Having just enjoyed an ‘excellent’ inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, we can look back with pride and look forward, full of confidence, into 2019/20.

The first big project is a complete upgrade of our information technology hardware. Pupils at Russell House already enjoy collaborative learning via the Google for Education platform and extensive opportunities for coding, including wiki and app development.

Now, following work during the summer holidays, we have replaced and extended hardware and upgraded our site-wide wireless so that all the children in our school can enjoy uninterrupted access as an integral part of their learning journey.

Our second transformational project will involve our whole school community pulling together to help provide the greatest gift we can.

Our second transformational project is the construction and operation of a school in Nepal. In partnership with an international education charity, we will be up and running in a remote community for 200 children learning Nepali, English, maths and science by April 2020.

It is a venture that will involve our whole school community pulling together to help provide the greatest gift we can; a good education where children are encouraged to think for themselves. Nepal appealed to us because the ethos of the school will largely be able to mirror our own.

We anticipate that the opportunities for interaction between all the pupils of Russell House and our new friends in Nepal will be numerous and varied. Initially, our children will communicate with a simple smile followed by the universal languages of art, music, mathematics and science. All this, as well as the opportunity to learn important life lessons about giving back and developing a greater appreciation of how lucky we all are to be living and learning in the UK, will greatly enhance our own pupil experience. All very exciting!

Opportunities for interaction between all the pupils of Russell House and our new friends in Nepal will be numerous and varied.