The Reptonian 2019-20

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2019/20 Academic Year

2019/2020

www.repton.org.uk

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020

SMQN Sandra Nield joined Repton in 1991 as a teacher of Mathematics. As a new member of staff, keen to impress and be open to all new opportunities, Sandra quickly found herself being invited by a senior colleague to be involved in ‘Expeditions’. Asking what this actually entailed, the reply was, “This is for the O Block boys. Blindfold them, drive them around in the school minibus until you think they are disorientated, drop them off and wait for them back in school.” Not a risk assessment in sight in those days! Always busy, Sandra soon became involved in DofE and CCF (where she became commissioned and rose to the rank of Lieutenant) and coached hockey to both junior boys’ and girls’ squads.

Contents

A constant in all of her years at Repton is Mathematics. She is known as the ‘Queen of the roller-board’, this equipment having followed her faithfully around Repton through several refurbishments! More importantly, although ‘a safe pair of hands’ is a phrase often applied to experienced quality teachers, Sandra is much more than that: she is always prepared to listen – really listen – because she cares and, from the first conversation of the day (“Would you like a coffee?”, accompanied by a cheery smile), she is someone colleagues in the Department can always go to for help or bounce ideas off.

Sandra was twice Head of Exams – from 1993-1999 and from 2003 to this, her final year; thus, a role she has performed for 23 years in all! This responsibility was both stressful and highly satisfying for her: she has enjoyed having to think on her feet and utilise her strong organisational skills, but, with the examination system changing so rapidly over the last few years, she enjoyed the addition of a new full-time Exams Officer – even if the workload intensified rather than calmed down! Her energy, her enthusiasm and her meticulous approach were always maintained at full throttle; she is always happy to roll up her sleeves and lead from the front. Her quick thinking and her ability to work through numerous permutations probably averted a few near-disasters, but, if she were ever inclined to write her exam memoires in the style of Adam Kay, her book would fly off the shelves!

THE EDITORIAL TEAM Editor

A. Mair (L6P)

Sub-Editors

JMJH, M. Bowman (L6M), K. Chaibi (L6G), F. Dumbill (L6P), O. Ellis (L6G), P. Kellock (L6G), H. Nieper (L6F), L. Northing (L6M), W. Orpin (L6C)

Editorial & Salvete 04

Sandra has always enjoyed being involved in the pastoral life of the school. She started as a tutor to the first group of B Block girls, who were housed in the Old Mitre, and followed half of them as they joined The Garden, to be the Resident Tutor for the next four years.

In 1994, Sandra married Adrian, in the first wedding to take place in the School Chapel. In the following years, the arrivals of Alex and Dominic made the family complete, while professionally, ready for a new responsibility and challenge, Sandra accepted the role of Housemistress of The Garden in 1999. It was a role that she loved: knowing all aspects of the individuals under her care – a reminder that what we see in the classroom is only a small part of what makes up these young adults. It was a job that required her to learn fast in order to successfully juggle her own family commitments with the girls in the house; made more difficult by the fact that she only had three tutors to help out back then.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Photography (unless otherwise credited)

Front Cover

M. Wolford, JMJH, Matt Jones Photography, Alethea Simpson, T. Jervis (L6S), MLJ, IMP, JWR, IJW, GLH, TRLV, The Housemasters AFP

Back Cover

AFP

Design

Optima Graphic Design Consultants Ltd.

Print

Buxton Press

Repton School, Repton, Derby DE65 6FH Telephone 01283 559200 Email registrar@repton.org.uk

WWW.REPTON.ORG.UK

Drama 48

Art & Design 62

SHE IS ALWAYS HAPPY TO ROLL UP HER SLEEVES AND LEAD FROM THE FRONT.

Moving out of the House gave Sandra time to explore new horizons. One especially close to her heart was volunteering: Sandra loved her five trips to Dreamland School in Akumadan and the other schools Repton has started to support in Ghana. She has provided continuity for the project, fundraised enthusiastically (including the 24-hour Sportathon, which entailed taking part in all 27 sports taught at Repton!), while building new friendships both with like-minded colleagues and overseas. Those involved in the Ghana project over the years comment on her tireless enthusiasm and for the opportunities given to the pupils and staff accompanying the trip: her impact is immortalised in their memories of the calls of “Sandra, Sandra!” from the Dreamland children. And, while thinking of Sandra as a participator and a friend, what colleague could ever forget her hilarious performances as Hagrid in three successive Pedants shows!

Sandra returned to pastoral duties by joining The Mitre tutor team in 2010, where further strong relationships were developed with both staff and pupils. She has been a wise counsel and her calm approach is much respected by the girls and house staff alike: someone who they can turn to for advice, knowing that she would offer her ideas and that these would always be so valuable and insightful.

Sandra is an enthusiast and a true professional – the epitome of the Repton schoolmistress: whether in the House, the classroom, on the hockey pitches, or working tirelessly in the Summer Term to ensure that pupils were always provided with the best possible environment in the examination hall, she has created a longlasting impression on all whom she has met. We will dearly miss her, but we know that she will enjoy every minute of her new adventure. Happy retirement, Sandra!

CEG

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Features 24

Sport 70

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EDITORIAL

Editorial

‘Nothing is permanent except change’ said Heraclitus of Ephesus, one of the first Ancient Greek philosophers, and it seems fairly self-evident that, in modern society, this statement could not be truer.

But, as I look across the Library, in a pre-lockdown supervised study period, I consider my surroundings, not always appreciated under the pressures that lie within the Repton bubble – work, sport and getting a girlfriend (seems about right) – and I take in some of the more antiquated buildings that encompass our hub of education: the ruins; St Wystan’s Church and its famous crypt; Pears School; the crisply-mown Garth, looking as pristine as ever; the Old Priory in which I sit. These are some of the rare things that actually do seem like they will last into posterity, which cannot be said for much in today’s world.

Alice Mariott (9M)

This was once the centre of the Kingdom of Mercia and I think we ought to appreciate the history of the School, from time to time.

As Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 20th century German-British historian, wrote: ‘the crypt forms one of the most precious survivals of Anglo-Saxon architecture in England’. Clearly, we should know more about this and acknowledge it more. But, so what? Much of this is over 1000 years old, anyway.

Compared to modern architecture, such as the Science Priory or the new Sports Centre, these structures are worlds apart, despite being just a two-minute walk through the graveyard. Repton’s architecture is ever-changing and is a conglomerate of many different centuries’ work. Some have remained, but most have disappeared and been replaced. It is all for good reason, however.

For aesthetic pleasure, or for innovative design, they all have their wonderful uses. Yet there is no denying that there is something very special about the older, more established buildings within our school. Your culture and your appreciation for sheer beauty in an otherwise tumultuous world would be enhanced, for example.

There is also the opportunity to study in peace in a small room surrounded by jaunty old bricks – something which contrasts greatly to the standard Repton experience of being busy 24/7.

Like the architecture, what about the pupils and traditions? Have they changed? Well, thousands and thousands of pupils have walked through that Arch. Most have been taught by Mr Kew. Yet all have been through varying experiences at Repton: they have all witnessed change, just as we do now. From new buildings and new rules, to new teachers, new ideas and everything else in between, change has happened forever, but maybe only now are we understanding it properly. We enjoy watching Pedants in its 23rd Edition; we all go to Lists and Chapel; we all walk through the Hole in the Wall or past the Cloisters on the way to lessons. Some things will always stay the same and some certainly will not.

Recent events globally lead us to think that life in the modern world is definitely heading towards the ‘will not’ category. The issue of Climate Change is ongoing; the forests of Australia and Brazil have burned beyond belief this past year; Iran and the US nearly went to war; not to mention the global pandemic of Coronavirus, where the terrible situation seems to change and develop every second. New laws, lockdowns, exponentially-rising case numbers and death tolls, new advice all grasp our attention – but what do we do? We watch the world change around us in its constant storm of news and fake news. We have Trump running the most powerful country in the world and Britain has left the EU. All of these reforms and changes would have been unthinkable not too long ago, but here they are in their purest forms. This will all be consigned to history soon and in the books and academic resources that, no doubt, future Reptonians will be using in years to come.

So, despite all the constant change in our world, I believe that Repton will adapt. It will be aware of all the issues; it will make the necessary amendments. Clearly, the school had to react quickly in response to the pandemic and, looking forward, thinking about its carbon footprint in the wake of Global Warming will be important, as well as dealing with issues closer to home. Repton will do what is necessary in order to protect this great school with its fascinating story. Changes and reforms can be very positive things. Everyone has a dream of ‘changing the world’, but when we think about change, we tend to gravitate towards the scary, unknown entities rather than the positive developments of technology and outreaching to all parts of the globe.

In the current Covid-19 crisis, we see different countries taking different measures and suffering different outcomes. This outbreak alone has been evolving and changing day-by-day.

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Salvete Reports of new strains, rising figures, new restrictions, new developments on research and vaccines provide the public with an endless amount of information and it can be overwhelming at times. One thing that I, and many others, can be guilty of is comparing countries with each other, on their death-rates along a line. Making conclusions in your head, thinking about these curves and trajectories, can distract you from seeing the true devastation and horror of these events. This is not a time for comparing one country’s figures against another’s, but a time for reflecting on how important every life lost is. The death of an individual, in any circumstance, is an incredibly solemn event and this pandemic is likely to hit all of us and our loved ones. The lasting effects of this crisis will be huge.

Right now, the consequences for the school year have been enormous. A ‘normal’ term at Repton has been wiped out and all the sport cancelled – even Steeplechase! But remote learning represents not only a slick manoeuvre from the School to make sure our lifestyle can be as close to normal as possible, including events like Virtual Chapel and online house quizzes, but it also shows us, as a society, how modern technology has developed for the good and for positive outcomes.

Imagine this sort of crisis happening before quick and (mostly) efficient technology: teachers would have had to send pupils away for months, with little more than a few books and a farewell! Luckily for us, this hasn’t been an issue; nevertheless, it is important to reflect upon. Not only will the Covid crisis provide a case study for GCSE Geography exams in the future, it will allow Repton and wider society to act more quickly and with the knowledge from hindsight should something terrible like this occur again.

So, back to Heraclitus. It remains clear that, although many things do indeed stay the same, the world is changing every day and is somewhat unpredictable. But, as Reptonians, no matter the situation, we’d like to think we can adapt, stand firm and thrive. I had not expected in September to be writing this Editorial on the impacts of a global pandemic, but this is what change – the theme of this year’s Reptonian magazine – is all about.

CHW Christine Walker is the new Head of Modern Foreign Languages.

Having completed her main degree at Manchester University, she went on to do a PGCE at Nottingham University and a French Masters at La Sorbonne in Paris. She is highly experienced in the teaching world, having taught at both Adams Grammar School and Trent College, and also taken part in a teacher exchange in the South of France. She is no stranger to Repton either, as she worked here for a year in 2008-9, covering a maternity leave. She has expressed her delight in how lovely Repton students are and for her they have been the highlight of her Repton journey. A keen runner, Christine has participated in marathons in both England and Paris and she is incredibly well-travelled, having lived in cities around Europe, including Barcelona, Paris and Milan. Alas for us, Christine is off again all too soon, to take up a post at Nottingham Girls’ High School.

WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE? An episode of Costa Del Sol! WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT AS A SCHOOL PUPIL? To be honest, I can’t quite remember my school days!

IF YOU WEREN’T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A travel journalist.

WOULD YOU RATHER BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE PAST OR SEE INTO THE FUTURE? I am very happy in the present – we can only live for today, can’t we!

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MUSIC ALBUM YOU BOUGHT OR DOWNLOADED? I think it was either Kick (INXS) or Thriller (Michael Jackson).

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR TEENAGE SELF? I think I would have to tell my teenage self not to worry about what people think of you.

Alexander Mair (L6P)

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SALVETE

Alice Churchill (11M)

JCMR Jess Rice joins the Art Department as teacher of Textiles, having studied Art Foundation and Textiles at Loughborough University and completed a PGCE at Cambridge. Her roles in the school include teaching Textiles and Art throughout the school, helping to design and create costumes for the school play and masterminding the Fashion Show. She has especially made a difference in The Garden, where she is a tutor, having experienced boarding and living overseas herself. Despite the busy Repton life and adjusting to teaching on a Saturday, her best experience of Repton so far has been the welcoming community. Jess hopes to gain experience and enjoyment from her time in Repton and to encourage achievement and success for her students.

WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE? Biscuits. Any kind of biscuits. I’ll eat all of them.

IF YOU WEREN’T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A midwife.

WOULD YOU RATHER BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE PAST OR SEE INTO THE FUTURE? Change the past. I’d probably change things I did as a teenager.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MUSIC ALBUM YOU BOUGHT OR DOWNLOADED? Spice up your Life (Spice Girls).

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR TEENAGE SELF? Listen to advice from teachers and important adults in your life, as they actually know what they’re talking about.

EWCW Edward Walker was educated at Bradfield College: with his love for football, it was the best school for him at the time. Having taken a gap year working in a prep school, he went to study for a degree in Business Studies at Portsmouth Polytechnic. Ed then entered the world of business and commerce, working for four years in the brewery trade for Whitbread PLC, being responsible for 35 pubs.

Teaching began for him in 1995 and he spent 24 years at Lord Wandsworth College, Hampshire. His responsibilities included being Housemaster and Head of the Business Department. When Ed’s children left school, he felt he needed a new challenge and so has arrived at Repton to teach Business and Economics. He is a tutor in The Cross and has also taken responsibility for coaching both girls’ and boys’ hockey teams – and would have coached cricket, too: maybe next year!

TRLV Tom Voyce is the latest Artist-in-Residence, teaching Art across the school and being the A Block Tutor in School House, in addition to continuing his already prolific career as an artist. Tom is from nearby Burton, but loved Art and pursued his passion by going to study at Aberystwyth University School of Art. In 2017, Tom won Sky Art’s Landscape Artist of the Year, propelling his career onto new things. He has worked in New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the USA as a resident artist, as well as giving lectures and workshops whilst being a secondary school teacher. In his free time, Tom loves to play football and go running. He lives with his partner, Jess, who is also a teacher.

WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE? Watching The Apprentice and slating the candidates!

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT AS A SCHOOL PUPIL? Turning up to an exam late because I had fallen asleep.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT AS A SCHOOL PUPIL? There are loads! But the worst one was in a school football final, when, as a sub, I celebrated our winning goal by jumping up into the dugout roof and passing out!

IF YOU WEREN’T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? Running a bar in The Maldives.

IF YOU WEREN’T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A full-time artist.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MUSIC ALBUM YOU BOUGHT OR DOWNLOADED? Parallel Lines (Blondie).

WOULD YOU RATHER BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE PAST OR SEE INTO THE FUTURE? Neither. I am very happy to let things be as they are right now.

WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE? A Twix.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR TEENAGE SELF? Anything is possible: live the dream! Someone has to!

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MUSIC ALBUM YOU BOUGHT OR DOWNLOADED? Hybrid Theory (Linkin Park).

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR TEENAGE SELF? Enjoy the little things more in life; enjoy the positives and negatives; and enjoy playing football before you get too old!

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020

PMM

VLO

Poppy Martin joined the PE Department for one year as a Graduate Assistant.

She coaches both boys’ and girls’ hockey and is a tutor in Field House.

She studied Sport and Exercise Science at Loughborough University, where she stayed for four years, including a placement year at Denstone College. Outside of school, she loves dogs and playing hockey (she plays for Belper HC). So far, she has found Repton very busy, with lots going on, but thinks it is full of great people and is sure that Repton will give her an enjoyable year.

Poppy leaves in the summer to take up a post at Ipswich School as 2nd i/c Hockey; we wish her well.

WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE? Wilko’s Pick ’n’ Mix. WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT AS A SCHOOL PUPIL? On my first day of Sixth Form at my new school, I had to walk into the whole school assembly half an hour late because I got off at the wrong train station. Everyone stared.

IF YOU WEREN’T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A property developer.

WOULD YOU RATHER BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE PAST OR SEE INTO THE FUTURE? Change the past.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MUSIC ALBUM YOU BOUGHT OR DOWNLOADED? Busted (Busted) WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR TEENAGE SELF? You can’t sing!

Graduating from Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, where she got a degree in Economics, Vicky Otterburn joins the Repton community from Sedbergh School as a Graduate Assistant. At Sedbergh, she gained her Learning Support qualification whilst being a Resident Tutor in a girls’ boarding house – a role she has continued at Repton as Resident Tutor in The Abbey. She also teaches in the Business Studies and Learning Support Departments. Like many a Reptonian, she enjoys sport, particularly running and netball, taking on coaching roles for school teams. She has enjoyed Repton so far as she loves how individual and different it is from other experiences.

WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE? Playing Christmas songs at other times of the year.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT AS A SCHOOL PUPIL? I ran into a wall!

IF YOU WEREN’T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? Possibly a physio, but most likely in finance – so a Wall St banker!

WOULD YOU RATHER BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE PAST OR SEE INTO THE FUTURE? See into the future.

WHAT AS THE FIRST MUSIC ALBUM YOU BOUGHT OR DOWNLOADED? Westlife (Westlife).

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR TEENAGE SELF? Take every opportunity that you’re given.

Kat Haid (11F) 'The Cross at Winter' by TRLV

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REPTON ROUND

Repton Round

Repton boasts a huge extra-curricular programme, from societies and trips to academic enrichment and house competitions. Societies meet in the evening and are pupil led; house competitions range from sporting activities to music and general knowledge. All add to the wide variety of opportunities for furthering one’s experience at Repton.

Jacob Davies (U6O) Head Prefect

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REPTON ROUND

CCF ARMY

Summer Camp 2019 Team player, follower or leader?

This was a question posed on many occasions during the Army Section’s Summer Camp at Beckingham Defence Training Camp, Summer 2019.

Day One started with what would become the normal wake up time, 0600hrs, showers, parade outside accommodation and then marched by the duty senior cadet to breakfast at 0650hrs. Our Senior Cadets, Sgts Ben Wheelton (L6S), James Newbould (L6S) and William Wright (L6O) placed themselves on Duty Orderly Sergeant on alternating days.

On completion of a fast-paced breakfast, cadets collected weapons, moved to the parade square, prepared weapons for firing and then loaded onto transport.

Prior to departure, an inspection of personal medication, full water bottle and sun cream applied would also become a daily ritual.

Field craft and basic military skills would be conducted today: weapon revision on the SA80 rifle; navigation using pacings and bearings; communication using the handheld personal radio; harbour drills and reaction to effective enemy fire (REEF). The cadets showed their professionalism on each stand, but Cadet Will Ingham (10C) stood out, especially on the REEF stand.

Ranges was the order of the day on Day Two: training staff remarked that Repton cadets stood out from the other contingents at professional weapon handling! The cadets conducted the basic and advance application of fire, using the SA80, while Senior Cadets also conducted training and testing on the 7.62mm cadet target rifle.

Background activity to the main range package comprised of air rifle shoot and clay target shooting. The results from the individual shoot were fantastic: on air rifle, Cadet Cameron Redfern (10L) scored a 9mm grouping size and achieved Marksmanship qualification on the SA 80 Basic Shoot, while on the Advance Shoot Sgt William Wright achieved First Class Shot and Sgts Ben Wheelton and James Newbould and Cpl Jude Sinclair (11C) achieved Marksmanship qualification. James would later in the week collect the prize for best overall shot from ten contingents.

A day in civilian clothing was a welcome break on Day Three, especially in the heat and away from freshly mown fields (not great if you suffer with hay fever): a trip to Rutland Water saw cadets and staff take part in cycling, paddle-boarding, sailing, raft-building and command tasks. The contingent added in their own outdoor gym activities, with competitions set on monkey bars and parallel bars and an impromptu Cross-Fit competition.

A great day was had by all.

0600hrs on Day Four: were our cadets followers now or active team players?

All their personal kit was squared away; no requirement to send cadets back to accommodation for items they had forgotten or to fill up water bottles.

Leaders, the Senior Cadets, had ensured that their cadets were fit for purpose; the staff now simply observed. The day comprised of field craft tactics with the use of paintball equipment – something that Repton has been conducting for some years. The Senior Cadets were separated from the morning’s activities to conduct section and platoon commanders’ duties, but the afternoon saw the basic and advance groups merge to conduct blank firing exercises.

Day Five was competition morning: the cadets took part in the Drill and Turnout Competition, scoring extremely highly considering they numbered thirteen cadets (whereas other contingents had in excess of fifty cadets from whom to select their Drill team). Our cadets had worked hard and those that had found drill challenging no longer hid in the ranks but marched tall and proud. The Air Rifle Shoot also scored well.

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020

For the final exercise, the cadets deployed to the northern section of Beckingham training area on foot. On arrival at the Harbour area and having set up and established harbour routine, Captain Brian Collins (Para) took the cadets on ambush training, followed by noisy and silent rehearsals.

On completion, with the night drawing in, the cadets set up an ambush in the woodlands of Stapleford Grange. As visibility reduced further, the cadets waited in silence. An enemy patrol arrived, moving from the east along the track: the ambush commander, Sgt Ben Wheelton, waited for the right moment to spring the ambush. As he pulled on the comms cord, silence was broken, gun-fire erupted and the flash from each rifle illuminated the wood line – and the enemy patrol returned fire. As the intensity increased, the enemy tried to make a hasty withdrawal, only to be met by the cut-off groups. As the fire ceased, Ben ordered a withdrawal and, tactically as trained, the cadets made their way back to the harbour area.

The final morning saw a three-phase operation to clear all remaining enemy in two wooded areas and the open ground East of Stapleford Grange.

Sgt William Wright led the first section to the line of departure: in extended line, the cadets moved through the first phase, clearing all enemy within.

On Re-Org, Sgt Ben Wheelton took the lead and moved onto the second wood line, again controlling the section and clearing all enemy within. Phase three saw a joint operation, with both sections clearing the open ground.

As Sgt Wright advanced towards the enemy position, Sgt Wheelton’s section provided continuous small arms support. Under the cover of smoke, Sgt Wright made his final attack on the enemy position, cleared and ordered Re-Org. With both sections now on the enemy position, a complete check of ammunition, equipment and casualties was completed. The final cry of “STOP” indicated both the end of the final exercise but also the end of the Summer Camp. It was clear to see that the cadets had given their all.

In the shelter now, having returned to the harbour area to conduct post-exercise administration, it was clear to see the changes in the cadets: the nervous looking cadets that had stood on the parade square on arrival at Beckingham were now active team players; the leaders had truly taken on every aspect of the word, under testing conditions of long hours, extreme temperatures and subjects they do not cover on a daily basis, and had gained enormous respect from their cadets, the Cadet Training Team staff and the Repton staff.

All private cadets that took part in this Summer Camp were promoted to Lance Corporal, having completed all the necessary training requirements.

For 2019-20, Sgt William Wright will oversee the training and development of O Block, Sgt James Newbould will become the training Senior NCO in charge of Sixth Form training, and Sgt Ben Wheelton has been appointed Senior Cadet, Repton CCF.

JC Wadsworth Major, Contingent Commander

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REPTON ROUND

CCF ROYAL NAVY

Summer Camp Sweltering heat on our Speech Day departure; a minibus stuffed to the brim with kit, rations, and cadets; clear blue skies and Lt Fairbrother losing the keys for the third time in ten minutes…

A short lunch-break later and they’re back on the water again, screeching around the reserve at neck-breaking speeds, except Able Cadets Berger and Hopkins, who launch a full ABBA sing-a-long and accidentally ram into a man in another boat. Some would say this occurred due to a lack of concentration, but others would argue that it was, in fact, because they are wildly incompetent, especially so when it comes to the words of ‘Super Trouper’.

After this slightly delayed start, the Navy Section rockets towards the bright lights of Rutland at death-defying speeds – or as fast as the minibus would take us! Overtaking cars, lorries, old women on scooters with such ease only depicted in the wildly successful motion picture 2 Fast 2 Furious.

They arrive at campsite in all its natural beauty, a wonderfully secluded spot in the great British countryside, but still relatively (and thankfully) near a café and a pub. Able Cadets Hopkins and Berger (both L6F) set up their tent in record time, only briefly confounded by the sudden disappearance of all their tent pegs, which is more than can be said for Able Cadet Whitten (L6L), who almost immediately gets trapped in the lining of his tent; quite a feat, but at least he had his towel this time.

The night passes without incident, save for SLt Walker’s tent getting briefly accosted by a chicken, and so, bright and early, the cadets come tumbling out of their tents, steal each other’s cereal bars, and set off to Rutland Water, a short bus ride away.

Donning wetsuits and putting up boats, they quickly form into the anxiety-inducing duo of Cadets Anastasiou and Evans (both 4M), the team equivalent of a car-crash of Berger and Hopkins, and Able Cadet Whitten, the free spirit, the Lone Ranger, the one who falls in the most.

After a shaky start, all cadets can be seen to be smoothly cutting through the icy and incredibly windy water, sailing with such grace as to make Bruno off Strictly weep with tears of joy; only very occasionally, and with what could be considered excessive screaming, barrelling directly towards the swan’s nest on the shore.

The evening comes and so does the begging to go to the pub, but the answer is a resounding ‘NO!’ Grudgingly, we dig into some very interesting ration packs, most of which appear to consist entirely of tiny little bottles of hot sauce, which matters not to SLt Walker, eagerly unpacking them as though it were Christmas morning. The cadets settle down into a game of Uno, obeying ‘pub rules’, which it quickly becomes apparent means Able Cadet Berger making up whatever rules she likes in order to win, despite not winning a single game the whole week: classic!

The cadets are back out on the water early next morning, still not entirely acclimatised to the glacial waters, but eager to get some sailing done. The wind picks up speed and boats get harder to handle, with Cadets Evans, Anastasiou, Berger, and Hopkins barely staying above water, whereas Able Cadet Whitten is somewhat less lucky. It is not graceful, but it is funny.

Another short, much-needed lunch break later, and Able Cadet Whitten is seen to be launching himself into the water yet again. Able Cadets Berger and Hopkins are so busy laughing they don’t realise they’ve beached themselves for the third time that session; it’s a skill.

of Rutland Water with their actual skill.

Lunch-break is cut short due to demand, and the sailing is enough to get them all promoted to First Sea Lord on the spot.

Growing tired of hot sauce, Lt Fairbrother takes the cadets out to the nearby town of Oakham for a takeaway. A short walk around what could best be described as the set of Hot Fuzz and we’re back at the campsite, pizzas at the ready, excited to eat something totally free of hot sauce for the first time in what feels like years.

The final day calls for capsize drills, which Cadet Evans aces time and time again to the applause and judgement of Cadet Anastasiou, pulling off three perfect dry capsizes in a row, whereas Cadet Whitten, it’s safe to say, does not. Able Cadets Hopkins and Berger simply sail in a perfect figure of eight by the side, judging and calling out scores.

The Camp was incredible, leaving us all with great memories, inside jokes and a deep psychological fear of swans.

Thanks must go to Lt Fairbrother and SLt Walker for organising and running such an amazing trip – and apologies to the people of Rutland Water.

Ella Hopkins (L6F)

Another hot-sauce-based ration meal and Uno game later, Cards against Humanity comes out and SLt Walker leaves in protest to absolutely no effect; still, respect for trying.

Day Four lazily rolls around and everything seems better, brighter and certainly warmer. Able Cadets Berger and Hopkins only beach themselves once, and nowhere near the swans. Able Cadet Whitten barely falls in, but does manage a total inversion instead. Cadets Evans and Anastasiou each go solo and impress the whole

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CCF ROYAL NAVY

Field Weekend SEPTEMBER 2019

On a cold Sunday mid-morning, we gathered at The Arch and waited to board the mini-bus. Safety checks and kit checks were completed with SLt Walker and Mrs Parker before setting off, making sure we had everything – including towels (the legend of Will Whitten lives on). We arrived at Waterside Lodge and, after our induction brief from our RN AI, Taff, we checked into our accommodation. Not having to camp outside was a relief to us all!

O Block gave us a tour of the facilities, having had an enjoyable time on their first visit, and we changed into wet-weather gear and buoyancy aids before getting into power boats and being taught how to drive them! We had so much fun speeding around the lake, missing the swans, even though it was cold and windy.

Some looked like they didn’t know what they were doing half the time and some looked very professional (yes, you, Grace Pocklington (10M)!).

Having packed away and quickly changed into home clothes, we set off to the Leisure Complex and bowling alley – having an amazing time. Ron Poon (11P) had a lot to live up to, having won the bowling hands down last time. Then we went around the arcade to see what else was on offer: we all spent money trying to get a £5 note out of a slide machine: we spent more than £5 doing it, but it was worth it for the fun we had! After a long day of travelling, powerboating and having the best evening out, we went to our respective dorms, tucked up in pyjamas and sleeping bags.

Lt Fairbrother had us up very early next morning for a full day, starting off with a drill session in the bright warm sunshine under the expert guidance of Cadet Anastasiou – yeah, great fun! When everything seemed like it was starting to come together, it all went horribly wrong, but we got there in the end. We had breakfast, put on our swim kit and wet-weather gear and then had instruction from O Block on putting together our Laser Pico sailing dinghies. Dividing into

teams of two, the O Block taught us how to tack, where the wind was coming from and how to get the boats out onto the lake: we were all sailing in some form or other shortly afterwards – a great experience and we felt pleased we’d managed to stay upright in the much calmer conditions. By late morning we were getting hungry, so we went back to shore, changed and had the option of McDonald’s, Domino’s or KFC for lunch.

It felt good having these choices!

We were soon back, putting on our windsuits and other layers and sailing in different teams, but it did not matter if we got wet, because the lake was only waist-height and we were all having so much excitement.

Our figure-of-eight courses came along brilliantly, and O Block were doing more advanced stuff like sailing backwards.

We were all shattered after the non-stop activities, but we’d learnt a lot and had enjoyed doing it. Thanks to Lt Fairbrother, SLt Walker, Mrs Parker and O Block for giving us an incredibly fun weekend.

Darby Armour (4G)

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The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

Maslenitsa On Friday 28th February we had the opportunity at Repton to celebrate the Russian festival called Maslenitsa.

This is when, in Russia, we celebrate the end of Winter and say welcome to Spring. It was very well-organised, especially as some parents had kindly arranged for a Russian folk band to come and celebrate with us – with live music and dancing and lots of different activities, including a snowball fight in Pears School!

We also had fantastic food, especially Russian blinis, and I enjoyed the evening: I had a great time with my own friends and I also met lots of Russian people who are studying at Foremarke; I really enjoyed speaking in Russian with everybody! We finished the evening in the traditional way, with a bonfire outside, where we all burned straw dolls signifying the end of Winter.

Sergei Agafonov (9P)

The Gold DofE groups, having endured what was probably the worst series of meteorological conditions in living memory at Silver, had a relatively straightforward time of it on their Gold Expeditions. Unless you count the whole lightning-on-the-Assessed thing, of course.

That certainly sharpens the mind, of participants and supervisors alike.

The groups were safely re-routed onto less vulnerable routes, but the tension and nerves hung in the air like something from a Spaghetti Western. If anything, because of the genuine threat of a lightning-strike, and the necessity of staying off the high ground, the danger was, for once, that the participants would feel that they had not been stretched to the limits of their physical and mental abilities this year.

Or so we feared. Thankfully, no-one could have finished the Gold Assessed in 2019 with a feeling of anything less than significant achievement and challenge. The final day is always the most demanding – bushwhacking through heather-entanglements across the peat-bogs of Naughtberry Hill and the 702m-high Buckden Pike is hard enough at the best of times at the end of a four-day Expedition. This year, add in driving rain, visibility limited enough to freak out your correspondent, who had ‘enjoyed’ the same walk every year for the previous ten. A few participants – they know who they are – completed the Expeditions under considerable levels of pain, and without a moment’s complaint.

Five miles to the next human being. Ten miles from a source of drinking water. Four days since the last wifi-router. 0.5mm of goretex from Hell. For company, only the haunting, plaintive call of the curlew and the lapwing.

This was an exceptional Gold group – something we seem to reflect upon every year, though the teams do appear to be becoming more uniformly strong year-on-year – but what most stood out in 2019-20 was the Volunteering activity which individuals embraced – Reptonian DofE participants now support Repton Beavers, Rainbows, Brownies, Cubs, Scouts, Repton HC and the burgeoning Repton Community Café and Village Hall. This year has seen Volunteers kayaking with Scouts on the Trent at Burton, taking Cubs to Clip ’n’ Climb at Kingsway, planning and executing Rainbows’ sessions on the theme of Autumn, or facilitating Scouts’ exploration of the World Scout Badge, leading night-hikes, producing and distributing information-leaflets for the Café, and racing through Calke Abbey’s grounds on bikes with the Scouts.

It is great to see Reptonians contributing to the local community, and throwing themselves into these activities with such gusto, creativity and engagement with the children with whom they are working.

23 Reptonians gained their Gold Award this year – a record for the School – and 20 gained their Silver Award.

CSD

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The Football Tour to Seville

In October Half Term, 39 boys and five staff went on a football tour of Seville. A vibrant footballing city in Southern Spain, Seville is home to an intense rivalry between Sevilla and Real Betis.

The tour began with some sightseeing of our beautiful host city, before moving on to explore the city of Malaga and taking in a live match that pitted Malaga against Cadiz, the away side getting a 2-1 victory.

Our football then got underway with a couple of tough matches: the Junior side, which was a mix of B, A and O Block, found the going difficult against Nuevo Huelva; however, they did pull the game back to 2-3 before eventually going down, 2-5. The Seniors, which was essentially the school 1st XI, played CD Atletico Viso – a Spanish adult side. A tight and well-fought match followed, with two first-half goals from Jake Raine (U6C) and one from Ricko Felipes (L6S) securing a 3-0 win.

We had committed to some serious travel in order to secure the best possible matches available, so the next stop was a trip to Extremadura. We managed a brief look at Extremadura U.D.’s atmospheric little ground – getting the whole Repton group on their social media – and a trip to the club shop, which were the forerunners to two tremendous matches. The Juniors were up against one of the outstanding age group sides in central Spain and found life tough, although the goalkeeping of B Blocker Max Bristow (9C) was certainly worthy of mention. The 1st XI match against Extremadura’s U17 side was one of the toughest battles a Repton side has fought in recent years. On a tight pitch against a talented and very aggressive side, Tom Jones (L6S) gave Repton the lead and, when Jake Raine doubled it in the second half, it was clear our hosts had not been expecting such a tough outing against an English school side. They proceeded to throw everything at us for 20 minutes, helped by some ‘friendly’ refereeing, but we stood firm. The tackles became harder and the referee blew the game early when an opposition player spat at one of ours. This is never a good way to end a game, but I could not have been more satisfied: to see a talented opposition fly at us, legally and illegally, and become increasingly frustrated as they began to implode while we stood there, taking everything, never retaliating, never a backward step... and winning! If ever there were an identity I would want for Repton Football, this was it.

On the final day, we managed to secure a special tour of the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, home of Sevilla FC, which was closed to the public because of ground improvements. A little retail therapy followed in the club shop, where even NJK found something to spend his cash on!

The standard of the football marks out this tour as the highest-quality trip we have undertaken so far. Spain is such a wonderful destination for an October tour and it was great to see the Repton footballers test themselves against tough Spanish opposition. For the 1st XI, the return of three wins and three clean sheets was remarkable, given the standard of the opposition. It was also important for the Junior boys, some of whom will aspire to the 1st XI next season and beyond, to see the level of fitness, concentration and competitiveness required to win matches at that level. My thanks go to the boys for their tremendous company and to NJK, RGE, SE and CL for all their help with the organisation.

MMC

We followed this with a double training session, led by the Sevilla coaches the following day. The coaches were excellent: we’d asked them to make sure the standards were high and to push the boys as they went through their paces! A further double training session the following morning was enhanced by several members of the Sevilla 1st team visiting us to say hello and pose for a few photographs. This certainly brightened up the day for our resident Sevilla fan, RGE! The final matches were against teams from the Sevilla FC Academy. The Juniors secured a victory against a technically strong U13 side, our added athleticism tipping the scales in our favour. The Seniors then rounded off their tour with three wins out of three, seeing off a Seville U16 team 1-0 through a fine goal from Harrison Birch (U6L). Given the schedule and the opposition, this was just another incredible result.

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Chinese New Year Thursday 23rd January saw the celebration of Chinese New Year and the Chinese pupils at Repton were invited to celebrate this important event with the staff and pupils at Foremarke Hall.

Chinese New Year is a very special time of year for us: at home, we would visit family members, exchange pocket money in red envelopes, play traditional games and eat lots of delicious Chinese specialities.

The new dining room at Foremarke Hall was decorated with red place-settings and it really felt like we could have been in China. On the tables, we had a plant decorated with red pocket envelopes and information about the year of the Rat. Repton

pupils mixed with teachers and pupils from Foremarke: it was especially great for those of us who went to Foremarke to see old friends and catch up.

The food tasted fantastic and I really enjoyed it, particularly the spring rolls starter and chicken fried rice! After the dinner, there were some activities for us, including basketball, arts and craft and table tennis. Although we did not spend much time doing those activities, we all still had a great time and the activities were entertaining.

A tremendous thank you to Foremarke Hall for putting so much effort in and making the evening memorable for us.

Jessica Liu (10F)

The Hockey Tour to Holland Thirty Reptonians met on Monday morning of the February Half Term to travel to Holland for matches against three top Dutch Clubs. The tour party featured most of the Girls’ 1st XI squad, with the boys’ group having more of a developmental look, with six U16 debutants involved.

Playing HC Klein Zwitserland on the day of travel, after a 4am-5am wake up for some, was a tough task. The boys battled well, but fell short to a strong U18 side and the girls let a two-goal lead slip to eventually draw 2-2. Georgia Brown (U6M) scored two fine deflected goals to give the girls their lead.

Following a morning off to recover, with time to do some revision for some, the teams headed to HC Rotterdam for their Tuesday evening games. Rotterdam is a Club with seven AstroTurf pitches, a fantastic stadium around their main pitch and in excess of 150 teams, but our pupils weren’t too daunted! Despite the freezing cold weather, both Repton sides earned victories, with Laura D’Aguilar (U6G) scoring her first ever goal and James Gould (11N) scoring a hat-trick in only his second game for the 1st XI.

earned a 2-2 draw, courtesy of a fine solo goal from A Blocker George Fletcher (10N).

With hockey done, our final day allowed some time in Amsterdam before an evening flight home. A fleeting visit to the Rijksmuseum preceded a tour of Anne Frank House, which was a particular highlight and will hopefully have given some Reptonians food for thought during their period of isolation.

