Repton's Good Schools Guide Review - 2022

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T H E H E A D

Since 2019, Mark Semmence, previously head of Mount Kelly. An economist with degrees from Durham (BA and MBA), London (PGCE) and Warwick (MA). Played cricket for England Schools U19 and Durham University; a member of MCC Youth Cricket Committee. In fact, it was a cricket match that ‘changed my life’. Having been all geared up for law school he found himself unexpectedly pulled aside in his cricket whites and asked on the spot if he’d like to join the Argentinian Cricket Association –a dream come true. ‘But what will you do when you get back before starting law school?’ came a voice from behind. ‘You could always come and help out with the cricket at Ludgrove!’ Which is exactly what he did, staying for another term, then another, until law became a distant memory Left for a stint in international sports marketing (and still can’t resist a catchy phrase, telling us for example that Repton is ‘grounded, rounded and unbounded in aspiration’) before doing his PGCE Thence to Rugby, where he longed to become housemaster but wound up bagging the even more sought-after role of assistant head, before moving to Mount Kelly for five years Perhaps, having grown up in Hurstpierpoint College, it was always to be –‘education is in the blood,’ he agrees

His oak-panelled study is so orderly that we mistook it for a meeting room The irony amused him as he’d recently made his predecessor’s study –which incorporates the original 1400s tower –just that ‘I moved because there were just too many doors to get through to reach it’ ‘That figures,’ reckoned a student, ‘he’s very present –a big change for us’ They told us he’s ‘interested’ and ‘very open to criticism’, though he doesn’t teach Softly spoken, but don’t let that fool you –this is a dynamo of a man who has wasted no time in sharpening and refining and he is leaving no stone unturned Includes the creation of an all-through school (main local feeder has now become Repton Prep), an injection of new blood in the teaching staff, using data more effectively for tracking and monitoring, a boost to university support and more one-toones to help pupils make the right subject choices Big push on widening curriculum, with sixth formers now able to access courses on eg introduction to economics, personal finance, geopolitics and public speaking ‘which doesn’t come naturally to most people but is such an important skill’ Has also recruited a new wellbeing manager and promises a much, much greater focus on swimming (remember, he came from Mount Kelly) ‘Very much the businessman’, ‘great at communications’, ‘refreshingly honest, especially in Covid’, say parents

Still finds time to play cricket, among other sports, with other interests including art and architecture, travel, food and business

Married to Alison, who helps out at the prep and teaches in a local primary school They have two young daughters, both at the prep

E N T R A N C E

Increasingly competitive, so plan ahead

Common Entrance pass of around 50 (or international equivalent) required Around half join from Repton’s nearby prep, others from an increasingly wide range of preps including S Anselm’s, Malsis, Orwell Park, as well as internationally Around 50 join at sixth form, when applicants need a minimum five GCSEs at 6+ (7+s for chosen A level subjects)

Nobody left post GCSEs in 2021 – not untypical Over 70 per cent to Russell Group universities Exeter, Durham and Bristol popular. Five to Oxbridge in 2021 plus one medic. Growing numbers overseas including to top US universities – nine in 2021, including Yale and Stanford.

In 2021, 72 per cent 9-7 at I/GCSE; 64 per cent A*/A at A level (90 per cent A*-B) In 2019 (the last year when exams took place), 67 per cent 9-7 at I/GCSE; 35 per cent A*/A at A level (63 per cent A*-B)

T E A C H I N G a n d L E A R N I N G

Repton sits comfortably among the top coed boarding schools for academic achievement and shines particularly brightly in terms of value added. But now, more than ever, teachers are kept on their toes and are heavily praised for being ‘happy to go over anything that’s not understood in class –they are very open to kids that maybe don’t get it the first time round.’ Inspiring too –‘My eldest hated history at prep but came out of Sixth Form with an A at A level.

