Repton School Wins Education Business ‘Remote Learning’ Award for Efforts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Education Business Awards commended Repton for its remote learning provisions, pastoral care, and innovative IT system, which supported students throughout 2020.

On 8 July, Derbyshire’s Repton School won its latest accolade, this time at the virtual 2021 Education Business Awards. The co-educational school’s staff are delighted to have received the Remote Learning Award, which celebrates the outstanding distance learning provisions that Repton delivered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

This win follows Repton’s success in several Awards programmes this year. The boarding and day school has already made the finals in two Times Educational Supplement Independent School Awards categories, the finals in the LACA School Chef of the Year Awards, and the shortlist for The Independent School of the Year Response to COVID-19 Award (results due in October).

The Education Business Awards

The Education Business Awards highlights school successes that shape the education sector, and its annual ceremony has recognised major school achievements for over two decades. The Award categories are open to approximately 32,000 schools throughout the UK, attracting a wealth of impressive entries every year. Repton is proud to have won the Remote Learning Award – the first of its kind – out of such a wide pool of schools, colleges, and academies.

Praise for Repton’s Pastoral Staff

The Education Business judges commended Repton’s pastoral staff for their strength and reliability through the pandemic. And the school’s January 2021 pupil wellbeing survey reflects their efforts – 96 percent of Repton students felt either no or very low levels of anxiety as a result of remote learning. This comes as no surprise: Repton went well beyond digitising lessons to deliver educational materials to students throughout the pandemic. Staff also created an ‘enriching timetable’ to meet each student’s needs and keep the school community connected.

Plus, Repton upheld its focus on community spirit throughout the pandemic, encouraging Reptonians to sign up for outreach work. Students shared home-cooked meals with isolated members of the community, gave live and virtual musical performances to entertain locals, and created birthday cards for elderly residents.

Shortlisted for the Education Business ICT Innovation Award

The judges also shortlisted Repton for the Education Business ICT Innovation Award, which recognises originality in teaching and communicating through technologies. When schools closed last year, Repton partnered with Greenwood Academies Trust (GAT) to install a revolutionary IT system (Our Learning Cloud) across two sites. Procuring the system through GAT enabled Repton to reinvest a six-figure sum into the UK education sector, funding the learning of more than 17,000 young people in deprived areas.

Repton’s teachers, tutors, coaches, and support staff also made the most of the IT system to adapt the school’s extensive co-curricular programme. Digitising this programme enabled students to:

·       Keep up with sports coaching

·       Take part in dramatic productions and musical recitals

·       Enjoy social activities and house challenges

·       Attend an online International Universities evening with speakers from prestigious universities in the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.

Headmaster Comment

‘We are absolutely delighted that our through-school Remote Learning provision is recognised as industry leading,’ says Headmaster Mark Semmence. ‘It is a clear demonstration of the strength of the Repton community; that we could adapt so quickly and effectively delivering not just outstanding education but also pastoral care, co-curricular enrichment and the all-important House spirit to our pupils all over the world. We place enormous value on providing a balanced education and remained committed to this even during the most challenging times.’

‘Communication with parents, pupils and staff was at the heart of keeping our School spirit strong and pupils’ learning on track,’ he adds. ‘We presented a clear way forward and remained committed to providing uninterrupted live lessons for every pupil. Our staff, pupils and parents worked as a team to enable this to happen with a shared, genuine desire to remain connected. Every decision made was taken in the context of how it impacted the wellbeing of our pupils and throughout Repton we have seen how much our community values learning.’

About Repton School

Repton School houses around 1,000 students, big enough for Reptonians to compete in international academic, music, arts, and sports competitions but small enough to ensure staff can nurture each student’s needs, talents, and interests.

Repton’s teachers help students develop all corners of their learning; students don’t have to prioritise academic lessons over sports, arts, or music if this is where their passions lie. Instead, staff help students excel in all their interests, learn how to support their local communities, and develop healthy values so they can thrive in their future careers and personal lives.

Many Reptonians go on to study at prestigious universities, both in the UK and abroad, and many excel in meaningful, challenging, and rewarding careers. Just a few old Reptonians include author, presenter, and comedian Graham Garden OBE; Formula One engineer Adrian Newey; actor Tom Chambers; Olympic-gold-medal-winning hockey player Georgie Twigg; and former Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey.

Repton also plays a leading role in international education. Not only does the Repton Family of Schools comprise three schools in the UK (Repton, Repton Prep, and St Wystan’s), but Repton has three schools in the Middle East, two in China, one in Malaysia, one in Cairo and one opening in Bulgaria in September 2021. Repton is now working on plans to further expand its family of schools.

Learn more about Repton School.