Repton School
Encyclopedia
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school
for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition
, located in the village of Repton
, in Derbyshire
, in the Midlands area of England
. Some of the remains of the oldest buildings date back to the 6th century.
A preparatory school was founded during the Second World War to ensure that Repton School had enough pupils, and after the war the prep school moved to nearby Foremarke Hall
.
. 'The gate' () refers to the school's famous arch and, by a synecdoche
of , the school itself, whilst also being a pun
on the name of the school's founder, Sir John Port
. It is an unusual motto for a public school in that it does not form an exhortation to, or a claim of, virtue or excellence but seems rather to act as a disclaimer: the school cannot be held responsible for the shortcomings of those educated there.
ers. The school competes in sports typical of a medium-sized English public school (football
, Field hockey
, athletics
, etc.), and more recently Rugby
and tennis
. Repton also competes in lesser-known sports such as Eton Fives
. Repton have been National Champions in hockey, cricket, swimming and tennis in recent years.
, an initiative of the Dubai Education Council (DEC). The school opened to the public in September 2007. The school is similar in many aspects of its teaching and layout to Repton School. It is situated on a 50 acres (202,343 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.
and the 1984 BBC television drama version of the story, originally written by James Hilton
. Around 200 Repton boys stayed at the School during the holidays in order to appear as extras in the 1939 film.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
, located in the village of Repton
Repton
Repton is a village and civil parish on the edge of the River Trent floodplain in South Derbyshire, about north of Swadlincote. Repton is close to the county boundary with neighbouring Staffordshire and about northeast of Burton upon Trent.-History:...
, in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, in the Midlands area of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Some of the remains of the oldest buildings date back to the 6th century.
History
Foremarke Hall
Foremarke Hall is a Georgian-Palladian country house . Completed in 1762, the Hall is located at the manor of Foremark, near the hamlets of Ingleby, Ticknall, Milton, and the village of Repton in South Derbyshire, England....
.
Motto
The school's motto, (""), is a quotation from Ovid'sOvid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
. 'The gate' () refers to the school's famous arch and, by a synecdoche
Synecdoche
Synecdoche , meaning "simultaneous understanding") is a figure of speech in which a term is used in one of the following ways:* Part of something is used to refer to the whole thing , or...
of , the school itself, whilst also being a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the name of the school's founder, Sir John Port
John Port (the younger)
Sir John Port 'the Younger' was an English Knight of the Bath and Justice of the Common Pleas. He founded Repton School, an almshouse at Etwall and also has a secondary school named after him.-Biography:...
. It is an unusual motto for a public school in that it does not form an exhortation to, or a claim of, virtue or excellence but seems rather to act as a disclaimer: the school cannot be held responsible for the shortcomings of those educated there.
Houses
Repton school has 10 houses, 6 for boys and 4 for girls. The boys' houses are The Cross, Latham House (winner of harmony), The Priory, New House (winner of unision), The Orchard , and School House, each consisting of about 65 boys across 5 school years. The girls' houses are The Abbey, Field House, The Garden, and The Mitre, with roughly the same number of members each.Sports
Repton has a long tradition of sporting excellence, having produced numerous top-level sportsmen and women including the last male British Wimbledon tennis finalist and 130 first-class cricketFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
ers. The school competes in sports typical of a medium-sized English public school (football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, Field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, etc.), and more recently Rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. Repton also competes in lesser-known sports such as Eton Fives
Eton Fives
Eton Fives, one derivative of the British game of Fives, is a hand-ball game, similar to Rugby Fives, played as doubles in a three-sided court. The object is to force the other team to fail to hit the ball 'up' off the front wall, using any variety of wall or ledge combinations as long as the ball...
. Repton have been National Champions in hockey, cricket, swimming and tennis in recent years.
Repton Dubai
On 24 January 2006, it was announced that Repton School is to branch out internationally with the launch of a new boarding school in DubaiDubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, an initiative of the Dubai Education Council (DEC). The school opened to the public in September 2007. The school is similar in many aspects of its teaching and layout to Repton School. It is situated on a 50 acres (202,343 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.
