The Abbey was opened in 1979 as the first purpose built girls’ house at Repton. It is home to 70 girls, from 13 – 18 years old and is situated in the centre of the school within its own grounds and enclosed garden. Its walls are covered with climbing roses and passion flowers which enhance the buildings beautifully during the summer months in particular, and we still have several very productive apple trees which are remnants of the original orchard.
The Abbey is a friendly community where all age groups mix readily, whether it be in one of the three common room areas, or within the house as a whole. Our aim is for there to be no divide between the day girls and the boarders, so that everyone is fully integrated within the routines and activities of the Abbey family. Boarders are accommodated in comfortable double bedsits until they reach their final year, when they can move into single study bedrooms, whilst the day girls have their own space in mixed year studies. The girls also have the chance to change their rooms each term. Although the boarders share their rooms with their own year group, they will be on a corridor with a mixture of ages as well as with the day girls which further enhances the sense of community and house spirit. The Abbey was fully refurbished in 2007 which means that all the furniture is new and modern and each room has its own sink, as well as network sockets linked to the Internet. The girls are encouraged to make their rooms homely and cosy with their own belongings, and to decorate them with photographs, rugs and cushions.
In their free time the girls can relax in the Link where there is a large kitchen space, with snacks and fruit always readily available. Alternatively they could watch a large screen Sky TV or a DVD, and welcome visitors into the large downstairs common room with its comfortable sofas, or have some peace and quiet in the smaller common room situated away from the main public areas of the house. The smaller Common Room is equiped with a stationary bycicle and a cross-trainer machine for those who want to stay in trim. There is also a Wii games system and a library of traditional board games as well as a library of novels for those who seek quieter recreation. Girls are encouraged to work together to create their own photo montages, that are put up around the House. We provide large frames and use of our colour printer along with coloured card so they can make their mark. The Gallery is an additional work area which contains five fully networked desktop computers as well as a laser printer.
A great strength of the Abbey is its food, and we aim to provide the girls with nutritious, home cooked meals with a smattering of ‘proper’ puddings, so that they are healthy and well prepared for the demands of the school day. Our Matron, Chris and Chef Sue, work very hard to create diverse and interesting menus throughout the week, and we have become especially famous for our ‘ice cream days’.
Above all we consider the Abbey to be a home, and although we expect high standards from the girls, we aim for this to take place within a caring and understanding framework, where the sense of house spirit and mutual support is key to our success.