This time last year, I was extolling the virtues of our long-held ban on mobile devices and our cautious use of tech, including AI. I explored with you that, on the one hand, we enjoyed enhanced communication (at least online), apps to foster learning and digital literacy, balanced with the rise in sleep disturbance, impacted mood and cognitive function, anxiety, depression and lower self-esteem, often exacerbated by cyberbullying. 

A year on, the evidence and the movement against technology and particularly AI in education is gaining momentum. It is important to stress that my focus here is on the 2-11 age range, though the arguments are valid with respect to all youngsters, in my view. For clarity, I want to focus on just one leading academic in the field, Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, American teacher turned cognitive neuroscientist and his recent address to the Congress education committee in the United States:

Gen Z, he reveals, is the first generation since records began in the late 1800s, to underperform the generation before it. Western society is witnessing collective cognitive development in decline. Young people are suffering in key cognitive abilities: attention span, memory, literacy, numeracy, and IQ, even though they spend more time in school and after decades of educational research that has advanced teaching methods. The key difference is the existence of tech in the classroom since 2010. Tech is making children dumber.

Why? Because human beings are biologically predisposed to learn from other human beings, NOT screens. As social animals, we have evolved to need human-to-human contact and that includes for learning. As an educator and parent, I have always instinctively felt this, which is why we, as a school have always adopted a measured approach to using technology and, of course, always had a ban on mobile phones. My advice to you, as parents of young children, is to do the research yourself. Professor Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation, is perfect summer reading and I ask you to consider the choices you make in the home when it comes to tech and the exposure that your children have to screens of all kinds.

Schools in Norway, Sweden, Finland and regions of Spain are all favouring a back-to-basics policy with limited use of internet-enabled devices in their primary age groups and are holding AI in less regard than the education arms of our profit-hungry Big Tech companies would like.

The rise of tech has been matched by the rise in mental health issues amongst the young, the demand for Special Needs provision in schools and I offer that parenting skills are under threat for the same reason. 150 years of psychology and psychiatry have not provided any answers. Time, talking and tablets treat only the symptoms and avoid the hard questions as to why youngsters, alongside their adult counterparts, are suffering mentally. The answer, in my view, is tech and the multi-billion-pound economy based upon grabbing and keeping humans from interacting with each other.

So imagine my delight as we continue our refurbishment of the Pre-Prep, moving to Nursery after the successful Robins project, with another heavy lean towards learning though imaginative, practical play, or the revamped clubs and activities now totalling 27 that all require a combination of imagination, memory, communication, cooperation, physical  exertion or artistic flair and only one involving tech at all.

Meeting many families as I do, parents of very young children are increasingly ready to say no to their children, favouring no tech at all or at least very simple devices. Following the excellent turnout for our thought leadership event Let’s Talk about Kids and Their Tech and our in-house review on the use of IT as a learning tool, I am very much encouraged about the future for Russell House pupils. Very soon, cut and paste will, once again, involve a pair of scissors and a glue stick!
 

ACADEMICS

Another noticeable change is that new parents want to give their children space, to let them find out who they are, without hot-housing. This fits perfectly with our ethos and our results reflect that approach. We welcome parents who trust us to do what we do, to challenge their children, not because it is easy but because it is hard, for we know that we only ever learn when we are outside of our comfort zones. 

With many prep schools merging with secondaries or joining educational groups we remain a truly independent prep, continuing to offer the widest choice of secondary school options with our Form 7s triumphant once again. 83% of the pupils who sat the Kent Test achieved grammar status and they secured 27 offers between them from independent secondary schools. There were nine formally recognised performances, with three academic awards, four sports awards, an Art and a Music award.

Our leaving pupils are heading to 12 different secondary schools, including independent and super-selective grammars. 

