Headmaster’s Update

Dear Old Reptonians,

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in September prompted an extraordinary wave of emotion and sadness, felt throughout the nation, the Commonwealth and the world, but it also marked a real moment in history. Like so many, the Repton community has its own recollections of her, notably her visit in 1957 to open the newly built 400 Hall - welcomed on that occasion by former Headmaster Geoffrey Fisher, who as Archbishop of Canterbury had married the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip and later crowned the young Queen. While current pupils perhaps knew her rather better as ‘the nation’s grandmother’, the atmosphere at our school service of remembrance, held in the Chapel and the Garth, spoke eloquently of our unanimous respect and gratitude for an unparalleled life of service, distinguished by the sense of duty, quiet grace and dignity which was her hallmark for 70 years. In a world beset by conflict, division, and hardship, that notion of selfless service to others remains at the heart of the core values to which we aspire as a community, and it is hard to conceive of a finer role model for our young people.

While world events like this give us pause for sombre reflection, every school year brings fresh energy and renewal – new pupils, new challenges, and new opportunities. It’s one of the privileges of working in education. I am delighted to report that we opened in September with a full school roll, welcoming a new Head at the Prep, Mrs Vicky Harding, and across both sites, our classrooms, boarding houses, sports pitches and auditoria are buzzing again.

Examination results

After two years of school-assessed grades, 2022 saw a return to a more familiar regime of formal examinations at GCSE and A Level, and the results underlined the determination and resilience which both cohorts had faced all the challenges of the pandemic years. At GCSE 60% of grades were in the 9/8/7 range, while at A Level 77.4% of grades were A*-B. In a year of tighter margins nationally in the race for university places, some 80% of Reptonians secured their first-choice destination and 96% one of their top two. Once again, well over half of the Upper Sixth have moved on to Russell Group universities, with four candidates confirming their places at Oxford and Cambridge, and – part of a growing national trend - a further six chose to study abroad at institutions including Cornell, Harvard, and NYU. Their individual success also confirmed the success with which the School has maintained the strength of its provision throughout all the vicissitudes of recent years. In fact, we emerge from this period with our academic strategies significantly enhanced and EdTech now embedded in our regular classroom delivery, complementing the face-to-face interaction of student and teacher for which there is no replacement.

New cultural heights

We can now say with confidence that the life of the School in all its aspects is not just back but back to its very best. November’s production of ‘Medea’ provided utterly compelling drama: visually stylish, crackling with tension as it built to its horrific climax, and featuring, in a company of rare depth and maturity, a simply towering performance from Ali Harris in the title role. The stunning location of Chatsworth’s Painted Hall provided an inspiring venue for the musicians’ celebration of the life and work of Ralph Vaughan Williams – what a memorable experience for performers and audience alike. Our keyboard provision has been greatly enhanced this year by the purchase of a new Steinway grand - immediately put through its paces by our top pianists in a superb Launch Concert. And, if you are not able to get to Derby Cathedral or St Paul’s to hear the Chapel Choir in the coming weeks, listen out for their forthcoming broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

A golden sporting summer and autumn

The summer saw a rare cricketing achievement as Archie Harrison (L’20), last year’s 1st XI Captain, made his first-class debut for Derbyshire against Worcestershire as an 18-year-old. Repton’s cricketing strength can also be seen in the many pupils – boys and girls – who have been called up to represent their counties at U16 and U18 levels. As with our football programme, the (Continued on page 50) girls’ game is rapidly developing, mirroring the national picture, and our U15s ended their season in September as runners-up in the School Sport Magazine National T20 final. Still only two years old, Repton Swimming Club is now very firmly established and attracting ambitious athletes who want to combine an academic programme with the chance of international success, and our swimmers returned from both summer and winter championships with a clutch of medals, including multiple golds. The footballers made the most of the Michaelmas Term. The boys’ 1st XI is advancing strongly in both the Hudl League and ESFA and ISFA competitions, and there has been plenty of individual success for both our boys and girls with selections for ISFA teams, national squads and professional clubs.

Needless to say, the hockey players are not to be outdone! Following a spectacular summer tour of Chile and Argentina, both the boys’ and the girls’ 1st XIs have maintained 100% records this season. Repton teams are progressing strongly at all age group in the National Competitions, the senior girls now boasting an unbroken run of 69 victories going back to 2015. We remain extremely proud of the number of pupils – more than any other schoolwho have received international call-ups, representing England, Wales, USA and Germany and from U16 up to U21.