Thanks must go to JRL and PMM for their umpiring, coaching and general support and to each of the pupils for their behaviour and approach, which helped to make the trip such a successful one.

MLJ

An afternoon Go-Karting was a welcome change from hockey on Wednesday and fun was had by all before our final games at HGC: Zack Brough (L6S) recorded the fastest lap, with the careful driver award going to Laura D’Aguilar! Like our previous venues, HGC had excellent facilities and we were impressed by their indoor pitches inside a large dome. We were grateful to play both games on their main pitch and it brought the best performance out of both sides. The girls shocked HGC U18s 5-2, whilst the boys

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020

Clubs & Societies The Marriott Society The Marriott Society had yet another busy year under the leadership of its executive committee, which was itself well-led and mobilised by the infinitely capable Charlie Furniss (U6O), the Society’s President for 2019-20.

As Repton’s History and Politics Society, Marriott was, in the Michaelmas Term, focused on the December 2019 general election.

We hosted a Repton Question Time, with a panel of familiar faces on the teaching staff discussing topics from transgender rights to the legitimacy of the Royal Family. This was paired with, and eclipsed by, a Repton pupil Question Time panel, with Will Whitten (U6L) representing the Conservatives, Ella Hopkins (U6F) for Labour, Charlie Furniss for the Greens, Owen Randall (L6O) for the Brexit Party and Sam Cunningham (L6O) for the Liberal Democrats. This kicked off the school-wide election campaign, with each candidate – and their campaign teams – canvassing and politicking across the ten houses. In the Repton poll, the Conservatives (perhaps predictably) won seven houses, the Greens two houses and the Brexit Party one house.

The Marriott Society also hosted talks and debates on more contentious moral topics: one debate centred on the proposed legalisation of prostitution, and Mr John Plowright (ex-staff) delivered the annual Plowright Lecture on the topic of serial killers in both fact and fiction.

We were additionally lucky to hear from South Derbyshire Member of Parliament, Heather Wheeler, who reflected on the Conservative Party’s big win in 2019, the Johnson Government’s legislative agenda, and the personal, as well as professional, challenges of being an MP. It’s been a busy year for the Marriott Society and it owes a great deal to the active and popular membership it receives: it still remains one of, if not the, most well-attended academic societies at Repton, and this year it owes a great deal of thanks to Charlie Furniss for his distinctive and remarkable stewardship.

ML

THE MARRIOTT SOCIETY DOES QUESTION TIME On the 7th October, a version of Question Time came to Repton’s 400 Hall for one of the Marriott Society’s most successful events of the year. I had the pleasure of undertaking the David Dimbleby role, chairing a superlative panel of teachers – Dr Pitts, Dr Rose, Dr Lakin and Mr Hill. Besides the overwhelming intellect, the panel benefited from a wide range of political views, both fiscally and socially, and so the debate was impassioned, with little unanimous agreement. With such an informed panel, the level of debate was far superior to any on the BBC’s programme – although that is not a difficult feat these days! In keeping with the usual procedures of Question Time, pupils could submit questions prior to the event, or ask them on the evening itself.

After introducing the panel, setting out the format of the evening, and clarifying that the panellists were simply sharing their views and not trying to impose them on the audience, the debate began. Kicking off with a somewhat controversial question, Zeke Hibell (U6O) asked whether the abolition of private schools had any merit as an idea. NFP quickly suggested that such an idea was fiscally impossible and so any social merit to it was hugely undermined, with JMJH furthering this view and suggesting that the politics of envy should be avoided. With the contrasting view, RER reasoned that all schools should be well funded, not just private ones. ML weighed in by questioning the motivation behind such an idea, drawing a comparison to Labour’s 1960s policy that selection through the grammar school system was unfair – a policy which is now widely regarded as unsuccessful. Unsurprisingly, after extensive debate, it was clear that the panel largely doubted the merit behind abolishing private schools, but even this question lacked an undisputed response.

Possibly the most contentious question of the evening was proposed by Fran Brown (U6M), who asked whether the British Monarchy should be abolished. JMJH sat in the minority, putting forward the convincing argument that the monarchy should be retained as long as public opinion is in favour of it, highlighting the fact that 80% of the British population currently support the monarchy – an approval-rating politicians can only dream of. Replacing the monarchy with an American-style presidential system was the view maintained by NFP and RER agreed this was a more meritocratic system. This was contested by JMJH, who pointed out that the American system was still up to abuse and nepotistic in nature, as shown by Presidents Bush Sr and Jr. ML suggested that, whether one supports a monarchy or not, the move away from a hereditary House of Lords is a portent for the inevitable abolition of the monarchy. He also challenged the ‘North Korean’ approach that the press takes towards the Royals, such as their refusal to criticise Princess Diana. Once again, the panel produced a fascinating debate in which the pupils were thoroughly engaged.

With over an hour of deliberations, and much audience participation, I consider the Repton Question Time to have been a great success. The event provided a fantastic opportunity for pupils to witness their teachers tackle contemporary issues in a logical and sharp fashion. Much appreciation should go to RER, NFP, ML and JMJH for giving up their evening to sit on the panel, and likewise to JMGL for setting up the 400 Hall for us to use.

Finally, Question Time requires an audience prepared to participate and engage and so I must thank the pupils who attended, especially those who put forward questions, and a final mention to the members of the Marriott Society who facilitated this predominantly pupil-run event.

Charlie Furniss (U6O)

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The Ramsey Society What most distinguished and edified this cohort’s Ramsey Soc. meetings was how strikingly consistent they were in their intellectual rigour and, to cut to the core of it, how utterly, rivetingly, absorbing they were.

Even in a very academically strong wider year-group, the members of Ramsey Soc. stood out for their desire to take the road less travelled, but also to attack it unflinchingly and for its own sake.

Jacob Davies (U6O) started us off with an original and incisive examination of ‘Identity Politics’, putting his finger on a subject-area to which, unsurprisingly, we would return on a number of occasions through the year. After introducing us to this very live topic, he asked us to consider whether Identity Politics offers a fertile approach to the issues we face: does it right social inequality or further entrench these divisions? Do such identities, ipso facto, ignore holistic social ills, or are these challenges inseparable from and, in fact, functions of identity?

Jacob also examined the role in modern politics of the internet in general, and social media and ‘echo-chambers’ in particular – a baton taken up with alacrity by Jacob Savage (U6L), who explored the rise of populism in the form of figures such as Trump, Corbyn, Boris Johnson, Bolsonaro and Macron. Starting a trend that would pervade many of the year’s meetings, Jacob shone a torch in some very dark corners, asking whether the centre-ground was now dead, whether traditional politics had indeed failed and was now being replaced, inevitably, by more extremist parties and policies, and whether, in this new landscape, facts themselves any longer had any currency.

Typically, Scarlett Lloyd-Dickinson (U6G) managed to find a more optimistic note amongst all this darkness, starting with the Anne Frank quote, “in spite of everything, I still believe that people really are good at heart”, and questioning whether such a hope really holds true. Scarlett’s wide-ranging paper took us from the raw Darwinian amorality of the shoe-bill stork (look it up on YouTube), through some methodologically-suspect research into babies’ behaviour by Yale, to a frank review of Nietzsche, Hobbes, Rousseau and neuro-chemistry.

Among a number of other contributors’ superb papers, Fran Brown (U6M) forced us to confront the realities of wealth inequality – but did so in markedly original and profitable ways.

The richest 1% of the world’s population have twice as much wealth as the other 6.9 billion people: how can we correct the vast disparities in educational and professional opportunities, health outcomes and life-expectancy between those born into different wealth-brackets? Positive discrimination? Progressive taxation? Capping salaries? A higher minimum wage? Perhaps just as fundamentally, what of the hidden and undemocratic power of the wealthy, particularly in the US? Bill Gates has said that he can achieve more in society, and is less hidebound by the balance of powers, by not standing for public office. Is it right that the unelected wealthy can put legislation on the ballot-paper repeatedly, advancing their own agendas in the public discourse in a way, and with a facility, that is wholly denied to the vast majority of the population?

Katie Fulford (U6F) continued down this fecund path between neuro-science and human nature in her paper on ‘Memory’ – one of the most original and thought-provoking of recent years. Every single question she asked could have formed the basis of an entire meeting: why is memory sometimes unreliable? Is memory ever reliable? Is it possible to remember the same thing in the same way twice? How does memory inform our personality and values?

What if we could not forget anything? Is it possible to verify that one is feeling the same pain one ‘remembers’ having before?

Do we need memories to understand the consequences of our actions, and hence to be moral agents?

With equally (and characteristically) searing intellectual honesty, Will Wilkinson (U6P) asked us ‘How Good is Democracy?’. Why do we employ a specialist to fix the wiring in our kitchen, but leave the future of the country to the electorate-in-the-street? Does the fact that the franchise is now given to all, regardless of intelligence, political engagement or education, make us more vulnerable to the dangers Churchill exposed when he declared, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter”? What of the role of ‘fake news’? Is a system requiring short-term popular support foundationally ill-equipped to deal with long-term, existential challenges such as Climate Change?

Will Wright (U6O) drove further to the core of this line of questioning and, perhaps, to some of the ultimate questions for humankind in his examination of ‘Animal Intelligence and what it tells us about our own minds’. Why do starlings murmurate?

How do they co-ordinate this remarkable phenomenon? Does the fact of a murmuration presuppose the birds’ awareness of others and of the self? Is this a precondition of intelligence? What are the necessary conditions of intelligence? Self-consciousness?

The ability to communicate? To solve problems? The capacity for empathy? An awareness of other minds? Do we, in the end, attribute ‘rights’ to other species (and most strongly to our own) on the basis of perceived intelligence? Is this justifiable? Should we suborn other species to our own ends: should we keep pets in captivity for our own pleasure?

Looking back on this extraordinary group of young people, I shall reflect warmly on how intellectually challenging and rewarding it was to work with them, and how much I admired them for their cerebral rapacity and courage; but, most of all, their legacy will be the memory of what impressive human beings they are, their singular integrity, and what excellent company they all offered on so many wonderful evenings in the Audit Room.

CSD

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The Engineering Society This year saw the creation of a new, student-led Engineering Society, initiated and presided over by Callum Inman (U6O).

Over the course of the year, there were many design-and-test challenges, from bridges to catapults, as well as some practical experience with PCB soldering.

The group researched and presented on topics ranging from superconductors to quantum computing and the collaborative atmosphere led to older students offering advice to younger students to enhance scholarship applications and give advice on individual projects.

In September, the society welcomed back OR Bekah Walton (F'18) to talk about her undergraduate studies in Engineering at Loughborough. Several members of the society have now begun their own individual projects, including EPQs and CREST Awards, and two members are in the final round of the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships Programme. The society has begun designing our very own quadcopter drone – a project which is likely to keep us busy well in to 2020-21!

TML

The Hampshire Philosophy Society On February 20th, a cold Thursday evening in the week after Half-Term, the Hampshire Philosophy Society met in the Undercroft for a talk by anthropologist Dr Daniel Dolley – ‘How to become a Ghost Hunter'!

Visiting from Oxford University, Dr Dolley was present to explain his ethnographic research done with the Tsachila people of western Ecuador. Students learnt about anthropology as a university subject, and how ethnographic studies can quickly come to surprise the academics engaged in them. For Dr Dolley, this was the astonishment of becoming a Ghost Hunter – not his original plan!

When researching the Tsachila people, Dr Dolley came to realise how much the dead were central to their culture, and his talk took everybody on the journey he had taken to becoming an anthropological ghost hunter. Soon, the Undercroft – perhaps appropriately enough, given its history – was echoing the tones of ghost stories the Tsachila people tell. Some had a certain fear factor, of the mysterious, apprehensive and unknown; others featured strange and grotesque details. What stood out was how, for the Tsachila people, ghosts (or other experiences of the dead) were not seen as unusual: they did not question if there were ghosts or visits by the dead; it was what the dead did that mattered, and much effort was given to sending the ghosts and the dead back to their rightful abode.

This was an invigorating and intriguing talk that academically enriched students.

In turn, Dr Dolley provided links to philosophy topics studied at Repton – particularly Death and the Afterlife, and to Religious Experience. The talk was a worthy way for students in the Society to listen to a topic we more often associate with firesides. In the hands of an anthropologist, such a topic was able to take on a much more serious and

academic bent – and show students how interesting university study can be.

Then, on March 10th – a Tuesday evening with the end of the Lent Term not far off, and upon which the halcyon days of the elbow-bump resonate romantically in the memory – the Society met again to listen to a talk by Dr Mark Vernon, an author, journalist and broadcaster who often appears on BBC Radio 4: ‘Understanding Plato’. Dr Vernon’s talk was about getting to the heart of Plato’s thinking (Plato’s belief in awakening), and how this thinking has had prodigious influence upon Christianity and the Western world.

Why so? It may seem that some of Plato’s ideas are not revolutionary today, but in his time they were. Mark Vernon spoke to students about the revolution in thought Plato began 2500 years ago: to be more individual, to know thyself and to awaken to truth, goodness and beauty.

Individuality is something very common to the modern western world: sometimes it can even go too far, but most of us agree that each individual person has value and that their concerns and aspirations should be given credence and encouragement.

In Plato’s time, the individual was much more muted – family, tribe, city state, society tended to outweigh any concerns of discovering oneself an individual might have. Plato and his own teacher – Socrates – challenged these norms and sought to awaken individuals to who they really were.

Part of this awakening was for an individual to eventually see that the universal was in the particular – that the individual was a microcosm of the cosmos. In doing so, the individual could seek within themselves for universal truths as well. This thinking began Philosophy as we know it, and eventually led to the development of modern science. The philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once remarked that

“The safest general characterisation of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato”.

Educated at the universities of Oxford, Durham and Warwick, Dr Vernon was well-placed to explain these complexities, and yet speak in a clear and understandable way. He contracted Plato down into a nutshell, using aspects of his Socratic Dialogues, and making clear the other schools of Greek Philosophy there were (the Stoics, for example) and how they compared.

This was a talk that evidenced collegiality at Repton as well, with the Classics and Religious Studies Departments working with the Hampshire Society to allow the evening to happen. Students from both subjects mingled together and were able to ask a range of questions. A group of visiting students from the David Nieper Academy, in Alfreton, were also able to attend, thanks to the organising work of CSD. For all students who attended, the talk gave excellent academic enrichment, with specific links to topics studied at A Level, particularly Ancient Philosophy, ‘Mind, Body and Soul’ and to Ethics. It was a delight to have Dr Vernon visit and we look forward to the next time.

JLR

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REPTON ROUND

House Reports The Abbey BEST JUNIOR: Celia Allen (9A) – she is really kind and always going above and beyond what is asked of any Abbey girl – helping around the House even when she’s not asked.

BEST SENIOR: Evie Lownds (L6A) – whilst many girls would make suggestions, Evie took decisive action on the House’s mental health, by turning the old matron’s office into the House’s ‘Well-being Room’.

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: winning Unison once again. No more needs to be said.

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? Lucie Mueller (U6A) singing ‘good nigh-igh-igh-ight’ to the whole House out of her window, waking everyone up and getting an Early Breakfast in uniform in the process!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? Listening to music on the beanbags, sunbathing in the Abbey garden.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “And today is a very special day.”

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Community. Integrity. Empowerment.

Amber Harcus (U6A)

Field House BEST JUNIOR: Kat Haid (11F) – for her spirit and attitude towards everything!

BEST SENIOR: Fran Wood (U6F) – for always being there for everyone.

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Our A Block’s clean sweep of Barnes Squad; winning House Swimming and Senior Netball League; placing second in House Harmony.

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? Being the only girls’ house not to place at Unison – but having an amazing party afterwards!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? Simply sitting with friends in front of the window in common room.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “This girl can.”

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Dynamic. Friendly. Hard-working.

Katie Fulford (U6F)

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The Mitre BEST JUNIOR: Grace Pocklington (10M) – one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet, always the first to get involved in all aspects of the House and never fails to put a smile on our faces.

BEST SENIOR: Imi Swann (L6M) – she has the most contagious smile and, no matter where you see her, she is always spreading so much positivity – which goes such a long way around the House.

The Garden BEST JUNIOR: Bea Greene (9G) – such amazing confidence and maturity for a B Blocker. I can’t wait to see how much more she grows as a person during her time at Repton.

BEST SENIOR: Lily Morris (L6G) – even-though she was new to the L6, she has done so much for everyone in the House and always stepped up when needed.

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Silverware from Unison!

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? Sade’s (U6G) rounders skills. That’s all I need to say.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? I can’t choose one single memory, because over five years I have had so many amazing times – but singing together as a House after fish and chips has to be up there.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? *knock knock* “It’s only me”.

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Friendly. Hilarious. Inclusive.

Sophie Corner (U6G)

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Winning House Hockey and Netball; second place in Unison and Harmonies.

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? Issy getting locked in the U6 toilets and having to be rescued by Mr Jenkinson!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? Summer House Supper 2020…?

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “Are you okay?”

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Caring. Lively. Friendly.

Charly Archer (U6M)

*KNOCK KNOCK* ...IT’S ONLY ME.

The Cross BEST JUNIOR: Joern (11C) – because he’s tuck-shop manager!

BEST SENIOR: Bilal (U6C) – he’s the main man.

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Winning Harmony.

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? Creating Pears School’s first ever mosh pit during House Unison.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? Mr Smith’s weekends.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “Get it right, boys.”

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Lively. Energetic. Hilarious.

Jake Raine (U6C)

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School House BEST JUNIOR: Taki Mucklow (10S) – he has thrown himself into everything that Repton has to offer and always volunteers to help the House. Despite being new to A Block this year, he seamlessly integrated as though he had been in School House for ages.

BEST SENIOR: Zach Brough (L6S) is a good role model to the younger years in the House: he is popular and is excellent at listening and giving advice – unless it’s about driving tests!

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Second in House Swimming and Hockey; and Junior Football League Champions.

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? Ben Wanger (U6S) performing the ‘Whip/ Nae Nae’ dance move!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? The House Dinners at the end of the Michaelmas and Summer terms – really enjoyable nights: an atmosphere and spirit that everyone relishes; a time to reflect upon achievements throughout the House; great fun spending time with your friends.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “Efficiency. This has to be more efficient!”

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Home from home.

Will Hobson (U6S)

Latham House BEST JUNIOR: Hugo Ziff (11L) for always having something funny to say.

BEST SENIOR: Freddie Nelson (U6L) – just an all-round genuinely nice guy.

New House BEST JUNIOR: Otto Scheck (10N) – for his application and desire to take part in as many house events as possible. He was a vital teammate, especially in Junior House Hockey.

BEST SENIOR: A tough choice, but Tom Owen (U6N) took on the role of Deputy Head of House very well, being an exceptional role model for the younger years.

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Harry Stone (10N) and George Fletcher (10N) gained their first international caps for England U16 Hockey and we won Junior House Hockey. In House Music, Charlie Hardwick (10N), Oliver Ewart-White (9N) and Jolyon Leavesley (L6N) all won trophies. As a House, we gained over 200 Merits by the start of the Summer Term.

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? After Unison, when close to the whole House piled into one room for an afterparty – which was swiftly broken up, of course, but we found it hilarious…

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? The last Christmas House Supper was my best house memory: a great evening, which everyone enjoyed, but also when I realised that my time at Repton was coming to an end; reflecting back, I’ve enjoyed Repton and New House immensely and will be sad to leave them behind.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “Let’s go, boys!”

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Friendly. Humorous. Spirited.

Xavier Teyletche (U6N)

I’VE ENJOYED REPTON AND NEW HOUSE IMMENSELY AND WILL BE SAD TO LEAVE THEM BEHIND.

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Not coming last in everything.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “What have you done this time, Teddy?”

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? Emily singing along to AJ Tracey (much to CTI’s devastation).

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Eccentric. Fun. Family.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? Having the best invitational dinner in the whole school.

Jacob Savage (U6L)

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Hugo Hendon (10N)

The Orchard BEST JUNIOR: Freddie Cann (11O) – always happy and always willing to join in with any house competition. He would put the House above everything – and we love to see that.

BEST SENIOR: Willoughby Hooper-Smith (L6O) – always ready to help anyone; a great embodiment of Orchard values.

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Senior, Senior Reserves and Junior House Football, as well as Senior League and O/A Sixes; House Chess and Badminton competitions; Junior Contemporary and Junior Piano in House Music.

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? Matthew Fulford (11O) becoming the most confident man whilst performing Harmony...

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? Watching the Joshua vs Klitschko fight in the common room. Nearly everyone in the House was there, creating a great atmosphere.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “This is just like in football when…”

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Hard-working. Willing. Successful.

Jacob Davies (U6O)

The Priory BEST JUNIOR: Ron Poon (11P) – he represents the House tremendously and always offers to help out.

BEST SENIOR: Will Ingham (L6P) – always willing to take part in every House event and a brilliant role model for the younger years.

MAJOR HOUSE ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YEAR: Winners of Senior House Hockey; self-declared best boys’ house in Unison!

FUNNIEST HOUSE MOMENT, THIS YEAR? An U6-Former asking NFP who was going to play the frog in the school production of A Christmas Carol: he thought it was The Muppet Christmas Carol!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST HOUSE MEMORY? Endless hours of garden football.

WHAT IS YOUR HOUSEPARENT'S FAVOURITE CATCHPHRASE? “Don’t you know, pump it up,/ The Whites are going up.”

WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE? Unified. Joyful. Enthusiastic.

Matthew Archer (U6P)

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Lorenzo Fantasia (9L) Awarded 1st Place in the ‘Where the Heart is’ lockdown photography competition

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Features Repton has changed greatly in its appearance over the last five years – from small refurbishments in the boarding houses through to the complete redevelopment of the sports facilities. However, the foundations of the School and the values it instils and promotes have remained firm. Under this guidance, we have developed the tools to go out into the world and approach the next big chapter of our lives.

Katie Fulford (U6F) Head Prefect

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A REVIEW

Repton: a School in England

BY HUGH BROGAN

Many histories of Repton have been written in the past two hundred years, principal among them being the works of Robert Bigsby (1854), Alec Macdonald (1929) and Bernard Thomas (1957).

Bigsby, rich in oleaginous verbosity and in dire need of an editor, is nevertheless an excellent source for complete transcripts of wills, charters and documents. Through florid prose and saccharine poetry, his own schooldays at Repton are cast in a warm rosy hew, and he rarely allows critical judgement to stand in the way of his nostalgic meanderings. As the School Archivist, Macdonald has been my go-to reference work for many years and, until recently, the single volume I would recommend to anyone interested in the history of Repton. As good as it is, however, the detailed coverage that it offers peters out in 1918 and one senses the author’s caution in assessing the reign of Furneaux and Ford, not only because of the brief historical perspective since their headmasterships, but also because they were both still very much alive at the time of writing. Thomas, who edited Repton 1557-1957, is particularly useful for his in-depth exploration of some of the notable masters from the era of Dr Pears onward and for his comprehensive treatment of individual sports at the school. His account of Repton trails off, however, in the 1940s.

Professor Hugh Brogan (O’1949) had long wanted to write a new history of Repton; he had started to gather material for it in the early 1990s, so he was the obvious choice for the school to approach as it looked forward to the commemoration of its 450th anniversary in 2007. Hugh, however, had other projects on the go, notably his biography of Alexis de Tocqueville, and the task of editing a book to mark the anniversary fell to John Plowright, whose Repton to the End is a well-judged and beautifully illustrated summary of the school’s history. Hugh, an award-winning biographer, had in the previous thirty years produced works on Sir Arthur Ransome and Rudyard Kipling as well as his acclaimed History of the United States of America (which is still in print, 35 years since it was first published).

With a track record of such unsurpassed scholarship, combined with an engaging and eminently readable prose-style, anyone interested in the history of Repton should be thankful that Hugh remained committed to working on his own history.

I became aware of his research in 2004 and, over the next fifteen years, looked forward to his termly visits to our archives with a mixture of excitement and trepidation: excitement, because Hugh would always bring news of some discovery he’d made elsewhere, or of some notable OR he’d interviewed; trepidation, because he could be quite a character – although what at first I took to be irascibility was, in fact, good-natured joshing and a very dry sense of humour.

His Repton research regime varied very little over the years: he would arrive on a Thursday (invariably wearing a gabardine overcoat and a deerstalker) and leave on Monday morning, often with a few stray archival papers that had somehow fallen into his bag! (They always came back on his next visit.) During termly lunches in The Boot with him and JP, Hugh would talk excitedly of his latest findings, or express exasperation at what had been lost from various school buildings – whole conversations were often punctuated by ‘bah!’ and ‘ha!’ at regular intervals.

He based himself in the Hunter Room,

away from the interruptions of the Main Library, but still got great pleasure from talking to any pupil who happened to stray upstairs; as an Old Reptonian and a former governor of the school, he took a keen interest in its current state of health.

Although we often joked about it, my greatest fear, particularly on his last few visits (when it was evident that his health was declining), was that he wouldn’t live to complete his book. He was a chapter shy of completion when we visited him in a care home in Colchester last year, but he was able to give JP a clear idea of the scope and shape which that final chapter should take. John, accepting the role of Assisting Author at Hugh’s request, was the very best person to finish the book for him, and I think Hugh would have been very pleased with the completed work.

Hugh Brogan’s history of Repton is a labour of love: the School could have found no better historian to trace its development from a small Elizabethan Grammar School to the highly regarded institution of today, with its many overseas offshoots. For all that he loved his subject, Hugh never abandoned his critical faculties; always fair, he didn’t shy away from discussing issues upon which Macdonald and Thomas were often more guarded. His lengthy account of the impact of the Great War on Repton, which takes up two of the book’s eighteen chapters, is much more nuanced and detailed than either of those two earlier accounts – the experiences of the conscientious objector Joseph Hoare (M’1910), the revelatory diary of Richard Vere Cripps (C’1915), the Civics Experiment of Gollancz and Somervell, and the appalling bullying inflicted on Donald McLeod Innes (C’1913) are all treated with the care and understanding they deserve. In the hands of a lesser author, there is a danger that some of this material would have been worked into a more sensationalist and partisan narrative.

For me, one of the greatest joys of Hugh’s book is the way in which he brings together the many seemingly disparate strands of the school’s earlier history: for example,

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THE ABILITY TO GET A STORY ACROSS, AND NOT LOSE A READER IN A MORASS OF DRY DATA, IS A GREAT GIFT.

There is a danger, in official histories of schools, for them to drift into the realms of marketing and PR as they approach their final chapters. JP, in a review of this book in Conference and Common Room, explains how it neatly avoids this approach by turning its back on the present and taking the reader to the remote world of Repton’s Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. Through an exploration of the archaeological discoveries made in the intervening years, it shows how

Like that old willow tree Past the old abandoned house, I yearn for the sun.

I have noticed my leaves changing colours, And everyone seems to see it too, Yellow to green To red to blue.

the connections between the hereditary governors and the Port family are clearly explained. In fact, Hugh excels at similar expositions throughout the book, particularly when he examines the period of Repton’s decline in the 18th century; what can seem like an immensely complicated story of failed headmasters and dissolute ushers is brought to life with humour and with clarity. Hugh’s unfailingly thorough research and exacting scholastic standards would arguably count for less without his wonderfully lucid and lively prose – the ability to get a story across, and not lose a reader in a morass of dry data, is a great gift.

There was part of Hugh that took a mischievous delight in letting it be known that the scope of his book might not extend to the introduction of girls at Repton, but, behind this lighthearted wind-up, was a very serious concern for historical methodology. He thought that there should be a decent interval of around 30 years between an event happening and an examination of it by a historian. I do not believe that there was ever any doubt in Hugh’s mind that he was going to omit such an important milestone in the school’s development, but the length of time it took to research and complete his book certainly not only made the task easier, but also allowed him the greater perspective that he believed it deserved. In fact, I am sure that the reader won’t feel that they have been short-changed in any aspect of Hugh’s coverage of more recent events.

Willow-bark Palimpsest

The weeping tree cannot outrun The bitter wind.

A never-ending downpour Strips life from its leaves and drooping branches.

Cursing my roots for not letting me escape this pain.

Heavy raindrops should help me grow And make me stronger, But I want to feel light again My cheeks free of tears.

The School football team, 1877-78: the first Repton team to play according to Association Football rules (adopted 1878) after 'soccer' won out over 'rugger'.

This celebration of the cult of games seems to have been photographed outside the chapel.

Reptonians have uncovered, and dealt with, the site’s richly important heritage.

It also touches on the generosity of patronage and philanthropy, from Sir John Port to Robert Beldam. Reading the final chapter, it is impossible not to be impressed by how extraordinary and important the place is, and how apposite the book’s title is. Hugh believed Repton to be ‘exactly representative’ of the English public school system and that knowing its story would not only illuminate the history of England’s public schools but ‘improve any student’s perception of England’s past’.

In this, the book is an unqualified success and I cannot recommend it more highly to anyone interested in the history of the school and the history of this country. In its scholarship, elegant prose and warmth, I doubt very much whether it will ever be surpassed.

PJS Librarian and School Archivist Repton: a School in England by Hugh Brogan. Published by Profile Editions on March 5th 2020.

My trunk is engraved with names of selfish Men Whose names I am not allowed to forget; No matter how tall I grow, I cannot silence Them With new skin as tree wounds are permanent.

The tree’s beauty is destroyed for others for as long as it lives.

Some walk by without looking twice, A teenage girl’s eyes become soft As she remembers her first kiss; A young boy lifts his cheeks admiring The best hiding place of his short life That kept him safe from the screams Broken bottles and broken hearts; The bold man frowns as He relives The feeling of anger that filled His body Until He punched the trunk Again again and again Until my ribs bruised.

The trees around me have aged to become giants, But willows are fated to die young.

My short life scares me and relieves me.

I know it has been made shorter By the schoolboys that had fun stripping The tree of its bark, making it vulnerable To outsiders.

But if my leaves shall forever fall, My strong roots shrink, shrivel and become dust Who will yearn for me?

Anon (pupil)

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i’d like to propose a toast this is to the kids with no shoes slipping on rain-soaked brickwork to the homeless woman and the power inside her to the black girls with dirt under their fingernails and fire in their eyes to the old woman and her old stories of old gods this is to Hera and her saving fury as she furiously saves the black-eyed from the pouring rain this is to Athena and her voice ringing out through the feedback of a protest megaphone fighting a new kind of war to Aphrodite and her new, dangerous love standing over sex workers, lips smeared with rapist blood to Artemis and her silver knives glinting under the moonlit air as she walks drunk girls home at night, silver fire in her silver hair

this is to the addict in the pouring rain and her shaky steps into recovery to the hijabi woman and her choice, not her compulsion to the disabled girl with sparks at her fingertips and fire in her head to the child who grows up wild in a place where the wild is dead this is to Hera and the tears in her eyes under the wedding bells of young lovers this is to Athena and her fiery pride of her fearless children this is to Aphrodite and her smile as recovering anorexics stare at their reflections and quietly start to love themselves again this is to Artemis and her hidden tenderness under the rain everything that sings and burns and dies and lives echoes the girls, the gods echoes in your head and in your heart so that you might be the one to sing and burn and die and live their power flows to you, their hearts beat alongside yours Artemis sharpens your teeth, Athena makes your heart burn Aphrodite kisses your forehead, Hera waits for your return they send you into battle, scream as you break their chains the rain stops; the fire remains.

Ella Hopkins (U6F)

Brexit IS happening After three years of haggling in Westminster, convulsions at the top of the government and pleas for Brussels to delay its exit, Britain closed the book on nearly half a century of close ties with Europe on 31st January 2020.

Our split with the European Union was sealed when Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party won a resounding victory in December’s general election. That supplied Mr Johnson with the large parliamentary majority he needed to pass legislation in early January setting the terms of Britain’s departure, a goal that repeatedly eluded his predecessor, Theresa May. The fiasco began on the 23rd June 2016, when David Cameron naively unleashed political anarchy in Westminster as the UK was torn into two toxic divisions over Brexit. Bold constitutional reform shocked the world, resulting in a swift Cameron resignation, leaving Mrs May in a venomous political minefield – resulting in 60 ministerial departures, 42 over Brexit, in the space of a year. Whilst change was tedious and frustrating, Johnson has begun uniting divisions and kick-starting progression with an 80-seat majority. Brexit has relentlessly dominated European conversation for the last three years but appears to have quietly subsided – for now.

Reptonians had to decipher between political dreams and lies, as we were forced to navigate adversarial political opinions inspiring erudite debate in all houses.

Whilst the period of change was by no means elegant or easy, it forced us all to become politically aware and certainly elevated social conversation from Love Island to turbulent politics.

The Marriott Society held a thought-provoking mock election on 9th December 2019, allowing the Repton bubble to be burst as candidates advocated party policies with the swing issue of the husting being undoubtedly Brexit, alongside the environment.

Impressive speeches from, most notably, Conservative leader Will Whitten (U6L) rewarded him with an overwhelming majority of votes, using arguments of passion and principle that captured the idealistic instinct of Brexiteers. Green leader Charlie Furniss (U6O) utilised youthful environmental exuberance as he changed the largest number of votes in his favour, being rewarded with a comfortable

second place. The mock election was an excellent event that offered a platform for intellectual debate for all Repton politicians to express contrary opinions.

With Brexit redefining relationships between the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Commonwealth, it has also more locally rejuvenated the seemingly apathetic youth with politics once again. Whether Brexit is a success will be seen in time, but what is certain is that Brexit has got people talking and elevated conversation – which is surely one success we can take away from these chaotic years.

Freddie Dumbill (L6P)

A PLATFORM FOR INTELLECTUAL DEBATE FOR ALL REPTON POLITICIANS.

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Repton Sports Centre The newly-constructed Repton Sports Centre was officially opened in November 2019 after three years of development.

Comprising a new sports hall, two squash courts, strength and conditioning suite, coffee shop, new reception, extensive hosting and conference rooms as well as the re-laying of the water-based astro and indoor tennis centre... it undoubtedly provided a best-in-class upgrade for Repton to be proud of.

The school was delighted to welcome Adam Peaty MBE, Olympic and World Champion swimmer, to officially open the facility. It was a fitting tribute, because the Repton swimming pool was where it all started for Adam to develop his exceptional talent through practice and hard work.

The brilliant technology behind the water-based Astroturf has given teams across the school the opportunity to train and compete on an Olympic-standard pitch.

Likewise, Sports Hall Two’s indoor hockey surface contributes to establishing this venue as a national one, worthy of hosting the National Men’s Premier League Super 6s and England Hockey Girls’ U18 National Finals.

As wonderful as these facilities are, however, we as students should always take a minute to remember that it is the people working here who truly enable us to unlock the potential of this facility – from the welcome at reception, to the excellent standard of cleanliness and catering, right through to the expertise of our sports coaches.

Luisa Northing (L6M)

Another stunning facility is the hospitality suite, which has enabled the school to host everything from excellent match teas during the week to multiple social events, like the Sixth Form Christmas Ball and a University & Careers Convention.

Also highly popular is the wonderful The 1557 Coffee Shop: it provides both convenient and top-quality coffees, teas and snacks for pupils, members and the public, but it also importantly offers a lovely comfortable environment for the community of parents, spectators and competitors (both ‘Home’ and guests) to rest and recover.

IT UNDOUBTEDLY PROVIDED A BEST-IN-CLASS UPGRADE FOR REPTON TO BE PROUD OF.

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An end to private education?

ONE IN EVERY SIX POUNDS SPENT ON EDUCATION IN BRITAIN GOES TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, DESPITE ONLY 7% OF THE POPULATION ATTENDING PRIVATE SCHOOLS Professor Francis Green The debate on whether private schools merit a place in modern society is hugely contentious, particularly following the 2019 Labour Party Conference, which voted to integrate all private schools into the state sector. Private education plays a significant, and some might argue intrinsic, role in today’s world, providing enriched academic opportunities, ample resources and smaller classes. Currently, we are led by a Conservative Government, based on capitalist principles, which encourages free enterprise – but which also has contentions with private schooling.

Upon reading an article in The Guardian (which, we must remember, maintains a left-wing, anti-elitist viewpoint), I stumbled across a remark by Francis Ryan: ‘No matter how natural a parent’s desire to do the best for their child, it doesn’t trump the good of society.’ This corroborates the idea that a child’s exposure to enriching opportunities should not be based purely on their parents’ income. Is a child from a fortunately affluent family necessarily wholly receptive of the luxuries provided by a private education,

or is this just their normality? Arguably, would a child heading for the state sector excel to a greater level if bestowed a private education, or is any child’s tendency to achieve highly based more on ‘nature’ than ‘nurture’?

Private schools are obliged to offer a certain number of free places per year and a third of independent school pupils receive some sort of financial assistance in the form of a scholarship or bursary. This principle is continually on the rise, providing support and access for less-advantaged pupils. Sending a child to a private school is undoubtedly a substantial financial sacrifice for the majority of families and one that should not be underestimated.

Moreover, due to the charitable status of many private schools, any surplus income must be invested in the establishment; they do not make a profit out of their activities.

However, their consequent enjoyment of concessions with VAT and business rates is questioned by many. Furthermore, in order to qualify as charities, private schools must show that they provide ‘public benefit’: the High Court ruled in 2011 that ‘in all cases, there must be more than minimal or token benefit for the poor’; however, it is alleged that some private schools are financially supporting affluent middle-class families, with incomes of up to a staggering £140,000, rather than focusing on children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In order to provide sufficient ‘public benefit’, many private institutions attempt to forge meaningful partnerships in the local area, so that they can benefit all children in society, irrespective of their socio-economic background, such as making facilities like performance centres or laboratories

available. However, the 2011 tribunal ruled that trustees of a charitable independent school should decide what was appropriate in their circumstances, not the Charity Commission. Therefore, the decisions taken are entirely in their hands and so have the potential to vary in generosity.

Let’s imagine the private sector did not exist. Its sites and assets could be sold and a vast amount of money deployed into the state system. Alternatively, superior facilities could be taken over and utilised by the state system. Private school teachers could be re-employed in the state sector, plugging a gap, as, according to the BBC in August 2018, ‘England schools face a severe teacher shortage’. Although these possibilities are extensive, they would inevitably impose a significant burden on the Government, having to pay for the increased numbers of pupils in the country relying on the state for education. Furthermore, private school parents contribute to the state system through taxation, despite not reaping any benefit, providing significant funding for the maintenance and improvement of state schools: the augmentation of pupils in the state sector would inevitably lead to a larger strain on the Government to uphold necessary standards, despite funding from the former private schools.