Mathematics

It has been a year to celebrate within the mathematics department, with an increasing number of opportunities for the children to take part and thrive in nationwide events. In November, our Forms 6 and 7 took part in the Primary Maths Challenge, with Zachary and Lottie in Form 7 progressing to the bonus round, with Zachary ultimately earning a Silver award. Following this, our Forms 3 and 4 took on the First Maths Challenge. We were delighted to have seven children gain a Gold award, including Orson in Form 4, who achieved full marks and Arthur and Petra both in Form 5, only one mark away from achieving the same feat. 

Maths teams have also taken part in competitive events against other schools this year. Our Form 5 team were particularly delighted with their second place out of 12 in a local maths event. Always punching above our weight, it is perhaps no surprise then that our senior mathematicians qualified for the National Finals at Oxford University. The team achieved a very respectable top twenty result from hundreds of schools that entered.

Further congratulations must go to Cavell for winning the annual Inter-House Maths event.

English and Drama

In this era of technology, the English and Drama department remains fully committed to reading in its original form and there has been much celebration of books this year. Teachers continue to promote reading for enjoyment and through activities like Extreme Reading, library visits and book fairs, the children are exposed to a broad spectrum of material. The introduction of an Accelerated Reader Lottery in Forms 3 to 7 has added a new element of competition to reading and we welcomed the author Helen Peters, who spoke to all of the children about her many books, all based on her own childhood growing up on a farm. 

From their very earliest days at Russell House, our children are encouraged to get up on stage and perform in front of others. Whether it was Ralph the Reindeer, Penguin Pete, or Humph the Camel, we enjoyed festive treats from the lower Main School. Their confidence and ability never fails to surprise and warm our hearts. 

The Spring Term saw the Form 4 and 5 plays; 1066 and Greece Goes to Pieces and this year's Summer Production, Pet Side Story, caused a rift in Forms 6 and 7 as they wrestled with the dilemma: Are you a cat or a dog person?

Supporting our curricular drama, the Speech Club remains one of our most popular activities and the children have enjoyed a wonderful set of LAMDA exam results. In truly dramatic style, they reported to me in verse which I share with you now:

 

Seventy-one pupils, proud and bright, 

Performed their LAMDA parts just right,

On May’s 16th and 17th days,

They filled the hall with skill and praise.

Forms 2 to 4 spoke poems with grace,

Each word delivered, clear in place,

While 5 to 7 took the stage,

With solo, duo, scene, and page

With excellence their talents shone,

Each voice and role uniquely known -

A brilliant weekend, all agreed,

Of courage, craft, and splendid deed.

 

Perhaps not surprising that three quarters of the pupils entered achieved a distinction grade with the remainder at merit level. Congratulations are also offered to Lottie Morten on winning the Public Speaking Competition with her discourse on whether food could or should be free. All six finalists spoke with confidence and style which very much belied their young age and reflected our ambitious school aims.

Science and PSHE

Modern science is all about curiosity and co-operation. At Russell House, we foster the spirit of co-operation throughout. During a rainbow-friendly Science Week, different Forms explored unique topics tied to specific colours. Form 7 used layered cardboard in humanities to model the topography of Uluru and show how sunlight radically alters its appearance throughout the day. Form 6 investigated light through chemical flame tests, linking the unique colours emitted by elements to the way scientists analyse exoplanet atmospheres for signs of alien life. Meanwhile, Form 5 combined mathematics and English, what we call Minglish, researching the Fibonacci sequence in nature and turning those numerical patterns into syllables for sunflower-themed poetry.

Form 4 explored the colour red, crafting vivid poetry inspired by Mary O’Neill that spanned everything from fire and blood to Liverpool FC and Ferraris. Form 3 focused on green, creating Top Trump cards for superheroes and villains. They calculated and compared the force, in newtons, each character could exert, with The Hulk predictably undefeated. Form 2 dived deep into the colour blue, real time tracking the migratory path of a humpback whale and analysing a variety of marine skeletons. Finally, bridging science and social action, they synthesised their learning to write to Greenpeace, pitching creative strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle single-use plastics to protect our oceans.

