YEAR 9 ENTRY
SEPTEMBER 2026
A SCHOLAR'S ROLE at REPTON
Reptonians have a groundedness that recognises that a Repton education is about performance, not privilege. Our scholarship awards celebrate excellence and potential in all aspects of school life: academic work, cultural and sporting capabilities, and leadership qualities. If you are successful in receiving a scholarship, you are joining a long and distinguished line of previous award holders. This heritage dates from the time of Repton’s foundation in 1557 and is an expression of the wish of Sir John Port to promote the education of the most promising young people. It is an honour to become a part of a 465-year-old living tradition
A scholarship awarded by Repton is an indicator of the potential a pupil has to attain even more richly and extensively in the future Scholars will be challenged to always give their best, contribute to the rich life of the School and are expected to uphold Repton’s Values and Aims in all their endeavours In return, we ensure that scholars will be instilled with the attitude and skills needed to thrive in today’s modern and complex world.
Repton’s Scholars are role models to all within our community – we expect them to take advantage of the abundant opportunities that come with a Repton education and lay the foundations for personal fulfilment both here and beyond The Arch
We wish you every success with your application
Mr Mark Semmence Headmaster
OUR SCHOLARSHIPS
Repton School awards Scholarships in the disciplines set out below Your child may earn the title of Scholar; a 'Scholar' being deemed exceptionally gifted in their chosen discipline This is a major achievement and one of which both parents and child should be very proud.
The process is competitive and not every candidate will gain a title We encourage parents and schools to manage the child’s expectations sensibly, and focus on the fact that being put forward to enter for scholarship is, in its own right, a real achievement
In order to enter for any of our Scholarships please complete the Application Form(s) at the back of this booklet The dates are listed and for those that will need it, boarding is available for the night before their assessment. Further information will be sent to candidates with more precise details of the day but in the meantime, if there are any specific questions then please contact the relevant Head of Department.
The value of an award may vary from an honorary (or titular) award up to the maximum value of 10% remission of the Repton fee. It is the School’s usual policy to limit the value of awards to 10% and should your child sit for more than one type of scholarship, and is successful in more than one, then the combined value of all awards will not exceed 10%, although they will be entitled to the full prestige of all the awards won It may be possible to enhance the value of an award with the addition of a bursary (means-tested) based on an assessment of an individual family's circumstances.
All holders of a Scholarship will be expected to make a substantial contribution in their award subject, as appropriate, throughout their time at Repton
All external candidates applying to Repton must be registered by completing our Registration Form which is available from the admissions department (admissions@repton.org.uk)
All external candidates must take our entrance examination, which is an online CAT4 test, and have a general interview with a member of our Senior Management Team via Teams References will be requested from current Headmasters.
Thank you for your interest in a Repton Scholarship We wish all our applicants well in the process
SCHOLARSHIP ASSESSMENT DATES
January 2026
January 2026
MUSIC 19 & 20 January 2026
DRAMA 21 January 2026
Nominated pupils will be assessed in Sport, Academic and a creative discipline on the above assessment dates.
C B FRY
*Nominations from Headmasters should be sent to admissions@repton org uk
SPORT
Monday 17 November 2025
Sport Scholarships are awarded at 13+ to pupils of exceptional potential. Awards are made to pupils who we believe will be able to make a contribution at the forefront of our senior first teams either immediately or in due course. It is, therefore, likely that recipients of any major award will have played or, have the potential to play, their principal game not only at county but also at regional or national level Awards may also be made to pupils who have the potential to make a significant contribution to sport at Repton. Please note, that such awards would only be made in the focus sports which are football, hockey, netball, swimming, tennis and cricket.
Our Scholarships are reserved for the most able of performers, and we expect that any recipients will be the leading games players in their year group at Repton and in the School in due course Recent 13+ recipients have been elevated to 1st XI sport whilst still in the lower school age groups, and some have represented their region and country.
Practical assessments will be conducted in the candidates chosen sport(s) along with athleticism tests. It is common for a candidate to be assessed in only one sport if that is their sole focus However, candidates may also contribute strongly in more than one sport. We will assess in no more than a maximum of three separate sports and would ask that you rank the sports in terms of strength on your application
For further information on Sport Awards at Repton, or to discuss an application please contact our Interim Director of Sport, Mr Ian Pollock, via email ipollock@repton.org.uk
A Sport application should be supported by the applicant’s full sporting CV and, where possible, references and recommendations from their current coach. Please send these to our Head of Admissions (Maternity Cover), Martina Williamson, via email, admissions@repton.org.uk
FOOTBALL
Monday 17 November 2025
Our Year 9 (13+) scholarship assessments take place in November of Year 8 However, for our football department to make the most accurate assessment of pupils, our Technical Director of Football will build a picture of a candidate through watching them play for their clubs/schools during Years 5, 6 and 7 At these matches, the football coaching team will speak with parents to understand the motivations of the family through football, which will also allow parents to understand more about the football education delivered within the performance programme
For further information on Football Awards at Repton, or to discuss an application please contact our Technical Director of Football, Mr Luke Webb, on lwebb@repton.org.uk
A sport application should be supported by the applicant’s full sporting CV and, where possible, references and recommendations from their current coach. Please send these to our Head of Admissions (Maternity Cover), Martina Williamson, on admissions@repton.org.uk
Scholarships at 13+ will only be awarded to pupils who are of the required standard, character, and motivation to participate on the Performance Programme Please ensure you have read about the requirements of the Performance Programme before applying.