The renaissance of Fives continues. In a first for Repton, the School entered the all-female Richard Black Cup and a team comprising pupils, ORs and staff played in the Graham Turnbull Trophy competition at Eton. Making the most of our magnificently refurbished facilities, we now look forward to hosting the Varsity Match in March, with ORs representing both Oxford and Cambridge.

We were delighted too to be recognised in the Tatler Schools Guide and The Week’s ‘Best of the Best’ Schools Guide, where we received the ‘Great for Sport’ accolade. Pleasingly, the latter not only recognised our success in nurturing top talent but also in promoting of a whole-school culture of healthy activity, mental well-being, and the power of teamwork. But perhaps best of all was the award for ‘Happiest Boarding School’ from Muddy Stilettos: one can’t ask for much more than that!

Inspiring ORs

Following on from the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, the summer’s Commonwealth Games provided another opportunity to fly the Repton flag in women’s hockey. Suitably enough, Leah Wilkinson (A’03), already the most-capped Welsh athlete ever, notched up her 200th appearance in a group match against an England side that featured Shona McCallin (A’08), Flora Peel (F’13) and Lily Walker (F’18), with the England trio going on to take gold in the final. The extraordinary sporting legacy of ORs, both recent and not-so-recent, has been fittingly commemorated in the renaming of the Sports Centre’s Hospitality Suite as the Twigg McCallin Room, in recognition of Georgie and Shona’s gold medals at the Rio Olympics, while the conference facility will be known as the Fry Abrahams Room, celebrating well over a century of OR sporting excellence: a very proud legacy.

In tennis, the OR team retained the D’Abernon Cup at Wimbledon – a remarkable fifth triumph in six years, while 2022 was an outstanding year for the OR footballers, who not only won the Arthur Dunn Cup for the first time in 31 years but did it with the highest-ever winning score – 7-1 against Old Etonians. OR sport is evidently in very rude health! This year’s OR Day in early September was attended by almost 100 and a busy afternoon of football, hockey and squash was rounded off with an excellent BBQ at The Boot – a new format which proved very successful.

It is always a great pleasure to welcome you to OR events, at Repton or elsewhere – whether you come to play sport, share news or swap reminiscences, or simply enjoy yourselves, as at the OR Summer Ball at The Hurlingham Club. We are especially grateful for your generous support of our careers programme, which opens up new horizons for our current pupils: most recently, Radha Kaushal-Bolland (G’11) shared her experiences both as a finalist on MasterChef and setting up her own business, The Spicy Flexitarian - an evening of insight, inspiration and mouth-watering ideas.

Our ambition for the future Successes like this reflect the significant progress we have been able to make over the last three years, when, despite all the external challenges, we have seen pupil numbers rise, our family of schools expand both within the UK and internationally, and the completion of the through-school project. This enables us to plan for the future with real ambition and confidence and I am very excited to share the news that the Governing Body has approved our plans for future development across both Repton and Repton Prep. At the senior school the plans include the creation of two 3G football pitches (removing the need for the winter timetable), the renovation of Art, Textiles and DT departments, a Business Centre focused on promoting entrepreneurialism and innovation, and a new Grubber and café which will see the historic area inside the Arch restored as the School’s ‘centre of gravity’ and its magnificent buildings providing inspirational spaces for collaborative work, socialising and relaxation. Our programme of house refurbishment will continue, but, in time, the creation of an eleventh boarding house will provide decanting facilities, allowing us to undertake more substantial improvements – not just modernising the house but also effecting a radical shift to energy efficiency, environmental probity and wellbeingwithout compromising the School’s normal functioning. At the same time we must and will maintain our commitment to recruiting and retaining staff of the highest quality, in the sure knowledge that it is people that ignite curiosity, nurture growth and make the real difference in a Repton education.

We cherish our heritage with gratitude, respect and affection in equal measure, but we honour this best by looking forward with real ambition and energy, and, while we cannot be complacent in these times of significant economic and geopolitical challenge, nonetheless I believe we are as strongly placed as at any time in our history to make the very best of the opportunities that exist. As ORs your presence in our past, present and future is of inestimable value, and I very much look forward to sharing the next chapter of Repton’s exciting story with you.

With my very best wishes,

Mark Semmence Headmaster