Humanities  which includes Modern Foreign Languages

Developing an appreciation of the local area has been a key focus in humanities. Humanities Week had an orienteering theme, with pupils taking part in both on-site and off-site challenges. Alongside fieldwork visits to the River Darent and Bodiam Castle, these experiences have helped pupils gain a deep understanding of the geography and history on their doorstep. 

The pupils’ appreciation of the wider world continues to flourish and we were especially delighted to welcome several parents to share their varied cultures and heritage. Of course, languages can only ever be embedded in real world situations and so we were thrilled to offer pupils a trip to Lille, penpal opportunities with a French school and, of course, Form 7 camp and its annual pilgrimage to Amiens and Paris.

This unerring commitment to fostering curiosity and a love of learning has continued to contribute to the success of the school’s general knowledge quiz team, who joined the maths team in a return to Oxford University to defend their National title. You can imagine the scenes in the study as news of the second successful campaign against 32 other finalists came in. Returning quizzers, Zachary Bourne (Form 7), Freddie McMorrow (Form 6) and Noah Havas (Form 5) were joined by William Martin (Form 4). 

SPORTS

It was a remarkable year of sport for Russell House, defined by strong team performances, and regional and national accolades.

During the Autumn Term, the footballers won over half of their 59 matches, outscoring opponents by 30%. The U10/11A team led consistently, while the U10/11B and U8B squads enjoyed winning seasons. Kit Conway in Form 7 was outstanding throughout. In hockey, the school contested 54 fixtures and six tournaments. The dominant U9s went unbeaten, picking up two golds and a bronze, while the U8A team also remained undefeated. Individually, Lara Bourne in Form 5 was the school's overall top scorer. The U10/11A hockey team enjoyed elite success, winning the ISA Bowl and an IAPS Regional plate bronze behind standout performances from Zoey Laan and Jessica Jackaman in Form 7. Inter-House honours went to Cavell for football and Fry for hockey.

The netball season was equally impressive. The U8 and U9s won almost all of their games, energised by the seemingly unstoppable Ela Xhambazi in Form 4, while the U10 and U11 squads secured winning records. Towards the end of the season, the U10/11A team went on an incredible run, winning bronze at both the ISA Regionals and IAPS Small School Nationals, silver at the IAPS Regionals, and ultimately capturing gold at the ISA National Plate finals in Warwick. Nightingale won the Inter-House netball tournament.

On the rugby field, the school enjoyed one of its strongest terms in recent years. The U10/11A team lost just two games all season thanks to an elite defence anchored by Form 7 boys Kit Conway and Noah Reynolds, alongside spectacular solo efforts from Jake Curzey. The U8/9 touch rugby team won all bar one and Johnson claimed Inter-House rugby honours.

Summer cricket brought further success despite 12 fixtures being rained off. The senior hardball team went undefeated, led by the bowling and batting partnership of Form 7s Annabel Plowman and Jessica Jackaman, alongside county development players Zachary Bourne in Form 7 and Form 6s Euan Symonds. The Boys’ U10/11B team also finished undefeated, powered by the big-hitting of Noah Reynolds. Meanwhile, Zoey Laan was named player of the season for the U10/11 girls’ soft ball cricket team. Younger players also showed great promise despite mixed, weather-disrupted seasons. Cavell secured the Inter-House cricket title for the second consecutive year.

The gymnastics programme built upon previous successes to achieve regional dominance and a remarkable four titles at the Milano Team Trio Nationals. Highlights included a national title for the U11 Boys, a regional team gold, an overall South East regional crown, and an individual National title for Orson Helm in Form 4. At the Floor, Vault, Tumbling, and Sports Acrobatics National Finals in Stoke-on-Trent, the school added an U13 bronze, an U11 silver, and the regional George Finney Shield.

In the pool, Russell House recorded its best swimming performance in over a decade, with every individual and team finishing in the top three of their races. Sean Dewey represented the region at the ISA Nationals and won his IAPS regional heat, later helping Fry successfully defend their Inter-House swimming title.