Film and TV settings
The exterior of Repton School was used to represent the fictional Brookfield School in both the 1939 film Goodbye, Mr. ChipsGoodbye, Mr. Chips (1939 film)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a 1939 British film based on the novel of the same name by James Hilton. It was directed by Sam Wood, and starred Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Terry Kilburn, John Mills, and Paul Henreid. The screenplay was adapted from the novel by R. C. Sherriff, Claudine West and Eric...
and the 1984 BBC television drama version of the story, originally written by James Hilton
James Hilton
James Hilton was an English novelist who wrote several best-sellers, including Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips.-Biography:...
. Around 200 Repton boys stayed at the School during the holidays in order to appear as extras in the 1939 film.
Notable alumni
- Harold AbrahamsHarold AbrahamsHarold Maurice Abrahams, CBE, was a British athlete of Jewish origin. He was Olympic champion in 1924 in the 100 metres sprint, a feat depicted in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
, 100 m Gold Medallist, 1924 Olympics1924 Summer OlympicsThe 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France... - Charles A. Adeogun-Phillips, genocide and war crimes prosecutor (Orchard 1983-85)
- Kate AllanKate AllanKate Allan is British historical romance novelist.Allan was educated at the all-girls' Bedford High School and Repton School where she was a contemporary of actors Tom Chambers and Nicholas Burns. In 1997 she graduated from the University of York with a BA in history...
aka Kasia, author - Harry AlthamHarry AlthamHarry Surtees Altham, CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket"...
, cricket historian, coach and administrator - Henry Austin, tennis player
- Charles Beare, OBE, violin expert, Chairman of J&A Beare
- Paul BorringtonPaul BorringtonPaul Michael Borrington is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler who currently plays for Derbyshire....
, cricketer - Joseph BosworthJoseph BosworthJoseph Bosworth , English scholar of Anglo-Saxon language and Anglo-Saxon literature, was born in Derbyshire.-Biography:Educated at Repton, whence he proceeded to the University of Aberdeen, he became in 1817 vicar of Little Horwood, Buckinghamshire, and devoted his spare time to literature and...
, Old English scholar - Donald CarrDonald CarrDonald Bryce Carr is a former English cricketer who played for Derbyshire from 1946 to 1967, for Oxford University from 1948 to 1951, and twice for England in 1951/52. He captained Derbyshire between 1955 and 1962, and scored over 10,000 runs for the county...
, cricketer - John Carr, cricketer
- Tom ChambersTom Chambers (actor)Tom Chambers is a British actor, known for his role as Sam Strachan in the BBC medical drama Holby City. He also won the sixth season of Strictly Come Dancing with his partner Camilla Dallerup.-Personal life:...
, actor - Sir Harcourt ClareHarcourt ClareSir Harcourt Everard Clare was born in 1854, Leicestershire, England. He was well known in Lancashire between 1896 when he moved to his post as Clerk at Lancashire County Council, until his death at Bank Hall in 1922....
, Clerk to Liverpool City Council (1885-99) and Lancashire County Council (1899-1922) - Jeremy ClarksonJeremy ClarksonJeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
, journalist and presenter of the BBC show Top Gear - D'Ewes CokeD'Ewes CokeThe Reverend D'Ewes Coke was rector of Pinxton and South Normanton in Derbyshire, a colliery owner and philanthropist.He married Hannah, heiress of George Heywood of Brimington.-Background:...
, clergyman and philanthropist - Jack CrawfordJack Crawford (cricketer)John Neville Crawford was an English first-class cricketer who played mainly for Surrey. An amateur, he played as an all-rounder and was highly regarded from an unusually early age before a disagreement with his county curtailed his career. A right-handed batsman, Crawford had a reputation for...
, cricketer - CrosaireCrosaireJohn Derek Crozier , under the pseudonym "Crosaire", was the compiler of the "Irish Times crossword" from its inception in 1943 until his death. Since he has been the sole compiler, the crossword is often called "the Crosaire" by metonymy. It is a cryptic crossword, in contrast to the "Simplex...
(Derek Crozier), cryptic crossword compiler - Roald DahlRoald DahlRoald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
, author - SirKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
James Ralph DarlingJames Ralph DarlingSir James Ralph Darling OBE was the Headmaster of Geelong Grammar School , and Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission .-Early life:...
OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Headmaster of Geelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
and Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting CommissionAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster... - James FentonJames FentonJames Martin Fenton is an English poet, journalist and literary critic. He is a former Oxford Professor of Poetry.-Life and career:...
