Founded in 1557, Repton School was established on the site of a 12th century Augustinian Priory in the Derbyshire village of the same name. Today Repton is a modern community with a clear sense of purpose and momentum. As a pre-eminent co-educational boarding and day school in the heart of England, Repton provides a balanced, broad-based education, blending heritage with the pursuit of excellence in a 21st century context, offering world-class facilities alongside high quality teaching and pastoral care.
Repton is home to around 620 pupils, making it large enough to achieve excellence in and out of the classroom, yet small enough for individuals to grow and flourish. Each pupil, whether day or boarding, is a member of a House, of which there are ten (six for boys and four for girls). Repton Prep is situated two miles from the Senior campus and is home to enviable, age-appropriate facilities set in the beautiful 55-acre grounds of a Palladian manor house.
Academic standards are high and because most of the teachers, tutors and coaches live in the village, Reptonians never have to prioritise academic achievement over their love of the theatre or rank their aptitude for sport above their passion for music.
Both campuses are situated in picturesque locations whilst offering extensive travel links. Repton and Repton Prep can be easily reached by road from the M1, M6 and M5 via the A50, by rail from East Midlands Parkway and Lichfield, or from nearby Birmingham and East Midlands airports.
Admissions. Pupils from a wide range of prep schools are admitted to Repton at 13+ (Year 9). Pupils can also join the School at 14+ (Year 10) and 16+ (Year 12). Repton invites prospective pupils to take part in GL Assessment's CAT4 Tests that focus on a pupil’s potential, skills and abilities. Along with the completion of these assessments, Repton will also request school reports and a reference from your child’s current school.
Fees per term (2023-2024). Boarders: £14,560; Day pupils: £10,800. Some additional expenses (for trips, sports kit, pocket money, etc.) will be incurred.
Houses and Pastoral Care. There are ten Houses – six for boys and four for girls, each home to approximately 60 pupils. Day pupils are fully integrated with the boarders, who make up around 70% of the Repton community.
In-House dining is one of the most highly treasured aspects of Repton life, with day and boarding pupils dining with teachers and staff in their own House three times each day. Each of the Houses has its own in-House catering team, including a Head Chef, providing delicious home-cooked food sourced from local producers.
The House is in a true sense every Reptonian’s home in the School – the place where pupils eat, sleep, work and live. The Housemaster or Housemistress has overall responsibility for an individual pupil’s work and development, lives in the House with their own family and is supported by a resident Matron, resident Tutor and a team of Duty Tutors. The size of the House is carefully calibrated to allow for individualised care. Repton’s pastoral care combines the best of traditional care with a systematically proactive approach aiming to pre-empt problems and support each pupil. By interweaving scientific and data-driven measures, the Pastoral team has developed highly tuned pastoral care provision.
Curriculum. The Curriculum at Repton includes both the Academic Curriculum and Co-Curriculum. It gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and creative education. It also provides for the spiritual, social and cultural development of pupils.
The Co-Curriculum provides a rich programme of activities appropriate to pupils’ educational needs in relation to personal, social, emotional and physical development. It is Repton’s aim to run a varied programme of sport and other extracurricular activities and all pupils are expected to participate.
Pupils joining Repton in B Block (Year 9) study Biology, Chemistry, English, Geography, History, Mathematics, Physical Education, Physics, PSHE, Religious Studies, Art, Design Technology, Drama and Music. They also opt to study a combination of modern foreign languages and classical subjects.
In A and O Block (Years 10 and 11) all pupils will study Mathematics, English Language, English Literature and the sciences. Pupils also choose from French, Spanish, German, Art, Business, Design, Drama, Geography, History, Music, Latin, Physical Education and Religious Studies. Pupils can opt to take Music, Art, Textiles and Photography ‘off timetable’.
Most Sixth Formers study three subjects at the start of Lower Sixth, though some take four. Pupils can opt from the following subjects: Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Design Technology, Drama, Economics, English Literature, French, Geography, German, History, Latin, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Photography; Physics, Politics, Psychology, Religious Studies, Spanish, Sport (BTEC), Business (CTEC) and Textiles.