The year started strongly in cross country and concluded with a brilliant display in athletics. In cross country, Form 5’s Gabriel Kostro and Lara Bourne excelled at regionals, with Lara going on to place third nationally. In summer athletics, Annabel Plowman won bronze in the 150m at the Kent Independent Schools Competition, and the school took two bronze medals at the ISA athletics meet. Lara starred once again, winning the regional 600m and capturing a brilliant national silver medal in Birmingham. Fittingly, a highly competitive Sports Day concluded the sporting year, with Cavell winning the trophy to become the most successful house in the event’s history to date. We also make special mention of Rosie Griffen and Lucy Sterrenberg-Dyer on their Sports Scholarships.

THE ARTS

Art

The recently departed David Hockney said:

What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something, because of course art is about sharing.

The pupils have enjoyed sharing the artwork they have created this year, building up their sketchbooks, improving their drawing skills through still life exercises, and taking inspiration from famous artists. Junior and Senior Art clubs have also observed, sketched and painted landscape scenes around our beautiful grounds. 

 

Forms 2 to 5 enjoyed two specialist workshops this year. The first involved creating mini sculptures from garden birds to colourful pumpkins using mod-roc. This was followed by a felt-making masterclass. The artistic year concluded with our annual art exhibition which shared the best of a busy year.

Special mention is made here of Alba Brookes in Form 7, who won herself an Art Scholarship.

Music

Our musical year is as ambitious as it is entertaining. Harvest was closely followed by the Winter Festival, which required both harmonies and body percussion. Form 6 performing a cup routine and Form 7 performing a Mario Medley on the Boomwhackers. The House Music Competition had a deliciously 90’s Cheese theme and we enjoyed a Spring Concert where our own Gabriel Kostro’s composition, Chameleon, was a particular favourite and he went on to win the Instrumental and Voice Category in the ISA Composer Competition 2026 for this masterpiece.

On top of all of this, we have seen many musicians perform as part of Music Assemblies, Christmas productions, the Form 4 and 5 musicals, Pre-Prep Coffee Mornings and Open Mornings, all building confidence and resilience and feeding the soul, arguably the best bit about being human.

Music exams are always worth pursuing and 91% of pupils entered have achieved either a merit or distinction class and we have, once again, entered numerous pupils for Grade 4 and Grade 5 exams. Grade 5 is the recommended performance level to be considered for GCSE, so for ten and eleven year olds to be there already is a remarkable achievement.

Clara Buxton in Form 7 was also awarded a Music Scholarship. 

RHPA

Another hard-working group of people to thank is the Russell House Parents’ Association. Working together, we have enjoyed all manner of community and charity events that reflect the school’s family ethos. The Wonderland Ball too was a triumph and we thank the Ball Committee. We can already begin to look forward to our 90th birthday celebrations in 2028/29, with confidence and a sense of anticipation.

CHARITIES

A year ago, I resolved to increase our charity fundraising and the community rallied beyond my wildest dreams. This year we supported:

• Save The Children
• The Neo Natal Unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital
• The Royal British Legion
• The Rainbow Trust (which was our School Council’s Charity)
• Demelza 

The School Council raised £1558.00 for their charity with a Christmas Raffle and a Lego Design Competition. Collectively, as a school we raised a heartwarming £16,078 for all our charitable causes. The Demelza Project will live long in the memory of many, not least this headmaster, raising £13,538 in itself, well in excess of our £10,000 target. Well done to everyone, thank you to the staff for putting themselves out there and for the enormous generosity and support of the entire Russell House family.

So finally, to my favourite poem, that perfectly encapsulates another wonderful year at Russell House:

Pencils Tiny

Erasers Flat

Glue Empty

Folders Fat

Crayons Broken

Desk Neat

Memories Forever

The Year Complete

 

Mr Craig McCarthy
Headmaster