B O A R D I N G

The girls’ house has a cottage-style feel, with thoughtfully decorated dorms of up to five beds. Boys have larger dorms of up to seven beds and barer walls – ‘Ha! We’re much better than them at making the rooms look nice!’ grinned our female guide, though all manage to feel homely. ‘The tunnel’ –actually a narrow corridor packed with beanbags and telly – is popular among the boys, who also have access to a huge common room (also open to girls), while the girls get two smaller ones to themselves. All are cared for by the dozen or so staff who live on site.

Weekend activities include ‘more downtime than in the past so it feels like home from home’, but also everything from Halloween Spooktacular (120 boarders doing a themed feast and disco) to shopping and theatre trips Mini golf and laser shooting regularly feature too

Scholarshipsat 11+ in sport, music, drama, art, DT and academic. Twenty per cent fee remission for scholarships and 10 per cent for exhibition awards. Means-tested bursaries from year 3.

Repton Prep is really going places. Its traditional, family feel remains, but there’s a sense of change in the air – a feeling of really looking forward. The whole place bursts with energy and cheerfulness. Stable leadership is reassuring for parents after a turbulent time. First-rate facilities.