Finally, we must consider how Ofsted Inspections might have had negative repercussions on the private sector: since 1992, when state schools began to be forced to ‘improve’, parents could have been more inclined to move nearer to an ‘Outstanding’ state school than invest in private education – an idea expressed in The Telegraph by Marianna Hunt in January 2020. However, statistically, although the percentage of pupils attending independent schools since 1992 has decreased and some private schools have shut down, there is still a very high demand for pupils to study in the private sector: 7% of children – a small percentage but equating to a very large

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New Year’s Resolutions on Climate Change number – still attend independent schools. This might lead us to question the extent of the impact these inspections had.

In my locality, there has been a decline in the success of private prep schools, three closing within the past ten years – and, although I find it hard to picture the closure of long-standing, distinguished private schools, the future looks challenging for the sector. Aside from the overall affordability and the ever-present political objections from all sides, exploited by a very hostile media, the world has now been ruthlessly attacked by a deadly virus, devastating the national and global economy, culminating in critical changes to many financial situations at every level of society.

Repercussions stemming from this pandemic will be felt for years to come – and undoubtedly strike a firm blow to many fee-paying schools.

Poppy Kellock (L6G)

Generation Debt FOR MY GRANDFATHER There’s a thin, grey line That floats In the film of memory now, A narrow strip of land That sits on shivering seas.

France, and all it held, Contracted to a gunsight view.

And all those dying trails, In ruinous suns and cramped cockpits, And bodies still spinning Far from light, that led, To here: The shingle-grate On screaming beaches And stumbling men Clutching at a continent.

Old men, those that live, And one would not guess, To see them now, Shuffling quietly In lockdown queues, That once They held the world In their safe-keeping.

JGG VE Day, 2020

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At the end of 2018, we were positive. 200 nations had joined together in Poland for the COP24 conference (24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). They agreed on a set of rules that meant the Paris Climate Agreement set in 2015 would be put into action from the start of 2020. Under the Paris Agreement, countries would try to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Such a restriction on the rise of temperature would mean that many people would experience reduced water shortages, food scarcity and poverty. It was a high priority for governments all across the world; COP24 was seen as the most important gathering since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

We went into 2019 positively, filled with ambition to create a better world.

IT IS OUR DUTY TO REACH FOR MORE AND I COUNT ON ALL OF YOU TO RAISE AMBITIONS SO THAT WE CAN BEAT BACK CLIMATE CHANGE. Antonio Guterres (UN Secretary-General), Dec 2018 2019 – THE CLIMATE CRISIS And so 2019 started strongly, full of resolutions from politicians that this would be the year that we would fix climate change. People had finally started to realise the consequences of climate change and the need to change the way we have all been living. However, much like all resolutions, without genuine ambition and without forceful change, they start to lose momentum. Unless we turn our resolutions into habit, it is all too easy to forget them before spring Is over.

Our climate resolutions must become a part of our routine: to drive less and walk more; to eat red meat only once a week; to bring our own bags to the shops.

Each may only be a small thing but, put together, everything makes a difference.

In the UK, our great plans to stop climate change were overridden; Brexit took priority. Over a year in which we struggled to agree on Brexit deals, climate took a back-seat. Briefly, during the late December general election, many candidates did begin again to talk about climate change, but looking at the year as a whole, we have not seen any evidence of action being taken.

In America, President Trump decided to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, stating that "The Paris accord will

undermine the [U.S.] economy," and that it "puts [the U.S.] at a permanent disadvantage.” This decision has prompted other countries to question the agreement and the debate is costing precious time to combat climate change.

Yes, keeping good relations between countries is important and, yes, we need to make sure that our people are being looked after. But, if we don’t act on climate change, there won’t be anything left to protect.

However, 2019 also introduced us to high-profile activists, most notably Greta Thunberg. The 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist has led a campaign that has changed the world. Starting at 15, she spent her days skipping school to stand in front of the Swedish parliament with a sign saying ‘school strike for the climate’. She has inspired hundreds of other students to strike and act on climate change. Over the year, she has spoken at many high-profile events, including the UN climate talks and this year’s COP25.

Every time she reinforces her key point, “I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic.” And she is right. While we sit around, hopeful that governments are doing something, we ourselves don’t do anything. The only way that we will change is if we are filled with fear for the future – if we panic. Thunberg has ambition. She wants to change the world; she wants to make a difference; and she will, because she is trying, she is putting herself out there. She is making her voice known.

2020 – THE YEAR OF CHANGE Fresh from the COP25 talks in December 2019, in which the final aspects of the Paris Agreement were ironed out, we moved into 2020 – the year when it finally comes into effect. However, we cannot rely on the government to do everything for us. This year, we must make a change too. So, this year, our resolutions should still be to eat less meat, to walk or use public transport more, to reduce, reuse and recycle. But perhaps if we make just one resolution, it would be to make our resolutions habits.

Because, if not, we will just fall right back down the hole to what happened last year. It doesn’t matter if we start the year with the best intentions; if we don’t continue, climate change will win.

And we can’t just blame it on previous generations; we can’t leave it to the next generation to deal with. Climate change is everyone’s responsibility. So, let’s make a difference. Let’s make it a habit.

Jenna Davies (10F)

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FEATURES

AN INTERVIEW WITH

The Headmaster During the lockdown, I spoke to the Headmaster, Mr Mark Semmence, about the challenges facing the independent sector in 2020 and his vision for Repton over the next five years – including the expansion of the Repton family of schools, our evolving curriculum and the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

But, before all the serious business, we wanted to know how Mr Semmence and his family were finding life in Derbyshire a year after their move.

IT‘S NOW BEEN ONE YEAR SINCE YOU JOINED THE SCHOOL. HOW HAVE YOU FOUND REPTON SO FAR? It’s incredible to think we’ve only been here a year – and it’s been an extraordinary one. There has been a tremendous variety of outstanding pupil successes – academically, on the sports field, on the stage and in the Music School – but we’ve also had to contend with floods, a fire, an Inspection and, latterly, the Coronavirus. But my impressions on arrival were about what a remarkable school community this is and, as a family, we have been overwhelmed with the welcome we received from everyone. There is something very special about this place and especially the way in which history and tradition are juxtaposed with the best of the new. There is no doubt that the facilities like the Science Priory and Sports Centre are world-class. However, coming from Devon, moving this far from the beach did not go down too well with my girls!

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT REPTON IS READY TO DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES AHEAD. As for Reptonians, I find that they are confident but not arrogant; secure in their values but also open-minded, with genuine compassion towards others and ready to make a difference in the world.

I think the staff are remarkable: they are incredibly talented, hard-working and ambitious for the School; and they always have the best interests of the pupils at heart. That is one thing that really struck me coming into the profession: being amongst such a gifted, intelligent and eclectic group of people – something most people don’t get to experience in their everyday working lives.

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AT THE BEGINNING, WHAT STRUCK YOU AS SOMETHING THAT THE SCHOOL COULD IMPROVE? Firstly, I thought it was really important to pull our community together – pupils, staff, ORs and the wider community – after what I sensed had been a difficult period for the School.

Secondly, I felt we could better prepare Reptonians for the future by taking them out of the ‘Repton Bubble’ as much as possible – for example by improving the careers advice and implementing the Future Learning Future Skills programme.

I also wanted to widen the curriculum and provide greater breadth of access.

Thirdly, I thought the School really needed a clear direction and focused strategy for the future. I want to make sure that Repton is ready to deal with the challenges ahead and that’s why I have been working on a five-year strategic plan that we will be publishing shortly.

HOW DO YOU SEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS LIKE REPTON EVOLVING IN THE COMING YEARS? The future is going to be very challenging for the sector and I think you’re going to see a number of schools disappear. Here is some context: between 1987 and 2017, the number of boarders in schools in the UK fell by nearly 40%; British-born boarders fell by 56%. The question is: why? Firstly, it is affordability: during this same period, the average salary increased by 82% whilst the average boarding fee increased by 400%. There was also a period of economic uncertainty after the financial crash in 2007 – and we will now have to deal with the fallout from Coronavirus.

Public schools often face a hostile press too. The independent sector has no friends of any political persuasion and there is also the issue of changes in social norms around the concept of boarding. I think that the sector will continue to face all of these challenges and my five-year strategy is all about how Repton can meet these robustly and successfully and emerge stronger.

WHAT DOES THIS STRATEGY CONSIST OF? First of all, it’s making sure that we remain a world-class school, and that is all about investing in people: great schools all have great people and it is my job to make sure we appoint and retain the best possible staff.

The second point is to ensure that we remain flexible and provide an education which parents and pupils want. Due to Coronavirus, we’ve had to make radical changes to our delivery in the Summer Term, and that has highlighted the vital importance of investing in digital education. We also need to focus

on preparing Reptonians for life beyond The Arch and we must maintain our outstanding performance in sport, music, drama and other extra-curricular activities.

Remaining flexible involves broadening the curriculum. We also have to make sure what we offer works for our families – hence the earlier pick-up time for day pupils from September. The merger with Foremarke will provide a seamless education from 3-18 under one brand, cementing 80 years of close association and creating a single community that is stronger and more dynamic.

The focus for team sports is on football, hockey and cricket – for both boys and girls – as well as netball and, individually, tennis and swimming. Again, we invest in people.

Just as we have Martin Jones in hockey and Chris Read in cricket, so we wanted someone exceptional to lead our swimming programme and we were delighted to find an outstanding candidate in Scott Talbot, currently the coach of the Australian Olympic Swimming team.

We want to keep fees down as much as possible and so we need to become a stronger institution financially. The merger with Foremarke helps us to do that, too, but another key element is Repton International. There are five international schools open already – four in the Middle East and one in Singapore – but we plan to open at least another five across Egypt, Bulgaria, Malaysia and China.

We have a tremendous opportunity to define, strengthen and expand our brand internationally and we are very fortunate that we can do this on the basis of Repton’s proven quality and experience.

The final part of the strategy is to improve our marketing, ensure we make effective commercial use of our wonderful facilities in the holidays, and work more closely with the ORs. We must provide the best possible service to this key constituency within the Repton community.

AS A CRICKETER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE REPTON HAVING MORE SUCCESS ON THE CRICKET FIELD IN COMPARISON TO THE SCHOOL’S NOTORIOUSLY HIGH-ACHIEVING SPORTS SUCH AS HOCKEY AND FOOTBALL? I want to make sure that all our sports flourish. Cricket has a very proud tradition at Repton, which has produced a dozen or so Test cricketers and over 150 first-class players, along with the greatest Corinthian of all, C.B. Fry. Now, with Chris Read and a very strong relationship with Derbyshire C.C.C., I’ve no doubt that we will return to being one of the best cricketing schools in the country.

MAKING SURE THAT WE REMAIN A WORLD-CLASS SCHOOL… IS ALL ABOUT INVESTING IN PEOPLE. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO MAINTAIN A NORMAL SCHOOL LIFESTYLE – AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE – DURING THE TIME WE ARE AWAY FROM SCHOOL IN THE PANDEMIC? We will try to maintain the usual school routines as much as we can: it’s important for anyone of any age to have some structure in their lives. The staff have worked incredibly hard to get ready for this and I think all the pupils will be impressed.

CAN ONLINE LESSONS PROVIDE PUPILS WITH SKILLS WHICH WE MIGHT NEED IN CAREERS IN THE FUTURE? It will certainly help. It should make you realise what the future might look like and get you thinking about how different sectors within our economy will change – but also what the opportunities might be. I’ve no doubt that amongst the current pupil body there are a number of Reptonians who will go on to become very successful entrepreneurs within the digital economy, and this might be a catalyst for some of them.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS WILL BE ON OUR INTERNATIONAL PUPIL BODY? It’s a little too early to tell. It will depend on how quickly we come out of lockdown and how we are able to operate in September. I anticipate that some of our international pupils won’t be in a position to return, but we’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.

DURING THE PERIOD OF ISOLATION, WHEN YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING, HAVE YOU BEEN TAKING UP ANY NEW HOBBIES? Alex, I’ve hardly had a moment off! The life of a great community like Repton goes on even when we are not physically together.

But I will try to do a bit more exercise and more reading - it’s the ideal opportunity to finish Hugh Brogan’s magnificent new history of Repton.

Alexander Mair (L6P) Editor

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Music

Music is a priceless gift, a powerful vehicle of self-expression and a window to raw human emotion. Music at Repton reaches new heights every year and the diversity of music, people and places that I am exposed to is a testament to the calibre of the Department.

Ollie Whittingham (U6C)

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The House Unison Competition Held on Friday 27th September 2019, this year’s Unisons took place a week earlier, which meant that the usual round of intensively organised preparation, rehearsals and focused practice commenced soon after the start of term.

Unisons is a unique event at Repton, because all pupils take part and, alongside almost every member of teaching and house staff, all spectate. As a result, the atmosphere is like no other: tensions run high, old rivalries die hard, and NFP is on a shorter fuse than ever.

And it was Priory who opened the show this year, with the very well-selected ‘Build me up Buttercup’ by The Foundations. I can’t hear this song without thinking about Cameron Diaz in There’s Something About Mary, but joint conductors Louis and Dubem certainly made sure there was something special about their rendition: not always totally tuneful; nonetheless, a clever key-change and some skilful echo effects in the “Bababa! Heyheyhey! Oooh... Oooh” sections meant they certainly weren’t “worst of all.”

Mitre followed this act with an very impressive interpretation of Take That’s 2006 hit ‘Shine’, commanding the audience’s attention with their instruction to “Smile, smile, smile”, accompanied by foot-stamping, clapping and a togetherness that set the bar high for other houses to follow and won high praise from adjudicator Richard Hillier and – ultimately – second place.

However, clearly hoping to capitalise on the last time they achieved victory with an Imagine Dragons song, Abbey were primed to take on this challenge with their choice: ‘Believer’. And if we weren’t believers at the start, we certainly were by the end: dressed all in black, it was clear that Abbey meant business, and their entry was tuneful, dynamic and showcased the girls’ ability to tackle tricky lyrics, high pitching and key changes with faultless flair. A sticky moment near the end saw the audience interpret a dramatic pause as a call for applause, but conductor Jemima Merriman (U6A) held her nerve and the girls remained poised for a perfect finish. Not many were surprised when Abbey lifted the winners’ trophy for what is now their fourth victory in five years.

An altogether different mood and style followed, with a somewhat less tightly-choreographed entrance from School House, who sported their traditional cross-dressing shapes in the front row while treating the audience to their very own version of Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’, that 1999 hit that no current Reptonians are old enough to remember, but almost all will associate with Shrek. Like Abbey, their choice of song was challenging, with a lot of words to fit in. “I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed” might have been an uncontroversial statement in some quarters and whether it was particularly in unison was sometimes in question, but it had its moments, not least in the charming kazoo interlude.

However, this was soon forgotten as Garden asserted their authority with a thoroughly impressive take on MJ’s ‘Man in the Mirror’ and, clearly hoping to steal the show, “smooth criminal” Scarlett Lloyd-Dickinson (U6G) was awarded Best Conductor for her mastery of a very tuneful (if sometimes a little low in pitch) rendition of a classic, earning the girls third place.

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020 Three boys’ houses followed, opened by Latham, who were clearly ‘Feeling Good’ with their entry, though it is still unclear why they were dressed as waiters. Not quite channelling Nina Simone’s elegant version, nonetheless they were enthusiastically conducted by Oli Scutt (U6L), who even treated the audience to some impromptu ballroom styles in between some moments of convincing unison singing and a cartwheel at the end – what more could we want? New House thought they knew the answer and treated us to some classic Coldplay with ‘Viva la Vida’.

Mirroring the cover of this great album, their presentation was the best of the boys’ houses, with a tricolore effect costume and genuine rhythm and energy in what the adjudicator reminded us is a hard song to sing. Finally, this trio was concluded with the ubiquitous 2018 chart-topper ‘Someone You Loved’. Inexplicably, Cross opened by announcing “We’re gonna’ mosh”. In this song, Lewis Capaldi asks how someone could “pull the rug” and I thought at some stage during this performance someone might “pull the plug”, but, luckily, they made it to the end and all remained unscathed, largely thanks to Ollie Whittingham’s (U6C) skills on the piano. Demonstrating masterful ambiguity, Richard Hillier decreed this performance “engaging”.

This left two houses to perform and tensions running high.

Field marched onto the stage in a variety of working outfits (and some eye-wateringly short shorts – cue whistles from the front and eye-rolls from Garden) to take on the Dolly Parton classic, ‘9 to 5’. The great country icon once said, “A peacock who rests on its feathers is just another turkey”, but there were no turkeys here and Field maintained a powerful, thumping rhythm throughout, nailing a difficult key change and some inventive choreography and culminating in a definitive stamp at the end to leave the audience wondering: do Field “deserve a promotion”?

TENSIONS RUN HIGH, OLD RIVALRIES DIE HARD, AND NFP IS ON A SHORTER FUSE THAN EVER.

This meant that only Orchard remained and I don’t know if they left it a little late to order costumes, since all were wearing the Sunderland FC strip, apart from the camp-tastic front row, who channelled the energy of the original Village People in their performance of ‘Y.M.C.A.’, supported by first-rate piano accompaniment by Louis Allen (10O). Even if some of the unison elements in this entry were “rather approximate”, this song tells us that “no man does it all by himself” and this, like all the houses’ entries, was certainly a team effort and a crowd-pleaser, inviting plenty of audience participation and serving as a fitting conclusion to a fantastic evening’s entertainment.

KJC

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MICHAELMAS 2019

Rock-It

After a hugely successful Rock-It gig last year, Michaelmas 2019 saw an influx of new and unique acts to accompany the concert’s regular line-up.

As a result, a larger than ever crowd was treated to a diverse evening of pop, rock and hip-hop music as the nine different acts took to the stage.

With an audience of over 125 people gathered in the 400 Hall Studio Theatre, it was Harry Anastasiou (9N) who was tasked with the daunting undertaking that was opening the gig. Nonetheless, his mash-up of ‘50 favourite songs everybody loves to hear’ was the perfect icebreaker and it was not long before he had fired up an energetic crowd into singing mode.

Following Harry was last year’s opener, Esther Ajayi-Akinsulire (10F), this time with her inspiring rendition of ‘Shallow’, ‘Stay’ and ‘Riptide’, accompanied by both Harry (L6N) and Oli Scutt (U6L) on keyboard and drums respectively, and RF discreetly playing guitar.

This trio of pop anthems was performed perfectly and demonstrated brilliantly the talent which the night was to impart.

Succeeding Esther on stage was Poppy Kellock (L6G), with her authentic performance of ‘Senorita’. In keeping

with the Hispanic influences of the song, this pop-inspired take introduced a perfect contrast against the singersongwriter style music that preceded it, bestowing to a rapidly energising audience an inspiring performance.

Archie Williams (11O) on kit, Harry Scutt and Tom Wilken (11N) on guitars, and Harry Anastasiou on keys – aka The Jam Band – provided the backing.

Taking to the stage after Poppy was Kristia Gabriel (L6G) and the aforementioned Jam Band, with her rendition of Bryan Adams’ cult classic ‘Summer of ’69’, which inevitably was a favourite amongst the animated crowd, who sang along for the duration of the song at full volume as the atmosphere continued to develop. Harry Scutt changed to keys and Tom Wilkens played the guitar solo.

Following Kristia was Las Dos Chicas, comprising Didi Davolio (L6G) and Poppy Kellock, again using The Jam Band. This pop-duet continued the evening perfectly with a seamless performance of ‘Before He Cheats’, ‘Copycat’ and ‘One More Night’, yet again invigorating the audience and showcasing some incredible musical talent.

THE THEATRE LOCKED IN A PERFECT AMBIENCE

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020 Next, it was the turn of hip-hop favourite Dubem Uffang (U6P) with his rendition of ‘Ladbroke Grove’, accompanied by Jessie Smith (U6M) on vocals, Oli Scutt on kit, Harry Scutt on keys and RF on guitar. This showed the audience a flavour of the variety that the night had to offer, displaying something different from the pop tunes that had preceded it. Jess and Oli then remained on stage to perform Toploader’s ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’, ‘I Don’t Wanna’ Be You’ and Britney Spears’ classic ‘Oops, I Did It Again’, with the audience providing perfect support to the inspirational performance.

A DIVERSE EVENING OF BUZZING LIVE MUSIC...

Returning to the stage, Kristia, this time accompanied by the headline act, 14:22 – consisting of Olly Thompstone (U6L) on kit, Jake Ford (U6S) on lead guitar and James Newbould (U6S) on bass –performed The Kings of Leon’s timeless classic ‘Sex on Fire’. The performance saw the spirited audience recite every word, with the theatre then locked in a perfect ambience for the closing performance.

Taking to the stage to join Olly Thompstone behind the kit, Ford on lead guitar and Newbould on bass was Teddy Fluck (U6L) providing vocals and rhythm guitar. An indie-rock set of ‘Moving to New York’, ‘Mardy Bum’, ‘Use Somebody’, rock classic ‘Stacy’s Mom’ and Kaiser Chiefs classic ‘I Predict a Riot’ provided a perfect close to a diverse evening of buzzing live music, accessorised perfectly with an animated crowd singing along.

The evening’s two-hour long performance saw nine acts take centre-stage to perform 19 numbers and, thanks in particular to the tireless work of RF, raised £312.50 for the Lent Charity – another perfect gig…

Oliver Thompstone (U6L)

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MICHAELMAS 2019

Christmas Bands’ Concert As usual, the Christmas Bands’ Concert proved to be very popular, with a large audience eager to hear music from both Repton and Foremarke musicians. Indeed, the Repton-Foremarke ‘family’ was strengthened with a programme designed to bring together nine of the schools’ ensembles with no fewer than 135 pupils taking part in some excellent music-making: a great educational experience!

The festive spirit got off to a good start with Sass! – a brass and sax ensemble – playing carols to greet arriving guests (repeated at the end of the evening as everyone departed). The concert proper kicked off with a burst of communal singing in an audience rendition of ‘Oh I Wish It Could Be Christmas’, supported by the Reptiles, The Foremarke Trebles and The Jam Band. This had the audience up on their feet, singing in full voice, ready for what was to come.

Jazz Band’s new line-up of young and upand-coming players lit up the evening further with a set of funk, smooth and traditional jazz standards to show versatility and emerging talents. Solos came thick and fast from Caitlin Grainger-Spivey (11A), Joe Riley (L6P), Jolyon Leavesley (L6N), Archie Williams (11O), Leo Parry (U6C), Reims Wright (11C), Harry Scutt (L6N), Harry Anastasiou (9N) and Oliver Ewart-White (9N). The set included ‘Rhythm is Gonna Get You’, ‘Cantaloupe Island’, ‘So Danco Samba’, ‘You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to’ and ‘Santa’s in Town’, concluding with the ever-popular ‘God Rest Ye Merry Samba’. The band was on excellent form and kept in check by RF’s enthusiastic leadership.

Foremarke Wind Band’s young players took to the floor to play a confident programme of ‘Big Mac’s March’ and ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ before passing the stage over to the Foremarke Jazz Band. The opening number of ‘Mercy, Mercy, Mercy’ was superbly delivered and was followed-up

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by ‘Centrepiece’, which had solos by Zak Wedgwood, Rocco Ewart-White, Jasper Saunders and Peter Whittingham. The set concluded with ‘Ye Jazzy Gentlemen’, a joint piece with the Repton School Jazz Band, 13 of whom had played in the Foremarke band, under RF’s direction, in their earlier years. The unification of these bands firmly promoted the Repton-Foremarke relationship, which was enjoyed by all and finished the first half on a real high.

The Clarinet Choir expertly entertained during the interval and the Foremarke Concert Band opened up the second half with ‘Memory’ from Cats, ‘The Lord of the Dance’ and concluding with Bon Jovi’s up tempo classic, ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’, to prepare the way for the evening’s finale.

Concert Band were up to the task and, this year, there was a twist! The band opened with ‘Skyfall’, followed by a lively ‘Jingle Jive’. Gustav Holst’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ provided a more sombre atmosphere, before leading into the wonderfully mysterious ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ medley. The penultimate item was the infamous ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ by Mariah Carey. For this performance, the members of the band really got into the Christmas spirit, wearing Santa hats and Christmas jumpers! The pièce de résistance, however, was the final piece, featuring the aforementioned twist: Concert Band has performed ‘Sleigh Ride’ for many years – it has become a tradition – but this year, unbeknownst to the audience and the band itself, Concert Band was joined by all the evening’s performers, with lots of extras, playing sleigh-bells! This was unrehearsed and Mrs Hardy did look a little anxious as everyone tried to squeeze onto the stage. She needn’t have worried: the audience were up on their feet clapping for an encore – much to the band’s dismay!

On a personal note, this was my final Christmas Bands’ Concert at Repton and I am glad it was such a huge success; it was a great honour to have played the horse whinny at the end of ‘Sleigh Ride’ – twice! Thanks to OMW, who assisted the trumpet section due to various absences, to Mrs Hardy for putting up with the band, and to RF for organising such an inspirational concert.

Joe Riley (L6P), RF & Tom Tudor (U6S)

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THE CHOIR TRIP TO

St Paul’s Cathedral

On the 31st January 2020, OMW led 50 excited singers down to Westminster to perform Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral.

Leading the worship in the most spectacular building in the heart of London was a great honour and privilege.

Daily Evensong has been offered in that space for centuries, and Repton is proud to have been part of this living and growing tradition. It was particularly moving to sing this service on Holocaust Memorial Day. Fresh out of the Christmas Carol Services, the Choir worked extremely hard to prepare themselves for the musical demands of this event. In addition to psalms and responses, they offered Howells’ sublime Canticles, written for King’s College, Cambridge, and Bullock’s ‘Give Us the Wings of Faith’ as the anthem. The enthused Schola Cantorum

rehearsed in the crypt below the cathedral upon arrival and then enjoyed an hour to explore the magnificent edifice. Inspired, the Choir then performed Evensong for several hundred parents, friends, teachers, Old Reptonians and tourists.

Evensong powerfully crescendoed with ‘Nunc Dimitis’ – Leo Parry gracefully singing a solo that beautifully echoed all around the grand baroque-style architecture. The cathedral is an inspirational place to visit, but to sing Evensong in those glorious surroundings was a real privilege that we will never forget. The atmosphere on that cold, wet night in Westminster was one of tremendous warmth, created by the melodious singing of the Schola Cantorum.

Head of Music, OMW, commented, “I am immensely proud of the Repton Choir, who worked so hard to prepare themselves to sing at St Paul’s Cathedral. It is such an honour to visit the cathedral for the second time, particularly to play our part in Holocaust Memorial Day. They sang well, soaked up the history of the place and thoroughly deserved their visit to Burger King on the way home.”

The Choir are likewise hugely appreciative and thankful to OMW and Mrs Patricia Fulford for organising this unforgettable experience and we look forward to next year!

Freddie Dumbill (L6P)

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Roald Dahl Arts Lecture

St Wystan’s Coffee Concerts

In October, we were honoured to welcome BBC Arts Correspondent Will Gompertz to Repton to deliver the first Roald Dahl Arts Lecture on the theme ‘Think like an Artist’, the subject of his best-selling book, which explores the credentials of successful artists (including musicians, playwrights, designers) through the ages. While describing his encounters with celebrities such as Adele, Michael Eavis and David Bowie, Will took us on a fascinating and risqué journey through the mindset of these artists, and shared with us his vision for all schools being Arts Schools.

On several occasions throughout this year, Repton musicians have been offered a warm welcome at St Wystan’s Church following our – and their – Sunday morning services. Cake and coffee

is served in abundance, while pupils perform a range of pieces across a variety of instruments and styles to a friendly and appreciative audience. These are proving to be an invaluable opportunity for musicians to build confidence with performing, and engaging with an unfamiliar, if charming, audience. We look forward to many more in the future.

OMW

OMW

Memorial Concert for Harry Lownds Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Always a highlight of the Choir – and School – year are the annual services of Nine Lessons and Carols, performed twice: once to parents and members of the village community and once to the whole school. This year Schola Cantorum offered a wide range of seasonal music, including Tavener’s ethereal miniature ‘The Lamb’, Whitacre’s sublime ‘Lux Aurumque’, Darke’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ and Gardiner’s ‘When Christ was born of Mary free’.

Particular mention should go to Izzi Evans (11M) and Ariel Huang (L6A) for their singing of the traditional first verse of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, as well as to Lollie Gibson (L6G), Kristia Gabriel (L6G), Imogen Hardwick (U6A), Sarah Murphy (U6M), Katie Fulford (U6F), Teddy Fluck (U6L) and Olivia Truscott (U6F) for other solos performed during these memorable services.

Repton’s Music School was packed out on Saturday 7th March for a charity concert in memory of Old Reptonian Harry Lownds (L’10). Harry died suddenly and unexpectedly in February 2019 as a result of a chest infection while in his final term studying Genetics at the University of Sussex. The evening brought together many of Harry’s contemporaries at Repton and Foremarke, along with music teachers from both schools and family friends, raising over £2600 for the child bereavement counselling services of The Laura Centre in Derby.

The audience was treated to a fabulous programme from a very accomplished group of performers, who could easily have filled the time available ten times over. The evening was bookended by Harry’s fellow OR Lathamites joining his younger sister Evie (L6A) and other current members of The Reptiles for a rendition of Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’, and former members of Foremarke Winds reuniting to play ‘Tequila’ and the theme from Wallace & Gromit. Other contributions from current Repton scholars included Harry’s cousin, Louis Allen (10O), performing Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’ and the theme to Pirates of the Caribbean, the Double Reed Ensemble rendition of Herald’s ‘Clog Dance’ from La Fille mal Gardée, Jolyon Leavesley (L6N) playing Charlie Parker’s ‘Anthropology’ on saxophone, and Aman Ari-Kainth (L6L) and Teddy Fluck (U6L) joining OR Lathamites to revive their 2017 House Harmonies adaptation of the Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back/ABC’.

OMW

OMW

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LENT TERM

The House Harmony Competition The House Harmony competition, held on a Saturday in the Lent Term, is an evening to which many look forward and all enjoy, and this year’s was no exception.

Approaching extinct-volcano status as I now am, it is always interesting to see how these ‘Repton traditions’ have changed in approach over the years, and what has struck me recently, and especially forcefully this year, has been how the term ‘Harmony’ has been re-interpreted.

For the pupils, who inevitably have only a very short-term view of how things are done, it might come as a surprise to learn that the present trend of one or two, or even a spread, of soloists supported by a ‘backing group’ is actually a relatively recent phenomenon. Indeed, in my early years here there would barely be a contemporary song to be heard, let alone a soloist. In 1991, for instance, this year’s eventual winners, The Cross, were also victorious, but with Elgar’s ‘Ave Verum’ (and definitely not an Hawaiian shirt in sight), and only two Houses, Brook House and The Abbey, ‘had gone to the trouble to choose works which had not been rehearsed by the choir that term’

(The Reptonian, Summer Term 1991).

Even as late as 2006, when nearly all the songs were (very) modern, New House performed a motet by Stainer (and we wuz robbed, of course).

Don’t get me wrong, I am not wistfully harking back to halcyon days; I simply point out that there need not be ‘one way’; that those outstandingly talented pupils who lead each House’s effort need not feel constrained to follow the current trend, but should simply be mindful of the nature and scope of the talent of those signed up to sing.

None of this is to say I did not greatly enjoy this year’s competition, and my thanks go to all who worked so hard to make it possible. Latham House drew the short straw of starting things off, but handled the nerves commendably in their version of ‘I want It that Way’ by The Backstreet Boys. The Abbey followed with a strong blend of voices in ‘Some Nights’ (Fun, arranged by Emerson), and then it

was The Priory, whose amusing entry onto the stage was followed by a fine ‘team performance’ of Bruno Mars’ ‘Grenade’.

Field House gave a well-choreographed, slick rendition of ‘Dog Days are Over’,

by Florence and the Machine, before the brightest shirts of the evening arrived, as The Cross gave a most polished, enjoyable performance of Camila Cabello’s ‘Havana’.

The Garden then showed impressive layers of harmony in ‘Just the Way you are/ Just a Dream’ from Pitch Perfect, followed

by School House, who gave a disciplined, if slightly restrained performance of Ben E. King’s ‘Stand By Me’. The Mitre then cleverly shared the solos around the whole ensemble, singing ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon. The last two offerings were from New House – a brave attempt at quite a tricky arrangement of ‘Somebody that I used to know’ (Gotye) – and, finally, The Orchard, the smallest in number (just four), but this if anything enhanced rather than impeded what was an engaging, relaxed performance of ‘Riptide’ by Vance Joy.

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THE TERM ‘HARMONY’ HAS BEEN RE-INTERPRETED.

The outstanding Reptiles then kept us all ‘Happy’ whilst conclusions were reached, and then this year’s adjudicator, Richard Yarr (Senior Producer, Arts and Music, with BBC Northern Ireland), stepped into the spotlight.

He very quickly showed why he is very much in demand in this role, giving some general advice to all for another year, followed by lots of praise and minimal, always constructive, criticism for each House. Not only that, but he also got the final decision spot on! Few, if any, could deny The Cross were worthy winners indeed, with Field House runners up and The Abbey third. Some thus went home (probably to pizza) ecstatic that their hours of preparation had paid dividends with silverware, but all taking part should have been immensely proud of their individual and collective performance. What will 2021 bring?

NJK

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MUSIC

Individual House Music Competition Junior Boys’ Classical Piers Derry (11S)

Junior Brass Oliver Ewart-White (9N)

Junior Girls’ Classical Emily Reynolds (10G)

Junior Woodwind Caitlin Grainger-Spivey (11A)

Junior Boys’ Musical Theatre/Contemporary Charlie Hardwick (10N)

Junior Strings Amelia Webb (11M)

Junior Girls’ Musical Theatre/Contemporary Emily Reynolds (10G) Senior Boys’ Classical Freddie Dumbill (L6P) Senior Girls’ Classical Lollie Gibson (L6G) Senior Boys’ Musical Theatre/Contemporary Leo Parry (U6C) Senior Girls’ Musical Theatre/Contemporary Olivia Truscott (U6F) Junior Contemporary Archie Williams (11O) Junior Jazz Caitlin Grainger-Spivey (11A)

Junior Piano Louis Allen (10O) Orchestral Percussion Yang Xue (10G) Senior Contemporary Joe Riley (L6P) Senior Jazz Jolyon Leavesley (L6N) Senior Brass Leo Parry (U6C) Senior Woodwind Oliver Whittingham (U6C) Senior Strings Sophie Lewis (L6A) Senior Piano Leo Parry (U6C)

Repton Subscription Concert Series and Masterclasses Throughout the year we have been thrilled to welcome an impressive array of professional ensembles and musicians to Repton as part of our Subscription Concert series.

These musicians always deliver an interactive masterclass to musicians from Repton and Foremarke during the afternoon, before giving a full evening recital, which is open to members of the wider community.

The year began with the third visit of world-renowned vocal ensemble Voces8, who led Schola Cantorum through an engaging and insightful session on performance and singing technique in the new venue of St Wystan’s Church.

They taught the Choir a blues piece which they performed jointly during the evening concert, in addition to two Negro Spiritual arrangements by Michael Tippet – ‘Steal away’ and ‘Nobody knows, Lord’. Voces8 performed an eclectic mix from William Byrd to Nat ‘King’ Cole to a sell-out audience. We look forward to their next visit.

Later in the term, we welcomed award-winning pianist Catherine Milledge to join our own Head of Keyboard, RJO, to give a recital of music for two pianos. With a wide-ranging repertoire from Fauré to Schubert, they certainly took the Department’s pianos for a hell of a spin! During the afternoon, the two pianists worked with duetting partners of all standards from Repton and Foremarke in an engaging afternoon workshop – proving that a problem shared really is a problem halved!

The Lent Term saw two outstanding Concert Series events. Firstly, in January, we hosted saxophonist Rob Burton – BBC Young Musician finalist, 2018 – who gave a joint concert with some of our own saxophone players and ensemble SaxPack. With Rob’s leadership, the players explored, and heard, some technically-challenging repertoire and experienced saxophone-playing at its very best. Then, in February, we strengthened further our links with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire through a visit from the Primrose Piano Quartet, led by RBC’s Head of Keyboard John Thwaites. Our Senior and Junior String Quartets worked extensively on Haydn and Dvorak with the group’s string players, while our leading pianists worked with Mr Thwaites on their current repertoire.

OMW

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Repton Music Society performance of Handel’s Messiah In January, Repton’s MusSoc joined with the professional Harvey Ensemble and current Sixth Form student soloists to perform Handel’s epic oratorio Messiah. Particular highlights were undoubtedly Leo Parry’s (U6C) trumpeting in ‘The trumpet shall sound’, Sophie Lewis’ (L6A) ‘He was despised’, Evie Lownds’ (L6A) and Lollie Gibson’s (L6G) ‘And he shall feed his flock’, Imogen Hardwick’s (U6A) ‘There were shepherds’ and Olivia Truscott’s (U6F) ‘But thou didst not leave his soul in Hell’. Amen!

Michaelmas Orchestral Day and Repton Concerto Spotlight

Katie Kittermaster performs at Repton The young talented singer/songwriter Katie Kittermaster, a Repton Dubai OR, gave an impromptu ‘unplugged’ performance in the Beldam Hall to an invited audience of some of the school’s most promising contemporary musicians. This was prior to her Derby gig later that same evening, as a support act to Boyzlife (consisting of Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden of Boyzone and Westlife, respectively). Katie and her guitarist performed a short set of some of the songs she’d written for her forthcoming album and she invited questions from the audience to give an insight into life as an up and coming musician looking to break into the profession.

In December, Repton’s Symphony Orchestra spent an afternoon working with members of the Harvey Ensemble (the School’s resident professional orchestra) on some complex and ambitious repertoire – excerpts from Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ and MacCunn’s ‘Land of the Mountain and the Flood’, before performing in an evening concert to a full Beldam Hall. The opportunity to work on fine musical detail and perform alongside experienced and professional orchestral players gave Repton’s pupils a real boost, resulting in a spectacular final performance of some breath-taking music.