, poet and journalist - Maurice FiennesMaurice FiennesSir Maurice Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes was an English industrialist. He was educated at the independent Repton School in the village of Repton in Derbyshire and at Armstrong College in Newcastle-upon-Tyne....
, industrialist - Sir Henry FirebraceSir Henry FirebraceSir Henry Firebrace was a courtier to Charles I, serving during his conflicts with Parliament throughout the era of the English Civil Wars...
, courtierCourtierA courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
to Charles ICharles I of EnglandCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
and Charles IICharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War... - Sir Christopher Frayling, Rector, The Royal College of Art
- Simon Friend, musician and member of the contemporary British rock band The Levellers
- C. B. Fry, cricketer
- Graeme GardenGraeme GardenDavid Graeme Garden OBE is a Scottish author, actor, comedian, artist and television presenter, who first became known as a member of The Goodies.-Early life and beginnings in comedy:...
, comedian, member of The GoodiesThe GoodiesThe Goodies are a trio of British comedians who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy.-Honours:All three Goodies now have OBEs... - Lord GrimstonRobert Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of WestburyRobert Villiers Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury was a British Conservative politician.The eldest son of the Rev. and Hon...
, politician - Brigadier Robert HallRobert Hall (British Army officer)Robert Wallace Strachan Hall is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, having previously served as a British Army officer, rising to the rank of Brigadier. He is currently Chairman of Wiltshire Council and of Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority...
, chairman of Wiltshire CouncilWiltshire CouncilWiltshire Council is the unitary authority for most of the county of Wiltshire, in the West of England, the successor authority to Wiltshire County Council and to four districts—Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury, and West Wiltshire—all of which had been created in 1973 and were... - Stuart HampshireStuart HampshireSir Stuart Newton Hampshire was an Oxford University philosopher, literary critic and university administrator. He was one of the antirationalist Oxford thinkers who gave a new direction to moral and political thought in the post-World War II era.Hampshire was educated at Repton School and at...
, Oxford philosopher - Jonathan HarveyJonathan Harvey (composer)Jonathan Harvey is a British composer. He has held teaching positions at universities and music conservatories in Europe and the USA and is frequently invited to teach in summer schools around the world.-Life:...
, composer - Martin HowMartin HowMartin How is a British composer and organist. Martin is the son of the late Most Revd J C H How, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church....
, composer - Christopher IsherwoodChristopher IsherwoodChristopher William Bradshaw Isherwood was an English-American novelist.-Early life and work:Born at Wyberslegh Hall, High Lane, Cheshire in North West England, Isherwood spent his childhood in various towns where his father, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army, was stationed...
, novelist and screenwriter - Stephen Jones, lead singer of the band Babybird
- Sir Desmond LeeDesmond LeeSir Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee , known as Desmond Lee, was an English classical scholar specializing in ancient philosophy who became a Fellow and tutor of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, a lecturer in the University, and head master successively of Clifton College and Winchester College,...
, classical scholar - Andrew LiAndrew LiAndrew Li Kwok-nang, CBE, GBM, JP is the former Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong, a post he held from the 1997 Hong Kong handover until 31 August 2010 inclusive. He is succeeded by Geoffrey Ma.-Early life and education:...
, Queen's CounselQueen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, Former Chief Justice of Hong Kong - Ewen Macintosh, actor in The Office
- Eric MaschwitzEric MaschwitzAlbert Eric Maschwitz OBE , known as Eric Maschwitz and sometimes credited as Holt Marvell, was an English entertainer, writer, broadcaster and broadcasting executive.-Life and work:...
, entertainer, writer, broadcaster - Adrian NeweyAdrian NeweyAdrian Newey is a notable Formula One engineer and widely regarded one of the great engineers in the sport's history. He is the only designer to have won Constructors Championships with three different Formula One teams...
, Formula One engineer - Edward Oakden, British Ambassador to UAE
- David Pratt, Professor of Law at Albany Law School
- Michael RamseyMichael RamseyArthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury PC was the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and was in office from June 1961 to 1974.-Career:...
, Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group... - Basil RathboneBasil RathboneSir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
, actor most known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series) - Denys RaynerDenys RaynerDenys Arthur Rayner DSC & Bar, VRD, RNVR fought throughout the Battle of the Atlantic. After intensive war service at sea, Rayner became a writer, a farmer, and a successful designer and builder of small sailing craft - his first being the Westcoaster; his most successful being the glass fibre...
