Repton School, Derbyshire, is celebrating its 2023-24 Year 11s’ exceptional GCSE results. Despite the lowered national grade proportions for this year, just under 60% of entries were awarded grades 7-9 (A*-A), and almost 25% of grades were 9s. Many pupils achieved more than seven grade 9s, including Fisayo Atere, who secured 13 of these.

This news came hot on the heels of Repton’s equally outstanding A Level results. The impressive grades are a testament to the dedication of both the School’s teaching staff and pupils, who balance academic studies with several co-curricular activities and community projects.

Repton School: The Happiest Boarding School

Rated as Muddy Stilettos’ Happiest Boarding School in 2022, Repton is a sought-after choice for young people across the UK. The education pupils receive combines the traditional and the contemporary so they develop the skills they need to thrive in the modern world.

Both boarders and day pupils embody Repton’s House spirit. Joining the School is like joining a supportive family — with friends who will stay in their lives for many years to come.

Personalised Learning and Educational Technologies

Repton’s excellent GCSE results are in part thanks to the personalised support that every pupil receives. This support allows them to maximise their academic and extracurricular potential.

When pupils begin at the School, they undergo a screening process that notes any special educational needs and disabilities. Those who have additional needs receive a learning profile from the Personalised Learning department, which regular assessments keep up to date. The profile highlights their strengths and reveals the obstacles they need support with.

Also, many academic staff live on-site so they can support boarders in a way that wouldn’t be possible if they were only accessible during school hours. In each boarding house, five tutors offer academic mentoring to specific year groups. They each have a designated night of the week where they guide pupils in focused, productive study.

The School also embraces technology to strengthen its educational offerings. A Microsoft Showcase School, Repton enables collaborative learning via 24/7 access to its IT provision. The School has received several award nominations for its excellence in edtech, including the Education Business Award for Best Response to Covid.

Stretching Beyond the Curriculum

Repton School offers a broad and varied curriculum that caters to virtually all interests and talents. The School teams this curriculum with an exceptional academic enrichment programme that gives all pupils opportunities to partake in events, competitions, workshops, and talks from visitors like Professor Robert Winston.

This means that pupils learn well beyond the GCSE syllabus, immersing themselves in academic and cultural experiences that complement their studies. These hands-on opportunities allow pupils to develop their confidence in solving material problems that are relevant to their generation.

Pupils can join societies that pique their curiosity and allow them to tackle inspiring industry challenges. For example, the Engineering Society has designed and built a functioning hovercraft. Medsoc has taken part in a fracture workshop with a leading orthopaedic surgeon. And the Marriott Society has enjoyed talks from local MPs and visited the House of Lords and House of Commons.

Repton School’s Inspiring Grounds and Facilities

Repton enjoys a rich history that dates back to its founding in 1557. Once home to a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon Benedictine abbey, then a 12th-century Augustine priory, today the School has melded its original historic architecture with a suite of state-of-the-art facilities. These include a workshop for pupils to design and develop a bespoke F24+ car.

Perhaps most notably, Repton has introduced a glass-fronted Science Priory to its 75-acre site. This facility houses seminar rooms, labs, a reptile room, and a high-class university-style lecture theatre with a 3D projector. There’s a rooftop observatory for exploring the Derbyshire skies too.

That said, the addition of modern facilities hasn’t disrupted the original buildings that still stand on campus. These include the infamous Arch, which inspired the School’s motto: porta vacat culpa (the gate is free from blame). There’s also Overton’s Tower and Tithe Barne — both contributing to Repton’s deeply inspiring setting to learn.