The first half of this concert saw the second iteration of the Repton Concerto Spotlight: an opportunity for Sixth Form solos to perform concerto or opera movements with a professional orchestra. Singers from The Reptiles opened the event by performing Act 1, Scene 1 of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Soloists: Lollie Gibson (6G) – Belinda; Olivia Truscott (U6F)– Dido; Teddy Fluck (U6L) – Aeneas; and Sophie Lewis (L6A)

– Second Woman; directed by Head of Singing Ellie Martin). Instrumental solos followed, with Ariel Huang (L6A) giving a dazzling rendition of Bach’s timeless Violin Concerto in A Minor, first movement. Oliver Whittingham (U6C) then shone with three of Finzi’s quirky and challenging Bagatelles for clarinet, followed by a memorable performance of the slow movement of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto no.2 given by Harry Scutt (L6N). Sophie Lewis then took to the stage to play the melancholy and beautiful slow movement of J.C. Bach’s Cello Concerto, which contrasted well with the tricky and rarely-heard first movement of Vaughan Williams’ Concerto for Oboe and Strings given

by Head Girl Katie Fulford (U6F). Leo Parry (U6C) finished the Spotlight with the first movement of Haydn’s famous Trumpet Concerto, which sent us all into the interval with a spring in our step.

The whole evening was a celebration of Repton music-making at its very best, from individual soloists to a 60-piece symphony orchestra.

OMW

RF

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DRAMA

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Drama

Many schools neglect the Arts, especially acting, but not Repton: its Drama has been and will continue to be strong, passionate, and meaningful. Upon starting Repton, the 400 Hall can seem daunting – but the constant shows, constant rehearsals, constant laughing and sharing of love for performance soon takes this away. Two things I will cherish for years to come: first, the excitement, the buzz and sudden rush of energy from standing on a magical stage in front of an audience; second, the relationships I will hold onto for years to come. What has changed the most about Repton Drama from my first B Block play to my last U6 performance was the number of friends I have made along the way.

Leo Parry (U6C)

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THE MICHAELMAS PRODUCTION

A Christmas Carol A Christmas Carol was a roaring success for JPCR, directing his first major production at Repton, alongside GRPW: they produced a brilliant Michaelmas Term performance of the Dickens classic.

Alexander Mair (L6P), the perfect Ebenezer Scrooge, kept the audience engaged throughout his performance, supported

by Freddie Dumbill (L6P) playing Jacob Marley and Jessica Smith (U6M), Reims Wright (11C) and Lily Buchan (U6A) as the three Ghosts of Christmas. They carried the historic novel with confidence, conveying the mystery and intrigue of their characters expertly, keeping the 400 Hall hooked. The stamina and unity of the cast, carrying each other through the long rehearsals and performing the fabulous finished product over the three nights, earns them great credit; it demonstrated their commitment and dedication both to the play and to each other.

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THEY CARRIED THE HISTORIC NOVEL WITH CONFIDENCE...

A memorable entrance from the Ghost of Christmas Past, who unexpectedly materialised from underneath Scrooge’s bed, completely stunning the audience, requires praise for the intricacies and creativity of the set design, which really evoked the 19th century setting. Other highlights of the production were the hauntingly beautiful singing, coached by Lollie Gibson (L6G) and Olivia Truscott (U6F), and the Fezziwig Ball, where the whole cast, including children from every year group and a few guest performers from among Foremarke pupils, performed an ornate period dance, demonstrating the quality this talented group could achieve together.

The superb costumes – designed

by JCMR, assisted by Katie Brady (U6F) and Francesca Wood (U6F) – added to the performance, really helping transport the audience into the world of Ebenezer Scrooge: all looked authentic and beautiful, with the suitably ominous and intimidating Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come particularly impressing the audience.

The show was very enjoyable and helped remove the school from normal Repton life for three nights of the Michaelmas Term, heralding the beginning of the festive season and the run-up to the Christmas holiday.

Molly Bowman (L6M) & Luisa Northing (L6M)

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A Christmas Carol AN INSIDER VIEW

Through the tremendous efforts of the whole cast, the backstage crew and the production team, the ten-week long preparation and execution of A Christmas Carol lived up to its already great expectations and provided a feel-good spirit in the run-up to the festive season. After all, as many had told me, Ebenezer Scrooge was a perfect role for someone who is as miserable as I am. From the counting house, to the streets, to Scrooge’s home, to the past, present, future and back, it was a truly unforgettable journey with wonderful memories.

In just his first major Repton theatre production, Mr Cooper-Richards, the enthusiastic new Head of Drama, took on this classic Christmas play, which is often very difficult to do well because of so many having seen it countless times before. Yet, along with the support of Mrs Whitfield, the ultimate perfectionist, who, whilst rattling the cast into gear with some vigorous warm-ups, giving very good second-opinions and ideas, and whilst teaching French and Drama full-time, the two of them worked tirelessly and productively to create a final product that exceeded all previous expectations. I am sure there will be many more occasions of great success from this duo in the future.

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It must be said that the 400 Hall stage has rarely, if ever, seen a set and the other backstage operations like what we were fortunate enough to have in A Christmas Carol. The behind-the-scenes work of drapes hanging from the ceiling; a huge fireplace with ghosts coming out of it; sound and lighting effects of the highest quality; and a truly ghoulish Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come costume, which was at least eight feet tall, had hands the size of footballs and possessed fluorescent green eyes in the middle of the black, unlit figure. All this work is completely indebted to Mr Levesley and the tech team, Miss Rice’s brilliant costumes and Mr Whitfield in Art, creating the aforementioned set with great imagination and fine details.

And, finally, the talented cast, spanning all five years from the new B Blockers diving into unfamiliar roles, to the veterans of the theatre, doing their fifth or sixth school production in some cases, showed great deals of talent and energy in making their Dickensian characters come to life. But, for me and many others, plays and productions are not about your role, or your lines: they are about pushing yourself outside of the comfort zone, or perhaps revelling in your passion, whilst at the same time meeting several Reptonians that you may not have encountered previously, and this is what makes it such a brilliant experience.

Alexander Mair (L6P)

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THE STAFF PRODUCTION

The 23rd Edition of Sir John Port’s Pedants Where do I start? Having kept the seemingly endless rehearsing and planning very much under the radar, the Common Room blew us all away with a two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza, complete with impressive singing, convincing acting and enthusiastic dancing, which filled the room with joyous spirit. To say it was a night to remember would be an understatement; a Repton tradition it certainly is, and that it will remain.

I must express my wonder at the sheer amount of budding talent we experienced in the opening scene, during the particularly impressive rendition of song, traditionally known as ‘Songs About Ourselves’, with special mentions owed to KJC and WGO. Furthermore, much to the audience’s delight, a ‘devil’ Headmaster welcomed us into ‘Hell’, and this truly amplified the family spirit ever-present in Repton. What made it all the more fantastic was that each and every teacher entirely threw themselves into their role(s), and it was evident that a brilliant time was had not only by the cast but also the pupil-heavy audience, who were quite simply in awe at the spectacle executed so successfully by their own teaching staff.

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IMPRESSIVE SINGING, CONVINCING ACTING AND ENTHUSIASTIC DANCING ... FILLED THE ROOM WITH JOYOUS SPIRIT.

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Whilst JDS made a convincing Harry Potter, the unexpected love affair between SABT and NCR flourished under the watchful eye of PC Carrington, and the spine-chilling factor essential to any production was certainly not undermined by CSD: he made a wonderfully terrifying Voldemort, leaving our hairs standing on end; I really do believe his future is on the stage. Repton’s version of The Spice Girls positively did ‘spice up our lives’, and the finale saw our very own Freddie Mercury sporting a PVC yellow jacket.

I think a stand-out performance (without trying to show a hint of bias as a Garden girl) would have to be the almost unrecognisable Love Island contestant SJL, as she flaunted a hugely plausible Essex accent, complete with the token red lips and blonde curls.

Finally, I ask you to picture a handful of male teachers gallivanting around the stage as ballerinas, so very emotionally, wearing tutus. This is a sight that will never slip from my memory, and instead will remain a highlight of my Repton career; I’m sure many others would agree.

Sir John Port’s Pedants did not fail to live up to my expectations; nor did it leave the audience feeling anything other than electrified as we poured out expressing sheer delight. Although I am sad I will most likely never experience a night like it again, I can safely say that future generations of Reptonians have a sensational spectacle to look forward to.

Poppy Kellock (L6G)

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Pedants

AN INSIDER VIEW For you, the pupils, it was one night out of three in which you saw your teachers as you’ve never seen them before (unless you’re in U6, in which case you’ve seen some of them do some of it before). Songs, sketches, dances that bridged the so-called generation gap and showed you that we are, occasionally, human – with a sense of humour.

Or, in Mr Innocent’s case, a beaver – without one.

For the Common Room, the story is very different. It was four weeks of constant rehearsals – juggling Duty nights, family commitments and marking to try and be in the right place at the right time to learn our steps, practise our entrances and exits and try to hit some of the right notes in our songs – all the time trying to keep it a secret from you. Some were convinced they weren’t natural performers (not true: everyone is a natural performer, teachers even more than most); some had two left feet; some were in awe of taking on a part previously performed by a Repton Common Room legend. Backstage, two distinct camps emerged: those who sat in the Studio Theatre in tights and/or tiara dutifully marking exercise books and occasionally murmuring, “Where have we got to in the running order? Oh – ages yet!” and getting back to work; and those who sat hunched below-decks with a pint of locally-brewed ale or glass of wine, gently rocking back-and-forth, muttering, “Oh, God! We’re on in five minutes! Quick – pour me another one, my hands are shaking too much!”. Although yours truly was always too busy changing into his next costume to be in either of those camps, so arguably my descriptions are more perception than strict fact.

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Peeling away another layer takes us back into last academic year, when The Committee (a top-secret organisation, membership of which is bestowed rarely) was convened to look at the content from four years ago and decide what could stay (“Can we squeeze the Harry Potter sketch out one last time?”) and what needed to change (“The Downton Abbey/Game of Thrones mash-up has to go; those shows are long gone. What do people watch now?”). I’d love to tell you more about those meetings because – believe me – if you thought what we put on stage was hilarious and scurrilous, you should have seen what was left out!

Finally, at the core, lies one man who has been thinking about and planning this show for four years; one man with the weight of a long-standing tradition of success on his shoulders; making his Pedants swansong, take a bow NJK! The “Class” of 2024 have a tough act to follow.

JMJH

...EACH AND EVERY TEACHER ENTIRELY THREW THEMSELVES INTO THEIR ROLE(S).

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THE LENT TERM PRODUCTION:

The Repton Variety Performance In the Lent Term, we were treated to The Repton Variety Performance.

With expectations set high from the Michaelmas production of A Christmas Carol, it is safe to say that The Repton Variety Performance definitely lived up to these, showcasing the amazing talent we have within the school. The show started off with ‘Strike up the Band’, conducted

by RF and performed by the Repton Jazz Band, who also did ‘New York, New York’ later in the show – with solos from Leo Parry (U6C) , Jolyon Leavesley (L6N) and Caitlin Granger-Spivey (11A). This upbeat, energetic start set the tone for the rest of the evening.

We then had ‘Taylor, the Latte Boy’ – a comic song beautifully performed by Lollie Gibson (L6G), followed by letters that were written by Roald Dahl to his mother during his time at Repton, read by Charlie Furniss (U6O), Alexander Mair (L6P) and Andy Yan (U6N). This was followed by a lyrical dance performance of ‘Hanging Tree’, which exhibited the beauty and grace of the song.

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020 The first extended piece of drama was an abridged version of Matilda the Musical: this funny, joyful, touching adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story took the audience through a journey, with Matilda played by Claudia Tate (9M) in only her second performance at Repton, showing how she and her friends exacted their revenge on Miss Trunchbull, played by Leo Parry, who perfectly captured the intensity and brutality of the evil headmistress. At the end of the story, the loving, caring Miss Honey (Olivia Truscott (U6F)) was given the home she deserved and adopted Matilda.

Act One ended with our U6 band, consisting of Jake Ford (U6S) on lead guitar, James Newbould (U6S) on bass guitar, Teddy Fluck (U6L) on guitar and vocals, and Oliver Thompstone (U6L) on drums. They played the Kaiser Chiefs’ ‘Ruby’, which was a perfect end to the first half of the evening.

After a short interval, Act Two began with a comedy sketch – ‘The Invisible Drummer’ – performed by Oliver Scutt (U6L) and Oliver Thompstone. In this hilarious sketch, the Ollies (one on-stage, miming, and one off, performing) had the audience in fits of giggles. Following this was a series of solos: a response to ‘Taylor, the Latte Boy’, sung by Teddy Fluck; ‘What Ever Happened to my Part?’, sung by Olivia Truscott; and the aforementioned ‘New York, New York’.

The next extended piece was a comic play ‘The Woods’, written and created

by Ali Harris (10M) with Grace Pocklington (10M) and performed by them and some other A Blockers. Their ‘re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood… what could go wrong?’ had the whole audience laughing, as a series of unfortunate events unfolded on stage, showcasing the imagination and creativity of our A Block.

The show’s finale treated us to three numbers from the musical Chicago, with excellent dancing (the result of amazing choreography) accompanying the songs. We began with ‘All that Jazz’, with a solo from Diletta Davolio (L6G), ‘Mister Cellophane’, sung by the multi-talented Leo Parry, and the ensemble piece ‘Cell Block Tango’, which was an amazing end to the evening.

Hattie Nieper (L6F)

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The Repton Variety Performance AN INSIDER VIEW This year’s Lent Term show, The Repton Variety Performance, was very different from the school shows I have been in before: a huge number of students from a variety of year groups, a variety of houses and a variety of friendship groups, all came together to do something as one. Thanks to the nature of the show, a lot of students that aren’t usually involved in shows were part of the cast and each of them committed amazingly to create a great production.

Some of them even created their own sketches to add to the show – and they indeed added a lot to the experience!

In the week prior to the performances, as well as just before going on stage, tension starts to build as with every show. However, this year, it was not only nerves and excitement, but also the various reactions to the sad news that the audience had had to be restricted to pupils and staff for health and safety reasons, with the coronavirus outbreak a growing threat. What I found especially beautiful is the support that this created: originally from members of staff to the cast; then passed down from one student to the other – through a smile, a hug or encouraging words of reassurance.

That, and the joyous and proud look on everyone’s face at the end of the final performance made The Repton Variety Performance a brilliant and successful show, not solely because of the courage and talent displayed on stage, but also in the kindness, support and new friendships that developed backstage.

Diletta Davolio (L6G)

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ART & DESIGN

Art & Design There is always a hub of activity in the Art and Design Departments: they are well-equipped, inspirational, positive working areas, full of laughter – which brings out the best work from students. This year, we welcomed two new teachers to the Art Department, both highly talented within the industry, who brought new skills and ideas along with a great energy.

Izzy Hankins (U6M)

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The 2020 Fashion Show On the 21st and 22nd February, the biennial Fashion Show returned to the 400 Hall stage for two memorable nights, showcasing the incredible talent that Reptonian artists have in abundance.

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A NIGHT...TO FLAUNT THEIR TRUE TALENTS OF CREATIVITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP...

The event raised over £2000 for The Little Princess Trust charity. This is a massive achievement, as the show is entirely directed by the students, representing the individuality of the pupils and their roles of leadership.

People from a variety of age groups within the school used their artistic talents to express their personalities into garments for both the pupils and adults of the Repton community to observe. It is such a valuable event for the designers themselves, as their hard work and dedication can be seen through their unique styles, which truly represent them as individuals and also gives them all a great sense of pride and achievement when their pieces are being worn on the runway.

Behind every garment created was a story that inspired the designer to create it through fashion. A significant example of this was a jumpsuit made entirely out of fragile tape. The story behind this piece was to project aloud the importance of fragility within people in the hope of encouraging support, as opposed to hate.

This was just one design out of the 60 that were shown across the two nights, emphasising the importance of personal experiences and allowing a look inside the designers’ minds.

BEHIND EVERY GARMENT CREATED WAS A STORY THAT INSPIRED THE DESIGNER.

The event is exclusive to Repton, which is another reason why we value it so much as an audience.

It provides a night for the artistic students of Repton to flaunt their true talents of creativity and craftsmanship, which are often otherwise concealed. It is a night that really shows what they can do and puts them in the limelight, highlighting the inclusive nature of the school and giving everyone an opportunity to convey their talents – whatever they may be.

Olivia Ellis (L6G)

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

The Design Museum Trip As I write this, in the middle of one of the most extraordinary and challenging spring seasons in recent memory, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s difficult to imagine it was only January when we had the privilege of visiting the now-closed-for-the-foreseeable Design Museum.

As an annual trip, there are many things we look forward to as teachers, and these same things we hope that pupils will notice and appreciate. Things such as walking into the atrium of the building and looking up at the fantastically sparse concrete roof space, enjoying wandering through the permanent (and free!) exhibitions, browsing the myriad of design books and objects in the Museum shop, or just students good-humouredly putting up with my request for a whole group photo; something I’ve done for the past 12 years…

But the thing we most value as teachers is knowing that pupils are going to get exposure to iconic and exciting designs and technologies that will make an impact on their A Level knowledge.

An annual event featured and hosted by the museum is the Beazley Designs of the Year Competition. Having seen variations of this exhibition since we started the London trip many years ago, I worry that its quality is waning as the years progress. Three of our Sixth Form students certainly made this astute observation. Despite there being some designs of note (the projected smart display was actually amazing), along with the now crucial and important nod to sustainability (should this be more than a ‘nod’ in 2020?), we can’t help but feel that the showcase has become more about the design, theme and style of the actual exhibition space, and less about the exciting products themselves…

However, the last couple of years has seen some really striking temporary exhibitions: Ferrari, two years ago, was difficult to beat, but this year’s ‘Moving to Mars’ perhaps just topped it. The exhibition challenged the students’ comprehension of how humans have constantly pushed the boundaries of space exploration, with successful design being at the forefront of, and crucial to, this journey.

HUMANS HAVE CONSTANTLY PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES OF SPACE EXPLORATION, WITH SUCCESSFUL DESIGN BEING AT THE FOREFRONT

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The exhibition featured immersive environments: over 200 objects, including contributions from NASA, the European Space Agency and SpaceX. There was a whole section dedicated to NASA’s 3D-printed Mars Habitat Challenge winners and robotic builders by Foster & Partners; who, amongst others, are exploring the technology to use the material of Mars’ surface to 3D print and build the architecture to survive. Materials featured heavily in the exhibition, whether that be to illustrate the challenges faced by zero gravity and the effect on what materials can be used, to an example – the first spacesuit designed for the Mars surface! Pupils were able to walk through and spend time in a ‘living pod’, which encouraged them to consider, once on Mars, what would ‘normal life’ look like? The furniture? The food? The work?

These Sixth Form students are perhaps the first generation who might witness a human mission to Mars in their lifetime: it’s one of humanity’s great challenges and everything will need to be designed.

They should also know the privilege to be able to visit such world-renowned spaces that celebrate the importance of design, and we perhaps previously were in danger of taking for granted spaces such as the Design Museum and the V&A: we should not in future, and I look forward to the day when we can sit and contemplate the design of an iconic lemon-squeezer, take group photos or argue about which bit was our favourite part of the exhibition again.

GLH

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ART & DESIGN

The Arkwright Scholarships Repton students earn a number of these prestigious awards each year. Here, four current award-holders tell us about the application process and how their Scholarship will aid their future ambitions.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR THE ARKWRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP?

HOW DID YOU FIND THE APPLICATION FORM? WHAT WERE THE EASIEST AND HARDEST BITS TO WRITE?

MF:

PP:

The hardest bit for me was talking about where I see myself in ten years and what I want to do after school if I did get the Scholarship. However, the easiest part was about what led me to love design and why I had made the things I have.

HD:

The form wasn’t that challenging for me, as I have a background in tinkering with computers, cars etc., but I think it was important to show that I really was interested in Engineering and wanted to pursue it in the future. The hardest bits for me were things such as “What makes you a good leader?”, as I haven’t got much experience leading…

However, I think it’s still important to show what you’ve done in sections like this – even if it isn’t much.

My dream job is in Mechanical Engineering for a car manufacture company. Going for the Arkwright Scholarship thrusts me into the engineering community at a high level, gaining lots of experience by the time I apply to universities.

There is a lot of competition for Engineering places at the top level: the Arkwright experience gives a great advantage; the opportunity was too much to pass up.

CG-S: I’ve known for a long time that I want to become an engineer and thought that I would benefit from the extra experiences and opportunities that the Scholarship could give me – in particular having a mentor and doing work experience.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU THINK MAKE A GOOD ARKWRIGHT SCHOLAR OR APPLICANT? HD:

I think Arkwright are looking for really open-minded people, who don’t count any ideas out: they want people who can think both logically and outside the box. I think creative thinking is very useful in engineering.

MF:

An Arkwright Scholar must be persistent, dedicated, intelligent, creative and enthusiastic about all their projects.

If they think like everyone else, why should they be picked?

WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE EXAM? CG-S: I found the exam experience quite enjoyable, as I was able to generate my own ideas for a few problems – but it was very time-pressured!

HD:

I thought the exam wouldn’t be as open as it was: it really encouraged you to come up with your craziest ideas.

You can take in sweets and drinks too, which is awesome!

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020 WHAT SORTS OF QUESTIONS WERE YOU ASKED? PP:

During the interview, I was asked to present the portfolio I had taken with me: I definitely didn’t prepare enough for this. The most challenging question was explaining why I felt that my ideas and plans were better than others’ and therefore why I deserved the Scholarship.

MF:

The question for Section One that I chose was to design three items of clothing that used electrical aspects to improve safety while cycling. This question was quite specific compared to other questions, but did leave a lot of possibility. I came up with gloves that used small heaters to protect the cyclist from cold climates; a sports shirt that measures water-loss and informed you through your phone when to take a drink or a break; and shoes that, using small magnetic fields, remained on the pedals so that, if there was an accident, the feet could be removed from danger quickly but still remove the threat of slipping off by accident.

CG-S: The second question I chose was about designing a human-powered machine that farmers in developing countries could use to turn fresh tomatoes into paste.

I found this trickier than the first question, as I didn’t want the design to be too large or complex, but I had to have several stages to remove the skin and seeds, and then to crush the tomatoes. I also had to explain how the components worked.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO ANY PUPIL CONSIDERING APPLYING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP? MF:

Begin to research what you are interested in within Engineering early. Not only will this give you preparation for every aspect of the Scholarship – the interview, exam and application form – but it will also make you more enthusiastic about what you are doing; you will see all the amazing innovative products there are in the world. If you can’t be bothered to learn about these things then there really isn’t much point in doing the Arkwright Scholarship, as you can’t be that passionate about it!

WHAT HAVE YOU INVESTED IN / ARE PLANNING TO INVEST IN WITH YOUR SCHOLARSHIP BURSARY? PP:

HD:

I’m planning on going on a course and using the bursary to pay for it. I have applied for a Modern Materials course at Southampton.

My bursary is currently being used to refurbish an old Mazda MX5: I’ve used it to buy replacement parts and tools.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS’ TIME WITH REGARDS TO A CAREER IN ENGINEERING? CG-S: I would like to be working in the Astro side of Aerospace Engineering – possibly working on a large project, such as a satellite.

PP:

I’d like to go more into Product Design than Engineering, so I see myself working for a company, having completed a Product Design course at university.

Henry Dunn (L6P), Matthew Fulford (11O), Caitlin Grainger-Spivey (11A), Phoebe Plant (L6M)

The Apprentice After a week of work experience at Rolls Royce in the Summer of 2018, Ben Wheelton (U6S) knew he wanted to get into the work environment early, apply what he had learnt in a practical context, and challenge himself.

He certainly did that…

He joined 57,000 other candidates applying for approximately 500 Rolls Royce Degree Apprenticeships available for 2020 – a mere 0.87% chance of success! Here, he tells us in his own words, what it’s like to go through the intense Rolls Royce Apprenticeship application.

GLH

Applying for a degree apprenticeship is both a difficult and time-consuming process, but one that is well worth the effort.

After some work experience at Rolls and the Careers Fair, I knew I wanted to go for a Degree Apprenticeship: I still get to go to university for half the year and enjoy student life, but the other half I get to train to become an engineer and further my knowledge with practical ability. It sounds like a dream come true for most: getting a salary, university paid for and a prestigious job at the end of four years! This is why it is so difficult to secure a place.

My journey started in October with a written application, CV and a short personal statement. This is not even looked at until you have completed a series of online logical and numerical reasoning tests aimed to put you under intense pressure and stress. These tests only take 40 minutes, but when you must answer a GCSE Maths or a data analysis question every 20 seconds, it can seem a long time. There is also a section on situational judgement, to test what actions you would take in certain situations.

Once I had done the test, I got an email telling me I had passed, and my application would now be assessed. This also passed, I was invited to Rolls Royce Derby for an interview day. To prepare, I had to create two presentations, which I would present to a panel from Rolls Royce, with only a flip-board and pen at my disposal.

On the day, I underwent the two presentations, two hours of interviews and a group task. The interviews were with two nuclear submarine specialists and an aerospace engineer! The questions asked were extremely difficult and were meant to assess how you work under pressure and how you can find a logical answer to seemingly impossible questions. The group task was a competition: the applicants were split into two teams, who had to program a robot through an obstacle course, design and build bridge structures for the robot to cross (with a limited budget) and create a group presentation on what we achieved and our processes – all in under 30 minutes!

Thankfully, I passed and was given an offer of employment, with an extra offer of becoming a Nuclear and Defence specialist for Rolls Royce. I must thank the School and all those who helped me – and I urge anyone who thinks they might want to follow this path to apply for as many of these Degree Apprenticeships as possible: they are an amazing opportunity and there is no limit on how many you can apply for. They are the perfect opportunity for aspiring engineers and, if asked, Repton will provide a lot of support. This path requires a great deal of preparation, but is the perfect foundation for a fantastic career.

Ben Wheelton (U6S)

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020

Sport In a very strange finish to the year, it was a season of what might have been. Nevertheless, I’ve really enjoyed being Captain of Football and I’d like to thank every member of staff who has helped the Sports programme over the last five years. We appreciate it massively.

Jake Raine (U6C) Captain of Football

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Cricket 1st XI The late Easter dictated that pre-season took on a slightly different form this year, with a visit to Trent Bridge and Lady Bay, Nottinghamshire CCC’s training facility, in the final week of the Lent Term.

We were blessed by some wonderful spring sunshine, which was still present when we travelled to Nottingham Trent University to play a warm-up match on the eve of the Summer Term. Repton fielded first and, as a result of some excellent spin bowling from Will Hobson and Tom Buffin, dismissed NTU for 165. In reply, Seb Sayer recorded the first half-century of the season, displaying a newly-found maturity, as Repton triumphed by one wicket in a nail-biting affair.

Early season saw the 1st XI face some of its toughest opponents with the annual MCC declaration fixture sandwiched between away Saturday encounters against Malvern and Shrewsbury. In cool, blustery conditions, Malvern cantered to their victory target of 155, which in turn owed much to a mature half-century from Hobson. Shrewsbury were also too hot to handle, winning by 9 wickets, Hobson once again the main contributor with the bat. Playing the MCC is special occasion for the team and offers them a rare opportunity to play declaration cricket.

This places a greater emphasis on taking 10 wickets and building an innings and has largely been replaced by limited overs formats. Bowling first, George Kirtland

and Tom Jones made the most of the new ball and, backed up by the spin of Buffin, restricted the MCC to 207. With a little over 2.5 hours to bat, Angus Bennett led the way with a fluent half-century and laid a strong foundation for Anoop Chima (60*) and Ethan Berlusconi (34 off 21 balls) to win the game with balls to spare.

The weather had a major impact on the early stages of the National Schools’ T20 Competition and, after repeated attempts to play our opening round vs Leicester Grammar failed, we received a bye through to the next round, where we took on Trent College. A fiercely competitive encounter resulted in comfortable victory by eight wickets with 14 balls to spare.

Wickets again for Jones and some tight bowling through the middle of the innings kept Trent to 130-6. In reply, Bennett and Hobson both hit 40s, taking Repton to the brink of victory before Chima and Sayer finished the game off. We hosted Oakham in the following round for a place in the regional semi-final and, despite being on top for large parts of the game, ended up losing by 13 runs. Having restricted Oakham to 138-6, Buffin taking 2-22 off 4 and Berlusconi returning miserly figures of 0-9 from his four overs, Bennett and

Hobson got the innings off to an explosive start with 30 from the first three overs.

Thereafter, wickets fell regularly and, when Hobson was the sixth wicket to fall for 37 in the 15th over, the lower order had too much to do.

The second half of term got off to a damp start, three games falling foul of the weather in the space of a week. Batting first in a T20 encounter vs KES Birmingham, Chima registered a half-century in what was the start of a fine run of form and A Blocker Zachary Wenham posted 21* on debut – an impressive start to his 1st XI career. Against Trent College, Sayer enhanced his burgeoning reputation as the ‘go to’ seamer, with figures of 4-38, before torrential rain halted the match at tea.

A midweek encounter away at Ashville saw Hobson play the stand-out innings of the season, plundering 188* from just 133 balls, including 8 maximums. His contribution, the fifth highest individual score in Repton history, led to a first innings score of 297 in 40 overs and, thanks to 3-24 from the wily medium pace of Tom Nash, Repton ended up victors by a margin of 143 runs.

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020 The final Saturday of the regular season saw the 1st XI travel to Warwick where, under flawless blue skies, the batsmen made the most of conditions after Buffin won the toss. Berlusconi got the innings off to a solid start with a measured 78, which set the platform for the fireworks that followed drinks. Sayer and Wenham took 109 from 12 overs, as they both struck brutal halfcenturies, Wenham top-scoring with 75*.

In reply, Warwick were in the game for much of their innings before the captain, Buffin, ripped the heart out of their middle order, returning figures of 3-33.

In the two-day match vs Derbyshire U17s, the game was nicely poised at the halfway point, before rain washed out the second day. Derbyshire, batting first, declared on 290-8 after 60 overs and, in reply, Berlusconi and Hobson compiled a wonderful first wicket partnership of 196, Berlusconi scoring his maiden 1st XI century and Hobson not out on 79 as Repton finished day one 66 runs in arrears.

The sun returned, however, for the final day of term, as we welcomed back familiar faces in the guise of the Old Reptonian Pilgrims XI. Following three early wickets, Tom Cosford plundered 106 as the ORs racked up 252 in their 40 overs and, despite a beautifully-compiled 73 from Chima, the 1st XI fell well short as Cosford completed a man of the match, all-round performance, claiming 5-13 from 8 overs.

So, to the third iteration of the annual SPREW festival. Hosted here at Repton, the weather was glorious across all three days as back-to-back wins against Epsom and Warwick followed defeat by St Peters, York, who came away worthy winners and became the third name on the trophy since its inception. Chima scored 165 runs, only losing his wicket once across the 3 days, whilst Jones and Hobson were the major contributors with the ball.

We bid a fond farewell to Angus Bennett, Jacob Webb, Luke Brown and the captain, Tom Buffin. Luke made a significant contribution to the 1st XI over three years but unfortunately battled injury in his final season, which limited his appearances.

Buffin leaves the School with an excellent record, not least in his last term, where he topped the bowling averages with 20 wickets at 16.70. We wish them well with their future endeavours.

AVERAGES BATTING (QUALIFICATION 100 RUNS)

INNINGS

NOT OUTS

RUNS

HIGH SCORE

W.A. HOBSON

18

E.A. BERLUSCONI

15

A.S. CHIMA

100S

AVERAGE

4

685

1

515

188*

1

48.92

113

1

36.78

16

5

492

88

44.72

S.F.J. SAYER

16

3

280

55

21.53

Z.P. WENHAM

7

3

204

75*

51.00

A.G. BENNETT

6

120

59

20.00

T.A. BUFFIN

8

2

105

46

17.50

BOWLING (QUALIFICATION 50 OVERS)

OVERS

MAIDENS

RUNS

WICKETS

B/B

AVERAGE

W.A. HOBSON

107.2

8

555

25

4-9

22.20

T.A. BUFFIN

80.0

5

334

20

3-29

16.70

S.F.J. SAYER

94.5

9

445

16

4-38

27.81

T.S. JONES

69.4

4

420

13

3-26

32.30

E.A. BERLUSCONI

78.2

3

382

10

2-27

38.20

G.P.C. KIRTLAND

55.3

4

354

9

2-20

39.33

CMWR Captain: T. Buffin (S) Squad: A. Bennett (P), E. Berlusconi (L), B. Bond (N), L. Brown (N), A. Chima (L), W. Hobson (S), T. Jones (S), G. Kirtland (N), A. Mair (P), J. Muir (S), T. Nash (S), M. Newstead (S), W. Orpin (C), O. Randall (O), S. Sayer (C), Z. Wenham (S), W. Wright (O) Also Played: B. Cann (O), S. Jenkinson (O), W. Wade (O), W. Tomalin (N)

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P 20

W 10

D1

L6

AB 3

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY 164 (HOBSON 4-9) REPTON 165-9 (SAYER 53)

WON BY 1 WKT

FRIENDLIES REPTON 154 (HOBSON 66) MALVERN COLLEGE 157-1

LOST BY 9 WKTS

MCC 207-8 (BUFFIN 3-29) REPTON 208-4 (BENNETT 59, CHIMA 60*)

WON BY 6 WKTS

REPTON 151-7 (HOBSON 62) SHREWSBURY 152-1

LOST BY 9 WKTS

REPTON 173 (BERLUSCONI 63) UPPINGHAM 125 (JONES 3-26, BUFFIN 3-29)

WON BY 48 RUNS

WORKSOP COLLEGE 364-5 REPTON 98 (BERLUSCONI 48)

LOST BY 266 RUNS

XL CLUB 162-8 (SAYER 3-29) REPTON 166-2 (HOBSON 86)

WON BY 8 WKTS

REPTON 139-7 (CHIMA 55) KES, BIRMINGHAM 65-2

ABANDONED

TRENT COLLEGE 227-9 (SAYER 4-38) REPTON 7-0

ABANDONED

REPTON 297-4 (HOBSON 188*) ASHVILLE COLLEGE 154 (NASH 3-24)

WON BY 143 RUNS

REPTON 280-4 (BERLUSCONI 78, WENHAM 75*) WARWICK 205 (BUFFIN 3-33)

WON BY 75 RUNS

DCB U17 290-8 (HOBSON 4-55) REPTON 224-2 (BERLUSCONI 113, HOBSON 79*) REPTON PILGRIMS 252-8 REPTON 166 (CHIMA 73)

ABANDONED LOST BY 96 RUNS

NATIONAL SCHOOLS’ T20 TRENT COLLEGE 130-6 REPTON 134-2 (HOBSON 44, BENNETT 40)

WON BY 8 WKTS

OAKHAM 138-6 REPTON 125

LOST BY 13 RUNS

SPREW FESTIVAL REPTON 156 (CHIMA 88) ST PETER’S, YORK 160-5

LOST BY 5 WKTS

EPSOM COLLEGE 177 (HOBSON 4-33) REPTON 178-2 (CHIMA 64*)

WON BY 8 WKTS

WARWICK 201-8 (JONES 3-26) REPTON 205-5 (BERLUSCONI 79, WENHAM 59)

WON BY 5 WKTS

2nd XI Owing to poor weather and late cancellations, the 2nd XI only completed a handful of games, of which the first three were frustrating to say the least, losing by 16 runs to Shrewsbury in the first and by 9 runs to both Uppingham and Abbotsholme, thereafter.

The highlight of the season, though, has to be the performance against Worksop, who reached 117-8 from their 20 overs, batting first. Will Wright and Alex Mair strode into bat and only returned with the game won – and two overs to spare! This will be my abiding memory of the 2019 season. Both lads batted tremendously, Mair making 58* and Wright 47*. They ran brilliantly between the wickets and dispatched the bad ball expertly, guiding us to a 10-wicket win, which is a rare thing indeed.

Other notable performances from the four games we did manage to play came from Will Orpin (3-24 in the Worksop game), who could become a very effective opening bowler as he moves up the school, and Sam ‘Jenko’ Jenkinson, who grew in confidence and competitiveness tremendously as the term went on. I would like to thank all the lads who played at various times throughout the term, for their excellent company and good humour.

WGO Squad: W. Balderston (N), A. Collier (N), S. Cunningham (O), J. Earwicker (S), J. Jacques (P), S. Jenkinson (O), A. Mair (P), M. Newstead (S), W. Orpin (C), T. Owen (N), J. Riley (P), C. Ryder (C), W. Tomalin (N), W. Wade (O), B. Wanger (S)

P6

W1

L3

AB 2

MALVERN COLLEGE

CANCELLED

SHREWSBURY 184-4 REPTON 168-3

LOST BY 16 RUNS

DERBYSHIRE CB

ABANDONED

UPPINGHAM 99-7 REPTON 90-9

LOST BY 9 RUNS

ABBOTSHOLME 116-6 REPTON 107-8

LOST BY 9 RUNS

WORKSOP COLLEGE 117-6 REPTON 118-0

WON BY 10 WKTS

DENSTONE COLLEGE

ABANDONED

TRENT COLLEGE

CANCELLED

WARWICK

CANCELLED

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U15 A XI To look at the results of this season, it would be easy to conclude that the U15 As were not cricketers.

In truth, there are very few in the squad who are not talented players with a great enthusiasm for the game. That we were not able to convert this into results on the field was disappointing, but I hope it is an experience that will spur them on to greater things in summers to come.

Drawing up a batting order for this squad was a weekly struggle. It is not an exaggeration to say that, on any given match day, each player could have taken the field at the top of the order or at number eleven and performed well for the team. We were equally well-equipped in the bowling department, with four or five dangerous seamers joined by a handful of spinners who, on their day, could cause problems for all but the most accomplished of batsmen. As the season progressed, we gained a greater understanding of how to build an innings, scoring at crucial times and not allowing our opponents to get the upper hand. Despite a commendable commitment to batting second and chasing down the opposition, our best performances came when we were able to dictate how the game would be played, setting a respectable target with the bat and defending it resolutely in the field.

For me, the highlight of the season came somewhat curiously in a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of a decent Uppingham side. Although we were not victorious, the game was gripping throughout, with ebbs and flows in momentum that (very loosely) resembled England’s second innings in the third Ashes Test of the summer. Our hosts set us a target of 126 to win and, after 29 overs of our 30, we found ourselves needing just two runs – but with only one wicket in hand!

Alas, we were not able to call on the services of Ben Stokes and instead fell agonisingly short, despite some heroics from our lower-order. A game more for the neutral perhaps, but a display of hard-fought cricket played in the right spirit, nevertheless.