’Science facilities stand out thanks to impressive glass-fronted Science Priory with labs, seminar rooms, reptile room and a much-loved university-style (better than some universities, actually) lecture theatre with 3D projector (imagine animated images of a human kidney inches from your eyes). Plus, there’s an observatory on the roof –great for those dark Derbyshire skies But does the teaching match up? ‘Oh yes,’ say students, who also pull out history as a top department Maths, until recently, considered a weak spot ‘but now brilliant thanks to three new amazing teachers,’ according to a student We watched one in awe as he made trigonometry sound fun

All are streamed on arrival then set in almost every subject –‘with plenty of movement,’ we were assured Spanish, German and French from year 9, with at least one taken at GCSE Latin optional, again from year 9 Of the 10 or 11 GCSEs that pupils take, English and maths results top the bill, but only just Among the most popular A levels (of which most students take three) are economics and English Numbers have fallen in Latin and Greek, but the school will run the tiniest of classes, as we saw for ourselves with a German A level class featuring just one

BTec in sport recently introduced. EPQ has 50 per cent take-up but head (who was instrumental in creating the original business and economics EPQ at Rugby) is pushing for a full house. ‘It’s wonderful for them to have in-depth knowledge on something other people don’t –great for university and job interviews and you can carry it through your whole life.’

All pupils have their own Win10 device with access to every note made in every lesson, as well as being used for targeted pastoral care. The director of digital development is one of the original six Microsoft Fellows, and there are six more Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts on the staff. Did the school no harm at all during Covid when it bagged the Education Business Award for outstanding remote learning provision, though some students would like computing to feature as a standalone subject

L E A R N I N G S U P P O R T a n d S E N

A small but mighty department run by a popular SENCo who tests all students on arrival. ‘I have twice-weekly sessions –they’ve made all the difference,’ said a student. ‘I don’t even have the words for the SENCo –not only has she organised support in groups and one-to-ones but she has put herself between him and his teachers so they understand exactly what he needs,’ a parent told us. ‘Came into school on a Sunday once so they could walk together because she’d heard he was unhappy,’ we also heard.

T H E A R T S a n d

E X T R A C U R R I C U L A R

Great excitement in the drama department when we visited – the costumes for Frankenstein had just arrived The rails of West End-worthy getups would be enough to bring out the thespian in anyone – including, it seems, a girl whose melodramatic shrieks instinctively gave us cause for concern until we clocked that she was performing a monologue in character The 1930s Hollywood swashbuckler Basil Rathbone first trod the boards at Repton and one imagines he’d be mighty impressed by the professional-standard facilities enjoyed by students today – including a black box studio and spectacular 315-seat theatre largely run by students backstage but with professionals such as choreographers brought in when required ‘The results are spectacular,’ exclaimed a parent LAMDA, and especially public speaking, taken seriously – we watched students practising impromptu speeches for grade 8

Ambitious in scope, students produce everything from ceiling paintings to surrealist films

Next stop, textiles – a veritable feast of fabrics metamorphosed into all manner of attire. All students do at least a term of textiles and there are drop-in classes for those who want to do an ‘off timetable’ GCSE. The biannual fashion show is a big deal and completely sixth-form run, from choosing the models (other students), making the outfits, marketing, music, sound, lighting and social media. The theatre is extended to include a catwalk and it plays to 500 people over two nights, raising money for, as our tour guide put it, ‘people who can’t afford their own clothes’. Around the other side is the village gallery (former shop) where students’ and visiting artists’ work is displayed for passersby.