It should also be noted that any pupil within the school whether a scholar or not, can be invited onto the Performance Programme if they reach the required standard.
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday 13 January 2026
Candidates will have a short, written test and will be asked to do a practical exercise that they can take away at the end of day
Candidates should bring their completed project along with its accompanying folder: it is important to include clear photographs of their three-dimensional work.
Candidates should be prepared to discuss their project in an interview with the Head of Design Technology. The folder and related 3D outcome should demonstrate solving a real problem, research investigations, creative ideas (sketching / modelling etc), evidence of making, and evaluative skills
Candidates are encouraged to interpret the following themes as a starting point for their project, and design movements and designers are also always a good source of inspiration for ideas:
1 Storage: “Around the home”
2. Lighting: “Inside or Outside”
3 Sustainability: “Minimising the impact on the environment”
4. Architectural model: “Which architect might influence you?”
Candidates may also choose to identify their own problem and develop their own brief providing it demonstrates the qualities listed above.**
For further information on Design and Technology Awards at Repton, or to discuss an application please contact the Head of Design and Technology, Mrs Lucy Politowski, via email, lpolitowski@repton.org.uk
**It is strongly recommended that the project be able to be transported in a standard sized plastic box or equivalent; large scale projects are also welcome but candidates should consider quality of manufacture, timeframes and how well it fits with the identified problem and design brief
ACADEMIC
Wednesday 14 January 2026
The Academic Scholarship is accessible to all pupils regardless of previous educational background
Candidates will be invited to Repton to sit the academic papers over the course of a day which will comprise of English, Mathematics, Science, and a Humanities based General Paper.
There will also be online interviews which will form part of the assessment, though on a separate day to the papers
Sets of specimen papers can be obtained from the Admissions on admissions@repton org uk
For further information on our Academic Scholarship, or to discuss an application, please contact our Assistant Head (Academic), Mr Tom Howell, via email, thowell@repton.org.uk
DRAMA
Wednesday 21 January 2026
The Drama Scholarship is aimed at Year 8 pupils who have a clear interest in dramarelated activity Candidates are invited to a one day workshop, where they will take part in a number of group and individual practical activities. In addition, candidates will be interviewed to evaluate their general interest in drama and experience of theatre, at an appropriate and realistic level
In advance of the workshop, candidates for the Drama Scholarship will be sent audition pieces, one of which should be learnt in advance, or they can learn a monologue of their own choosing Candidates will be asked to perform this piece at audition, and to briefly discuss the interpretation of the character they have presented It is not necessary –indeed it is inadvisable – to have coaching for this, we are looking for individual interpretations
Applications from candidates offering design or technical skills are also welcome; these candidates should provide a portfolio or scrapbook as evidence of their interest in lighting, sound, costume, or set design, at audition, where they will be asked to briefly discuss their designs
Whilst the awards workshop is rigorous for 12 and 13-year-olds, it is also informal, informative and an enjoyable experience. In view of the practical nature of the day, it is advisable to wear tracksuits or loose, comfortable clothing.
For further information on Drama Awards at Repton, or to discuss an application please contact the Director of Drama, Mr Jon-Paul Cooper-Richards, via email jcooper-richards@repton.org.uk
The C B FRY SCHOLARSHIP
C B Fry is one of Repton’s most distinguished alumni, hailed in his day as “the greatest living Englishman.” After a spectacular pupil career at Repton – with academic success particularly stellar in Classics - he went on to Oxford University, setting many sporting records. Having captained both Cricket and Football teams at Repton –including playing for Repton’s village team in the FA Cup at the tender age of 16 - he went on to Captain England in Cricket and play for the England football team, a double honour that is almost unheard of in any other individual’s lifetime. A teacher, politician and author, C B Fry admirably sums up the rounded, grounded and unbounded character of our most successful pupils.
A such, those pupils who are capable of strong performances in ALL the following scholarship assessments - Academic, Sport and any ONE of the creative disciplines - can be nominated by their current school’s Head for the C B Fry Scholarship
A nomination from their current Head should confirm that they are a young person who:
Is a top-end academic in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science, and in at least one other curricular area
Would make A Team in at least one of Repton’s focus sports
Has significant ability in Music, Drama, DT or Art Demonstrates highly developed leadership and social skills
Nominations should be received by Repton by October of Year 8
Nominees for the C B Fry Scholarship will be assessed for Sport Scholarship alongside the other Sport applicants in October of Year 8 They will then sit Academic papers and have their creative assessment in January.
At the end of this process, any nominee may be awarded individual or combined scholarships in any of the above disciplines, with the attendant financial remission as explained elsewhere in this booklet
Should the assessors feel that the nominee has the ability and the character to excel in all those spheres of Repton life named above, they will be awarded our most prestigious prize, The C B Fry Scholarship The expectations on these scholars in all areas will be the same as for any pupil holding an individual scholarship, and they will be expected to make significant and diverse contributions to Repton life.
To reflect this and the significance of such an achievement, this award carries a 25% remission for the duration of the pupil’s doubtless very successful Repton career