I would like to thank all those who contributed to the coaching of the squad over the Summer Term: Messrs Read, Pollock, Afford and Dyson were always on hand to ensure that the boys were provided with high-quality sessions as well as invaluable guidance. I wish the boys well in their senior cricket careers next summer and hope that many of them are able to convert their obvious passion into greater success on the field in years to come.

CL Squad: F. Bashforth-Bell (O), B. Cann (O), H. Cooper (S), N. Coulborn (S), M. Ewart-White (N), O. Hall (S), F. James (L), S. Rashid (P), J. Reading (N), I. Savage (L), J. Smith (O), Z. Wenham (S), H. Ziff (L) Also played: L. Bahia (O), C. Buffin (S), H. Geutjens (N), J. Gould (N), L. Haigh (S), J. Sookias (S), C. Truscott (O)

P9

W3

L6

REPTON 165-1 (ZIFF 70*, CANN 66*) BIRKDALE 69-4

WON BY 96 RUNS

SHREWSBURY 143-5 REPTON 97-6 (BASHFORTH-BELL 38*)

LOST BY 46 RUNS

UPPINGHAM 125-9 (SMITH 5-24) REPTON 124 ALL OUT (SMITH 38)

LOST BY 1 RUN

OAKHAM 155-4 REPTON 124 ALL OUT (ZIFF 39)

LOST BY 31 RUNS

WORKSOP COLLEGE 160-5 REPTON 136-5 (ZIFF 38)

LOST BY 24 RUNS

TOOT HILL 153-1 REPTON 146-6 (SMITH 67)

LOST BY 7 RUNS

REPTON 180 ALL OUT (CANN 72) WARWICK SCHOOL 86 ALL OUT

WON BY 94 RUNS

U15 COUNTY CUP / RUNNERS-UP R1 REPTON 77-0 (WENHAM 44*) WEST PARK 75-7 (RASHID 3-13)

WON BY 10 WKTS

FINAL TRENT COLLEGE 175-3 REPTON 80-9

LOST BY 95 RUNS

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U14 A XI Comprised of a pleasant and hard-working group of players, the U14 A team proved to be a capable and competitive outfit, who were a pleasure to coach. Blessed with plenty of all-rounders, this was a team with an abundance of bowling and, significantly, all eleven players could contribute meaningfully with bat in hand.

U15 B & C XIs The U15 B side had a hugely positive season in the end, after a tough start that had me wondering whether it could be a series of long Saturdays praying for someone to stay at the crease. The boys picked themselves up from a bit of a lesson against Shrewsbury to follow up with a string of emphatic and impressive victories, with our bowling attack in particular proving too much for our opponents.

A hat-trick from Charlie Truscott was a highlight, but every bowler contributed with many important wickets, whilst our fielding display was, for the most part, exemplary and backed up the great work done by the bowlers. There were more limited opportunities to bat, as we so often chased down low targets as a result of our bowling, but, especially after our opening match, the boys prized their wicket and gave nothing away cheaply, notching up some superb individual totals in the process. I hope the boys continue to enjoy their cricket moving through the school.

Robbed. No other word does justice to describe how the mighty U15 C team was denied an unbeaten season, owing to some dubious selection from Oakham in a supposed mixed B/C team, but which seemed to resemble somewhat more of an A team. However, nothing can take away a fine season from a great group of boys who played with great spirit and desire, led by their talismanic captain, Harvey ‘the Hammer’ Wilson.

The frightening pace of Akinsanmi blew away the top orders of all who stood in our way, aided by the elegant sight of Kinsiona bounding in at the other end (even if he was mostly wearing football kit). These boys were a great credit to their school and were a pleasure to coach.

As an opening bowling pair, Henry Geutjens and Joe Jenkinson offered invaluable consistency and precision that ensured that our opponents struggled to get many runs on the board. Many others also contributed with the ball in hand, but the spin bowling of Luke Bahia and Archie Hidderley was most noteworthy; they proved to be both economical in containing runs and influential in terms of taking wickets that tipped the balance of play. In Joe Sookias, the team was fortunate to have a capable and efficient wicketkeeper, who offered a constant stumping threat when standing up to the wicket. Geutjens, Bahia and Sookias were the most technically able batsmen in this team and managed some solid scores – although, in truth, they did not produce quite as many match-winning innings as might have been hoped. Critically, all members of the team enjoyed an innings of some note at some stage during the term.

What characterised this team more than anything was how receptive they were to the coaching of AA and how keen they were to win! This approach enabled all of the players in this squad to make considerable progress and make a valuable contribution throughout the term. To have won eight of the thirteen matches played is certainly admirable, but, really, this could have been an unbeaten season. They are a capable bunch with plenty of ability and with ongoing improvement they will no doubt provide a good supply of players to the 1st XI in years to come.

THN/AA Captain: J. Sookias (S) Squad: L. Bahia (O), C. Buffin (S), G. Fletcher (N), H. Geutjens (N), W. Groves (C), H. Hendon (N), A. Hidderley (C), J. Jenkinson (O), E. Pass (L), O. Richardson (L), S. Rollett (C), A. Squire (P) Also played: L. Allen (O), C. Andrew (S), F. Flanagan (C), O. Oldman (O)

DJR & MWTH U15 B Captains: M. Ewart-White (N) & C. Truscott (O) U15 B Squad: F. Barker (O), B. Bonwitt-Marsh (P), S. Clarke (L), P. Derry (S), M. Galley (P), H. Gillett (S), J. Gould (N), L. Haigh (S), F. Lake (O), T. Thandi (P), C. Truscott (O), D. Yeats Brown (O) Also played: O. Akinsanmi (C), A. Atwal (L), F. Cann (O), N. Coulborn (S), J. Reading (N), G. Wilkinson (P), H. Wilson (P) U15 C Captain: H. Wilson (P) U15 C Squad: O. Akinsanmi (C), A. Atwal (L), C. Bingham (P), F. Cann (O), S. Clarke (L), G. Edwards (L), W. Ingham (C), J. Kinsiona (L), G. Marriott (L), R. Poon (P), T. Poon (P), B. Scannell (L), T. Thandi (P), T. Wilken (N) Also played: F. Barker (O), P. Derry (S), M. Galley (P), C. Truscott (O), D. Yeats Brown (O)

U15 B XI:

P6

W4

L1

U15 C XI:

P3

W2

L1

AB 1

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U14 B & C XIs P 13

W8

L3

AB 2

REPTON 93-4 (10 OVERS) FOREMARKE HALL 1ST XI 45-5 (10 OVERS)

WON BY 48 RUNS

MALVERN 154-0 OFF 25 OVERS REPTON 150-8 OFF 25 OVERS (GEUTJENS 51)

LOST BY 4 RUNS

BIRKDALE 89-9 (HIDDERLEY 3-11) REPTON 90-3

WON BY 7 WKTS

SHREWSBURY 73-9 REPTON 74-2 (SOOKIAS 21, BAHIA 24)

WON BY 8 WKTS

UPPINGHAM 129-4 REPTON 130-7 (RICHARDSON 30, SQUIRE 21)

WON BY 3 WKTS

CHELLASTON 28 ALL OUT (HIDDERLEY 3-7, GEUTJENS 4-6) REPTON 29-1

WON BY 9 WKTS

OAKHAM 113-8 REPTON – 114-7

WON BY 3 WKTS

REPTON 124-7 WREKIN COLLEGE 125-4

LOST BY 6 WKTS

KES, BIRMINGHAM

ABANDONED

TRENT COLLEGE

ABANDONED

REPTON 63-4 WARWICK 60 ALL OUT

WON BY 6 WKTS

U14 COUNTY CUP / RUNNERS-UP SF REPTON 93-0 WEST PARK 89-8 FINAL TRENT COLLEGE 107-7 REPTON 104-4

WON BY 10 WKTS LOST BY 3 RUNS

What started out as a hopeful season for the U14 Bs rather curtailed into one that was badly affected by rain and disappointing performances. The first match of the season, away at Malvern, was ultimately our best performance: on a damp, windy day, we were asked to bat first and posted a good total of 156-2 off our 25 overs, Leverton top-scoring with 83*. Tight bowling from Oldman (2-7) meant that the game went down to the wire, Repton eventually coming out on top to win by 7 runs.

The next six games were something of nothing: abandoned and cancelled games, and losses against Uppingham and Worksop, meant that it was the last match of the season until Repton put in another good performance.

Playing Warwick, on a sunny day, we bowled first and restricted them to 138-8 off 30 overs. Good bowling performances from Allen (2-17) and Leverton (2-20), along with some sharp catching from Stone and Scales, meant that we initially had them at 64-8. However, after the interval, Repton easily knocked the runs off in 21 overs, with Rollet (78*) and Mackinnon (27*) top-scoring. A great end to the season.

CTI U14 B Captains: H. Barton Smith (C) U14 B Squad: L. Allen (O), C. Andrew (S), S. Cossey (L), A. Gabriel (P), Z. Jordan (N), H. Leverton (S), N. Mackinnon (O), H. Meynell (C), O. Oldman (O), E. Raper (P), P. Scales (C), J. Smith (P), H. Stone (N) Also played: O. Birmingham (P), B. Hornby (O), S. Rollett (C), J. Russell (S), L. Russell (S), O. Schneck (N), A. Squire (P), M. Williamson (C) U14 C Captains: C. Capewell (N) & M. Chitkara (O) U14 C Squad: G. Aitken-Moss (O), O. Birmingham (P), L. Hanman (O), C. Hardwick (N), J. Hibbs (S), B. Hornby (O), E. Huang (S), J. Lau (C), C. Owens (P), J. Russell (S), L. Russell (S), O. Yates (O), R. Zhang (P) Also played: S. Cossey (L), H. Meynell (C), E. Raper (P), P. Scales (C), O. Schneck (N), J. Smith (P), H. Stone (N), M. Williamson (C)

U14 B XI:

P8

W2

D1

T1

L2

AB 2

U14 C XI:

P6

W1

D0

T0

L4

AB 1

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Girls’ Tennis 1st VI The Tennis season of Summer 2019 certainly didn’t hit the weather heights of the previous year and the term was very stop-start, with both training and fixtures compromised. However, the first fixture against Malvern was a good starting-point for this young Girls’ 1st team.

The captain, Mae Fitzgerald, led the team well and, forming a strong partnership with B Blocker Ayse Yardimci, got the Maroons off to a winning start. The Trent fixture continued on this theme, all three pairs contributing to an overall 6-3 win: Fitzgerald/Yardimci, Brown/Buffin and Earp/White all combined well and showed a good team spirit, defeating a strong Trent side.

The annual home fixture against CB LTC Ladies’ 1st team was a fiercely-fought contest that ended in a draw, which was probably a fair reflection, the Repton girls showing their class on the singles court whilst the experience of the ladies shone through in the doubles. Shrewsbury were the next visitors – only our second year of matches against them – and the difference in level was clear to see: after two rounds, the Repton girls of Fitzgerald/Yardimci, Brown/Buffin, White/Haid were up 6-0. With rain pouring down, the final round was not completed.

The only defeat of the season came against Uppingham: with our number one and skipper, Fitzgerald, missing through illness, an opportunity for others to step up came. However, her loss did prove costly; the girls found it a tough afternoon with new pairings.

A brilliant midweek evening of fixtures against the ORs gave the girls an opportunity for some singles, doubles and mixed doubles, as we welcomed back some familiar faces to the hallowed courts. As the sun set and current and Old Reptonians exchanged stories, the former ran out 8-4 winners to keep the bragging rights for another year!

The Aberdare Cup (Nationals) qualifying started with a visit from Nicholas Chamberlaine School. The girls weren’t sure what to expect, but once the match started it was clear to see Repton would convincingly win and this proved to be correct. In the second round, the girls drew Moreton Hall, a repeat fixture to

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020 last year: another strong performance put us through to the last round, against the number one seeds, Leicester Grammar.

I must admit the girls battled extremely hard all afternoon and gave it a fantastic try against a very impressive LGS team, but the journey came to an end, as the hosts took the victory, 10-2. This meant no place at the National Finals in July – but with a young squad in tow, it was good experience for the years to come.

A special thanks is due to Mae Fitzgerald, who led the team well throughout the season and will retain the captaincy next season!

JWR Captain: M. Fitzgerald (M) Squad: E. Barlow (G), G. Brown (M), E. Buffin (M), S. Earp (A), K. Haid (F), G. White (F), A. Yardimci (A)

FRIENDLIES

P6

W4

D1

L1

MALVERN COLLEGE

W 7-2

TRENT COLLEGE

W 6-3

CHURCH BROUGHTON LTC

D 4-4

SHREWSBURY

W 6-0

UPPINGHAM

L 3-6

OLD REPTONIANS RUGBY

W 8-4 CANCELLED

ABERDARE CUP

P3

W2

L1

REGIONAL QUALIFIERS R1 NICHOLAS CHAMBERLAINE

W 12-0

R2 MORETON HALL

W 10-2

R3 LEICESTER GS

L 2-10

2nd VI There was a variety of pairings this year for the 2nd VI, with fewer fixtures than anticipated, due to the awful weather!

The captain, Romane Bompard, was our most consistent player, showing excellent skill and ball control throughout her games in order to beat her opponents. She is not afraid to approach the net and played some great shots down the line. Bea Bridge’s serving was literally ‘ACE’! She is a fierce and confident player, showing great strength and power when hitting the longer shots, which can be quite terrifying if you are her opponent!

Fran Brown’s legendary backhand shots often caught her opponents off-guard with all that top-spin, but Bea Bell and Imo Hatton were most impressive in terms of resilience and positivity this season. The very last result of the season did not reflect how well they truly played; they showed exemplary sportsmanship throughout

the match, determined to win as many points as they could! It was great to see their confidence grow as the match progressed, despite the score.

AG Captain: R. Bompard (F) Squad: J. Archer-Reed (F), E. Barlow (G), B. Bell (F), B. Bridge (M), M. Bridge (M), F. Brown (M), K. Haid (F), I Hatton (G), S. Iswaran (M), J. Smith (M)

P3

W2

L1

MALVERN COLLEGE

CANCELLED

TRENT COLLEGE

W 9-0

SHREWSBURY

W 4-0

UPPINGHAM

L 1-8

RUGBY

CANCELLED

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U15 A VI

U15 B & C VIs

A season which was somewhat affected by poor weather and it was unfortunate to have two fixtures cancelled and the Shrewsbury match cut short.

The U15 Bs worked well together this season and their partnerships strengthened across the season.

They had some difficult fixtures and did well to keep their team morale high through a few losses. Away from the doubles court, it was good to see them competing in the singles tournament in the last weekend of term and a particularly impressive performance from Sophia Ott saw her win the ‘Australian Open’ box in the ‘A’ competition. Members of this team worked hard and even practised extra, in addition to their training sessions, in order to improve as much as possible: a superb approach! Well done!

However, plenty of tennis was still played and the girls showed good progression in their knowledge of doubles scoring and tactics across the nine weeks of the Summer Term. They brought along a lot of energy to training sessions and showed a great deal of competitiveness when practising doubles, which was great to see.

They are a group of talented athletes and, although tennis is not the first sport of most, they channelled their capabilities well and worked effectively, both in their partnerships and as a whole team.

It was also pleasing to see them compete in the Junior Girls’ Singles Tournament and a particular mention must go to Olivia Singer and Charlotte Dashwood for playing brilliantly and finishing as winners of the respective ‘French Open’ and ‘US Open’ boxes in the ‘A’ competition. An excellent addition to the team this year was Liza Shcherbakova and a Senior team composed of her and her talented team-mates is an exciting prospect! I wish them all the best as they move into Senior Tennis.

ISPH Squad: C. Dashwood (A), K. Haid (F), E. Shcherbakova (G), O. Singer (G), C. Swain (M), E. Thompstone (M)

P4

W2

L2

MALVERN COLLEGE

CANCELLED

TRENT COLLEGE

W 6-3

SHREWSBURY

L 0-2

UPPINGHAM

W 7-2

RUGBY TRENT COLLEGE

CANCELLED

The U15 C season was blighted by one of the wettest summers in decades: of the five arranged fixtures, two (Rugby and Malvern) were rained-off.

Nonetheless, this did not dampen the considerable spirits of the team. The girls racked up two victories among the three matches they played: their two impressive victories against Trent College – both at home and

away – saw the fleet-of-foot Cs play mesmerisingly balletic tennis. Alas, despite their boundless energy and unstinting focus, they suffered an undeserved crushing defeat at the hands of Uppingham.

The girls proved to be a goodhumoured bunch, who responded impressively to the adverse weather conditions of the summer of 2019: I very much enjoyed ‘coaching’ them.

ISPH & ML

U15 B Squad: E. Anastasiou (M), A. Bailey (M), B. Brough (M), E. Derry (F), A. Edwards (A), I. Evans (M), S. Ott (F), E. Thompstone (M) U15 C Squad: C. Betts (A), C. Bunting (G), H. Coombs (A), L. Cooper-Ewin (A), E. Derry (F), S. Dex (G), A. Edwards (A), C. Grainger-Spivey (A), M. Miers (A)

U15 B VI:

P4

W1

L3

U15 C VI:

P3

W2

L1

U14 A VI Despite relatively few fixtures (no thanks to the appalling Great British Summer!), this was a wonderful term for the U14 A Tennis team.

What a great group of girls they were: training was a blast and the girls got the balance absolutely right between having lots of fun and working hard! Their play improved beyond belief… Sykes and Hobson hitting three aces in a single game in the last match against Trent tells us that we did something right with our aim for them to ‘just clout it!’ on the serve!

We saw much more ‘proper doubles’ and the girls will hopefully take these valuable skills forward into A Block and beyond. They were a true team and I had no hesitation in pairing any two of them together.

Inter-House tennis was fiercely contested and well done to The Mitre for winning the A team competition, and The Abbey for winning the B team competition. These competitions were as fiercely-contested as I have ever seen, but congratulations to all that played.

NMD Squad: G. Barlow (G), J. Davies (F), I. Hobson (F), M. Jackson (M), L. Ottewell (M), O. Sykes (M), F. Wedgwood (A)

P4

W4

L0

MALVERN COLLEGE

CANCELLED

TRENT COLLEGE

W 8-1

FOREMARKE HALL U13 A

W 6-3

UPPINGHAM

W 7-2

RUGBY TRENT COLLEGE

CANCELLED W 9-0

L 4-5

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U14 B & C VIs The U14 Bs had a fantastic – if slightly weather-disrupted – season, winning all of their matches, often in challenging conditions.

The girls engaged fully with the training methods and showed dramatic improvement in technique, power and tactical nuance, whilst still enjoying their sessions. Especially exciting was the movement and ruthlessness around the net in our final match – something that takes real bravery to attempt in a pressure situation.

I hope this term set them up to enjoy tennis a great deal more in the future.

Well done.

The U14 C girls had a cracking, completely unbeaten season! They played their socks off, working hard, taking feedback well and improving drastically over the first couple of sessions. Our first match against Trent was a good test for the girls and they took it in their stride, asking for help with scoring and working hard with their serves, coming out with an 8-1 victory.

Our second match – a friendly against Foremarke – allowed the girls to play on hard courts, which was a different experience for them as they are used to Astro: the ball bounces differently and some lessons about moving their feet were learnt. Against Uppingham, the girls improved their serving, which is considered the hardest part; they served with confidence and pride and had a good win. In our final match, against Trent again, the girls demonstrated they had taken on board all their training from the term to earn their unbeaten season.

Boys’ Tennis 1st VI It was an exciting season for the Boys’ 1st team. With a mixture of Saturday fixtures, University matches, National Premier League, National Club League and School Nationals, there were plenty of matches throughout the year, giving the boys invaluable match practice and experience.

The girls were a delight to coach this year, arriving on time, with positive can-do attitudes. The Player of the Season was Tilly Gray, who won every one of the matches that she played.

Well done!

TJAS & LRJ

U14 B Squad: E. Bowman (M), I. Hobson (F), J. Liu (F), G. Pocklington (M), M. Prince (F), E. Reynolds (G), P. Ross (A) U14 C Squad: M. Barker (M), M. Broderick (F), S. Derby (M), R. Diksa (A), V. Diksa (A), M. Gray (F), G. Pocklington (M), M. Rose (G), A. Tverdokhlebova (F)

U14 B VI:

P4

W4

L0

U14 C VI:

P4

W4

L0

The University of Nottingham always proves to be a competitive fixture, as the boys get to compete against older and wiser players. A solid 4-2 win for the Maroons was a sign of things to come in the season ahead. Loughborough Grammar and Shrewsbury were dispatched comfortably in friendly annual doubles fixtures, before a 3-6 loss against Church Broughton Men’s 1st team in a fantastically high standard of match, CB fielding a strong team comprising former world-ranked ATP players. Repton, as always, competed extremely well in the singles, but the experience of the men shone through in the doubles round to take the RCB Trophy, which has now become an annual event.

A brilliant midweek evening of fixtures against the ORs gave the boys an opportunity for some singles, doubles and mixed doubles as we welcomed back some familiar faces to the hallowed courts. As the sun set and current and Old Reptonians exchanged stories, the current crop of players ran out 8-4 winners to keep the bragging rights for another year!

The National Club League fixtures against local men’s clubs gave the boys valuable match practice with strong wins coming against Rolls-Royce and Duffield LTC. Harrison Birch having a brilliant tussle on the singles court with the Derbyshire Men’s County Champion was a definite highlight of these fixtures.

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SPORT Four rounds of National qualifying (Glanvill Cup) stood in the way of us and a place in the National Finals. First up was the trickiest of matches away at Ellesmere, but the boys were dominant and took the win 8-4. Hagley Catholic High and Lymm High were comfortably dispatched to set up a final round of qualifying against Altrincham Grammar, who had nearly knocked us out in the same round last year. The boys prepared brilliantly, wanting to stamp their authority on the fixture. Thomas, Birch, Linley, Ottewell and Murphy were all victorious on the singles court and then teamed up to win the doubles and make it a clean sweep, 12-0, and book the Maroons a week in Nottingham in July!

Before this, the team headed down to Eton for the annual ISTA Championships, rising to the occasion with victories against St Peter’s and Ewell Castle, to face the current National Champions, Reed’s, in the quarter-final.

Thomas/Birch played some sublime doubles to clinch the win at first pair, backed up by Linley/Ottewell, who dominated from the start. Having defeated the Champions, we would now face Culford in the semi-final. In a very competitive morning of play, Culford were just too strong and the dream of winning the title was unfortunately over.

A special thank you goes to the captain, Martin Thomas, who was a stalwart of the 1st team for all five years of his Repton career.

Captaining the team for two seasons, Martin was a great leader and role model for the team and we wish him all the best as he heads Stateside on a tennis scholarship to the University of Texas Tyler.

JWR Captain: M. Thomas (O) Squad: H. Birch (L), S. Brenchley (P), M. Herbert (C), A. Hill (C), T. Linley (P), J. Murphy (S), A. Ottewell (N), T. Whitwell (P)

P 19

W 16

L3

FRIENDLIES & LEAGUE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

W 4-2

LOUGHBOROUGH GS

W 9-0

SHREWSBURY

W 7-2

CHURCH BROUGHTON LTC

L 3-6

OLD REPTONIANS

W 8-4

RUGBY

CANCELLED

DUFFIELD LTC

W 12-0

The team had a tough draw for the National Finals, opening up against Culford on the outdoor courts. It was a stop-start day, due to numerous rain delays and, after seven hours of tennis, the match was finally completed on the indoor courts, with Culford winning,10-2.

This was a tough blow for the boys, who now went backwards in the draw, with 9th place the highest possible finish: a disappointing start, knowing we were one of the best teams in the draw. However, the next day brought renewed life to the boys: a closely-fought match against Sevenoaks was backed up with a convincing win against Leicester Grammar.

The final day’s play saw a very professional performance against Ewell Castle, securing that 9th place.

ROLLS-ROYCE

W 10-2

This Boys’ 1st team will go down in the records as one of the strongest teams to wear the maroon; with a slightly friendlier draw in the first round of the Nationals, who knows where they could have finished?

R1 ST PETER’S, YORK

W 2-0

R2 EWELL CASTLE

W 2-1

QF REED’S

W 2-0

SF CULFORD

L 0-2

NATIONAL QUALIFIERS ELLESMERE COLLEGE

W 8-4

HAGLEY CATHOLIC HS

W 12-0

LYMM HS

W 10-2

ALTRINCHAM GS FOR BOYS

W 12-0

NATIONAL FINALS / 9TH PLACE CULFORD

L 2-10

SEVENOAKS

W 8-4

LEICESTER GS

W 10-0

EWELL CASTLE

W 10-2

ISTA CHAMPIONSHIP / SEMI-FINALISTS

2nd VI The 2nd team only completed one fixture during the term – a close match, away against Shrewsbury in glorious sunshine and little wind: almost perfect tennis weather.

In the first round, with the notable exception of Kang and Fitzgerald, who won their rubber convincingly, the other pairs had clearly left their game on the coach! In round two, it was pleasing to see the boys start to play more like I know they can. In particular, Yardimci and Bramall started to find more consistency and, with both players hitting strongly, they ran out convincing winners, 6-3. This left the tie finely balanced at 3-3 going into the final round.

Atherton and Dunn started to find much greater consistency, but, after many deuce games, they lost out 3-6. Kang and Fitzgerald, realising the importance of a win, really upped their game against a good Shrewsbury first pair and won 6-0. With the match 4-4, it came down to Yardimci and Bramall – who served for the match at 5-4, but sloppily allowed the opposition to level. Impressively, though, they held their nerve, immediately broke back and then served out for a good 7-5 victory, to swing the match Repton’s way, 5-4!

Well done to all the boys.

PVG

Squad: M. Atherton (O), A. Bramall (P), T. Dunn (O), R. Fitzgerald (N), S. Kang (O), S. Yardimci (S)

P1

W1

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Football 1st XI It is tempting to characterise the 2019/20 season in the manner it ended – bizarre as it was. However, that would do a huge disservice to some of the performances and triumphs seen between September and early March.

There will always be a sense of what might have been: much of any season is about the crescendo towards semi-finals and finals in the late Lent Term. With that taken away, we must reflect on the success we enjoyed and the epic battles fought – and, with 22 wins from 24 matches, there is plenty to be pleased about.

The ISFA Sixes curtain-raiser saw a decent start to the season: we emerged from our group and managed to beat Millfield in an epic penalty kick competition. Our tired legs lost a tight semi-final to Bradfield quite tamely, who in turn went on to lose the final to an unfancied City of London – the Sixes being as random as ever. We managed to introduce some of our new joiners to ISFA competition as well as working on some early-season fitness, so we departed relatively pleased.

With two years as champions of the Hudl Independent Schools’ League behind us, confidence was high for another tilt at the title. Bradfield and Millfield are always among the favourites, but we made the perfect start with a superb 3-1 away victory at Bradfield in early September, following this up with a 4-2 victory on The Square against Millfield, despite going 0-2 down in fifteen minutes. Anye Fowajuh announced himself in the maroon shirt with two goals, alongside a further two from Jerry Williams.

The weather played havoc with our schedule, with matches against Charterhouse and Shrewsbury pushed into Lent Term

and Royal Russell played in early January. We only slipped up twice throughout the entire season and eight minutes from time away in Croydon was one of them: we let a hard-fought 1-0 lead slip to a 1-2 defeat to cost us our first points of the season. As is customary, the team bounced back strongly, with wins over Hampton and Ardingly putting us back in the running. The returning Eno Nto gave the team a timely boost and, suddenly, we were flying. We took on Shrewsbury on Top Sale and bagged a crucial 2-0 win: we have only lost once to Shrewsbury now in ten years and, perhaps even more impressively, only conceded two goals against them in the last six years. This set up an exciting finish facing unbeaten leaders Bede’s, where a win would leave us with a goal difference to overturn against Charterhouse in order to take the title. It seemed like a tall order but, in all honesty, we

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SPORT were up for it. By the time the virus hit, we were flying, keeping clean sheets and scoring goals heavily. This was a team that loved a challenge, and relished being written off!

The season was unquestionably enhanced by the October tour of Seville. To secure three victories was immense, but to do it without conceding a goal was outstanding. I certainly felt that this trip helped to bring the side together.

Possibly the biggest disappointment of the season was our ISFA Cup campaign.

We never really got moving, having a bye in the first round and then a laboured 2-1 away win at Charterhouse: I guess it reminds us how far we’ve come that I am disappointed in the manner of an away win at Charterhouse – NJK would certainly be smiling and shaking his head! On reflection, it was pleasing in the sense that winning when not playing well is perhaps the hallmark of a successful team. We then drew Brook House – a relatively new but quite formidable force – the sort you might expect to draw in a semi-final. Even the advantage of The Square was taken away by the weather; we ended up playing this match at Pingle School and, given that our opponents play on 3G all of the time, this was in no way home advantage. We produced our worst performance of the season in defeat. The fact that the Final was won by Millfield, who defeated Queen Ethelburga’s – two teams who we beat during the regular season – only goes to underline our disappointment. That’s the knockout cup format for you, though!

The ESFA Cup has been a happy hunting ground for us, recently. Early rounds were negotiated with ease, leading to two epic battles against old foes. We were drawn away at Codsall, who run their own Academy programme and were confident: at 1-0 down and 2-1 down with less than ten minutes to go, they were on the verge of celebrating the Repton scalp they so wanted – before Tom Jones popped up with a lovely volley from outside the area to make it 2-2 with eight left and Jake Raine pounced on a defensive slip with three to go to take us through, 3-2. The quarter-final was even tougher, facing Thomas Telford, who are genuinely one of the best school sides in the country: our success over them in last two years has put us on the national map as much as anything else. With our ‘home’ tie having to be moved to Stafford Town FC, we raced into a 2-0 lead, Raine bagging both. They were incredibly strong, though, and, when they made it 2-2 in the second half, it looked like we might have met our match. To compose ourselves once more, drive forward and make it 3-2 through Raine again was incredible. Nto then added a little magic with a stunning finish to make it 4-2 – and they still pulled one back before the match ended! A semi-final against Ethelburga’s was bound to be

difficult, but we had already beaten them earlier in the season, so were confident of making our third consecutive ESFA Cup Final. Then the virus hit hard and, as it stands, the competition remains unfinished: we’ll wait to see what ESFA wants to do in September.

Similarly, the Staffordshire and Derbyshire County competitions remain unfinished, while the ISFA Northern 8s, which have been highly successful for us over the last five years, was cancelled. We had already made it through to the Staffordshire final in another superb game away at Codsall in the semi-final. This time, we were the dominant team – always ahead and leading 2-0 at half-time through two Raine goals. They threw everyone forward in the second half and pulled one back, but a superb finish from Jones took us through.

The match record marks this season out as one of the finest we have had. The fact that we only played on The Square twice after October Half-Term was significant; our formidable home advantage was negated for most of the season, so we had to do everything the hard way.

The resilience of this group was quite remarkable. However, when looking at the trophy haul at the end of it, we do look a little light! In that sense, this group might

always feel a touched robbed, but I hope that this is not a feeling that will endure.

Jake Raine represented the England ISFA U18 team alongside goalkeeper Ed Catton. The Player of the Year award went to Raine, in what was a unanimous vote: one of the finest and most successful players ever to wear a maroon shirt, Jake scored 38 goals in this truncated season and I feel sure he would have gone on to eclipse Laurence Wyke’s record of 43 first team goals in a season. He finished with 83 goals in 83 1st XI appearances, despite playing two seasons in midfield, eclipsing Matt Gooderick’s previous total of 71 1st XI goals. What is more, he was the captain and unquestionably the heartbeat of the side, driving teammates on relentlessly and more effective than any Repton player I have seen in picking up and carrying a side forward when all seemed lost: Gerrard-esqe is the way I’d describe it!

Jake moves on to Furman University in the US to join ORs Luke Tandy and Tommy Redhead at Laurence Wyke’s former stomping-ground. He has been a special player.

We also say goodbye to several other key players: Harrison Birch played a tremendous role for us, both on and off the pitch, despite also being Captain of

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THE REPTONIAN 2019/2020 Tennis and having to juggle his sporting commitments at times; Mike Ostermann – an energetic midfielder, with a good eye for an incisive pass – developed significantly throughout his time here; Milan Stanojevic was instrumental in goal over the years and became one of our most decorated footballers; Guy Waterhouse perhaps suffered a bit through injury and arriving at precisely the time we had more goalkeepers than we knew what to do with – but is a quality ‘keeper; George Fynn and Will Hobson both enjoyed successful 1st XI careers, despite juggling this with 1st XI hockey and, in Will’s case, 1st XI cricket too! Kayl Kurmaly is a talented player, who struggled with injury for long periods but often made a difference from the bench in important games.

George Kirtland also played in some crucial matches, but was sadly age-trapped, as well as suffering some unfortunate injuries.

Jacob Davies kept working hard for five years and is proof that the 1st XI is not a ‘closed shop’: it’s so sad that he had secured a crucial role in the side just as the season was curtailed. Despite their departures, this is a young side and so many of the squad will be returning next season. The additions look to be quite exciting and so there is plenty of confidence that we will be able to continue with our recent progress when the 2020/21 season gets underway.

P 24

W 22

D0

L2

F 92

A 24

FRIENDLIES NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY 2ND XI

W 4-3

KIMBOLTON

W 1-0

QUEEN ETHELBURGA’S

W 2-1

SPANISH TOUR C.D. ATLETICO VISO

W 3-0

EXTREMADURA U.D. U17

W 2-0

SEVILLA C.F. U16

W 1-0

HUDL INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS LEAGUE / COMPETITION UNFINISHED

BRADFIELD COLLEGE

W 3-1

MILLFIELD

W 4-2

ROYAL RUSSELL

L 1-2

HAMPTON

W 4-1

SHREWSBURY

W 2-0

CHARTERHOUSE

POST

Captain: J. Raine (C)

ARDINGLY COLLEGE

W 4-1

Squad: H. Birch (L), E. Catton (O), H. Cooper (S), J. Davies (O), R. Felipes (S), A. Fowajuh (L), G. Fynn (S), E. Heiskanen (P), W. Hobson (S), T. Jones (S), K. Kurmaly (C), E. Nto (P), M. Ostermann (S), M. Raine (C), M. Stanojevic (L), G. Waterhouse (L), T. Whitwell (P), J. Williams (S), C. Wong (O), Y. Wong (O)

BEDE’S

POST

G1 ALLEYN’S

D 0-0

Also played: M. Atherton (O), F. Barker (O), T. Dunn (O), J. Gray (L), G. Kirtland (N), M. Mackrill (C), T. Rodriguez (N), G. Tverdokhlebov (P)

G2 ST JOHN’S, LEATHERHEAD

W 2-0

G3 CHARTERHOUSE

W 4-0

MMC

ISFA 6S / SEMI-FINALISTS

G4 FOREST

D 1-1

G5 OLDHAM HULME GS

W 3-0

QF MILLFIELD

W 6-5

SF BRADFIELD COLLEGE

L 0-2

ISFA NORTHERN 8S / COMPETITION CANCELLED U18 STAFFORDSHIRE CUP / COMPETITION UNFINISHED R1 KINGSMEAD

W 7-0

QF WOLGARSTON HS

W 7-0

SF CODSALL CHS

W 3-1

F

POST

THOMAS ALLEYNES

U18 DERBYSHIRE CUP / COMPETITION UNFINISHED R2 JOHN PORT

W 4-1

QF ECCLESBOURNE

POST

U18 ISFA CUP R1 SHERBORNE

W 9-0

R2 CHARTERHOUSE

W 2-1

R3 BROOKE HOUSE COLLEGE

L 0-4

U18 ESFA CUP / COMPETITION UNFINISHED R2 ASHFIELD

W/O

R3 DRONFIELD HENRY FANSHAWE

W 12-0

R4 CODSALL CHS

W 3-2

R5 KIRK HALLAM ACADEMY

W 6-1

R6 NORTHAMPTON BOYS’

W 4-0

QF THOMAS TELFORD

W 4-3

SF QUEEN ETHELBURGA’S

POST

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2nd XI What a season. What a group of players. What a pleasure.

It is rare to have such a talented group in the 2nd XI, many of whom would be 1st XI players in other seasons. A genuine pleasure to coach and train, they were always enthusiastic, enjoying their football and playing with a high level of intensity. To finish a season undefeated is unusual and a fine achievement, but to do so with an extremely challenging fixture list, containing no fewer than seven 1st XIs, is a measure of the ability within the group.

The back line was consistent, using just six players and any combination of Ford, Atherton, Khosla, Ryder, Dunn and Kirtland was equally effective, conceding just 8 goals across the season. We had a talented group of ’keepers too, all of whom played in the 1st XI for periods, in Catton, Stanojevic, Waterhouse and Tverdokhlebov. The two ever-presents in the team were the captain, Davies, and centre back, Ryder, who, with Sherry up-front, formed a spine that would see us through the season. Our wingers were a constant threat and any combination of Inman, Mackrill and Rosser struck fear into opposition full-backs across the land. The engine room of Cheung and Davies allowed Caranca and Kurmaly the license to create and drift in between the opposition lines, which they did more often than not, linking the play exquisitely.

The highlights of the season started with the demolition of Bradfield, away, in a traditionally testing fixture: we were 5-0 up at half-time, having simply blown them away with our pace, power and clinical finishing. Back at home, we earned a creditable 2-2 draw against Millfield in a see-saw game that both teams felt unlucky not to win. During this game, we played our best football of the season in spells, but the game will be remembered for a towering back-post headed equaliser from Ryder in the dying moments of the game. Results against talented sides from Chellaston and Stafford Grammar were hard-fought and showed a different side to our game as we had to grind out a result in poor pitch conditions.

A couple of winnable games were lost to the weather, unfortunately, or the stats could have looked even better.

Sherry finished as top goal-scorer (12), with Mackrill (5) and Caranca (4) chipping in. The rest of the goals were shared around, with even all three full-backs hitting the back of the net – for the first time since B Block!

We say goodbye to much of the team as departing U6-formers, but their legacy will live on. A tough act to follow: The Invincibles.

