through, teaching staff know pupils across year groups. The move from junior to senior school — often a pressure point in British independent education — happens on a single campus within a familiar community. Class sizes are small by design, which keeps individual progress visible to teachers rather than absorbed into a cohort. The sixth form prepares pupils for university entry, and the pastoral infrastructure that supports day pupils supports boarders equally through their A-level years. Membership of HMC (the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference) places the school within the recognised tier of academically serious UK independent schools.
Boarding at Royal Russell is available on a full, weekly, or flexi basis for senior pupils in Years 7–13, with the latter two subject to availability. The all-in fee structure means families are not managing a long list of add-ons: meals, laundry, activities, and EAL support are all covered within the published fee of £51,900 per year (2025/26). The school sits in south Croydon, within the Greater London boundary. Weekend access to central London is straightforward by train, and that proximity shapes the rhythm of boarding life. The city is available as a resource without the school losing its own campus character. Day pupils in the senior school pay £26,304 per year (2025/26), with lunch and optional supper included.
The all-in boarding fee covers activities, which indicates a structured co-curricular programme is in place. The all-through structure from nursery to sixth form supports continuity in pupils’ development across sport, arts, and other pursuits over many years. Specific detail on clubs, teams, or competitions is not documented in our source data. International families seeking that level of detail are best directed to the school’s admissions office for a current co-curricular schedule.
Royal Russell occupies a campus in Croydon, Surrey, roughly ten miles from central London. It accommodates pupils from nursery (age three) through to the upper sixth (age eighteen), with day and boarding pupils on the same grounds. Junior and senior pupils share facilities within a single school environment. Croydon is well connected by train and tram to central London, Gatwick Airport, and the wider south-east rail network.
Gatwick Airport is the closest major international gateway, approximately 20–25 minutes by train from East Croydon station. Heathrow Airport is reachable in around 60–75 minutes by public transport or road. Central London is approximately ten miles away, with frequent trains from East Croydon taking under 15 minutes to London Bridge and London Victoria.
Annual tuition
£51,993 per year · full boarding · Senior · Years 7-13
Other tier breakdowns shown below.
| Stage | Year groups | Type | Audience | Fee / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | Years 7-13 | Day | — | £26,304 |
| Senior | Years 7-13 | Full boarding | — | £51,993 |
| Pre-Prep | Reception, Year 1, Year 2 | Day | — | £15,546 |
| Junior | Years 3-4 | Day | — | £19,041 |
| Junior | Years 5-6 | Day | — | £19,815 |
Gatwick Airport — approx. 20–25 min by train from East Croydon station.
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Full boarding for senior pupils in Years 7–13 is £51,900 per year (2025/26), charged as £17,331 per term. All fees are inclusive of VAT and cover meals, laundry, activities, and EAL tuition if required. Flexi and weekly boarding options are available subject to availability.
Day fees for senior pupils in Years 7–13 are £26,304 per year (2025/26), charged as £8,768 per term, inclusive of VAT. Lunch and optional supper are included. Junior day fees range from £19,041 per year (Years 3–4) to £19,815 per year (Years 5–6).
The school accepts pupils from age 3 (nursery) through to age 18 (Year 13, sixth form). It is a genuine all-through school, with junior and senior pupils sharing the same campus in Croydon.
Yes. Full boarding is available for senior pupils in Years 7–13. Weekly and flexi boarding are also offered, subject to availability. The school is accredited by BSA (Boarding Schools’ Association) and AEGIS.
Yes. EAL (English as an Additional Language) tuition is included within the full boarding fee where required, with no separate charge listed in the published fee schedule.
The school is accredited by HMC (Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference), BSA, IAPS, AEGIS, and ISC. It operates as a registered charity (number 271907).
Gatwick Airport is the nearest major international hub, roughly 20–25 minutes by train from East Croydon. Heathrow is accessible in approximately 60–75 minutes. The school’s south London location gives straightforward rail access to central London in under 15 minutes from East Croydon station.
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