Pupils have the opportunity to take the Extended Project Qualification and in the Lower Sixth, pupils follow a programme devised by the School, ‘Future Leaders’, which covers public-speaking, careers and higher education, personal finances, geopolitics, and prepares Sixth Formers for life beyond Repton.
Across all year groups specialist learning support lessons are also offered, including English as an additional language (EAL).
Beyond Repton. In 2023, 16% of pupils achieved an A* and 68% of pupils A*–B, with 83% of pupils achieving their first-choice university destination and 57% placed at one of the Russell Group establishments. Reptonians go on to study at a wide range of universities, with US universities proving increasingly popular. Of those, three candidates chose to study abroad at US Ivy League University, which included Cornell, Dartmouth and Princeton. They form a growing cohort of Old Reptonians in the US at prestigious universities including Harvard and Stanford.
Facilities at Repton are of a world-class standard and significant investments in recent years give pupils, partner schools and the wider community access to state-of-the-art facilities. This includes the newly refurbished Sports Centre and the Science Priory which offers pupils access to an observatory, outdoor classrooms and a university-style lecture theatre.
Repton is fortunate to possess outstanding all-weather water-based hockey pitches, indoor hockey, an indoor swimming pool, strength and conditioning suites, and a cricket ground that is the envy of many schools and clubs; a Music School with a plethora of practice rooms, concert hall, performance areas and recording studio; the 400 Hall Theatre with a versatile, purpose-built Studio space; and a stunning Art School with two art galleries, dedicated workshops for 3D work, ceramics, and photography.
Creative Arts. Music is at the heart of Repton and all pupils are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of classroom and extra-curricular music activities. The Music Department is housed in an impressive building which features a purpose-built concert hall, a fully equipped recording studio, a computer suite specifically for composition and a variety of academic and instrumental teaching spaces. The department’s six full-time members of staff are joined by Heads of Strings, Wind & Brass and Singing and there are 30 specialist Visiting Music Teachers.
The Drama department offers many opportunities for all pupils to perform and work backstage in the vast array of productions that take place during the School year. It is housed in the award-winning 400 Hall Theatre with an auditorium, studio theatre, and a number of dressing room spaces. The theatre facilities were designed specifically as learning spaces for independent practice, thus allowing pupils to be heavily involved in production as well as in performance. Extra-curricular activities include all aspects of theatre production including acting, assistant directing, stage management, sound, lighting design and operation, hair and make-up and costume design.
The LAMDA qualification is offered to pupils to improve their confidence and self-efficacy and lessons are available flexibly to fit around pupils’ individual programmes.
In addition to its timetabled curriculum, the philosophy of the Art School encourages ‘Art for all’ outside formal lessons. The department organises a bi-annual Fashion Show of collections made by the pupils, in addition to numerous exhibitions including works from both national and local art companies. The Artists-in-Residence scheme enables pupils, both on and off the academic timetable, to benefit from the expertise and inspiration of recent graduates and practising artists.
The Design and Technology Centre is home to two workshops, a CNC and 3D printing area, alongside a lecture room and classroom teaching spaces. The department encourages O Block (Year 11) pupils to apply for the Arkwright Scholarship every year; a prestigious national scheme which rewards excellence in design and engineering disciplines and leads to exciting opportunities with local and national industry leaders.
Sport. At Repton, you will find a balanced approach to sporting success. Achieving in sport at the highest levels of performance and participation for all are in no way mutually exclusive. Over 80% of Reptonians represent the School in at least one sport and every Reptonian participates in sport at least three times per week. The School’s illustrious sporting heritage is matched by the achievements of their pupils today. It is Repton’s aim to discover and develop the sporting and athletic potential within every pupil, as part of a balanced and challenging curriculum encouraging a lifelong love of sport and the benefits it brings.
Repton has amassed an enviable collection of silverware across their focus sports (cricket, football, hockey, netball, swimming and tennis), but above all, it is about what sport brings out in pupils: teamwork, dedication, resilience, leadership and a sense of achievement – both collectively and individually.
The redeveloped Sports Centre includes two floodlit water-based Astroturf hockey pitches, a state-of-the-art, full size indoor hockey facility, a 25m indoor swimming pool with spectator area, two indoor and 12 outdoor floodlit tennis courts, netball and squash courts as well as a specialist strength and conditioning suite.
