A perfectly balanced education at the UK’s happiest boarding school

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Courtesy of Repton School (Courtesy of Repton School)

Repton School is a Business Reporter client

With children spending longer online and excessive screen time leading to less interaction with family and friends, disrupted sleep and reduced physical activity, the need to provide a balanced education has never been of greater importance at Repton School.

Nestled in the South Derbyshire countryside, Repton School and its preparatory school Repton Prep provide endless opportunities for enrichment and physical, as well as mental, wellbeing for young minds. Classrooms are a stone’s throw away from sports pitches and an on-site forest and lake at the prep school allows pupils to revel in the joys of childhood play alongside a formal education. In 2022 Repton received the accolade of the UK’s Happiest Boarding School from independent reviewers Muddy Stilettos, which described Repton as holding a “deserved reputation for sporting brilliance, mind-boggling facilities – and a refreshing lack of pretension.”

Repton’s expansive campus is home to the school’s original 16th century buildings as well as a state-of-the-art Science Priory, art galleries and a 320-seat theatre and sports centre. But Mark Semmence, Headmaster at Repton School, is in no doubt that outstanding teachers and coaches beat world-class facilities every time. “Our expansive rural setting in the very heart of England enables us to deliver an unbounded education in a healthy environment,” he says. “This is played out in the lived experience as well as the achievements of our pupils.”

Establishing a balanced education enables young people to develop the self-confidence and skills to equip them for life beyond school. Mr Semmence continues: “We function at our best when everything interweaves – our excellence in sports helps build academic achievement, our sector-leading pastoral care underpins performance in every single arena of school life, our arts, drama and music forms rounded, culturally aware young adults ready to become global citizens. Repton’s rural setting enables us to provide a sense of balance in all things, not least because every teacher lives in the village so pupils are not constrained by timetables – creativity, academia and sport can and do happen at any time.”

(Courtesy of Repton School)

Community plays a big role in life at Repton. A vital part of the school’s philosophy is that breakfast, lunch and tea are all taken in the boarding house together with staff and visitors. This means that before pupils tackle the big issues of life they get to grips with the smaller ones – learning the art of conversation, passing the water, cutting the bread and returning the smile. A successful boarding community engenders a sense of belonging that endures well beyond days spent at school. It brings together the artist, the actor, the mathematician, the athlete, the scientist and the entertainer in a unique community where they are inspired by each other.

More than this, pupils learn that humanity is made up of a rich tapestry of personality types – extroverts and introverts, analysts and creatives, leaders and nurturers. Reptonians are encouraged every day to think big – to be ambitious and unbounded. Alumni go on to achieve great things in their professional and personal lives, from succeeding in industry to demonstrating extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit; from pursuing great charitable endeavours to becoming philanthropists that change lives all over the world.

Serena Cole, now in her third year studying medicine at Cambridge, was appointed Trinity College’s first female black Students’ Union President. During her time at Repton, apart from her notable academic achievements which included six A*s at A Level, Serena was awarded the Arkwright Scholarship for Engineering, achieved her Grade 7 in piano and baritone horn, her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, was a Flight Sergeant in RAF cadets and played in goal for the 1st hockey team. Her advice to others? “Always make time to do what you are passionate about. The more extra-curriculars I take on, the more time I find that I have in the day. This is counter-intuitive but I find that it works for things that I enjoy or care about. It also applies to relaxation and spending time with friends and family, which is incredibly important for maintaining my mental health and self-care.”

Repton recognises that the future is set to be one in which collaboration, creativity and teamwork will be more important than ever. This does not require one type of person, but a team of varied individuals. A Repton education produces young adults that are healthy in a number of ways to be ready for this challenge having experienced a truly varied and balanced educational offering in their formative years.

Originally published on Business Reporter