Welcome To Repton

Situated in the heart of England, there has been a spiritual community at Repton for over 800 years and the inspiring buildings of the 12th Century Priory remain at the centre of the School complex. 2007 marks the 450th anniversary of the School's foundation, to be celebrated in a full programme of events. Over its 450 years Repton has established a strong tradition of distinguished alumni in public life, sport and the arts, including Roald Dahl, C B Fry, Graeme Garden and Jeremy Clarkson.The 21st Century Repton is a fully co-educational school with a strong boarding ethos and is home to 600 pupils. Individuality flourishes within the context of a real community, and every Reptonian is encouraged to discover those areas in which he or she can excel and to prepare for the world of possibilities that lie beyond the Arch

In becoming Repton's 34th Headmaster in 2003 I was delighted to have the opportunity to return closer to my roots. Born and bred on the Wirral, I attended Birkenhead School before reading Modern Languages at Christ Church, Oxford, where I was Captain of Cricket and Soccer and also a keen actor and choral singer. Spells then followed at Oakham School and the International School in Bogota, Colombia, before a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education led to my third teaching post at Radley College, Oxfordshire. There I was Head of Department and then Housemaster for 10 years before moving to Repton together with my wife, Penny, and two daughters, Eleanor and Joanna, who attend Repton and Foremarke respectively.

In my first Assembly at Repton, I set out my aims for all who live and work here by asking the question: "What makes a good school?" I hope these aims will give you a flavour of what we are trying to achieve here.

Wholeness is the key. A good school is one that looks after the most vulnerable so everyone has his or her own dignity. A good school is one that expects its pupils to show wide ambition and mental toughness in their spiritual life, their intellect, their extra-curricular activities and their games. A good school encourages its pupils to look outwards so that they learn through their experience of how people live and work in their own country and the European and global markets. Such an outlook takes away arrogance and replaces it with true confidence - the confidence that sees change as an opportunity rather than a threat and thus prepares pupils for the rapidly evolving world that awaits them once they leave. I hope that Repton will offer all its pupils this wholeness a wholeness in which their individuality prospers, but always to the benefit of the community.

What do I hope to do for your sons and daughters as Headmaster? I aim to guide them to the discovery that real self-knowledge comes through a sense of duty rather than self-indulgence, and that lasting maturity means the acceptance of responsibility rather than the seeking of privileges. To this end, I constantly encourage all pupils to ask themselves the question: 'What can I do for Repton?', because therein lies the route to true personal and professional fulfilment as an adult.

I hope to make all Reptonians realise that their motivation is every bit as important at their ability, so that after five years here, Reptonians will say, along with Thoreau, that 'not failure, but low aim is crime.' Finally, I hope to make your sons and daughters dream the dreams that will shape their lives as adults.

Please do arrange an appointment to meet me and discuss your son or daughter personally. We would all be delighted to see you here and offer you a very warm welcome.

Robert Holroyd, Headmaster

We recognise that in deciding to send your son or daughter to Repton you are making a tremendous investment both financially and - more importantly - in entrusting us with your child for five crucial years of his or her development. We know that this decision will be based on careful research and discussions within the family and with the existing school. Our responsibility is to make that process as straightforward as possible by providing you with all the opportunities you need to talk to our staff and pupils and to see the School at work, so that you can feel fully confident that you have made the right choice. For many prospective parents their first contact with Repton is via this website, which we hope provides useful information about the School and through its images and news items a real sense of the spirit and vibrancy of our community. We would be delighted too to send you a copy of our prospectus: please enter your details on the page in this section if you would like us to do so. But the best way to get a true flavour of Repton’s atmosphere is to visit the School in person. We are delighted to welcome families at any point – to tour our beautiful site, see the School’s facilities at first-hand, and above all to meet our staff and pupils. If you decide that Repton is the right destination for your child, we will start building our relationship with you straightaway - through newsletters, invitations to School and House events, and contacts with existing pupils or staff. This will ensure that on that great day when your son or daughter steps through the Arch to begin life as a Reptonian, the transition is as smooth as possible and they are able to make the very best start with us - the beginning of five years of real personal development and fulfillment. We very much look forward to welcoming you to Repton

We believe that it is the duty of a good school to guide its pupils to the discovery of the lifelong interests and opportunities for self-expression that are vital to the development of every human being. Each individual has at least one area in which they can excel and once that discovery is made, self-belief flourishes in every aspect of their lives.

Repton is fortunate to posses superb facilities: in sport, all-weather hockey pitches, an indoor swimming pool, and a cricket ground that is the envy of many schools and clubs; a Music School with a plethora of practice rooms and performance areas; a versatile, purpose-built Studio Theatre; a stunning Art School with dedicated spaces for three-dimensional work, ceramics and photography as well as more traditional media – and this is just a taste of what is on offer.

But the most important resource is our staff, whose expertise, energy and, above all, passion for their subject will inspire pupils and who will commit themselves just as wholeheartedly to the beginner and the enthusiast as they will to the Grade 8 musician, the national sports player or the IT Scholar.

These activities will do more than merely provide meaningful occupation. Through CCF, Duke of Edinburgh and Community Service programmes, as well as charity work throughout the year, pupils are encouraged to look beyond the Arch and to consider what they can contribute to the wider community. In this way we hope that pupils will recognise that we all have a responsibility to look after the most vulnerable and discover that true self-knowledge and personal fulfillment comes with the accepting of that responsibility. The Chapel underpins this sense of community and its Christian values are central to the life of the School.

So, whatever your passion, whatever your potential, we aim to offer the facilities, resources and opportunities to help you discover and develop it. Dare to dream!