Combined Cadet Force. All pupils join the CCF in A Block, joining either the Army or RAF section for a year’s basic training. Repton also has excellent in-house facilities for the CCF including an indoor 0.22 rifle range, a climbing wall and the Old Trent for rafting. After A Block, continued membership of the CCF is voluntary, either as part of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or as Community Service.
Scholarships. A range of scholarships and exhibitions are offered annually at 13+ and 16+. A number of awards are available for pupils joining Repton from both the maintained and independent sectors. These include:
C B Fry All Rounder Award is an award worth up to 25% of the Repton boarding fee offered at 13+ to candidates exhibiting outstanding all-round leadership potential. Pupils are required to be nominated by their current Headteacher and will undertake assessments in academia, sport and one of the creative arts.
Music Scholarships and Exhibitions are awarded at 13+ and 16+, with examinations taking place in November (16+) and January (13+).
Drama Scholarships and Exhibitions are also offered at 13+ and 16+, with auditions and interviews taking place in November (16+) and January (13+).
Art Scholarships and Exhibitions are offered at 13+ and 16+. Examinations take place in November (16+) and January (13+). Candidates will be assessed by examination, interview and an assessment of their portfolio.
Design and Technology (DT) Scholarships and Exhibitions are offered at 13+ and 16+. Examinations take place in November (16+) and January (13+). Candidates will be asked to complete a practical session, interview, and to provide a folder of work for assessment.
Sports Scholarships and Exhibitions are offered at 13+ and 16+, to pupils of exceptional talent. Assessments are held in October (13+) and November (16+).
Bursaries may be available to those who would not otherwise be able to attend an independent school. These may, in appropriate circumstances, be used to supplement Academic or non-academic awards. Means-tested bursaries are also available to Forces families.
Charitable status: Repton (1093166) is a Registered Charity. The School exists to provide high quality education for boys and girls.
Governors & Staff:
Chairman of Governors: E M Shires, BA, FCA
Headmaster: M Semmence, BA Durham, MA, MBA Warwick
Principal Deputy Head: J G Golding, BA King’s College London
Deputy Head (Academic): A Currie, MPhys, MEd, DipLCM Durham
Deputy Head (Pastoral): T H Naylor, BSc Reading
Deputy Head (Safeguarding): S J Lees, BA Leeds
Deputy Head (Admissions and Marketing) & Director of Digital Development: J D Wilton, MA Lady Margaret Hall Oxford
Deputy Head (Inclusion and Wellbeing): A F Parish, BA Durham
Assistant Head (Academic): Dr N F Pitts, PhD Leeds
Assistant Head (Operations): A J Smith, BSc Loughborough
Heads of Department:
Art: I J Whitfield, MA Royal College of Art
Business: M K Court, BA Durham
Biology: N J Gardner, BSc Birmingham
Chemistry: R G Dexter, BSc Royal Holloway
Classics: C S Dammers, BA Late Exhibitioner of Worcester College Oxford
Design and Technology: L E Politowski, BDes, Dundee
Drama: J P Cooper-Richards, BA Wales
Economics: J N Kyte, BA Keele
English: B Miller, BA St Anne’s College Oxford
Ethical & Religious Studies: B Eades, BA Kent
Geography: T Howell, MA, MSc, FRGS, Cambridge
History & Politics: Dr N F Pitts, BA, PhD Leeds
Mathematics: E L Bywater, BSc Reading
Modern Languages: B Page, BA Warwick
Music: O M Walker, BA Late Scholar of Keble College Oxford
Physical Education: R G Clarke, BSc, MA Loughborough and Warwick
Physics: T M Lewis, MEng Cardiff
Psychology: E K Browne, BSc, Birmingham
Science: Dr S M Ingleston-Orme, BSc, PhD Nottingham
Boys’ Boarding Houses:
The Cross: M R Wilson
Latham House: M W T Hunt
New House: R G Embery
The Orchard: I M Pollock
The Priory: D A Exley
School House: S D Goudge
Girls’ Boarding Houses:
The Abbey: H C Pettit
The Garden: G L Hill
Field House: C R Watson
The Mitre: C J Jenkinson
Admissions Manager: J Bird
Executive Assistant to the Headmaster: D Cameron