Repton School is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils located in the village of Repton, Derbyshire, in the English Midlands. The bequest to found a school either at Etwall or Repton was made in 1557, with the site of the former Repton Priory being acquired in 1559.
History
The school was founded at the bequest of Sir John Port of Etwall, who died on 6 June 1557. Port left funds to found a Grammar School either at Etwall or Repton, on the condition that the students of the school pray daily for the souls of his parents and relatives. Two years after Sir John's death, in 1559, the executors of his will purchased the site of Repton Priory from the Thacker family, for £37. 10s.
Repton Priory was a 12th-century Augustinian Priory, which had been dissolved in 1538. The abbey church and associated buildings had remained standing as the residence of the Thacker family until 1553, when then owner, Gilbert Thacker, fearing the priory would be recommissioned under Catholic Queen Mary I, had the church destroyed; a task that was almost entirely completed within a single day. Thacker claimed "He would destroy the nest, for fear the birds should build therein again." Thus when the land was acquired, only parts of the original priory buildings remained. Fragments of the prior's lodgings, dated c.1438, were incorporated into a later building; the majority of this building dates from the 17th century and was comprehensively altered in the 19th century. Foundations of other areas of the priory remain in several areas, having been uncovered during construction work in 1922: the bases of a cluster of columns remain of the former chancel and chapels; fragments of an arch remain, belonging to the former pulpitum, which were moved to their current position in 1906; and fragments of the door surrounds of both the chapter house and warming room also survive. The largest portion of the priory to survive is known as "Prior Overton's Tower", which dates from after 1437; largely altered from its original state, it has been incorporated into a largely 19th-century building.
Repton Preparatory School was founded in 1940 and moved to nearby Foremarke Hall in 1947.
In 1970, Repton School, formerly only for boys, started accepting girls in the sixth form (the last two years). One of the first female sixth formers, Carole Blackshaw, was Lady Mayoress of London in 2002/03. Repton became fully coeducational around 1990.
Motto
The school's motto, Porta Vacat Culpa ("the gate is free from blame"), is a quotation from Ovid's Fasti. 'The gate' (Porta) refers to the school's arch and, by a synecdoche of pars pro toto, the school itself, whilst also being a pun on the name of the school's founder, Sir John Port.
Today
The school caters for those aged 13 to 18, and has around 660 students, of whom 451 are boarders. The school is divided into 10 houses, 6 for boys and 4 for girls.
As of the 2014â€"2015 academic year, the school's fees were £10,547 per term (£31,641 per year) for boarding students, and £7,825 per term (£23,475 per year) for day students.
Sports
The school has a long sporting tradition and alumni include Wimbledon tennis finalist, Bunny Austin, and a number of first-class cricketers. The school competes in a variety of sports including football, Field hockey, athletics, Rugby and tennis. Repton School holds the titles of Reigning National Girls U16 Indoor Champions and Girls U18 Outdoor and Indoor Champions. In 2013 Repton School laid claim to a slice of hockey history after six former pupils played in the same international match.
Repton International Schools Ltd
RISL was set up to establish, develop and maintain the highest quality British international schools and currently has three schools in the UAE.
Repton School Dubai
On 24 January 2006, Repton School announced plans to launch a new boarding school in Dubai; an initiative of the Dubai Education Council. The school opened to the public in September 2007. The school is similar in many aspects of its teaching to Repton School. It is situated on a 50-acre (200,000Â m2) site in Nad al Sheba and, according to the Good Schools Guide International, enjoys "very expensive facilities". Houses in Repton Dubai include Foremarke, School, Dahl, Orchard, Brook, New, Latham and Jumeirah.
Repton School Abu Dhabi
Repton announced in March 2013 that it will be opening a similar campus on Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, in September 2013. The campus is scheduled to open in September 2014, and is expected cover 7,000 square metres.
Foremarke Dubai
Foremarke Dubai opened in 2013 and is located in Dubiotech, Al Barsha South.
Recent Events
In November 2014, the School held a week-long programme of events to commemorate the Great War and to Remember the 355 Old Reptonians who fell in the conflict. Click the link below to visit the gallery of photos from the Exhibition. http://www.repton.org.uk/Great-War-Week
Social Media
Repton School has a very active Twitter account which broadcasts real-time news from the school.
Film and TV settings
The exterior of Repton School was used to represent the fictional Brookfield School in both the 1939 film and the 1984 BBC television drama version of Goodbye, Mr. Chips, while Sherborne School was the location in the 1969 musical version. Around 200 Repton boys stayed at the School during the holidays in order to appear as extras in the 1939 film.
Notable Old Reptonians
Headmasters
Gallery
References
External links
- Repton School website
- Repton Preparatory School website
- Old Reptonian Society
- Repton Dubai website
- ISBI Information on Repton School
- 2009 ISI Inspection Report