MRW Captain: J. Davies (O) Squad: M. Atherton (O), I. Caranca (P), E. Catton (O), R. Cheung (C), T. Dunn (O), J. Ford (S), C. Inman (O), R. Khosla (C), G. Kirtland (N), K. Kurmaly (C), M. Mackrill (C), M. Rosser (P), C. Ryder (C), J. Sherry (L) Also played: F. Barker (O), J. Brown (C), H. Cooper (S), R. Felipes (S), L. Haigh (S), W. Hobson (S), J. Hubbard (O), T. Jervis (S), A. Mair (P), M. Stanojevic (L), G. Tverdokhlebov (P), G. Waterhouse (L)

P 11

W7

D4

L0

F 39

A8

KING’S, CHESTER 1ST XI

W 3-2

JOHN PORT 1ST XI W 3-0

W 3-0

BRADFIELD COLLEGE

W 6-1

TRENT COLLEGE 1ST XI

W 7-0

WOLVERHAMPTON GS 1ST XI

D 2-2

MILLFIELD

D 2-2

KIMBOLTON

W 5-0

ALLESTREE WOODLANDS 1ST XI

W 7-0

CHELLASTON ACADEMY 1ST XI

W 3-0

SHREWSBURY

D 0-0

STAFFORD GS 1ST XI

D 1-1

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3rd & 4th XIs It would be easy to dwell on the ‘what ifs’. Why could we not manage to put Shrewsbury to the sword? How did Bradfield escape with a point from our first match? How would we have fared against a proper Millfield 3rd XI? This would be, however, to miss the point. What mattered – what this season was about – was the sheer joy of watching this team play, and that pleasure, in turn, was a function of the exceptional quality of the human beings on the pitch.

To be sure, we were blessed with a remarkable array of talents: special mention must go to Sam Yates, with 17 goals in 10 games – from midfield, to boot – though a number of the boys could have played at a higher level in a different year, and both of our ‘keepers, Gleb Tverdokhlebov and Owen Randall, were possessed of a calming imperiousness and reckless disregard for their own physical safety that fair took the breath away.

What really defined the squad, however, was its unity and tenacity, no more epitomised than in the selfless, galloping overlapping runs of Sam Jenkinson, Alex Mair and Hamish Fergusson, and the imperious, clinical but uncompromising defensive platform provided by James Murphy, Will Wilkinson, Alex Haleem and Oli Scutt. This was a team willing – nay, burning – to fight for each other, and refusing to give an inch to any opponent. But it was also a team that relished each other’s company, playing with a joy and élan that could only leave a spectator glowing with admiration and a frisson of delight, in equal measure – at the skills on display, at the boys’ sense of integrity and principle, at the professionalism with which they got the job done when they had to, and at the mature, composed and sportsmanlike manner in which they all conducted themselves, even in the face of provocation. It was striking, both how warmly the team welcomed new players as they joined the squad, but also the way these players bought into the team’s ethos. It was an unalloyed privilege to spend so many afternoons with them all: we shall not see their like again soon.

The 4th XI had a mixed season in which, due to player unavailability, we were on the end of some heavy defeats

– but still eventually ended up with a winning record. Notable performances were against Wolverhampton GS (11-0), Millfield (6-0) and Trent College (6-1), with the last being a particularly enjoyable match in which the players conducted themselves impeccably. Seb Sayer had a prolific season with the boot and Will Ingham was a pillar in the midfield, giving his all in every match.

CSD & CTI

3rd XI Captain: S. Yates (O) 3rd XI Squad: S. Cunningham (O), H. Fergusson (C), A. Haleem (P), J. Hubbard (O), S. Jenkinson (O), M. Kennedy (N), M. Lewis (P), A. Mair (P), J. Murphy (S), N. Nefedov (O), F. Nelson (L), O. Randall (O), O. Scutt (L), J. Thompson-Dykes (P), G. Tverdokhlebov (P), W. Wade (O), W. Wilkinson (P) Also played: B. Bond (N), A. Bramall (P), T. Brown (P), I. Caranca (P),R. Cheung (C), F. Dumbill (P), T. Dunn (O), T. Fan (C), J. Ford (S), L. Haigh (S), F. James (L), T. Jervis (S), R. Khosla (C), M. Mackrill (C), J. Muir (S), M. Rosser (P), S. Turner (L), D. Uffang (P) 4th XI Squad: M. Archer (P), A. Bramall (P), T. Brown (P), L. Deutsch (P), F. Dumbill (P), T. Fan (C), H. Fergusson (C), W. Ingham (P), J. Jacques (P), O. Moloney (S), J. Muir (S), F. Nelson (L), M. Newstead (S), S. Okunoye (C), D. Purewal (N), O. Randall (O), S. Sayer (C), W. Tomalin (N), S. Turner (L) Also played: M. Atherton (O), C. Butt (N), B. Cann (O), W. Cooper (O), S. Cunningham (O), H. Dunn (P), A. Haleem (P), W. Hooper-Smith (O), J. Hubbard (O), S. Jenkinson (O), M. Kennedy (N), I. Kozlov (C), M. Lewis (P), J. Murphy (S), T. Nash (S), N. Nefedov (O), J. Riley (P), O. Scutt (L), M. Squance (L), J. Thompson-Dykes (P), O. Thompstone (L), J. Wang (L), W. Wilkinson (P), S. Yates (O)

3RD XI: P 10

W7

D1

L2

F 36

A 14

4TH XI: P 9

W5

D1

L3

F 36

A 23

PJG Awarded first place in the ‘Where the Heart is’ (Staff) lockdown photography competition.

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U16 A & B XIs The football season for O Block is challenging, both because many traditional opponents do not field sides at this age group and owing to the fact that the best players tend to train and play with the 1st XI. The Michaelmas Term started with two defeats, the first at the hands of a very strong John Port side and the second against Bradfield, who were quick to capitalise on defensive errors in an otherwise competitive game. It was clear, therefore, that the team would need to work hard together rather than rely upon individuals, as it may have done in previous seasons, to earn success.

The galvanising influence of the consistently-impressive captain, Louie Haigh, as well as the availability of 1st XI regulars Henry Cooper and Max Raine in cup competitions, led to some more commanding performances and results.

The undoubted highlight of the season, and arguably of this cohort’s Repton football career, came in the final of the Burton & District Cup Final at the magnificent indoor pitch at St George’s Park, in January. Pitted once again against Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Sports Academy, a school that we face regularly in these finals, we knew that it would take a huge collective effort to lift this group’s first ever trophy.

Starting on the front foot, Repton went into an early 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Fin Barker and Fraser Geddes. Robert Sutton scored early in the second half before Barker added another. However, a second goal from Robert Sutton led to an incredibly tense period of pressure, with our opponents pushing relentlessly for an equaliser, which would have meant extra-time on the Wembley-sized pitch, with legs growing weary. Nerves were spared, however, when Barker was put through and showed the composure one-on-one with the

keeper to slot Repton’s fourth and his hat-trick goal to ensure that the trophy would be heading back to DE65.

The night will live long in the memory of the boys who played and in the memory of the coach, for whom this was the last competitive fixture after nineteen years at Repton.

Any U16 B season that sees a remarkable fightback to defeat Bradfield is worth a mention! The 4-3 victory in that match was certainly the highlight, where the boys twice came from two goals down to snatch victory. However, football being football, they also suffered a reverse along similar lines when a two-goal lead turned into a 3-2 defeat away at Twycross. The thrilling 4-4 draw in the final match at home to Twycross perhaps, therefore, represented a microcosm of the season: the U16 Bs were a team who could score goals, and plenty of them, with the last-minute equaliser and a winner controversially ruled out proving they were also a side that never gave up. Fundamentally, it was an extremely enjoyable season and it was a shame that the weather deprived the boys of the opportunity to represent the school more often, with several games being postponed.

SE & NFP U16 A Captain: L. Haigh (S) U16 A Squad: O. Akinsanmi (C), F. Barker (O), J. Brown (C), H. Cooper (S), F. Geddes (L), F. James (L), N. Moore (P), M. Raine (C), S. Rashid (P), I. Savage (L), J. Smith (O), E. Sompoprungroch (L), G. Wilkinson (P), T. Mucklow (S), S. Yardimci (S) Also played: B. Cann (O), O. Hall (S) U16 B Captain: C. Truscott (O) U16 B Squad: O. Adams-O’Rorke (S), F. Bashforth-Bell (O), S. Clarke (L), P. Derry (S), M. Ewart-White (N), M. Galley (P), J. Gould (N), O. Heap (N), T. Ikhsan (S), W. Ingham (C), F. Lake (O), O. Ozer (N), Z. Wenham (S), D. Yeats Brown (O)

U16 A XI: P 11

W6

D1

L4

F 47

A 27

U16 BURTON & DISTRICT SCHOOLS’ CUP / CHAMPIONS SF DE FERRERS ACADEMY

W 10-0

F

W 4-2

BLESSED ROBERT SUTTON

U16 STAFFORDSHIRE CUP R1 LANDAU FORTE ACADEMY AMINGTON

W 13-1

R2 TRENTHAM HS

L 1-2

U16 ESFA CUP R2 FRIESLAND

W 6-0 TIE AWARDED TO TUPTON BY ESFA

R3 TUPTON HALL

U16 B XI: P 4

W2

D1

L1

F 15

A 12

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P 21 W 16 D 2 F 107 A 30

L3

FRIENDLIES KING’S, CHESTER

W 7-2

JOHN PORT

L 1-2

BRADFIELD COLLEGE

W 5-2

WOLVERHAMPTON GS

W 12-0

MILLFIELD

W 4-1

KIMBOLTON

W 9-0

MANCHESTER GS

D 2-2

CHELLASTON ACADEMY

W 3-1

SHREWSBURY

W 5-0

U15 BURTON & DISTRICT SCHOOLS’ CUP / CHAMPIONS

U15 A XI After winning every competition they entered as U14s, there was no doubt that the 2019-20 U15 As comprised a very talented squad.

The boys were keen to continue the success they had enjoyed in their first season as Reptonians and, for many, that meant to keep winning in convincing fashion and to obtain more silverware for their already creaking trophy cabinets. For me, however, a good season would be measured differently. Not by how many games we won, or by how big the margins were, but by how much each player developed and how ready they were for the step up to 1st XI football in years to come. I’d like to think that by either metric we did alright!

Looking through our results, it would be tempting to say that our best games must have been the 14-1 victory over Thomas Alleyne’s, the 12-0 defeat of Wolverhampton Grammar or perhaps nine unanswered goals against Pingle. In reality, these were enjoyable matches, but they were not where we showed our best qualities as a team. Ironically, we did not win any of my favourite games this year. My highlights came in the battling 2-2 draw against Tudor Grange, the narrow defeat away at Dronfield Henry Fanshawe in the ESFA Cup and, to a lesser extent, the second half performance against an impressive Brooke House side in the ISFA Cup. In these games, we had to show character and to battle just to stay in the game: the opposition were strong, and they would capitalise on all of our mistakes. In these circumstances, every player fulfilled his role and worked hard for his teammates, showing an understanding

and appreciation of the game that was not evident earlier in the season.

All of this said, it is always nice to win, and we did our fair share of that too!

We retained the Burton & District Cup after an excellent display against Paulet at St George’s Park – the 5-1 score-line saying far less about the opposition than it did about the quality that we showed in every area of the pitch that night. We also looked favourites to bring the Staffordshire Cup back to DE65, but, at time of writing, it seems unlikely that this competition will reach a conclusion. And our progress in the ESFA Cup should not be underestimated: this was not the Small Schools competition of previous years, but the full National competition open to any school, regardless of size. There were 610 entrants, and for us to make the last 32 is a superb achievement.

So ends another season. One disrupted first by weather and then by global issues far bigger than football. I would like to thank all of the parents who travelled the length and breadth of the country to support us, often outnumbering the home support despite significant journeys. Thanks also to Ash Hill and Ian Cranson for their input into our training sessions throughout the year, providing the boys with a level of coaching they would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. And, finally, thank you to the boys – wherever your football takes you from now on, I wish you every success.

R1 PINGLE

W 9-0

SF DE FERRERS ACADEMY

W 6-2

F

W 5-1

PAULET HS

U15 STAFFORDSHIRE CUP /

COMPETITION UNFINISHED

R2 ABBOT BEYNE

W/O

R3 THOMAS ALLEYNE’S HS

W 14-1

QF WALTON HS

W 7-0

SF DE FERRERS ACADEMY

POST

U15 ISFA CUP R2 KING’S, CHESTER

W 4-0

R3 BROOKE HOUSE COLLEGE

L 1-6

U15 ESFA CUP R2 RUSHCLIFFE

W 4-1

R3 TUDOR GRANGE ACADEMY

D 2-2

R4 CAROLINE CHISHOLM

W 3-2

R5 CARDINAL NEWMAN

W 3-2 (AET)

R6 DRONFIELD HENRY FANSHAWE

L 1-3

Captain: F. Flanagan (C) Squad: A. Adefala (N), L. Bahia (O), H. Barton Smith (C), A. Gabriel (P), H. Geutjens (N), W. Groves (C), A. Hidderley (C), J. Jenkinson (O), N. Mackinnon (O), A. Manasir (C), T. Mucklow (S), O. Oldman (O), A. Riley (L), P. Scales (C), O. Schneck (N), J. Sookias (S), A. Squire (P), R. Tobin (P), M. Von Harnier (C)

CL

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U15 B & C XIs The statistics do not do justice to what was surely the strongest U15 B team for many years – certainly the strongest I’ve coached: the appalling November rain deprived us of five fixtures, four of which we would almost certainly have won. Against our traditional block-fixture U15 B opposition, we were greatly superior: we beat Bradfield 4-1 and Manchester Grammar 5-2; Millfield – supposedly Britain’s premier sports school – refused to put their U15 Bs out against us, on the grounds that we would win, and made us play their enormous U16s; and the Shrewsbury fixtures were lost to the weather – and lucky for them, because they’d already been hammered by Bradfield and MGS, so would have lost to us.

It’s not just about results, though: this was a team that trained well, always tried to improve, and played some scintillating football. Aitor Ilincheta Raventos was rightly voted Player of the Season by his team-mates: his pace, his balance, his two good feet were the scourge of opposition defences. However, Hugo Xie, Dom O’Brien and Rory Fitzgerald were strong and skilful midfielders who might well have made the A team in other years and, when Dimitri Youyou came back from injury, we had a centre-back of genuine quality. Ilincheta Raventos (7) and Eagle Huang (8) scored the bulk of the goals, although ten of the squad found the back of the net at some point, the pick of them Moritz Von Harnier’s strong run and tightangled finish to put us 1-0 up against MGS in the first 49 seconds of the match.

I wish them all the best for their future footballing careers.

U14 A XI We suffered a dreadful start to the season, with four defeats out of four and nineteen goals conceded.

At that point, it was hard to find many positives but, as we established a consistent line-up, players built up their fitness and injured players recovered, things began to pick up. Two wins against Norton Canes and Wolverhampton GS and eight goals registered then engendered confidence and, but for a poor week just before Christmas, the rest of the season saw clear progress as fitness levels, mentality, tactical awareness and finishing all improved.

The U15 C team had a mixed season, the final score-line usually showing a large goal difference – although not always in our favour! We had our successes, particularly with a strong performance against Kimbolton (9-1). The squad developed reliable routines in defence, where the combination of Ray Zhang and Olly Richardson proved too great an obstacle for many an attacker. Up-front, Jake Smith, Harry Leverton and Olly Yates frequently showed excellent control on the opposition goal-line, while Carwyn Owens and Otter Burford kept up the pressure with no signs of fatigue. A special mention, too, should go to Georg Wedding for his stellar performance against Dixie Grammar, where he saved a phenomenal number of shots and made sure we rounded off the season with a win.

The front three of Johnny Rush, James Harman and David Nto linked up effectively and scored a number of goals, while Rory Donegan, Nat Salsby and goalkeeper Max Bristow formed a strong defensive axis. Oliver Flindall, Lewis Millward, Hugo McAteer and Harry Evans linked attack and defence from central areas.

JMJH & TML/PJG

The best performance of the Michaelmas Term came at Manchester GS, where goals from Harman and Rush secured a 2-1 win for which we worked very hard. In the Lent Term, we won all four games with four strong performances. A 5-0 win over Wolverhampton, notable for a tremendous hat-trick from Nto, showed how much we had improved since the early part of the season. A match-winning hat-trick from Harman secured a win away at Boroughbridge in the ESFA quarterfinal and he was also on the scoresheet, together with a brace from Rush, as we won our semi-final at Grange School. In between these games, a stunning effort from McAteer sealed a hard-fought quarter-final win against Alleyne’s Academy in the Staffordshire Cup. Augustus Wenham stepped up, in the absence of Bristow, to do a fine job in goal in these games.

U15 B Captain: M. Starnick (S) U15 B Squad: L. Allen (O), C. Andrew (S), R. Fitzgerald (N), A. Gabriel (P), H. Hendon (N), E. Huang (S), A. Ilincheta Raventos (L), J. Lau (C), D. O’Brien (S), B. Schmitt (N), M. Williamson (C), H. Xie (O), D. Youyou (O) Also played: B. Hornby (O), J. Jenkinson (O), A. Manasir (C), T. Mucklow (S), O. Okubadejo (L), S. Rollett (C), M. Von Harnier (C) U15 C Squad: O. Birmingham (P), O. Burford (N), C. Capewell (N), M. Chitkara (O), B. Hornby (O), J. Lau (C), H. Leverton (S), O. Okubadejo (L), C. Owens (P), E. Raper (P), O. Richardson (L), J. Smith (P), G. Wedding (O), O. Yates (O), R. Zhang (P) Also played: L. Allen (O), C. Andrew (S), C. Buffin (S), B. Cheung (L), S. Cossey (L), C. Hardwick (N), L. Leahy (N), E. Pass (L), J. Russell (S), L. Russell (S), B. Schmitt (N), D. Youyou (O)

U15 B XI: U15 C XI:

P7 P5

W4 W2

D1 D0

L2 L3

F 28 F 17

A 23 A 44

At the time of writing, the Staffs semi-final and ESFA Final are up in the air but, whatever happens, the boys can be proud of themselves for achieving such a dramatic improvement over the course of the season.

RGE

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U14 B & C XIs Unfortunately, due to poor weather, the U14 B team had lots of cancelled fixtures and so opportunities to play were limited.

P 19

W 12

D0

L7

F 53

A 40

FRIENDLIES KING’S, CHESTER

L 1-3

JOHN PORT

L 1-6

BRADFIELD COLLEGE

L 0-6

WOLVERHAMPTON GS

W 4-2

KIMBOLTON

L 2-3

MANCHESTER GS

W 2-1

ALLESTREE WOODLANDS

W 8-0

CHELLASTON ACADEMY

L 1-4

SHREWSBURY

L 0-3

U14 BURTON & DISTRICT SCHOOLS’ CUP R1 BYE R2 DE FERRERS ACADEMY

L 2-4

U14 STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY CUP / COMPETITION UNFINISHED

However, when we did get out onto the pitch, the boys showed a really impressive determination to work hard for one another, defend as a team and move the ball around the pitch with purpose and care. An early season defeat to Bradfield certainly didn’t reflect a much tighter game, but this proved to be a motivator for the side for the rest of the term. The highlight was a 3-1 away win over Manchester Grammar: in a really close and evenly-contested match, the boys’ fortitude and team spirit shone through, culminating in a hugely impressive victory. They were superb company for the whole term and they will be a great credit to the school as they move through the years.

A tricky season for the U14 C team: extremely tough away days at Bradfield and Shrewsbury (twice!) tested the mettle of the players. If you mix in the huge amount of bad luck the team suffered (they had their chances, but failed to capitalise in some of the closer games), you would think that heads would drop. On the contrary!

Captained by the ever-positive Lemuel Melchizadeck, and buoyed by the magnificent shot-stopping of goalkeeper Lorenzo Fantasia (who was even Man of the Match in a game where he conceded 11 goals), the team enjoyed every training session together and gave it their all in games. Special mentions should go to flashes of flair on the right wing from Will Bennett, tireless tackling from Neil Ni, deft defending from Leyton Wright and an amazing back-peddling, headed clearance from his own goal-line from Archie Webb.

DJR & MLL

R1 KINGSMEAD

W 3-0

R2 THOMAS ALLEYNE’S HS

W 4-1

U14 B Captain: Z. Watson (N)

QF ALLEYNE’S ACADEMY

W 3-1

SF BLESSED WILLIAM HOWARD

POST

U14 B Squad: A. Adefala (N), S. Agafonov (P), H. Anastasiou (N), D. Chan (L), G. Gilmore (S), K. Kilic (L), H. Pickering (L), S. Sekhon (C), H. Spear (L), A. Wenham (S), B. Weston (L)

U14 ESFA CUP / COMPETITION UNFINISHED R1 BYE R2 NORTON CANES HS R3 SOUTH NOTTS ACADEMY

W 4-3 W 1-0 (AET)

R4 NETHER STOWE

W 5-1

R5 WOLVERHAMPTON GS

W 5-0

QF BOROUGHBRIDGE HS

W 4-1

SF THE GRANGE, NORTHWICH

W 3-1

F

POST

ST JOHN’S OR CLAREMONT

Also played: R. Coulborn (S), O. Ewart-White (N), A. Joubert (L), J. Liu (P), W. Tarrant (C), L. Tuinenburg (N) U14 C Captain: L. Melchizadeck (S) U14 C Squad: S. Agafonov (P), W. Bennett (S), H. Bola (L), J. Boucher (L), E. Bu (C), R. Derry (S), S. Dex (P), O. Ewart-White (N), L. Fantasia (L), J. Hepworth (P), J. Liu (P), A. Malyshev (O), N. Ni (L), S. Parkin (O), S. Rogozin (S), J. Roberts (P), L. Stanojevic (S), A. Smith (N), C. Thompson (P), A. Webb (P), L. Wright (O)

Captain: M. Bristow (C) Squad: Y. Bin Naeem (S), R. Coulborn (S), R. Donegan (N), H. Evans (O), H. Firth (C), O. Flindall (C), J. Harman (O), H. McAteer (O), L. Millward (O), D. Nto (P), J. Rush (N), N. Salsby (P), L. Tuinenburg (N), Z. Watson (N), A. Wenham (S)

U14 B XI:

P4

W3

D0

L1

F 16

A 11

U14 C XI: P 6

W0

D0

L6

F5

A 36 91

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Girls' Hockey 1st XI The season began with us hosting a series of pre-season matches: on a fantastic new water-based surface, our girls tested their rustiness against the 1st XIs from Framlingham, Cranleigh and Trent.

The fifty girls invited all attended, with not one excuse for absence, and performed to a good level against sides we’d expect to be some of the strongest in England. The performances and commitment to attend suggested that there would be strong competition for 1st XI places and that, once formed, it was going to be a very exciting team indeed, this year.

Early season Tier One matches were comfortably won, with double-figure victories against Sedbergh and Malvern.

Many of the girls remaining from last year’s 1st XI were taking a greater responsibility and some new joiners were making an early impact, too. Lily Walker, Bea Bell, Imogen Hatton and Georgia Brown formed a captaincy group and were showing their experience both on and off the pitch and Sian Emslie, Joana Boerhinger, Imogen Swann and Luisa Northing had all quickly worked their way into the starting line-up with positive early-season performances.

The Michaelmas Term outdoor fixtures offered little challenge to this talented group, so the switch to indoor was a

welcome change after Half Term. The shortened games at the Midlands Indoor Finals often gives cause for concern, but probably also focuses the mind, and an outstanding day was capped off as victory was secured without conceding a goal.

The National Indoor Finals were again held at Bromsgrove and a laboured start made things much more difficult than they should have been. A narrow victory over Dean Close and a draw with Framlingham had the girls enter their final pool match against St George’s College needing a result. At the end of a nervous half-hour, the experience of Joana Boehringer and Lily Walker saw us survive the final moments to secure a semi-final berth. From this point, the team produced their best indoor hockey of the season, defeating Wellington 4-1 and comprehensively beating St George’s in a re-match to secure the National U18 Indoor Title.

As the girls aimed to do the double, a visit from an Argentinian School in January preceded three of the best outdoor games of the season against the University sides from Nottingham, Birmingham and

Durham. It was in these games, and in the tour of Holland, that our girls showed how ready they are for adult hockey. To see the University sides celebrate equalising goals is a testament to the quality that this year’s 1st XI produced. Erin Franklin thrived with the greater action seen and, in addition to those previously mentioned, Scout Butler was excellent in her defensive role with Claudia Swain, despite only being in O Block, a constant threat to those many years her senior, as she was all season.

A frustrating solitary-goal victory against Dean Close, with our opponents not entering our 25 in the entire game, was followed by a routine defeat of Millfield in the National semi-final. It is a shame that any team that reaches a National Final is denied such an opportunity and experience, but it would be difficult to find any School 1st XI that had been more dominant during their season as this one. Given that Repton have won the National U18 Title twelve times, I occasionally get asked which 1st XI was the best ever and it would be a good debate – as this one is right up there with the very best. It would be no surprise to

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see a number of this 1st XI playing Senior International Hockey in the future, too.

Led by a superb captaincy group, the U6 contingent were a huge asset to Repton and served as excellent role models for the younger generation of Repton 1st XI players.

They will all be able to find a place in top University or Club sides wherever they find themselves next year and I wish them well.

MLJ

P 29

W 24

D4

L1

F 184

Captain: L. Walker (F) Squad: C. Archer (M), E. Barlow (G), B. Bell (F), J. Boehringer (F), G. Brown (M), S. Butler (F), L. D’Aguilar (G), N. Edgar (F), S. Emslie (M), E. Franklin (G), I. Hatton (G), E. Kilby (F), H. Laughton (M), I. Mansfield (M), L. Northing (M), C. Swain (M), M. Swain (M), I. Swann (M) Also played: A. Bailey (M), E. Bowman (M), M. Broderick (F), B. Brough (M), I. Evans (M), K. Haid (F), M. Jackson (M), O. Sykes (M), E. Thompstone (M)

A 18

FRIENDLIES & ISHL MALVERN COLLEGE

W 4-0

UPPINGHAM

W/O

OAKHAM

W 11-0

STAMFORD

W 15-0

RUGBY

W 8-3

OXFORD UNIVERSITY 1ST XI

CANCELLED

TRENT COLLEGE

W 5-0

OUNDLE

W 11-0

BROMSGROVE

W/O

BELPER LADIES 1ST XI

W 4-1

STOWE

W/O

BELGRANO SCHOOL (ARGENTINA)

W 12-0

ENGLAND HOCKEY NATIONAL U18 T1 CHAMPIONSHIPS / COMPETITION UNFINISHED

GROUP STAGES: SEDBERGH

W 11-0

MALVERN COLLEGE

W 13-0

OAKHAM

W 11-0

WAKEFIELD GHS

W 13-1

TRENT COLLEGE

W 3-1

KNOCK-OUT STAGES: QF DEAN CLOSE

W 1-0

SF MILLFIELD

W 4-0

F FRAMLINGHAM COLLEGE

POST

MIDLANDS INDOOR FINALS / CHAMPIONS

G1 BROMSGROVE

W 8-0

G2 ECCLESBOURNE

W 13-0

G3 MALVERN COLLEGE

W 3-0

SF TRENT COLLEGE

W 5-0

F

W 3-0

RGS, WORCESTER

NATIONAL INDOOR FINALS / CHAMPIONS

G1 DEAN CLOSE

W 3-2

G2 WAKEFIELD GHS

W 9-1

G3 FRAMLINGHAM COLLEGE

D 2-2

BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY 1ST XI

D 1-1

G4 ST GEORGE’S COLLEGE

D 3-3

DURHAM UNIVERSITY 1ST XI

D 1-1

SF WELLINGTON COLLEGE

W 4-1

NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY 1ST XI

L 0-1

F

W 3-0

ST GEORGE’S COLLEGE

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2nd XI The impressive stats provide an indication of the talent that made up this squad: several former National Schools’ Title winners donned the 2nd XI shirt over the course of the season and, with a good balance of Upper and Lower 6th, this made for very enjoyable and entertaining season.

Despite the early results, with high scores and victories against 1st teams, it did take a little time for the squad to settle and for the best formula for free-flowing hockey to emerge.

However, once it did, the team was able to control games with great effectiveness and produce some cultured performances. As confidence grew, combinations developed that could quickly turn defence into attack and carve out numerous routes to goal. Even more impressive was the versatility of the players and their willingness to play anywhere on the pitch. Molly Bowman switched from defence to midfield and commanded operations with maturity; Gabby Pope proved invaluable, whether playing up-front or at left-halve (that’s correct: left halve!) and Laura D’Aguilar moved comfortably between captaining the 2nd XI and the 1st XI cup squad.

The only blip came at Stowe, where revenge for them for last year’s defeat was high on the agenda. The weather was bleak, the long journey tiresome, the game agricultural and the home support vocal. The girls were disappointed with the account they gave; it was disjointed and flat.

There can be no better way to get over such a defeat than to smash the next opposition and the girls did just

this in their final game, with the best performance of the season. It lifted the spirits and left us all on a high with which to reflect on the many successes we had achieved.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with this group of girls. They teased me relentlessly and I often thought I had worked harder in training than they had, but their camaraderie and good humour was endearing. They were keen to improve and their commitment unquestionable. I would like to thank all the U6 for their commitment to hockey during their time at Repton – and particularly in this important academic year. Keep playing and enjoying the game!

JRL Captain: L. D’Aguilar (G) Squad: M. Bowman (M), L. Buchan (A), H. Groves M), A. Johnson (G), E. Kilby (F), Z. Knowles (F), P. Maddocks (F), E. Martin (M), L. Morris (G), E. Newsome (G), H. Nieper (F), G. Pope (G), C. Steele (A) Also played: C. Archer (M), E. Barlow (G), E. Buffin (M), E. Cann (A), H. Cook (A), S. Corner (G), N. Edgar (F), E. Franklin (G), H. Laughton (M), I. Mansfield (M), M Swain (M), E. Lownds (A), H. Ward (M), Z. Wedgwood (A)

P 11 F 57

W 10 A 10

D0

L1

MALVERN COLLEGE

W 8-1

UPPINGHAM 1ST XI

W 3-2

STAMFORD

W 7-0

KING’S HS FOR GIRLS 1ST XI

W 4-2

RUGBY

W 7-0

TRENT COLLEGE

W 6-0

BROMSGROVE

W 8-0

BROMSGROVE 1ST XI

W 2-0

OAKHAM

W 6-0

STOWE 1ST XI

L 0-5

OUNDLE

W 6-0

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3rd XI I had been warned that the 3rd XI squad would comprise players who had played in County Finals, in addition to B team players from previous year groups, and they played and trained with a sense of purpose throughout the season: even in the 4.15pm training slot in pouring rain, they remained positive, the music playing giving that extra motivation to the session! This translated into a winning mentality, as results showed.

Fran Brown was an inspirational captain, who led by example throughout the season. Goal were scored by many players, which proved the depth of the squad.

Most matches were won convincingly; however, their final game against Oundle was a tough challenge.

Everyone from the squad was selected to play and, for the U6, this was their final match for Repton. It would be unfair to single out any player, as everyone understood that the team was more important than individual performances. Solid defence gave the platform for a close 2-1 victory, which was deserved.

This mentality was achieved by their willingness to work hard and desire to improve throughout the season. In recognition for an excellent season, they fully deserved their puddings in the Bulls Head!

EWCW Captain: F. Brown (M) Squad: F. Buckley (A), E. Cann (A), H. Cook (A), O. Ellis (G), S. Haigh (M), A. Harcus (A), P. Kellock (G), E. Lownds (A), J. Merriman (A), J. Milligan-Manby (F), J. Mousley (A), A. Naylor (M), P. Plant (M), E. Scutt (M), I. Woods (M) Also played: L. Buchan (A), P. Maddocks (F), L. Morris (G), Z. Wedgwood (A)

P8

W7

D0

L1

F 45

A4

U16 A XI Given the success of last year’s U16 team, this season started with anticipation, expectation and excitement.

From the very first session, the girls were a pleasure to coach and I left each session happier than when I started. This may not have always come across to the girls, but they were a joy at training – always keen and eager to try new skills – and the quality of hockey they showed at times was impressive.

The ISHL team fought hard against all opposition and, whilst we were low on numbers for some games, we certainly weren’t low on drive and desire to win. It was during these League games that some players really stepped up in the absence of others: Charlotte Dashwood’s performance against Bromsgrove, Olivia Singer versus Trent and Emily Thompstone against Oundle certainly stand out. To go the League season unbeaten highlights the effort, skill and togetherness this group had.

The Cup run started with a tough away fixture to King’s Macclesfield in what proved to be one of our most difficult games of the campaign. However the girls weathered the early storm and excellent performances from Ella Bowman and Ottilie Sykes helped see us through. The next two rounds against Cheadle Hulme and Oundle showed that the group was really starting to gel; to face two strong sides and finish with nine

goals scored and none conceded showed the strength and depth this team had. Lee Valley is always the highlight of the season and the semi-final fixture against an excellent Surbiton High side was no different.

The girls played through the nerves to come out 3-0 winners and book themselves a place in the National Final for the second year running.

The National Final saw the girls play against Sedbergh, who they had played in their first competitive game of the season, which had been extremely close. Knowing the challenge they were up against, the girls played their best 35 minutes of hockey all season, scoring five goals in the first half, with blistering performances from Kat Haid, Miranda Jackson and Georgie Barlow. This first half blitz proved too much for Sedbergh and the girls managed to successfully defend their National title in impressive fashion.

Throughout the season, I was able to rely on the skill and leadership qualities of Bronte Brough, Emily Thompstone and Kat Haid as a leadership group: their willingness to improve and desire to win is phenomenal; they galvanised the team with their performances, but also played a huge part off the pitch, unifying the team and creating an enjoyable and positive team environment.

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In two years of coaching the U16 A girls, I have seen some superb individual performances, but the togetherness each team has shown has been their main strength and coaching these teams has been a real highlight of my time at Repton.

JAS Captain: B. Brough (M) Squad: I. Archer (M), A. Bailey (M), C. Betts (A), M. Brown (M), C. Dashwood (A), E. Derry (F), I. Evans (M), K. Haid (F), O. Singer (G), E. Thompstone (M) Additional Competition Squad: G. Barlow (G), L. Barth (A), L. Bode (A), E. Bowman (M), E. Bowley (F), M. Broderick (F), M. Jackson (M), M. Prince (F), O. Sykes (M) Also played: E. Anastasiou (M), M. Miers (A), E. Polak (G), E. Rush (M)

P 15 W 13 D 2 L 0 F 67 A 5 FRIENDLIES & ISHL SEDBERGH

W 2-0

UPPINGHAM

D 1-1

STAMFORD

W 4-0

RUGBY

W 10-0

TRENT COLLEGE

D 1-1

BROMSGROVE

W 2-1

OAKHAM

W 6-0

STOWE

CANCELLED

U16 B XI The U16 Bs endured a tough season, winning just one of their seven completed matches. A shoestring squad meant that we were often light on numbers, both at training and in matches, and we were indebted to those that stepped up to play, sometimes at the last minute. A particular mention should go to Jessie Milligan-Manby, who was always willing to offer her services – even if she had just stepped off the field from her 3rd XI game!

RGS, WORCESTER

W 4-0

Highlights were a commanding midweek win at Trent, where a number of A Block girls played up a year and dominated proceedings, and excellent leadership from Sophia Ott, often in trying circumstances.

BELGRANO (ARGENTINA)

W 14-0

CMWR

OUNDLE

W 2-1

NATIONAL U16 CUP / CHAMPIONS R2 THE GRANGE, NORTHWICH

W/O

R3 KING’S, MACCLESFIELD

W 3-0

R4 CHEADLE HULME

W 3-0

QF OUNDLE

W 6-0

SF SURBITON HS

W 3-0

F

W 6-1

SEDBERGH

COUNTY U16 INDOOR FINALS / CHAMPIONS

ECCLESBOURNE

W 15-0

TRENT COLLEGE

W 2-1

Captain: S. Ott (F) Squad: E. Anastasiou (M), C. Bunting (G), H. Coombs (A), L. Cooper-Ewin (A), S. Dex (G), A. Edwards (A), C. Grainger-Spivey (A), C. Owen-Jones (A), M. Purewal (G), A. Robinson (G) Also Played: M. Barker (M), D. Darby (G), S. Derby (M), J. Milligan-Manby (F), E. Polak (G), E. Porter (G), M. Rose (G), E. Rush (M), E. Shcherbakova (G), E. Smith (F)

P7

W1

D0

L6

F8

A 29

MIDLANDS U16 INDOOR FINALS / CHAMPIONS

P6

W6

F 27 A 0

NATIONAL U16 INDOOR FINALS / RUNNERS-UP

G1 PERSE

W 7-1

G2 CRANLEIGH

W 2-0

G3 QUEEN’S, CHESTER

W 5-1

G4 MILLFIELD

W 3-1

SF FRAMLINGHAM

W 4-1 D 1-1

F

CRANLEIGH

(L 1-2 ON PENS)

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U15 A, B & C XIs In recent memory, Repton has had high performing junior A teams on the hockey pitch and, indeed, in many other sports.

This U15 A side must be up there with the most prolific ever.

Although the fixture list is relatively small in the A Block year, due to an absence of cup competitions, the record speaks for itself. Factor in that there was barely a game that the coach could pick from all possible players and the term is an even more remarkable one. This last point is very important: the term progressed in its entirety with a 20-person training squad, not something that is usual, but such is the depth in talent in this year-group, this was natural. The quality of training was excellent throughout the term and the girls should be congratulated for the high standards that they retained, despite winning matches in a comfortable fashion on the scoreboard.

Throughout, the girls worked hard to make collective and individual improvements and that there were twelve different scorers in the end speaks to the variety of contribution made by many of the players.

The type of hockey that evolved was one of expansive, passing moves that often ended in goals from close range or penalty corners won. Particularly impressive performances were registered against Oakham and Oundle – both schools with good records for the season, but beaten by a Repton side that could match any level of grit and determination and played with a maturity of hockey that belied their agegroup. I sincerely hope and expect that many of these girls will progress to become part of successful first team squads of the future. Next year, when supplemented by some of the excellent players from the year below, they should make a formidable U16 cup squad that will be hard to beat if they can maintain their current level of progress.

It was a successful season for the U15 Bs: it was great to see how much they improved, as a team and as individuals, throughout this unbeaten season.

One match that really stood out was the last game of the season, in which the team won 7-1 against Stamford. A number of girls scored excellent goals, some of them from short corners. The defence worked collaboratively to prevent Stamford scoring any further goals in the second half. Another highlight was the match against Rugby: up front, the attacking play was executed with confidence – quick shots at goal and following up deflections; while, once again, the defence demonstrated excellent skills to secure an impressive 6-1 victory. All played with enthusiasm and determination – well done, girls, for a great season.