, Battle of the Atlantic veteran, writer and boat designer - Nick RaynsfordNick RaynsfordWyvill Richard Nicolls Raynsford , known as Nick Raynsford, is a British Labour Party politician. A government minister from 1997 to 2005, he has been the Member of Parliament for Greenwich & Woolwich since 1997, having previously been MP for Greenwich from 1992 to 1997, and for Fulham from 1986...
, Labour MP - Sir John RollestonJohn RollestonSir John Fowke Lancelot Rolleston JP DL , was a British Conservative politician.He was educated at Repton School and King's College London. He was a keen Conservative and the leader of his party in Leicester, where, after being twice defeated at the poll, he was elected Member of Parliament in 1900...
, Conservative MP - Johnny RozsaJohnny RozsaJohnny Rozsa is a New York-based photographer, specializing in fashion, portrait, and celebrity photography.-Early life:Rozsa was born and raised in Nairobi, the son of Jewish Hungarian-Czech parents...
, fashion, portrait, and celebrity photograper - Robert SangsterRobert SangsterRobert Edmund Sangster was a British businessman, thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He was British flat racing Champion Owner five times and his horses won many major races, including two Epsom Derbys, four Irish Derbys, two French Derbys, three Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes and a Melbourne...
, racehorse owner and breeder author - John James Scott-ChisholmeJohn James Scott-ChisholmeJohn James Scott Chisholme was a British cavalry officer who died heroically leading a charge that turned the Battle of Elandslaagte in the Second Anglo-Boer War....
, Boer war cavalry officer - Rev.The ReverendThe Reverend is a style most often used as a prefix to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. The Reverend is correctly called a style but is often and in some dictionaries called a...
Henry Holmes StewartHenry Holmes StewartRev. Henry Holmes Stewart was a Scottish clergyman who was a member of the Wanderers team which won the FA Cup in 1873...
(1847–1937) 1873 FA Cup winner - Edward UpwardEdward UpwardEdward Falaise Upward was a British novelist and short story writer and, prior to his death, was believed to be the UK's oldest living author.-Biography:...
, novelist and short story writer - Charles WattsCharles Watts (cricketer)Charles John Manning Watts was an English cricketer. Watts was a right-handed batsman who fielded as a wicket-keeper...
(1905-1985), cricketer and British Army officer - Andy WilmanAndy WilmanAndrew "Andy" Wilman is a British television producer who is best known as the producer of the present Top Gear show. He has also presented segments of the original Top Gear...
, Top Gear producer (2002–present) and Top Gear (1994–2001) - Nicholas Wood (MP)Nicholas Wood (MP)Nicholas Wood was a British industrialist and Conservative Party politician.He was born in Killingworth, Northumberland, where his father, also Nicholas Wood, was a locomotive engineer. The family subsequently moved to Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, where they took part in developing the coalfields...
, (1832-1892) industrialist and Conservative MP - Robert J. C. Young, post-colonial theorist, cultural critic and historian
Headmasters
|
William Boultbee Sleath William Boultbee Sleath was an English teacher and clergyman who was headmaster of Repton School from 1800 to 1830.Sleath was born in Broughton, Leicestershire around 1763, and attended Rugby School... (1800–1830) William Mordaunt Furneaux William Mordaunt Furneaux was Dean of Winchester in the early decades of the 20th century. Educated at Marlborough College and Corpus Christi College, Oxford , he was a career schoolmaster who eventually became Headmaster of Repton and a Canon of Southwell before his elevation to the Deanery. His... (1883-1900) Lionel Ford Lionel George Bridges Justice Ford was an Anglican priest who served as Dean of York after two headmasterships at eminent English public schools.... (1901–1910) William Temple (archbishop) William Temple was a priest in the Church of England. He served as Bishop of Manchester , Archbishop of York , and Archbishop of Canterbury .... (1910–1914) |
John Traill Christie John Traill Christie was headmaster of Repton School and Westminster School , before becoming Principal of Jesus College, Oxford... (1932–1937) John Leonard Thorn John Leonard Thorn is a writer and educational consultant. He was headmaster of Repton School from 1961 to 1968 and then of Winchester College until 1985... (1961–1968) David Jewell David Jewell was a prominent British independent school headmaster during the late 20th century.-Life and career:David Jewell was born in 1934 in Porthleven, West Cornwall, the son of a Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force.... (1979–1987) |