A short walk away the art department is affectionately known as the 11th house due to the sheer amount of time students spend here (well-loved leather sofas help) Ambitious in scope, students produce everything from ceiling paintings to surrealist films – one recently made tea for 15 hours as live performance art ‘Where are the pencils?’ asked a year 9 tentatively when paper was handed out for a drawing task, but the teacher had more imaginative means in mind and by the end of the lesson they’d done everything from wiping their faces on it to wiping the floor Both A and AS level art are popular and almost all candidates get A* or A – ditto for photography and textiles In DT we observed year 10s fastidiously making metal tea light holders and a teacher patiently explaining the intricacies of a twist drill ‘Shame these subjects are only on a carousel in year 9, though,’ felt one parent – ‘means you can wind up with very little of each

’Music on par with sport, according to pupils, and that’s saying something at Repton. Whether music is your everything or you just like belting hymns in chapel there's plenty of scope. ‘Not just top choirs but junior choirs and house music all approached with similar gusto,’ confirmed a parent. Spacious department boasts recording studio (electric guitars at full throttle during our visit, and students have performed for Radio 4), 22 practice rooms, classrooms (where we lingered in a lively GCSE music discussion) and a performance space with new Steinway – ‘the jewel in the crown’ (though the chapel’s Harrison & Harrison organ ain't half bad either). ‘But it’s hard to commit to music and sport,’ cautioned one student – ‘if you pick orchestra over hockey practice or vice versa you upset the other department.’

Clubs include everything from chess to the very popular debating Pick a subject and put a ‘soc’ in it and you’ve probably named one of the school societies ‘Some are secret and you have to be invited,’ whispered a wide-eyed pupil For outdoors pursuits, CCF (army or RAF) has a distinguished history at Repton and DofE is popular; school also has its own outward bound options

S P O R T

Not a rugby school – the oval ball finds itself in the unaccustomed category of a minority sport here. Hockey and football are where it’s at, with cricket, swimming and tennis hot on their heels. ‘Sport was the reason we chose the school,’ said parent after parent, who also appreciate that elite is both ‘normal and nurtured’. ‘My daughter plays U16 for England and that’s not unusual here.’ For hockey alone there are two floodlit waterbased Astros, a sand-based Astro and indoor pitches – plus eye-in-the-sky for nuanced analysis. No fewer than twelve football pitches and Repton girls are currently national champions in every year group while boys have gone on to play professionally for Watford, Derby County and Sheffield Albion.

Cricket pitches in enviable nick and it was lovely to see the courts being used (as are many of the facilities here) by villagers Swimming teacher coached the Australian Olympic swimming team and underwater cameras soon to be fitted in line with head's aim to boost performance in this sport Eton fives popular – courts recently refurbished Niche options include golf, fencing and badminton Strength and conditioning commended by students, including dedicated gym space – ‘great for post-injury,’ said one Weekly online gym classes and oodles of fitness videos during lockdowns

But with no floodlit pitches the winter timetable comes in for an unpopular rejig

‘It’s hard sitting in an English lesson at 6pm on a Friday’ ‘Not enough attention on athletics,’ was another niggle

Hockey and football are where it’s at, with cricket, swimming and tennis hot on their heels.

B O A R D I N G

‘Proper’ boarding only (no flexi or weekly) with 70 per cent boarders. Parents recommend reading each of the 10 house profiles on the website, plus the Twitter feeds, then narrowing it down to visiting at least three – and that goes for day pupils too, who all belong to one. Sound advice, though many wind up choosing on word of mouth, dynasty links (one current student is fifth generation), and their child’s interests – ‘for example, Mitre is known for being sporty whereas Abbey is more mixed,’ said a student. Ten in total, spread across the campus and village – the six boys’ ones are based in the heritage houses; the four girls’ houses are newer, purpose built and with smaller rooms. House loyalty is strong ‘but we’re always in and out of others for socialising’. ‘Of course!’ smiled our tour guides when we enquired about student relationships, bu one mixed comm

Homely dorms m younger years (t four); sixth forme bedrooms A roll means nowhere lick of paint thou the carpets are w furniture is quite he couldn’t stan well personalised ‘only rule is that said a student M houseparents (a pets), along with resident tutors

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E T H O S a n d H E R I T A G E