It was an absolute pleasure to coach the U15 C girls again, having had a successful season with them in B Block; they were a credit to the school in all fixtures. The season got off to a great start, winning 5-0 against Malvern, including a hat-trick from our captain, Jess Liu. This match also saw the debut of Yang Xue’s goalkeeping endeavours – and wow did she impress this season! Having never played before, she got stuck in and developed into a very promising ’keeper: I hope that she continues to play in this position, improving upon all that she has learnt so far. Despite the effort put into training and the joy they brought to each session, the rest of the season was not as fortuitous as the first match. However, very closely-fought battles against Stamford and Oakham both brought much entertainment for both spectators and players.

This is the last year of compulsory hockey for these girls – but they can choose it as an option, next year. I really do hope lots of these girls pick up their hockey sticks again, as there is plenty of talent in this team. Emilia Bock was awarded Player of the Season for her improved skills, commitment and willingness to test her abilities. Well done, girls!

DAE, LEP & SDAS U15 A Squad: M. Barker (M), G. Barlow (G), L. Barth (A), E. Bowley (F), E. Bowman (M), M. Broderick (F), L. Clark (F), J. Davies (F), J. Edwards (A), I. Hobson (F), M. Jackson (A), A. Kelly (A), L. Ottewell (M), E. Porter (G), M. Prince (F), P. Ross (A), O. Sykes (M), G. Tatam (G), F. Wedgwood (A) U15 B Squad: M. Barker (M), S. Derby (M), R. Diksa (A), V. Diksa (A), A. Harris (M), H. Jackson (A), P. Law (F), K. Marshall (A), L. Ottewell (M), A. Parkes (M), G. Pocklington (M), E. Porter (G), E. Reynolds (G), M. Rose (G), P. Ross (M), G. Tatam (G), E. Truelove-Cooke (A) Also played: J. Davies (F), J. Edwards (A), A. Kelly (A), P. Ross (A) U15 C Captain: J. Liu (F) U15 C Squad: E. Ajayi-Akinsulire (F), D. Armour (G), E. Bock (M), M. Gray (F), H. Chatterton (G), S. Imako (M), F. Thomas (F), A. Tverdokhlebova (F), G. Whittingham (M), Y. Xue (G) Also played: A. Harris (M), P. Law (F), A. Parkes (M), G. Pocklington (M), E. Reynolds (G), E. Truelove-Cooke (A)

U15 A:

P9

W9

D0

L0

F 60

A1

U15 B:

P8

W6

D2

L0

F 30

A6

U15 C:

P7

W1

D1

L5

F 12

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U14 A XI What started at an away game in the shadow of the picturesque Malvern Hills, where a Marisa Lucas goal after 90 seconds got the season up and running, finished at the equally stunning Olympic Park with National 4th place medals.

In between was a journey of mainly ups, plenty of goals and a fair few away trips. We were able to keep a very consistent squad and this continuity certainly helped the players develop both technically and tactically, and understand their roles in the team.

The normal school season allowed the team some comprehensive wins, with the goal-scoring of Poppy Barlow and midfield running of Tilly Butterworth often a significant factor. A midweek game against Loughborough High was the best run-out we had in the first half of term and, little did we know at that point, that would be the first of three meetings with them over the season. As the pre-Christmas phase reached its peak at the Midlands Finals on the Exeat in November, we knew that winning the semi-final was going to be good enough to take us to the Nationals, due to our victory at U14 level the year before and the Midlands having two qualifiers. As it turned out, that was crucial as, after a secure win over Uppingham in the semi-final, we lost on penalties to Loughborough in the final, having conceded right at the very end of the game in an unfortunate series of penalty corners.

Despite an even game, we lost our first match on the main international pitch in London in the National Finals, but came back strongly in game two against Epsom.

The group was so tight as we entered the final round, any school could have made the final and any school could have come 4th, but our draw against The Perse, after going behind, was enough for us to make the 3rd/4th play-off, where just a single goal was the difference, as it had been in every game that day, to leave us with a National 4th place medal. The chance to join the medal ceremony and walk out again on the main pitch was a fitting way to end the season and a measure of the commitment this group of girls showed, with a large number of them being ‘ever-presents’ throughout the season.

P22

W16

D2

L4

F115

A15

FRIENDLIES & ISHL MALVERN COLLEGE

W 11-0

SEDBERGH

W 9-0

UPPINGHAM

W 6-0

LOUGHBOROUGH HS

W 4-3

STAMFORD

W 9-0

TRENT COLLEGE

W 7-0

RUGBY

W 6-1

BROMSGROVE

W 15-0

OAKHAM

L 2-3

SOLIHULL STOWE

W 9-0 CANCELLED

OUNDLE

W 7-0

MIDLANDS ZONE ROUND / WINNERS

KING’S, WORCESTER

W 5-0

DENSTONE COLLEGE

W 7-1

MIDLANDS FINALS / RUNNERS-UP G1 RUGBY

W 4-0

G2 LOUGHBOROUGH HS

L 1-2

G3 BROMSGROVE

W 8-0

SF UPPINGHAM

W 1-0

F

LOUGHBOROUGH HS

D 1-1 (L ON PENS)

Congratulations to them on what they achieved. This was not a hugely experienced team at the outset, but they gained considerably in both knowledge and confidence as the season progressed, laying a good foundation for their journey through the school.

NATIONAL FINALS / 4TH PLACE G1 DEAN CLOSE

L 0-1

IMP

G2 EPSOM COLLEGE

W 2-1

Captains: P. Barlow (F) & M. Butterworth (M) Squad: N. Caranca Yañez (G), G. Darby (G), C. Fletcher (M), E. Fraser (M), J. Grace (F), H. Harman (M), H. Harte (G), O. Ingham (M), M. Lucas (F), A. Marriott (F), S. Payne (G), C. Tate (M), D. Wong (M)

G3 PERSE

D 1-1

SF UPPINGHAM

W 1-0

3RD/4TH FRAMLINGHAM COLLEGE

L 0-1

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U14 B XI For a number of the girls in the team, this was their first experience of hockey, and they should be extremely proud of the progress made through their hard work and dedication.

Every member of the team showed outstanding commitment to both training and matches, and represented the school impeccably.

We were fortunate to have a number of strong leaders amongst the group – namely, Grace Darby, Georgina Jackson and Freya Bruno – who took on key roles within the team. Bruno was a major threat on the right wing, with her pace and skill, whilst Jackson and Darby controlled the game from the midfield.

Highlights of the season were a solid away victory at Trent, in torrential conditions, and a nail-biting 1-1 draw with a very impressive Stamford side.

Our goal came from a well-placed short corner strike from Darby.

This group of girls was an absolute pleasure to coach, with great energy and spirit; they should be proud of the progress they each made.

PMM Squad: C. Allen (A), L. Bright (F), M. Brown (G), F. Bruno (A), K. Chaibi (G), C. Cooper (A), G. Darby (G), S. Dowie Bowes (M), B. Greene (G), H. Harman (M), S. Ikhsan (M), G. Jackson (A), A. Marriott (M), S. Sashida (F), C. Tidy (A), M. Wilson (G) Also played: K. Baser (A), N. Han (A), H. Harte (G), O. Ingham (M), M. Lucas (F), V. Mackrill (G), A. Marriott (F), R. Mattu (G), S. Payne (G), C. Tate (M)

P9

W2

D1

L6

F4

A 20

Boys’ Hockey 1st XI This year, the 1st XI did not have the usual luxury of playing during the Michaelmas Term as a Development Squad, as the new format of the National U18 Championship saw them travel to Oakham just a few weeks into term for their opening National Tier One fixture.

A couple of preparation games were won without too much trouble and showed how good this year’s 1st XI were going to be going forward: Billy Collins and Xavier Teyletche showed creativity from midfield to support an energetic forward line, led by Mackie Newton. Unfortunately, the trip to Oakham highlighted defensive frailties and, although this could be put down to early-season disorganisation and improvements followed, it was a recurring theme throughout the season in the most competitive matches.

the quality of hockey was as good as I can remember so early in the season.

Zack Brough and Tom Nash formed a solid defensive partnership and Will Tomalin was looking sharp in goal, too.

Knowing that another T1 defeat would effectively end the season, even though it was still September, a ruthless display against Warwick put the season back on track. Teyletche was potent from penalty corners and open-play goals flowed, Will Wright scoring the pick of them with a fine reverse-stick strike.

The form continued to Wolverhampton for the Midlands Finals and a place at the Nationals was secured in impressive style. With two qualifying places available, a comprehensive victory over Rugby saw the boys progress to the Final to meet Oakham.

As is always the case in shortened indoor fixtures between two good teams, a few key moments changed the course of the game, but, while our boys were disappointed to lose, they had achieved the goal of qualifying for the National Indoor Finals with relative ease. This year’s Finals were one of the most competitive of recent years and, despite two victories on day one, a defeat to a very stylish Whitgift side ended the campaign for this year.

By contrast, the Indoor season began in fine style: we hosted Rugby and Loughborough Grammar for a Midlands Zone and scored twenty goals in the two matches. The benefit of the new Sports Hall was clear, as penalty corners were excellent and

A trip to Norwich got the Outdoor campaign back underway and was likely to decide whether we would qualify for the National quarter-Final.

An overnight stay was part of the preparation and the boys exerted early pressure, which bought several penalty

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corners from which Tom Nash scored the opening goal. Norwich punished a number of wasted chances soon after, though, when they scored two penalty corners to take the lead and, with fifteen minutes remaining, it looked as though it was going to be a long journey home. As was often the case this season, though, Teyletche rose to the occasion and equalised, before Alex Murdoch rounded off an excellent move to seal victory inside the final minutes. The addition of George Fynn to the squad, and the defensive performances of Orpin and Harry Scutt, were contributing factors to the upturn in form since the Indoor season ended.

The togetherness of this 1st XI stood out on several occasions this season, in victory and defeat, and was testament to the maturity and leadership of an U6 with whom I was often so impressed. As captain, Xavier Teyletche was an excellent on-pitch leader, ably supported on and off it by Billy Collins. I was grateful to them and other members of the group this year for their commitment to school hockey in this and in previous years – and wish them well for their future hockey endeavours.

T1 NATIONAL U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS

MLJ

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS’ CUP

Captain: X. Teyletche (N)

LAST 32 BYE

Trent were beaten easily and, despite a poor performance at QEGS, Wakefield, we made the draw for the National quarter-final, where we would again travel to Dean Close.

A slow start allowed Dean Close to take the lead inside the first few minutes and so we were always chasing the game. A number of temporary suspensions, mainly for poor challenges, made the task all the more difficult and, with too many instances where the ball was simply given away in key areas, we were beaten by a better side.

Squad: M. Archer (P), Z. Brough (S), W. Collins (P), G. Fynn (S), W. Hobson (S), A. Murdoch (N), T. Nash (S), M. Newton (C), W. Orpin (C), A. Ottewell (N), H. Scutt (N), M. Squance (L), W. Tomalin (N), W. Wright (O)

LAST 16 BEDFORD

Just before the season was prematurely ended, we hosted Reed’s in the Independent Schools’ Cup. Reed's were reigning National Champions, but our boys were more than a match for them.

Will Hobson and Collins were excellent in midfield, and Teyletche scored an outstanding goal to take the game to penalties. On this occasion, it was not to be: Reed’s did not miss; but it was pleasing to see our boys bounce back from the disappointment of the previous day to produce such a good performance.

POOL STAGES OAKHAM

L 1-3

WARWICK

W 7-0

NORWICH

W 3-2

QEGS, WAKEFIELD

D 2-2

KNOCK-OUT STAGE QF DEAN CLOSE

L 2-6

/ QUARTER-FINALISTS

Also Played: B. Bonwitt-Marsh (P), H. Dunn (P), G. Fletcher (N), J. Gould (O), T. Kim (N), J. Sookias (S), H. Stone (N), J. Truelove-Cooke (N)

P14

/ QUARTER-FINALISTS

W9

D2

L3

F72

A31

QF

REED’S

W 10-1 D 3-3 (L 3-5 ON PENS)

MIDLANDS INDOOR QUALIFIERS /WINNERS

LOUGHBOROUGH GS

W 8-0

RUGBY

W 12-1

MIDLANDS INDOOR FINALS / RUNNERS-UP

FRIENDLIES & ISHL

G1 MALVERN COLLEGE

W 8-0

NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNI 2ND XI

W 7-4

G2 ECCLESBOURNE

W 2-1

G3 BROMSGROVE

W 8-0

LOUGHBOROUGH GS

W 8-1

SF RUGBY

W 9-0

UPPINGHAM

W 7-3

F

L 3-5

UPPINGHAM

W 5-3

OAKHAM

L 1-2

NATIONAL INDOOR FINALS

TRENT COLLEGE

W 7-1

RUGBY

W 9-0

OAKHAM

G1 MILLFIELD

W 4-1

G2 ALTRINCHAM GS

L 2-3

OUNDLE

CANCELLED

G3 FRAMLINGHAM COLLEGE

W 4-3

DEAN CLOSE

CANCELLED

G4 WHITGIFT

L 0-9

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2nd XI With the final match of the season cancelled, the coronavirus outbreak cruelly prevented the 2nd XI from receiving the full accolade of a successful and potentially unbeaten season.

However, there is no doubting that this band of mavericks played an attacking style of hockey: many an opposition struggled to cope with the pace of the team and their desire to score goals. Lewis, Murphy and Thompson-Dykes made nuisances of themselves and taunted defences, whilst Ingham discovered a drag-flick of sorts in his armoury.

On the odd occasion that they were pushed, the defence stood strong. Bramall calmly went about his business – an unsung stalwart of the team, whose contributions were greatly appreciated – and TrueloveCooke marshalled the troops from between the sticks – although he could question whether they took any notice.

Fergusson went off-piste mid-season and Scutt was tempted away by the

egg-shaped ball – probably on the promise of some riches from CTI. Personally, I felt that the team played their best game against Oakham: it was a game where everything clicked into place. The derby against Trent produced the usual tetchy affair; Rugby probably felt cheated by our lastminute winner and, equally, Oundle robbed us of a clean sweep of wins at the death.

Most of the squad remain next year and, with a strong O Block to swell their ranks, the future looks bright. For those leaving, I thank them for their support for Hockey during their time at Repton and hope they continue to enjoy and play the game.

JRL

Captain: J. Truelove-Cooke (N) Squad: A. Bramall (P), S. Clark (O), H. Dunn (P), H. Fergusson (C), W. Ingham (P), J. Leavesley (N), M. Lewis (P), J. Murphy (S), M. Newstead (S), O. Scutt (L), C. Tarrant (S), J. Thompson-Dykes (P) Also played: J. Bramfitt (S), G. Fynn (S), W. Hobson (S), A. Murdoch (N), W. Orpin (C), A. Ottewell (N), M. Squance (L)

P 6 W 5 D 1 L 0 F 32 A 5 BROMSGROVE

W 10-0

UPPINGHAM

W 5-0

STAMFORD

CANCELLED

OAKHAM

W 5-1

TRENT COLLEGE

W 7-0

RUGBY

W 4-3

OUNDLE 1ST XI

D 1-1

OUNDLE

CANCELLED

DEAN CLOSE

CANCELLED

3rd XI

U16 A XI

Although three scheduled matches were cancelled for a variety of reasons, the 3rd XI completed the season with an impressive 100% win rate.

After the first training session with this group, I could see that their willingness to learn new skills was equal to their willingness to shoot at goal! In my four years of coaching hockey at Repton, I have never seen such a desire from everyone on the pitch to take shots at goal – or a goalie more willing to try and save them! The style of hockey that the boys initially played was very individual and, over the course of the first few weeks, we made great strides to playing a much-improved passing game, which yielded excellent performances against Rugby and Oundle, with stand-out individual displays from Will Ingham, Isaac Savage and James Gould.

With the 1st XI Indoor season reaching into the first two weeks of term, the knock-on effect meant that the 3rds had a strong 15-man squad for the season opener versus Bromsgrove. Four goals each from Matt Lewis and Matt Newstead led to a dominant 11-0 victory and, although subsequently four members of that team were promoted to the 2nd XI, a tight-knit squad developed and triumphed over all-comers in the weeks that followed.

Will Wilkinson led the team (and midfield) with calm authority; Josh Bramfitt (GK) conceded just two goals throughout and the four-man defence in front of him were also the catalyst in much of the attacking play, such was their confidence on the ball, at times guilty of trying to force a final pass when recycling the ball and being patient was the order of the day. However, with attacking threats coming from so many different options, goals were never in short supply, with no fewer than nine players finding the back of the net.

Many of the squad return next year and should be pushing for 2nd XI (or further) selection and, for the leavers, I hope they continue to play and enjoy hockey outside of the school environment; they would be an asset to any club.

CWMR Captain: W. Wilkinson (P) Squad: J. Bramfitt (S), A. Collier (N), S. Cunningham (O), H. Gilby (S), J. Hornsey (O), A. Mair (P), N. Nefedov (O), O. Randall (O), D. Russell (S), W. Wade (O), B. Wanger (S) Also played: H. Birch (L), A. Bramall (P), S. Clark (O), M. Lewis (P), M. Newstead (S)

P 5 W 5 D 0 L 0 F 27 A 2

The progress that this group made was the most pleasing aspect of coaching them, as there was a lot of sporting talent in the group, with numerous A team cricketers and footballers. The transformation to A team hockey player was epitomised by David Yeats Brown and James Smith, who joined the group after training with the B team for the first week: their willingness to learn new skills saw them turn into key members of the League side and I hope that they both continue their hockey into the Sixth Form.

The Cup run started with high levels of expectation, as reigning National Champions and with a large influx of A Block players. In a tough third-round fixture against a well-organised Altrincham Grammar side, after a cagey opening half the boys started to find their skills and impose their style of play on the game. With some sublime link-up play from George Fletcher and James Gould, they soon worked open a four-goal lead to progress through to the next round.

The quarter-final tie at Churcher’s College was a tough fixture, involving 340 miles of travel and an overnight stay, but, led by Gould, the boys negotiated their way past an excellent side with boisterous home support.

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P 9 W 7 D 1 L 1 F 37 A 12 FRIENDLIES & ISHL WORKSOP COLLEGE

W 5-1

UPPINGHAM

L 4-5

TRENT COLLEGE

CANCELLED

STAMFORD

CANCELLED

U16 B XI

A frustrating but nonetheless enjoyable season.

JAS

NATIONAL INDOOR FINALS

The boys found themselves on the wrong end of five very close and well-contested matches and, with a more clinical eye in front of goal, could easily have turned defeat into victory. Even so, the boys showed excellent commitment to school hockey this term and it was eventually necessary to implement a squad rotation policy such was the eagerness of the boys to make themselves available for matches. We certainly played better hockey in the second half of the term and, on an individual level, every squad member can reflect very positively on a term that saw their skills and knowledge of the game improve markedly. A special mention must be reserved for Leo Hanman, who selflessly stepped up to play above his age group, having played U14 C Hockey last season – he never let us down. Something for the whole side to work on next term: shooting and finishing!

G1 SHERBORNE

W 3-0

DJR

Captain: I. Savage (L)

G2 IPSWICH

L 1-2

Squad: O. Adams-O’Rorke (S), F. Bashforth-Bell (O), B. Bonwitt-Marsh (P), B. Cann (O), S. Clarke (L), H. Cooper (S), G. Edwards (L), J. Gould (N), O. Hall (S), W. Ingham (C), J. Smith (O), Z. Wenham (S), D. Yeats Brown (O)

G3 ST LAWRENCE COLLEGE

L 2-3

G4 ALTRINCHAM GS

W 4-0

Additional Competition Squad: C. Buffin (S), G. Fletcher (N), H. Geutjens (N), N. Kempe (L), T. Kim (N), S. Rollett (C), J. Sookias (S), H. Stone (N)

R3 ALTRINCHAM GS

W 6-2

R4 OAKHAM

W 7-1

QF CHURCHER’S COLLEGE

W 4-0

The performances from Ben BonwittMarsh in goal and Joe Sookias in midfield stood out, but it was a whole squad display that saw the side through with a flattering score-line, everyone playing their part. A semi-final at Lee Valley awaited.

However, in the extreme and unprecedented circumstances of the Coronavirus, the boys didn’t get their opportunity to show their full potential against the other top teams in the country.

We will never know if that team would have retained their National title, but, with the level of skill, commitment and camaraderie they had shown all season, they were certainly capable of doing so.

They were a joy to coach and I wish them all the best for their hockey in the future.

Also played: J. Kinsiona (L), S. Rashid (P), R. Rustom (L)

OAKHAM

D 1-1

TRENT COLLEGE

W 2-0

RUGBY

W 4-2

OUNDLE DEAN CLOSE

W 4-0 CANCELLED

COUNTY INDOOR FINALS

/ CHAMPIONS

TRENT COLLEGE

W 8-0

ECCLESBOURNE

W 6-0

MIDLANDS INDOOR FINALS / CHAMPIONS

G1 WARWICK

W 6-0

G2 ASHBY

W 4-1

G3 WORKSOP COLLEGE

W 4-0

SF NEWCASTLE-U-LYME

W 5-0

F

W 8-2

BROMSGROVE

U16 NATIONAL CUP

/ COMPETITION UNFINISHED

SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL CANCELLED

Captain: A. Coleston-Shields (S) Squad: J. Bertolino (L), C. Bingham (P), F. Cann (O), P. Derry (S), M. Ewart-White (N), M. Galley (P), H. Gillett (S), L. Hanman (O), O. Heap (N), A. Holt (N), A. Kadyrbekov (N), O. Ozer (N), R. Poon (P), T. Poon (P), S. Rashid (P), T. Thandi (P), T. Wilken (N), G. Wilkinson (P), A. Williams (O), H. Wilson (P)

P5

W0

D0

L5

F2

A 11

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U15 A, B & C XIs Their record as U14s suggested the U15 A XI was an able team that had potential to impress on a wide scale throughout this season and, crucially, as they progressed through the school.

This was the case almost without exception but, before the restrictions that hit all sport hit us just before we had the chance to show where we sat on the national scale, we were starting to put some comprehensive and more complete performances together.

This team has multiple options for most positions and competition for places is high. The fact that rarely did we have them all available seemed to make little difference; it simply meant that it was someone else’s job to step up and fulfil the role on any given day.

A goal difference of 60 in just 11 games played shows the potential of this team and these goals could come from all positions. The midfield line scored almost as frequently as the forward line and their understanding of the game, coupled with an impressive desire to win games of hockey for the school, will take them a long way; I will certainly follow their progress with interest. They have a great deal of potential and, whilst we may have never had the chance to put together our very best performance on the biggest stage during this season, their time will undoubtedly come again.

The U15 Bs were lively, dynamic and extremely competitive.

Alex Gabriel and Oli Richardson were solid in defence and provided a strong platform from which to build. The midfield partnership of Charlie Andrews and Dom O’Brien developed a strong connection as the season went on and was the driving force for our forward play. The team’s emphatic 7-0 victory over Bromsgrove, away, in the first match of the season was a major highlight, with Otto Schneck bagging five goals, although the team struggled to replicate this success as the season progressed. In the penultimate game of the season, the boys did fantastically well, putting in the performance of the season against a strong Rugby School side, being unlucky to concede in the dying moments of the game to lose 1-2. A mention must go to the heroic efforts of Jake Smith in goal: he made some incredible saves throughout the season, and kept the team in the game on numerous occasions. It was a pleasure to see the team develop over the season.

It was a frustrating first half of term for the U15 Cs, who tended to dominate possession and show better stick skills than their opponents, but struggled with decision-making – particularly when to pass and when to go it alone – and positional awareness; too many goals were conceded on the break.

The captain, Ben Hornby, was the roaring engine of the side, while we always looked a classier team when Ed Pass could play for us. The highlight was finally getting a win in what turned out to be our final game, against Oundle; without weather and Coronavirus cancellations after Half Term, the stats could have looked better, as this was a team that showed considerable improvement over the course of the season.

IMP, PMM & JMJH U15 A Squad: H. Barton Smith (C), C. Buffin (S), S. Cossey (L), G. Fletcher (N), H. Geutjens (N), W. Groves (C), C. Hardwick (N), H. Hendon (N), A. Hidderley (C), N. Kempe (L), T. Kim (N), H. Leverton (S), N. Mackinnon (O), S. Rollett (C), O. Schneck (N), J. Sookias (S), H. Stone (N), R. Tobin (P), D. Youyou (O) Also played: L. Allen (O), C. Andrews (S), O. Ewart-White (N), O. Oldman (O), N. Salsby (P), W. Tarrant (C), M. Williamson (C) U15 B Squad: L. Allen (O), C. Andrews (S), O. Birmingham (P), A. Gabriel (P), C. Hardwick (N), A. Manasir (C), D. O’Brien (S), O. Oldman (O), E. Raper (P), O. Richardson (L), A. Riley (L), B. Schmitt (N), J. Smith (P), M. Williamson (C) Also played: W. Groves (C), A. Hidderley (C), J. He (P), J. Lau (C), C. Owens (P), J. Russell (S), L. Russell (S), O. Schneck (N), A. Squire (P), R. Tobin (P), D. Youyou (O) U15 C Captain: B. Hornby (O) U15 C Squad: G. Aitken-Moss (O), C. Capewell (N), J. He (P), E. Huang (S), J. Jenkinson (O), J. McKay (O), C. Owens (P), E. Pass (L), J. Russell (S), L. Russell (S), P. Scales (C), A. Squire (P), H. Xie (O), R. Zhang (P) Also played: A. Adefala (N), L. Leahy (N), O. Richardson (L), M. Von Harnier (C)

U15 A:

P 11

W 10

D0

L1

F 71

A 11

U15 B:

P6

W1

D0

L5

F 10

A 11

U15 C:

P5

W1

D0

L4

F 11

A 15 103

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U14 A XI One of the crueller missed sporting opportunities caused by Coronavirus came through with the news on 30th March 2020 from England Hockey that the Tier 1 U14 Boys’ National Hockey Finals would be cancelled.

The boys should be immensely proud of putting themselves into the position to feel disappointed: however, such is the quality of experience of this event, this is a meagre consolation.

To say that getting this far represented an over-achievement from a group with relatively diverse levels of experience of the eleven-a-side game is probably too harsh a statement considering the underlying abilities of the boys. However, two things can be said for sure about them as a group: firstly, they found adapting to some of the tactical and inter-personal requirements of senior hockey a challenge and I am happy to say, in most cases, they overcame these difficulties; secondly, they are a group that can be remembered during this campaign for their steely competitiveness in difficult match-play situations, which helped to get them through. Winning the Midlands Schools Championships should leave the boys with a rightly very satisfied feeling and with an energy to try to make an U16 cup squad in future years. This will allow them to test themselves further at national schools’ level in the future.

In terms of their hockey, they were a team blessed with individuals of a very high level of specific technical skill.

However, the most improved facet of their game during the term was their ability to defend one-against-one situations across the team and to engage in a collective defensive structure and effort. This was showcased in the semi-final of the Midlands tournament, where this discipline was tested in the face of an excellent opposition player who was well bottled-up as he tried to exert his abilities in a solo fashion.

The boys should also remember that they played their best hockey when they got their balance of passing and ball-carrying right. This did become more consistent as the term wore on, though will be something for future coaches to pick up upon.

I would add to this list to improve: the quality and endeavour at training, which varied significantly; and to remove the annoying appealing for decisions with literally no hope of affecting an umpire positively.

As for season highlights, the best Saturday performances came against Oakham and Oundle away. In the Oakham game, the boys dealt well with a very physical opposition and continued to play good hockey to run in six unanswered goals. Against Oundle, beset by illness, the team emerged from the bus with nine players. Two players were drafted up from the B team and, against one of Oundle’s stronger sides, the boys battled heroically to a 2-1 victory, thanks to two George Gilmore goals.

The Midlands Championship saw a Nat Salsby goal overcome a brutal assault from Denstone to claim a 1-0 win in the opening game. The 1-1 draw with Oakham was the only blip in the day: a poor, entitled performance. However, strangely, this put Repton into a ‘must-win’ situation for the remainder of the tournament, something in which the boys seemed to revel.

The final group game was won against Princethorpe, courtesy of a clinical corner goal from Will Tarrant, with James Harman and Salsby grabbing the others. In the semi-final, Bromsgrove were dealt with in a very professional manner: two penalty corner goals from Augustus Wenham and Tarrant sealed a 2-0 win. And so, to the final against Solihull: a close encounter, with both teams physically exhausted, ended in a 0-0 draw and penalties. Some clinical penalty-taking from Wenham, Salsby, Ollie Ewart-White and Rufus Coulborn allowed Lorenzo Fantasia to be the hero in goal, making two good saves.

I very much look forward to seeing whether many of these players can make the step up to senior school hockey in the future. With the right application, many of them have the potential to do so.

DAE

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Squad: Y. Bin Naeem (S), R. Coulborn (S), R. Donegan (N), O. Ewart-White (N), L. Fantasia (L), G. Gilmore (S), J. Harman (O), L. Millward (O), H. Pickering (L), N. Salsby (P), W. Tarrant (C), L. Tuinenburg (N), Z. Watson (N), A. Webb (P), A. Wenham (S) Also played: S. Agafonov (P), R. Derry (S), J. Roberts (P), J. Rush (N), A. Smith (N), L. Stanojevic (S)

P 14 W 12 D 2 L 0 F 41 A 7 FRIENDLIES & ISHL WARWICK

W 3-1

BROMSGROVE

W 4-0

UPPINGHAM

W 9-0

BISHOP VESEY’S

W 1-0

KES, BIRMINGHAM

W 3-0

OAKHAM

W 6-0

RUGBY

W 2-0

OUNDLE

W 2-1

COUNTY CUP / CHAMPIONS TRENT COLLEGE

W 4-3

MIDLANDS FINALS / CHAMPIONS G1 DENSTONE COLLEGE

W 1-0

G2 OAKHAM

D 1-1

G3 PRINCETHORPE COLLEGE

W 3-1

SF BROMSGROVE

W 2-0

F

SOLIHULL

D 0-0 (W 4-2 ON PENS)

NATIONAL FINALS COMPETITION CANCELLED

U14 B & C XIs This is always a transitional year, but the inconsistency of performance in the U14 Bs was striking. Output varied within training sessions and within the course of matches, perhaps not helped by movement of players between the three teams and the limited number of matches we managed to complete. There was enough to suggest that some of these boys will develop into capable players and, given that a few had played very little hockey previously, there can be some acceptance of the way the season went. We ought to have beaten Bromsgrove, to whom we lost in the first game, and would certainly have got the better of Uppingham but for an outstanding display from their ’keeper.

Sam Parkin and Josh Roberts were our most creative players and there was sufficient athleticism up-front, in the form of Johnny Rush and Hamish Firth, to cause other teams problems.

The latter were both on target as we defeated Oakham – the best team we encountered – 2-0 away in a resilient counter-attacking display, founded on the defensive strength of Archie Webb and Luca Stanojevic. Firth lashed home five more as we won 6-1 at Trent. Rather than kicking on from that point, we ran out of steam to lose the last two matches – carelessly at Rugby and fairly at Oundle. The season was then curtailed before we had the opportunity to bounce back.

The U14 C squad provided the opportunity for players ranging from beginners to already-competent to develop their skills. Early success with victory over Uppingham provided momentum for the season and there was a sense of purpose for most training sessions! Leyton Wright,

in goal, was inspirational against Uppingham, especially his left-handed diving save to deflect the ball over the bar, which astounded everyone except himself. Shaan Sekhom, as captain, led from the front and created a sense of purpose in training. The second half of the season was tougher in terms of results; however, the squad never gave up. Most importantly, they enjoyed playing and will certainly progress throughout their Repton careers.

You never know – some may end up playing 1st team hockey in the future!

RGE & EWCW U14 B Squad: S. Agafonov (P), Y. Bin Naeem (S), T. Burton (C), R. Derry (S), H. Evans (O), H. Firth (C), O. Flindall (C), A. Malyshev (O), S. Parkin (O), J. Roberts (P), J. Rush (N), L. Stanojevic (S), A. Webb (P) Also played: D. Chan (L), G. Gilmore (S), L. Millward (O), A. Smith (N), L. Tuinenburg (N) U14 C Captain: S. Sekhon (C) U14 C Squad: H. Anastasiou (N), W. Bennett (S), H. Bola (L), E. Bu (C), D. Chan (L), S. Dex (P), J. Liu (P), D. Nto (P), L. Pollock (S), A. Smith (N), C. Thompson (P), B. Weston (L), L. Wright (O), J. Wylie (S) Also played: A. Joubert (L), K. Kilic (L), L. Tuinenburg (N)

U14 B:

P6

W2

D1

L3

F 13

A 12

U14 C:

P5

W1

D1

L3

F5

A 15 105

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Netball

P 22

W 15

D1

L6

FRIENDLIES BROMSGROVE

L 16-85

LOUGHBOROUGH HS

W 48-28

UPPINGHAM

L 37-40

STAMFORD

L 20-25

RUGBY

L 33-43

OAKHAM

W 45-42

DENSTONE COLLEGE

W 33-15

TRENT COLLEGE

W 44-43

OUNDLE

W 50-18

COUNTY FINALS / CHAMPIONS LADY MANNERS

W 15-4

DRONFIELD

W 15-5

QEGS, ASHBOURNE

W 23-0

ECCLESBOURNE

W 12-4

TRENT COLLEGE

W 9-2

DERBY HS

W 5-3

CHELLASTON

W 25-1

REGIONAL FINALS / RUNNERS-UP G1 UPPINGHAM G2 KESTEVEN & GRANTHAM

D 10-10 W 9-5

G3 OUNDLE

L 7-15

G4 WEST BRIDGFORD

W 11-9

SF NORTHAMPTON HS

W 11-9

F

L 10-20

OAKHAM

NATIONAL FINALS DID NOT ATTEND

1st VII The 1st VII squad worked ardently throughout the term, which paid off at precisely the right time: the Regional Finals and the build-up to the National Finals.

In our opening two weekends, we lost players to other commitments and, as such, had little time to prepare ourselves for opposition like Bromsgrove. However, I was very proud of our Reptonians: dealing with a heavy defeat in our first block fixture weekend, they were stoic, respectful and classy; no complaints – just in agreement that we had lots to work on. I knew from this loss that the team would grow and utilise their resilience.

Score-lines were still just tipping to the opposition over the following weeks, with narrow losses to both Stamford and Uppingham. Momentum was building and the girls were showing flair and creativity on court, so I felt it was only a matter of time before our units were effective and could break down the opposition’s play.

We played Uppingham again; this time at the Regional Finals. We met their gameplay with answers and offered a different

combination from the one they had seen on their home turf, beating them by two goals.

This is the one thing I appreciated most from our girls: putting everything on the line when it mattered. We reached the crucial semi-final match for a place at the Nationals, versus the winners of the second group, Northampton High. Nobody left anything in the tank. We kept possession, delivered the ball to the shooters safely and fought fiercely to turn over the ball in defence.

There were tears all round as we took the victory and a place at the 2020 Nationals.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to complete the story: the impact of the coronavirus pandemic was already being felt by many and we sadly couldn’t field a team.

The highlight of the season has to be our match against Oakham: playing just a week after they became Regional Champions, we hosted them in our beautiful Sports Hall Two and, from the first whistle, didn’t let up for the entire sixty minutes! Final score: 45-42 – with squeals of delight from our regular parental spectators! What a match!

We can look fondly back at the glittering netball careers of our U6 leavers: our captain, Mia Swain, always holding the defence steady at the back, with Jessie Smith’s experience and Charly Archer’s strength and ferocity always making life

tough for our opposition – even with their distinct lack of height! Ella Buffin is another player who contributed to every netball A team throughout her Repton journey, captaining the U16 team in 2018, resulting in another National Finals qualification.

Georgia Brown came back to the 1st VII for 2020 and made an impact, particularly at the Regional Finals. We also lose the super-speedy Lily Buchan from our centre court line-up; such a grafter on court. Our sharp-shooter under the post, Millie Cann, had a rise to brilliance during her five years of netball at Repton, working alongside Pip Maddocks, who made a terrific contribution to netball in the two years she was here. It’s been a genuine pleasure to watch this squad develop and improve: they have bags of natural talent and are very coachable but, above all, they want to work hard for each other; lose together, win together. Next year’s squad have big shoes to fill.

LP Captain: M. Swain (M) Squad: C. Archer (M), G. Brown (M), L. Buchan (A), E. Buffin (M), E. Cann (A), S. Haigh (M), P. Maddocks (F), E. Martin (M), L. Morris (G), J. Smith (M), C. Swain (M) Also played: A. Bailey (A), B. Brough (M), O. Singer (G)

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2nd VII For a variety of reasons, this was a season with a lot of movement between the senior and U16 squads.

Right from the outset, players who would have easily made the team were needed with the 3rd VII, and this meant we were a little more limited tactically than we might have liked in our season-opener against Bromsgrove. That said, Bromsgrove looked a strong and well-organised team, and training as they did through Michaelmas meant they were a little sharper from the outset. I was very grateful for the positive and organised leadership of our joint captains, Eleanor Bond and Harriet English, in this game and throughout a very enjoyable, if a little disjointed, season. They are two of the most grounded, positive, and charming Reptonians anyone could wish to work with and they always made me very proud, leading the girls with their charming yet determined attitudes.

We found our feet with a very strong performance against Uppingham: the game was fairly even throughout, but we were unlucky to lose Olivia Ellis early in the match when she fell hard onto her wrist; this resulted in a broken bone that prematurely ended what was turning into a very promising season for her. The biggest difference in this game was our defence across the court and our willingness to double-up against key players in all thirds, which meant we won a lot of turnover ball, and were

able to convert our extra possession into match-winning goals. These were hallmarks of our season throughout.

Charlotte Steele, in particular this season, showed what a sublime shooter she is, even from distance, with match-winning performances in some closer matches than the scores suggest.

Following the Regional matches, our U16 squad was discontinued and I was fortunate to gain some wonderfully talented young players (Alicia Bailey, Olivia Singer, Emily Thompstone, Isabel Archer, Bronte Brough) who undoubtedly will be playing at the very highest level in the coming seasons and who made me look like a far better coach than I actually am…

The downside, of course, of these wonderful additions to the 2nd VII was a very large squad, and I was very grateful for the understanding shown by those players who moved to the 3rd VII, and who made a great impression with GKR and LRJ, too.

