Secondary School - Royal Russell vs Cedars, Croydon

[DivM]

My son has been selected at both Royal Russell and Cedars in Croydon, his preference is RR and I am confused.

Look forward to your advise? Also, can we ask for scholarship?

I would advise you to report your own thread and ask Mumsnet to move it to the Secondary Education board

Two quite different school from what I’ve heard. Cedars is quite small I think and has a quite specific Catholic ethos. Royal Russel is not a faith school. I think both focus on the whole child and are not overly pushy or academic.

Royal Russell is a Church of England school and has their own Chapel in their grounds. In the broadest sense, both schools are Christian. Cedars is boys only, whereas Royal Russell is mixed. Royal Russell is just as proud of those pupils who achieve C's, as they are of those who achieve straight A's, if that is the best they can achieve.
There are many differences, some may be more significant to you than others. The boys play hockey and football (plus a whole host of other sports) at Royal Russell, but do not play Rugby, swimming is also available at Royal Russell, which I do not believe is available at The Cedars.

Hi DivM. My son is in Year 7 at The Cedars, so if you have specific questions I can try to answer them. They do offer scholarships, I think up to 20%, but if you ring or email them directly they can give more information (or check their website). Scholarships are definitely available for Academics, Sport & Music, but if your child has a particular gift I think that's always worth pointing out.

We love it; it's small, quite new, and feels like an extended family, where your opinion as a parent is valued and listened to. The Headmaster, Mr. Teague, is a lovely man, and all the staff faculty I've met so far have been very approachable. Sport - including Rugby - plays a big part in the life of the school, and all boys are expected to take part, not just the 'sporty' ones!