Repton School, Derbyshire, continues to elevate its football programme thanks to Technical Director of Football Luke Webb. An elite coach and former professional footballer, Webb joined Repton at the start of the 2023/24 academic year. Prior to Repton, he spent 15 years developing a pioneering football programme at Bradfield College.
Webb is also the subject of a recent article in The Spectator. Published in March 2024, the article explores Webb’s history with the sport and how he’s leading the way in school football training.
Luke Webb’s Footballing Journey
A passion for football runs in Webb’s family. His father played for Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough, for Manchester United under Alex Ferguson, and 26 times for the England team.
Arsenal signed Webb when he was 11, and as a teenager he played alongside Cesc Fàbregas. As an apprentice, Webb’s first team was “The Invincibles,” aka the Arsenal squad that won the league without losing a game. His experience with the team still informs his coaching today.
Most youth players signed to a large club never make the first team, and this was the case for Webb. Released from Arsenal at 18, he then played for Coventry City and Hereford United. Unfortunately, an injury cut his footballing career short.
Webb went on to secure a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science and Coaching at the University of Roehampton and gained a UEFA A coaching qualification. Next, he started teaching at Bradfield College, where he’d studied earlier.
At Bradfield, Webb developed his innovative performance programme for Sixth Form pupils. The programme offers coaching of an equal calibre to the coaching that full-time scholars receive in professional football clubs, alongside an academic curriculum that prepares pupils for university entrance.
After 15 years at Bradfield, Webb joined Repton, another co-educational independent school with a strong footballing tradition. Several Reptonians have left the School to pursue professional football careers, including Premier League player Will Hughes. Now a midfielder for Crystal Palace, Hughes has also played for Derby County and Watford.
How Webb Is Challenging the Status Quo in School Football
In the article for The Spectator, Webb discusses his mission to challenge the status quo in school football. Typically, when talented young footballers turn 16, they have to choose between joining a sixth form or starting an apprenticeship at a football club.
However, Webb believes there’s another way, one that offers pupils the best of academic and sporting excellence. “Young people can perform and learn at the absolute highest level of the industry while still being at school,” he says.
Webb describes himself as an educationalist whose vehicle is football. For the pro coach, education and football are “one and the same.” However, he believes it takes substantial experience to see their complementary nature. It takes even more skill to “facilitate elite development through their interaction,” while remaining empathetic to a school’s values.
While Webb’s approach seamlessly combines football and academia, it also teaches pupils not to allow successes or failures in these areas to define them. Although it’s important to aim high, winning sports competitions or doing well in exams isn’t worth much without a broader sense of self-worth and community.
“What I am trying to achieve is to help these young people become courageous and excellent so that they are in complete control of their decisions and their lives,” Webb explains.
Webb’s Coaching Approach at Repton School
Webb’s approach at Repton incorporates various activities typical of professional club coaches, including sports psychology, analysis, and strength and conditioning.
However, he has also introduced more diverse activities, like yoga, dance, and boxing. The idea is to push players beyond their comfort zones so they can play with more freedom and less risk-aversion.
On the pitch, Webb’s coaching style reveals “subtle yet significant differences” to that of other coaches. When coaching the Repton first team, he keeps his distance and avoids shouting from the touchline.
After training sessions, which incorporate various exercises, drills, and small-sided games, there’s no big team talk. Instead, Webb quietly speaks to each pupil one-on-one. A depth of coaching knowledge and expertise underpins this understated approach.
The results speak for themselves: Webb’s methods have consistently yielded impressive results over the last decade. Several Bradfield pupils under his instruction secured professional contracts at top clubs.
That said, Webb’s approach doesn’t just work for elite players. His methods help pupils of all abilities improve their football technique.
As such, Webb makes a great match for Repton, which boasts a football programme that caters to pupils of all skill levels. While some Reptonians train with professional clubs’ youth teams, others enjoy the competitive fun of the School’s House League.
“You don’t have to be elite to access excellence,” Webb emphasises. “You could be an Under-14 F team player and progress to the Under-14 Es. That is an example of excellence.”
The Importance of the Boarding Experience for School Football
Webb believes boarding is vital to the elite school football programme he’s developed. Boarding offers a fully immersive experience for pupils. Moreover, there’s less time wasted on commuting between home, school, and training. Players and coaches are always present throughout term time, including evenings and weekends.
Training at Repton, a school with an award-winning boarding experience, can only add to the success of such a football programme. 70% of Reptonians board, and pupils enjoy the supportive sense of belonging that the School’s boarding community cultivates.
Building Character Beyond the Pitch
Usually, young players at pro clubs must constantly compete for the next contract. However, Repton pupils in Webb’s programme don’t face that same pressure. This allows pupils to concentrate on the process, not the outcome, and make the most of their school experience.
Aside from the technical side of training, Webb also teaches players values that encourage them to support teammates, respect opponents, and listen to the referee. These values have practical implications for life, not just football. They also align with Repton’s traditional values of encouraging pupils to aim high while showing respect for all.
Elevating Football at Repton School
Few schools can claim a coach with Webb’s experience and undeniable talent. Repton recognises its fortune in having such an “inspirational leader,” whose ambitious plans will push the School’s football provision and support for pupils at all levels of the game.
However, Webb’s approach offers many valuable lessons that other schools could employ: Fostering an environment where football holds equal weight with academic studies. Inspiring students to play without fear of failure. Promoting competitiveness while prioritising long-term development over immediate wins.
Webb’s progressive attitude is gaining traction. Repton competes in the Hudl League alongside eight other independent schools — including Bradfield — that uphold football to similarly high standards. Spearheaded by Webb, Repton continues to elevate school football to new heights.
About Repton School
Repton School is a renowned independent school with a storied reputation of sporting excellence. Every Reptonian plays sport at least three times a week, and more than 80% of pupils represent the School in at least one sport. Many alumni have enjoyed successful sporting careers: The 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympics all featured Old Reptonians.
Focus sports at Repton include football, hockey, swimming, and tennis. Repton offers football for boys and, since the 2021/22 season, girls. Professional footballer and passionate coach Molly Holder oversees the girls’ teams.
Repton’s football squads have secured the School numerous trophies, with the boys’ teams winning:
- The Hudl Independent Schools’ League three times.
- The Barry Burns ISFA Northern 8s six times.
- The England Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) U18 cup twice.
- The Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) sixes twice.
Meanwhile, Repton’s girls’ football teams have won the ISFA U18 National 7-a-side competition, U15 Northern 7-a-side, and U18 Midlands League (four times in five editions).