We had a very strong season overall, winning seven of our nine matches, and beating some 1st VIIs and talented U16 A teams along the way. Despite losing in our final match, against Lady Manners’ 1st VII, this was a brilliant game that ebbed and flowed throughout, and arguably the best match of the season. We just couldn’t hold on in the final quarter and were narrowly beaten by two goals, with the final buzzer sounding before we could take our centre and try to bring the game level again. It was a wonderfully

competitive match that demonstrated what a fast, skilful and enjoyable game netball can be. It also highlighted what a tremendous group of girls I had the very good fortune to coach this year. I look forward to seeing some of them again next year, to others progressing on to university, where I hope they continue to play, and to a few joining the 1st VII next time. As I say at the end of every match report, onwards and upwards….! Thanks for a wonderful season, girls.

SMI Captains: H. Bond (F) & H. English (F) Squad: I. Archer (M), A. Bailey (A), B. Brough (M), A. Naylor (M), G. Pope (G), O. Singer (G), C. Steele (A) Also played: L. Buchan (A), E. Buffin (M), O. Ellis (G), S. Haigh (M), P. Kellock (G), S. Lloyd-Dickinson (G), J. Merriman (A), L. Morris (G), C. Rise (F), E. Thompstone (M)

P9

W7

L2

BROMSGROVE

L 23-31

UPPINGHAM

W 29-20

STAMFORD

W 26-14

RUGBY 3RD VII

W 36-25

OAKHAM

W 37-28

QEGS, ASHBOURNE

CANCELLED

TRENT COLLEGE U16A

W 35-6

WORKSOP COLLEGE 1ST VII

W 42-24

OUNDLE U16A

W 35-30

LADY MANNERS 1ST VII

L 30-32

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3rd & 4th VIIs The 3rd and 4th VIIs showed a great level of determination this season, playing against tough opposition and often against a higher ranked team. This never discouraged them. They turned up for training sessions in high spirits and were always keen to learn. Their score-lines this season do not reflect the level of improvement shown by these girls over the course of the Lent Term: their fitness, their passing accuracy, shooting and team spirit improved – and this is all I can ask.

Their best score was against Bromsgrove, with a win of 21-2. There were some close games, this season, in particular against Abbotsholme, where they had a close match against their 1st VII, which ended in a loss, but an even better match against their 2nd VII, which they won 17-10. I am proud of the effort that the girls put in this term; well done to all.

LRJ 3rd & 4th VII Squad: E. Anastasiou (M), G. Andrews (F), I. Archer (M), C. Bunting (G), L. Cooper-Ewin (A), H. Courteney-Harris (A), D. Darby (G), E. Derry (F), S. Dex (G), C. Duke (F), K. Fulford (F), K. Gabriel (G), K. Gilbert (G), A. Harcus (A), P. Kellock (G), S. Lloyd-Dickinson (G), J. Merriman (A), J. Milligan-Manby (F), L. Morris (G), A. Naylor (M), I. Norton (A), S. Ott (F), G. Pope (G), C. Rise (F), E. Smith (F), E. Thompstone (M), F. Wood (F)

P8

W3

L5

U16 A VII It was a tough season for the U16 As, who, up until Half Term, played many Senior teams. Alicia Bailey and Ella Anastasiou were often in a class of their own, Ella holding her space wisely so that Alicia could move around the circle with ease.

Polly Ross was a fabulous addition to the shooting circle in the Regional tournament, keeping confidence in tense situations. Liv Singer and Emily Thompstone played some simply outstanding netball in the centre court. Both have tremendous speed and so often outwitted their opposition through their fast footwork. Daisy Darby was a superstar in the team: so often simply the best scorer I could have asked for, but who also slotted in to whatever position asked of her.

Issy Archer had a tough ask at the beginning of the season: she played GK, GD and WD, making such progress in each of these positions that I had no hesitation in awarding her Most Improved Player of the Season. Alice Kelly also played every

position in defence possible and was a force to be reckoned with.

She proved not only feisty (in a good way), but also read the game brilliantly. Finally, Bronte Brough missed much of the season due to hockey, but, when on the netball court, was unstoppable; I am still not sure how she gets a tip on those balls that are heading to the tallest shooters, but she does. The team was only together until Half Term, when the decision was made to play in the Senior squads. I thoroughly enjoyed coaching all of these young ladies and cannot wait to see how they progress in future years.

GKR Squad: E. Anastasiou (M), I. Archer (M), A. Bailey (M), B. Brough (M), D. Darby (G), A. Kelly (A), O. Singer (G), E. Thompstone (M) Also played: E. Derry (F), M. Jackson (M), P. Ross (A)

P4

W1

D1

L2

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U15 A VII The U15 As began their season with a trip to Bromsgrove: a school with a great netball pedigree, we knew this would be tough, but the girls showed promise and their play in parts was encouraging.

Loughborough High was an end-to-end close encounter, the girls only losing this match by two goals.

In the first home match of the season, against Uppingham and with only seven players available, all the girls gave it everything, even when asked to play out of their first-choice position.

Effie Bowley was Player of the Match.

The defence started to find form as a unit and turned over ball consistently; however, it was our failure to convert these turn-overs into goals that cost us dearly, resulting in another loss.

At Rugby and Oakham, the girls were put through their paces: the score-lines didn’t reflect how much possession they had or the work-rate of our defensive unit and their ability to turn ball; what cost us again was our failure to convert turn-overs into goals. Katie Marshall, Freya Wedgwood and Martha Broderick

U15 B & C VIIs How does one judge a season? By the ‘Win’ column, perhaps; or maybe by goal-difference; or does it just come down to bragging rights in traditional rivalries?

The start of the term was very difficult indeed for the U15 Bs, with tough fixtures and predictable results against strong Bromsgrove, Rugby and Uppingham sides. Oakham, too, deserved their victory, but the kernels of a strong team were visible to even the most casual observer. The girls showed real character that day, and fought hard to keep themselves in the game, never letting their heads drop, and recycling the ball intelligently.

We then had three match-less weeks and put in place strategies to turn the season around. With movement like clockwork spindrift, we played three almost entire games of flawless netball, against Trent, Worksop and Oundle. Spiralling galaxies of individual brilliance cascaded down a backdrop of majestic interplay, engendering in your correspondent the sort of amazement more readily associated with the reaction of a mother

were outstanding in our defence, gaining Player of the Match and/or Team of the Week nominations.

Despite these results, the girls’ spirits were not dampened and they came back from Half Term determined.

Unfortunately, the annual Uppingham Tournament was cancelled, so we played Trent College at home instead: a match in which we encountered every type of weather imaginable – sun, snow, hail and gales! The girls gave it everything to try and secure their first win, but it wasn’t to be. However, the opposition voted Freya Wedgwood Player of the Match.

Captain: I. Hobson (F) Squad: E. Bowman (M), E. Bowley (F), M. Broderick (F), H. Jackson (A), A. Kelly (A), K. Marshall (A), L. Ottewell (M), P. Ross (A), F. Wedgwood (A) Also played: H. Barker (M), G. Barlow (G)

P7

W0

L7

BROMSGROVE

L 8-28

LOUGHBOROUGH HS

L 26-28

UPPINGHAM

L 20-32

RUGBY

L 8-43

In what turned out to be our last fixture of the season, Oundle at home, a game where consistency proved pivotal, there were moments where we conceded five goals in a row, then scored six goals in a row! Complacency in the second half allowed Oundle in to build on their existing lead, which resulted in a 16-39 loss.

OAKHAM

L 3-51

TRENT COLLEGE

L 21-25

OUNDLE

L 16-39

VLO

CANCELLED

giving birth, when her husband helps himself to the gas and air, hops into the birthing-pool and orders a Caipirinha and a trio of sashimi from the midwife. At the back, Molly Rose and Ella Porter rendered opposition attacks toothless, laughing at the fun of it all and sweeping up balls they had no right to win, and then launching our next attack with stiletto-accuracy, and with all the studied ennui of a second-year undergraduate, leaning back on a secondhand sofa, and evincing distractedly to his new paramour, “Well, of course there's no point in reading the epic cycle, The Mabinogion, unless you can study it in the original medieval Welsh”.

And then what of the incomparable Vicky Diksa, at GA, our spiritual and temporal leader? How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! Vicky won every Player of the Match award going, and married clinical shooting to mesmerising, balletic movement, topping off every goal with a nonchalant shrug and a knowing twinkle in her eye. Magic. Layer onto this the grinding, suffocating, mechanistic nature of our centre-court play – led by Jenna Davies, Jalia Edwards and Leila Clark – and it is easy to see how we closed out the tight periods in these three games.

UPPINGHAM INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT CANCELLED

U15 COUNTY TOURNAMENT

And it is this, in the end, by which the season should be judged: did we win close games we could have lost, on another day? If a team loses a game by 30 points, there is not much anyone could have done about it; similarly, easy victories don't mean very much. Did the team grow, week on week, session by session? Did every player make the very most of her abilities? Yes, to all. VERY well done, ladies.

CSD

U15 B Squad: H. Barker (M), G. Barlow (G), L. Clark (F), J. Davies (F), S. Derby (M), V. Diksa (A), J. Edwards (A), E. Porter (G), M. Rose (G), G. Tatam (G) Also played: M. Barker (M), J. Liu (F), M. Prince (F), F. Thomas (F) U15 C Squad: M. Barker (M), R. Diksa (A), A. Harris (M), J. Liu (F), A. Parkes (M), M. Prince (F), E. Reynolds (G), E. Truelove-Cooke (A), F. Thomas (F), A. Tverdokhlebova (F) Also played: J. Edwards (A), E. Porter (G), G. Tatam (G)

U15 B VII:

P8

W3

L5

U15 C VII:

P7

W5

L2 109

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U14 A VII I think it is fair to say that there has never been a Lent Term quite like 2020 and I – alongside the population worldwide no doubt – will be hoping that there isn’t another one quite like it either!

Coronavirus, electrical fires and severe flooding tried their hardest to disrupt our time on court and, unfortunately, were victorious at times – but our time together as a team was certainly a highlight of the term... Well, for me anyway!

There can be no denying that it was a tough term for the U14 A netballers, but what this set of results doesn’t do justice to is the sense of fair play, or the willingness to encourage each other, that this team showed week on week, even against the very toughest of opponents. Not once did I see their heads drop, and never did I watch them stop trying – and that is surely something to celebrate, for it is the sign of a true sportswoman.

The girls improved and they enjoyed their games, but the wins just wouldn’t quite come our way as often as we would have liked, especially in the first half of term. However, after the break, the girls really found form and deservedly racked up wins against Littleover, Trent and Oundle. They saved their best for last: the match against Oundle was a nail-biter. We dug deep and we remembered to pass the ball early and at pace. It wasn’t just the girls who were extremely relieved to hear the final whistle blow!

There is much to be positive about and I look forward to looking on as the girls move up the school and build on the progress they have made this year.

NMD Squad: P. Barlow (F), M. Butterworth (M), G. Darby (G), E. Fraser (M), J. Grace (F), H. Harte (G), O. Ingham (M), M. Lucas (F), A. Marriott (F), D. Wong (M) Also played: N. Caranca Yañez (G)

P 14

W7

L7

FRIENDLIES

U14 B & C VIIs The U14 B netballers proved themselves to be a delightful team and made significant progress over the course of the term.

The season started with a tough game away at Bromsgrove, in which a team of just seven players started with a 7-20 loss. As the season developed, the team started to consolidate their patterns of play and fully appreciate one another’s strengths.

The lynchpins of the squad proved to be Mea Wilson and Claudia Tate playing in the centre of the court: their ability to work with one another and control the pace of the game, alternating between Centre and WA, was significant.

One of the tightest games of the season was a 28-22 loss to Rugby and it was super to see our shooters more than holding their own on this occasion, with Maggie Brown and Georgina Jackson proving a super duo throughout the season. The development of the squad was most evident during an indoor fixture against Trent, in which the girls played some excellent defensive netball and won the game 21-9. It was thanks to the defensive talent and consistent applications of the skills of Nahia Caranca Yañez, Ava Marriott and Savannah Payne that the team always held strong and this was true of a 17-24 loss to Oundle, which was a tight and impressive game of netball.

The final games of the season were some excellent fixtures against Littleover Community College, with the team really coming into their own and finding a pace and confidence that showed just how far they had come.

The U14 C team had a challenging season. Results did not always go their way and the scores certainly did not reflect the effort that the players put into each match. However, even though the girls didn’t have many victories, a few matches stood out from the rest. Against Littleover, the shooting ability was a particular highlight. It was also a very competitive game – both teams determined to win – and Repton managed to stay ahead for the first two quarters of the game. After half-time, the girls worked very hard to secure this advantage and won the last two quarters convincingly to finish with an impressive win, 17-3. It was great to see how the team and individuals improved throughout the season in matches and training sessions. This was noticeable in House matches and Junior League, where the girls played in mixed teams and their development was clear to see.

BROMSGROVE

L 11-30

LOUGHBOROUGH HS

L 22-28

UPPINGHAM

L 6-23

RUGBY

L 14-30

OAKHAM

L 16-35

TRENT COLLEGE

W 33-7

LITTLEOVER

W 11-9

U14 B Squad: M. Brown (G), F. Bruno (A), N. Caranca Yañez (G), G. Jackson (A), A. Marriott (M), A. Marriott (F), S. Payne (G), C. Tate (M), M. Wilson (G)

LADY MANNERS

L 16-20

Also played: H. Harte (G), D. Wong (M)

OUNDLE

W 26-23

Well done, girls: a difficult season, but you demonstrated good teamwork and resilience.

AFP & LEP

ECCLESBOURNE

CANCELLED

U14 C Captain: C. Allen (A)

NOTTINGHAM HS

CANCELLED

U14 C Squad: L. Bright (F), K. Chaibi (G), C. Cooper (A), S. Dowie Bowes (M), H. Harman (M), S. Ikhsan (M), V. Mackrill (G), R. Mattu (G), S. Sashida (F), L. Summerland (A), C. Tidy (A)

COUNTY TOURNAMENT / SEMI-FINALISTS G1 LITTLEOVER

W 9-5

G2 ECCLESBOURNE

W 6-4

G3 QEGS, ASHBOURNE

W 8-4

G4 OCKBROOK

W 12-1

U14 B VII:

P8

W3

L5

L 5-9

U14 C VII:

P8

W3

L5

SF CHELLASTON

Also played: K. Baser (A)

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Rugby The 2020 season will definitely go down as a frustrating season, but it wasn’t without its highs. After several senior players left last year, new players stepped up and some promising rugby was played.

The first fixture of the season, against Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby, had it all.

Repton started the first half incredibly strongly, with tries from Rob Rustom, Alex Haleem and Max Atherton. This meant that we went into half-time with a 22-0 lead. However, the age-old cliché of a game of two halves rang true as, during the 2nd half, Abraham Darby scored 24 unanswered points to win 22-24.

A week later, we travelled to King Henry VIII’s Grammar, Coventry, to play a strong side. The physicality and heart that the team showed was fantastic and tries were scored

by Guy Waterhouse and Oli Scutt. However, the true highlight of the game was provided

by Atherton, who, after breaking through, dived at the 5m line to score a “try”!

A midweek game against Derby Grammar followed, allowing all the boys to express themselves: we ran out 59-7 winners, Milan Stanojevic being Man of the Match after scoring a hat-trick. The home fixture against the notoriously physical Welbeck College was a real arm-wrestle, with most of the rugby being played in the middle of the park. However, Welbeck had the experience and tactical nous to score three unanswered tries and win 17-0. However, the score-line definitely did not reflect the game.

Captain: L. Parry (C) Squad: M. Atherton (O), B. Bond (N), J. Davies (O), F. Dumbill (P), T. Dunn (O), A. Haleem (P), W. Hooper-Smith (O), T. Jervis (S), I. Kozlov (C), J. Muir (S), O. Moloney (S), F. Nelson (L), L. Platts (P), C. Redfern (L), J. Riley (P), R. Rustom (L), O. Scutt (L), J. Sherry (L), M. Stanojevic (L), C. Truscott (O), S. Turner (L), G. Waterhouse (L), R. Wright (C), S. Yates (O)

P5

W2

L3

F 153

A 90

Rather prematurely, we played our last game of the season against old rivals Shrewsbury.

During this game, the team could not do anything wrong: they scored ten tries to run out 60-5 winners. Although unexpected, this was a fantastic way to finish the season.

Even though it was a short season, the team was expertly captained by Leo Parry, who led from the front and put his body on the line.

Atherton was top try-scorer in his last season, and notable mentions must go to Sam Turner and Oliver Moloney, who really put in a shift in the pack. To the boys leaving this year, I cannot thank you enough and I hope that you will continue playing throughout your next chapters, whatever they may be.

CTI

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Girls’ Football There is no doubt in my mind that Girls’ Football at Repton is on the up.

At our best-attended training session of the year, we had 36 girls vying for just 14 spots in the National 7-a-side competitions to be played in October. We fielded a 2nd Team to face Oundle in February – the first time we were able to do so in my three-year tenure – and we played three 11-a-side games at U15 level due to popular demand. We reached the knockout stages of the ISFA competition at U18 for the first time in three years, sat joint-top of the Midlands League and were due to play in the Derbyshire semi-final before the latter two competitions were suspended as a result of school closures. We also took victory in the small-sided tournament that we hosted in March, competing against some of the strongest local schools from both the independent and state sectors.

Despite this, we still have a way to go. The disappointment of our ISFA quarter-final exit at the hands of a fantastic ACS Cobham side showed the standard to which we are aspiring. With almost all of the regular squad members staying with us next year, and a keen group of A Block girls keen to make an impact in the senior team, I know that this group will work hard to ensure we move closer to our goals.

So, finally, to the ‘thank yous’. To SDAS for her assistance over the course of the season and for her continued support of the Girls’ Football programme. To SE, Mr Jenkinson, MRW and VLO for stepping into the fray to ensure the girls were well supported in all that they did. To the U6 who leave us, after representing the School so well over several years – especially captain Erin Franklin, who has led the squad with genuine passion from beginning to end. And, lastly, to all the girls who played their part this year: it has been a pleasure to be your coach this season; I am looking forward to the next one already.

CL U18 Captain: E. Franklin (G) U18 Squad: J. Archer-Reed (F), E. Barlow (G), B. Bell (F), C. Betts (A), M. Bowman (M), F. Buckley (A), H. Cook (A), A. Edwards (A), K. Haid (F), A. Johnson (G), Z. Knowles (F), C. Luke (F), A. Morris (G), E. Newsome (G), H. Nieper (F), P. Plant (M), I. Swann (M), L. Walker (F), H. Ward (M), Z. Wedgwood (A) Also Played: J. Boehringer (F), S. Butler (F), S. Emslie (M), H. Groves (M), H. Laughton (M), L. Northing (M) U15 Squad: M. Barker (M), M. Broderick (F), G. Darby (G), J. Davies (F), S. Derby (M), E. Fraser (M), M. Gray (F), J. Liu (F), V. Mackrill (G), A. Marriott (F), S. Payne (G), E. Porter (G), M. Rose (G), P. Ross (M), G. Tatam (G), A. Tverdokhlebova (F)

U18S:

P8

W6

D0

L2

U15S:

P3

W1

D0

L2

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Chris Stray Photography

Swimming The performance of the swimmers continues to improve, with excellent results in the English Schools’ Swimming Association Championships.

We took six teams (four from Repton and two from Foremarke) to the Regionals round, with the Senior and Intermediate Boys reaching the National Finals for both their events. In the Finals, at the London Aquatics Centre, the Senior Boys came sixth (time: 1.52.91) and tenth (time: 1.43.23) in the country in the 4x50 medley and freestyle relays, respectively. This team comprised Joel Muir, Louis Nguyen, Isaac von Fintel and Danny Skinner. The Intermediate Boys’ team, comprising Nick Skinner, Aidan Joubert, Leo Pollock and Josh Bailye, came seventh and eighteenth in the same events, with times of 2.00.67 (medley) and 1.50.10 (freestyle).

The Girls’ and Boys' teams were successful at the Friendly events, medalling in and winning races at Uppingham, Stowe and Bromsgrove, as well as the home event between local schools.

RZW U19 Boys: J. Muir (S), L. Nguyen (S), D. Skinner (C), I. von Fintel (C)

U16 Boys: J. Bailye (S), T. Burton (C), D. Irsan (C), A. Joubert (L), L. Pollock (S), N. Skinner (C) U16 Girls: M. Broderick (F), J. Grace (F), A. Marriott (M), Z. Shanker (G) and A. Tverdokhlebova (F)

Chris Stray Photography

U19 Girls: E. Anastasiou (M), K. Brady (F) V. Burrows (M), Z. Knowles (F), J. Liu (F)

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SPORT

REPTON

House Sport Champions 2019-20 CRICKET 2019 SENIOR

LATHAM HOUSE

JUNIOR

THE ORCHARD

TENNIS 2019 SENIOR GIRLS

THE MITRE

JUNIOR GIRLS

THE MITRE

BOYS

THE PRIORY

ATHLETICS 2019 BOYS

SCHOOL HOUSE

GIRLS

THE MITRE

THE JAMES KROPACSY RELAYS 2019 BOYS

THE CROSS

GIRLS

THE MITRE

FOOTBALL 2019

GIRLS’ HOCKEY 2019 SENIOR

THE MITRE

JUNIOR

THE MITRE

SENIOR LEAGUE

THE ABBEY

JUNIOR LEAGUE

THE MITRE

SENIOR

THE ORCHARD

SENIOR RESERVES

THE ORCHARD

JUNIOR

THE ORCHARD & LATHAM HOUSE

SENIOR LEAGUE

THE ORCHARD

JUNIOR LEAGUE

SCHOOL HOUSE

BOYS

THE CROSS

NOEL BENNETT TROPHY (A/O 6S)

GIRLS

FIELD HOUSE

THE ORCHARD

THE CAROLINE TYLER MEMORIAL RELAYS

SWIMMING

BOYS

THE CROSS

GIRLS

THE MITRE

BOYS’ HOCKEY 2020 SENIOR

THE PRIORY

JUNIOR

NEW HOUSE

NETBALL 2020 SENIOR

THE MITRE

JUNIOR

THE MITRE

SENIOR LEAGUE

FIELD HOUSE

JUNIOR LEAGUE

COMPETITION UNFINISHED

STEEPLECHASE 2020 COMPETITION CANCELLED

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Valete JRL Jonathan Lewis joined the PE Department in September 2018.

His dedication to his classes has been unwavering throughout his two years with us and we will always be grateful for the hours he committed to our pupils, even though it meant significant personal sacrifices at times. The corridors of PE will be a quieter place without his booming laugh emanating from the open door of Room 1.4 and we will miss his tales of teaching in Australia and the daily enquiry about exactly what time period 3 starts! JRL's commitment in the classroom was matched on the hockey pitch: whilst he was primarily responsible for the Girls’ and Boys’ 2nd XIs, he spent many full afternoons on the Astroturf coaching other teams – from the U14 C Boys all the way up to the 1st XI – including assisting them on the Tour to Holland. We wish him all the very best as he leaves us to return to his family in Norfolk.

CL & MLJ

with a commitment to get things right, was an instant hit with pupils, who would be pleased to call ‘Sharpy’ their teacher or coach (and just about within earshot).

The same is true of colleagues as well, and his willingness to give selflessly of his time, especially to the extra-curricular life of the Department and to the Hockey programme, is a hallmark of the schoolmaster that he is unearthing.

JAS Joe Sharp joined the Economics and Business Department in September 2016, having graduated from The University of Nottingham. With no teaching experience behind him, it is possible that some might have said that this was a significant gamble of an appointment. However, spending even half an hour in the company of Joe would set this fallacy aside without question: his warm, personable approach, together

He arrived with the look of a new Sixth-Former and, I am happy to say, four years of extremely hard work in many facets of school life has not withered this look away. His teaching is rigorous and current, and he has become something of a grand master of dual coding. I will miss the opportunity to wander into the next-door room at the end of a lesson to disentangle a drawing of a man diving off a cliff at night-time, before being guided to shore by a lighthouse. Public goods, yes; obviously public goods. Such is his skill on the hockey pitch as a coach, many will not realise that it is his classroom teaching that has provided him with the most consistent satisfaction throughout his time at Repton.

A true Economics devotee, pupils have come to enjoy the driest moments of his wit and he has revelled in his capacity to positively influence pupil knowledge, skill and attitude in this environment.

More widely, he has contributed to socials, the Sixth Form Conference and E&E, but, of course, most notably, he has made huge commitments to sport and I am sure MLJ and the hockey players will miss his capabilities here significantly. He has simultaneously captained Beeston Men’s 1st XI in the Premier League and always been available to coach an extra session, most notably during the indoor season, giving up entire weekends to take school teams away. But the success that he has had in the last two seasons at U16 level outdoors is as impressive as any school coach in the country for whom hockey is not their sole job. Piloting two strong girls’ teams and one less-fancied boys’ team to National Schools’ Championship wins is a feat nearly unrepeatable. In addition, he and his charges would have been in with a chance for a double-double had it not been for the Coronavirus: his boys’ side had just reached the national semi-final before school closed.

Colleagues in the middle standing section of the breaktime Common Room will miss his company dearly, as will many others. The good news is, Allestree GC, Pride Park and the Duffield scene are not going anywhere, so I hope that we will have visits from time-totime. He moves on to take up an Economics teaching post at University College School, London. They are very lucky to have him.

DAE

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AVES Six years ago, I met Bella Saunders, then AVEC, in the Undercroft at the new staff induction, where we were both embarking on a new, exciting, yet slightly daunting career at Repton. She was confident, bright and friendly and made me feel at ease in her company: I knew we would be good friends from the start. Bella is an outstanding teacher of Ethical and Religious Studies, bringing enthusiasm and expertise to each of her lessons and conveying true passion for her subject. This energy can be seen in her Twitter feed and blog, where she posts inspirational and supportive messages and comments to the ERS teaching community, as well as sharing her brilliant ideas.

Bella joined Repton in the third term of her NQT year in 2014, but soon accelerated to become Head of Department in Lent 2016, impressing with her professionalism in what must be the worst possible interview slot – Saturday morning after her first Pedants wrap party (in which she had offered an outstanding rendition of Professor Snape in the hilarious Harry Potter sketch: N.B. future pupils – she can be terrifyingly strict!).

Bella married Ed in August 2016, supported by many Repton colleagues and friends, and they welcomed their two beautiful children, Toby and Ruby, to the Repton and Foremarke community in October 2017 and October 2019, respectively. Not only has she been an impressive HOD, enthusiastic netball coach and empathetic academic tutor, she has supported her husband in the demanding position of houseparent at Foremarke Hall. Her raucous jokes, strong opinions and straight-to-the-point approach will certainly be missed in the Common Room, but we wish her every happiness bringing up their children. It’s a very good thing that she’s not going to be far away from Repton and that many of us will still feel the warmth of her superb cooking, expert gardening tips and cackling laugh.

HCP

AN OUTSTANDING TEACHER ... BRINGING ENTHUSIASM AND EXPERTISE TO EACH OF HER LESSONS...

RA In 2013, Rebecca Auterson first offered her expertise within the Repton community, while tutoring, one-to-one, GCSE Sciences and A Level Maths. Before too long, she became a part-time member of Common Room, teaching Maths alongside various digital qualifications and, more recently, Computer Science.

As well as sharing her genuine interest and huge enthusiasm through teaching, Rebecca has been the driving force behind the redefinition of a most fabulous Careers Programme. There is a list, longer than your arm, of events and experiences that she has organised in recent years: enrolling pupils into the Morrisby Programme, arranging video-recorded interviews for SixthFormers, inviting ORs back to give talks, Careers Forums, Careers Fairs and Careers Conventions… to name but a few! All of this, while also initiating and organising

various masterclasses and Science courses for young children, both in holidays and in term-time, and while completing a Masters in Maths Education – with Distinction.

You would expect someone who offers such a range of skills to spread themselves thinly, at least somewhere, but Rebecca somehow manages to go head-on into everything she does with passion, commitment and great determination; every ‘i’ will be dotted and every ‘t’, crossed.

Her generosity with covering lessons and her gorgeous home-baking will be hugely missed, next year, in the Maths Department but, more importantly, we lose an incredibly kind friend and a loyal colleague.

We wish Rebecca all the very best as she moves on to her exciting new role as Head of Careers at Nottingham High School.

SJB

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MG Maria Georgoula joined the Art Department as Artist in Residence in August 2012 and has remained a key member of the Department for eight years, teaching all art disciplines. She expanded her already enviable communication skills in the teaching context by completing an iPGCE and simultaneously teaching Fine Art at Derby and Nottingham Trent Universities over this period. This experience, along with her unparalleled contemporary art knowledge, built Maria’s teaching prowess to a truly impressive level and it has been thoroughly stimulating and rewarding to work with her.

Maria embraced her role as Artist in Residence, exhibiting her sculptural work in our own Galleries as well as in other national and international venues, while sharing her practice with our pupils, who have benefited enormously.

Periods as a tutor in The Cross and New House sandwiched Maria’s appointment to become Resident Tutor of The Abbey in 2015 – a role she held for four years. She was meticulous and thorough in her duties and utterly reliable, but she was flexible and supportive in every situation, with that wicked sense of humour that endeared her to the girls and to me. She delighted in quirky turns of phrase and I'll never forget her delight when I said that there was ‘no need to get her knickers in a twist’! I've no idea what it was referring to, but it seems to sum up Maria's joy in the little things as much as her curiosity and searching intellect.

Maria will be impossible to replace and we will miss her enormously, but we wish her all the very best for her return to her family in Greece and her new role at Byron College, Athens.

IJW & LEW

‘Sunset over the Old Trent, first week of lockdown’ by Sarah Belcher (ex-staff)

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VALETE

SE Simon Earwicker joined Repton in 2001 as a promising close-season addition to an already strong staff football team.

Very tall and rangy, possessed of a good left foot and a right one to stand on, the Wolverhampton Maldini soon made his competitive instincts abundantly clear, airing his opinion on most decisions with admirable impartiality, to both adult and pupil referees alike. Quite rightly, he was markedly less forgiving himself when striding the Repton turf in resplendent black, whistle in hand, from which the blast could be as sharp as his withering analysis of the help he had received from the opposition coach in maintaining order on the field.

Fortunately, Simon was able to combine the role of player and ref when taking The Cross Monday Football night at 9.00pm in the Sports Hall every week. Emerging from a scrum of bodies resembling a battle scene from Game of Thrones, Simon’s impeccable decision-making at the end of the evening often resulted in a home win.

Repton Football has been something Simon has cared about deeply. Despite being a Manchester United fan, his passion for the game runs deep and Simon has been a pillar of the game here: coaching the U14 As team from 2002 to 2018, mostly in tandem with RGE; coaching the Junior Development Squad with CL; coaching Girls’ Football with MRW and CL 2015-2020, and going on four football tours to Spain with junior and senior teams. That is some record of dedication – and that’s before you add in years spent in the hockey set-up, running the 2nd XI and alongside me on the U16 As. Simon also taught English – rather well as it happens – and from 2002-2006 was an

excellent Head of Department to boot, herding a diverse and interesting group into producing high grades year on year.

Although it was a lot of work, there was much relief on Simon’s part when he gained the job, partly because there was the suspicion he had been ambushed on arrival in 2001 by being presented with the double whammy of Head of General Studies and Editor of The Reptonian (in the days when there were two issues per year): he remains grateful to yours truly and Terry Blain for giving him the opportunity to shine. Still, those were the days of young, enthusiastic Simon – before he had mastered the deep sigh and shoulder-slump that has provided such a clear indication to a succession of HoDs of what he thinks of the latest ‘time-saving’ initiative – and shine he did.

Whatever else occupied his time, Simon has been a proper teacher of English; knowledgeable, exacting and with a true love of his subject.

It is the years spent as housemaster that tend to live longest in the memory of those who have done it, and Simon – and Helen – can look back on their time in charge of The Cross between 2006 and 2017 with both pride and affection. There were some moments that tested even Simon’s resilience – as there are for any incumbent – but it was a time of happy and purposeful development, which can be seen in the close friendships he maintains with so many of his old boys. There is nothing fake or false about Simon: he sets the bar high, trusts in his own integrity, sets the personal example, and will work as long and as hard as it takes to achieve the best outcome possible for every pupil.

When Simon and Helen left The Cross, his energies were utilised not only in sport but also as the Repton International Schools’ Liaison Manager – a role which interested him greatly – with his pastoral experience being put to good use as a tutor in The Orchard and then in Latham.

It will be sad to see Simon leave for Marlborough – and Helen, too, in time.

They, and their two lovely children, Alice and Jim, have been fixtures at Repton for so long and such good friends to so many of us. I am particularly grateful to Alice, who provided us with a stream of impeccable A Level English essays that most of the Department have photocopied as exemplar work. However, sure in the lifelong friendships made here, the world ahead of Simon and his family is an exciting one full of opportunity and he goes to join a motley crew of ex-staff in Dan Clark and ‘Ricky’ de Rosa. Indeed, for many of us, the next football season, with Simon working under Riccardo’s leadership, offers untold delights.

I say goodbye too, to my dancing partner.

For the past two Editions of Pedants, I have played Prince John of Umbrella to his Swan-Princess Wickster and it has been a pleasure to peep out from behind his somewhat taller frame as we sashayed across the stage in ‘perfect’ harmony. At every performance, after being thrown unceremoniously into the wings by a group of men in tights, I would always hurry back to the curtain to see Simon’s dignified and really quite moving farewell to the audience. And so it is, now.

JGG

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SMQN Sandra Nield joined Repton in 1991 as a teacher of Mathematics. As a new member of staff, keen to impress and be open to all new opportunities, Sandra quickly found herself being invited by a senior colleague to be involved in ‘Expeditions’. Asking what this actually entailed, the reply was, “This is for the O Block boys. Blindfold them, drive them around in the school minibus until you think they are disorientated, drop them off and wait for them back in school.” Not a risk assessment in sight in those days! Always busy, Sandra soon became involved in DofE and CCF (where she became commissioned and rose to the rank of Lieutenant) and coached hockey to both junior boys’ and girls’ squads.

Contents

A constant in all of her years at Repton is Mathematics. She is known as the ‘Queen of the roller-board’, this equipment having followed her faithfully around Repton through several refurbishments! More importantly, although ‘a safe pair of hands’ is a phrase often applied to experienced quality teachers, Sandra is much more than that: she is always prepared to listen – really listen – because she cares and, from the first conversation of the day (“Would you like a coffee?”, accompanied by a cheery smile), she is someone colleagues in the Department can always go to for help or bounce ideas off.

Sandra was twice Head of Exams – from 1993-1999 and from 2003 to this, her final year; thus, a role she has performed for 23 years in all! This responsibility was both stressful and highly satisfying for her: she has enjoyed having to think on her feet and utilise her strong organisational skills, but, with the examination system changing so rapidly over the last few years, she enjoyed the addition of a new full-time Exams Officer – even if the workload intensified rather than calmed down! Her energy, her enthusiasm and her meticulous approach were always maintained at full throttle; she is always happy to roll up her sleeves and lead from the front. Her quick thinking and her ability to work through numerous permutations probably averted a few near-disasters, but, if she were ever inclined to write her exam memoires in the style of Adam Kay, her book would fly off the shelves!

THE EDITORIAL TEAM Editor

A. Mair (L6P)

Sub-Editors

JMJH, M. Bowman (L6M), K. Chaibi (L6G), F. Dumbill (L6P), O. Ellis (L6G), P. Kellock (L6G), H. Nieper (L6F), L. Northing (L6M), W. Orpin (L6C)

Editorial & Salvete 04

Sandra has always enjoyed being involved in the pastoral life of the school. She started as a tutor to the first group of B Block girls, who were housed in the Old Mitre, and followed half of them as they joined The Garden, to be the Resident Tutor for the next four years.

In 1994, Sandra married Adrian, in the first wedding to take place in the School Chapel. In the following years, the arrivals of Alex and Dominic made the family complete, while professionally, ready for a new responsibility and challenge, Sandra accepted the role of Housemistress of The Garden in 1999. It was a role that she loved: knowing all aspects of the individuals under her care – a reminder that what we see in the classroom is only a small part of what makes up these young adults. It was a job that required her to learn fast in order to successfully juggle her own family commitments with the girls in the house; made more difficult by the fact that she only had three tutors to help out back then.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Photography (unless otherwise credited)

Front Cover

M. Wolford, JMJH, Matt Jones Photography, Alethea Simpson, T. Jervis (L6S), MLJ, IMP, JWR, IJW, GLH, TRLV, The Housemasters AFP

Back Cover

AFP

Design

Optima Graphic Design Consultants Ltd.

Print

Buxton Press

Repton School, Repton, Derby DE65 6FH Telephone 01283 559200 Email registrar@repton.org.uk

WWW.REPTON.ORG.UK

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Art & Design 62

SHE IS ALWAYS HAPPY TO ROLL UP HER SLEEVES AND LEAD FROM THE FRONT.

Moving out of the House gave Sandra time to explore new horizons. One especially close to her heart was volunteering: Sandra loved her five trips to Dreamland School in Akumadan and the other schools Repton has started to support in Ghana. She has provided continuity for the project, fundraised enthusiastically (including the 24-hour Sportathon, which entailed taking part in all 27 sports taught at Repton!), while building new friendships both with like-minded colleagues and overseas. Those involved in the Ghana project over the years comment on her tireless enthusiasm and for the opportunities given to the pupils and staff accompanying the trip: her impact is immortalised in their memories of the calls of “Sandra, Sandra!” from the Dreamland children. And, while thinking of Sandra as a participator and a friend, what colleague could ever forget her hilarious performances as Hagrid in three successive Pedants shows!

Sandra returned to pastoral duties by joining The Mitre tutor team in 2010, where further strong relationships were developed with both staff and pupils. She has been a wise counsel and her calm approach is much respected by the girls and house staff alike: someone who they can turn to for advice, knowing that she would offer her ideas and that these would always be so valuable and insightful.

Sandra is an enthusiast and a true professional – the epitome of the Repton schoolmistress: whether in the House, the classroom, on the hockey pitches, or working tirelessly in the Summer Term to ensure that pupils were always provided with the best possible environment in the examination hall, she has created a longlasting impression on all whom she has met. We will dearly miss her, but we know that she will enjoy every minute of her new adventure. Happy retirement, Sandra!

CEG

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2019/20 Academic Year

2019/2020

www.repton.org.uk

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