Founded on the site of a 12th century Augustinian priory by bequest of Sir John Port in 1557. In exchange for their education, pupils were obliged to pray for the Port family’s souls – arguably a less painful form of recompense than the school fees forked out by today’s parents. The next 300 years saw acrimonious legal disputes, fluctuating pupil numbers and a general decline that was not reversed until the middle of the 19th century. Fragments of the original priory buildings remain, notably parts of the arch that marks the entrance to the school and a tower that was incorporated into the building. Girls admitted from the 1970s, fully co-ed by 1991. Now something of an empire, with seven international schools spanning the Middle East, Egypt, Malaysia and China and further plans for Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and more in Egypt

So intertwined are the school and village that it’s not always easy to separate them Even that ancient arch isn’t as prominent as you might think – we drove straight past it The school owns 100 of the local houses for staff and the Spar shop must see a dramatic fall in its profits during the holidays A few grumbles among students that the pub is out of bounds, ‘but sixth formers are allowed some wine,’ said a pupil Grounds pristine –lawn lines were being perfected when we visited, framing the picturesque (more quaint than grandiose) buildings The library, chapel and head’s house would win the beauty contest

Many eminent military, sporty and clerical types among former pupils, as well as MPs both red and blue. Includes Roald Dahl and Jeremy Clarkson (neither of whom recall their time with affection), poet James Fenton, comedian Graeme Garden, novelist and screenwriter Christopher Isherwood, artist Anthony Gross and recent field hockey Olympic medalists Georgie Twigg and Ellie Watton.

P A S T O R A L C A R E , I N C L U S I V I T Y a n d D I S C I P L I N E

The smallish size (whole school can fit in the chapel), caring staff and friendly vibe are among clinchers for families when picking the school. For many, it was a ‘gut feeling’ and they ‘knew straightaway it was right’. House is everything and this (especially the meals being taken in house) also wins many over. ‘Everything from the care that is taken of each child in house to the house music, drama etc means they really feel part of a family,’ said one parent. The joined-up approach is valued – if a student has eg a music exam, all relevant staff are informed. ‘They’re understanding about commitments too – I have a match in Germany this weekend and they don’t mind and said they’ll help me catch up with the work.’ Lots of awards, though one parent felt ‘the same old kids, mainly the very bright ones, wind up with loads while mine never gets anything’

Skin fades (for boys), hair down (for girls) and shoddily worn uniform (for either) are no-nos and could land you an early morning call (getting yourself to head’s office in uniform ultra-early) or detention. Drink and drugs? ‘It happens but they act swiftly and openly, never brushing it under the carpet,’ said a parent. But don’t expect the usual zero tolerance speech – ‘What even is that? There are always grey areas, there is always context and we deal with things on a case by case basis,’ says head. Everyone’s Invited taken seriously, say both school and students, with one of the school governors having been responsible for rooting out misogyny in senior police – ‘If anyone’s on it, she is.’ LGBTQ+ societies and lots of discussion around Black Lives Matter. Bullying generally nipped in the bud

P

U P I L S a n d

P A R E N T S

Once very much a local boarding school with majority of families from Midlands, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire but reach now stretches way further as many parents consider it ‘a more traditional and academic Millfield’ More SME owners than landed gentry and increasingly lawyers and bankers from the south-east Seventeen per cent international contingent, again more widely dispersed than in the past when Hong Kong and China dominated Parents love the formalities, heritage and traditions of Repton but say, ‘It’s not posh’ Parents of day pupils often buy or rent houses in or very near Repton village itself Students are full of life

they have to be to cope with the daily 9pm finish and seven-day week; they converse easily with strangers, the younger ones inevitably more shy

M O N E Y M A T T E R S

Range of scholarships and exhibitions – some titular only, some worth up to 20 per cent off fees. Fees broadly in line with similar schools.

T H E L A S T W O R D

Repton has long been a safe bet academically but equally it is not a school to stand still, with new leadership tweaking and brushing up from all angles, perhaps especially in sport. A (relatively) more grounded offering than some of its flashier competitors, and a great fit for the allrounder.