The Russell School
About The Russell School
The Russell School in Three Rivers is a state primary that comfortably fills its 240-pupil capacity with 225 children on roll, but the real story is in the demand. For its 29 Reception places in the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 100 applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3. 45 to one. Of those, 42 families put it as their first preference, and all 29 first-preference offers were taken up. The school serves a notably affluent intake: just 2. 8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the national primary average of around 23%. This is a school that parents in the area clearly covet, and the numbers back that up. The headteacher is Claire Pitt, and the school has a nursery provision for younger children, though no sixth form. Its religious character is listed as not applicable, so it draws families from a broad local catchment rather than a faith-based one.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 113 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
24 Sept 2024From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.
Source: Ofsted, 21 Oct 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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