News from Hampton Autumn 2022

A trip to the Avon Tyrrell adventure centre in the New Forest was a wonderful way for our First Years to start their Hampton School days.

New Hamptonians embraced every challenge, from high ropes to orienteering and archery to raft building. The visit was an excellent opportunity to build communication and teamwork skills as well as to forge lots of new friendships.

A LEVEL RESULTS

Upper Sixth Formers and their families had much to celebrate on A Level results day.

An exceptional 89% of grades were at A*- A and 75 boys recorded three or more A*s. The outstanding set of results helped over 90% of the year group secure places at Russell Group, or equivalent, universities.

GCSE RESULTS

Fifth Year Hamptonians excelled in their GCSEs with a remarkable 59% of examination results at grade 9, and 83% of grades at 9-8 (A*).

Over half the year group achieved ten or more 9-8 (A*) grades and 52 Hamptonians chalked up ten or more grade 9s – a phenomenal achievement!

FELTHAM COLLEGE

A new Sixth Form College founded by Hampton, LEH and Reach Academy, Feltham welcomed its first pupils in September.

The state and independent school partnership initiative is aimed at broadening choices for the young people of Feltham. Teachers from the two independent schools spend 28 periods a week supporting their colleagues at Feltham College across a range of subjects.

HARRIS

Now seven months old, Harris has had a major growth spurt since joining us as a puppy in July.

The Labradoodle has trebled in height and gained eleven kilograms. Gentle and very friendly, Harris is currently still in training but it is hoped that he will start spending supervised time with fellow Hamptonians in the summer term.

IN THEIR ELEMENT

Sixth Form Chemists put in an outstanding performance in the 2022 Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, securing eight Gold, ten Silver and five Copper awards.

Henry Shard continued Hampton’s run of success in the competition. His superb result, placing him in the top 0.7% of the country’s top young chemists, earned him a coveted Roentgenium Award.

TALK!

Our Talk! series welcomed a broad range of inspirational speakers this term.

Hamptonians, partner school pupils, and parents packed the Hammond Theatre to listen to Fraser Nelson, Editor of The Spectator ; Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy MP; and rugby stars Louis Lynagh OH (2019) and his father, Wallabies legend Michael Lynagh, who were in conversation with The Times Deputy Rugby Correspondent Will Kelleher OH (2010).

BENTLEY COPSE

First Year adventurers enjoyed a weekend mountain biking in the Surrey Hills.

Following an evening of board games and orienteering, Hamptonians took to their bikes to explore the surrounding countryside. From tackling the steep inclines of Pitch Hill to the single, downhill tracks back to camp, the First Years threw themselves into every challenge.

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD

Over 30 Hamptonians have been involved in Silver and Gold DofE expeditions this term.

With 65-litre rucksacks on their backs, Fifth Year adventurers hiked along the dramatic coastline of Dorset taking in views of Corfe Castle and Swanage Bay. The Gold expedition explored the rugged hills of the Lake District, home to England’s highest mountain and deepest lake.

THIRD YEAR TEAM BUILDING

Third Year Hamptonians enjoyed an actionpacked team building day at the start of the academic year.

Pupils came together to tackle head-scratching activities such as Key Code, Sky Tower and Global Warming, focusing on their teamwork and communication skills to solve the fiendishly challenging puzzles.

PORTLAND CLIMBING

Second Year Hamptonians travelled to the Isle of Portland for a rock climbing adventure on the Jurassic Coast.

Hamptonians were guided by instructors as they tackled some of the best climbing locations in the UK. Pupils also took full advantage of the beautiful weather as they enjoyed beach walks and team building games and even braved the English Channel for a bracing evening swim.

GEOGRAPHY TRIP TENERIFE

Third Years headed to Tenerife to study some of the island’s fascinating geographical features.

The group explored the world’s third largest active volcano, Mount Teide, taking in aweinspiring views of the incredible landscape. They also enjoyed a guided tour of the Fincas Las Margaritas Banana Plantation, where they were able to sample some tasty local banana jam.

BALTIC TRIP

The Baltic capitals of Estonia and Latvia were the destination for our Russianists as they explored the rich history and culture of the region.

In Riga, our linguists visited the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, and in Tallinn Old Town, Hamptonians explored the beautiful Kadriorg Palace and enjoyed a local cookery class. Language skills were also honed as pupils forged friendships with local school pupils.

A trip to the Spanish capital Madrid offered Fifth Year and Lower Sixth Hispanists invaluable language practice and the opportunity to explore the art, history and culture of this vibrant city.

Hamptonians stayed with host families and toured famous landmarks including Palacio Real and Museo del Prado, where they were able to see famous artwork from Velázquez and Goya. A highlight of the trip was a tour of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home to Spanish footballing giants Real Madrid.

LILLE

Sixth Formers were employed in a range of industries during their work experience trip to Lille. Placements included working in a nursery, a café, and a climbing gym. One Hamptonian worked in a local radio station ‘Radio Campus’ creating jingles.

The trip was a great opportunity for our linguists to immerse themselves in the French way of life.

THE 39 STEPS

The 2022 joint Christmas production saw a cast of Hamptonians and pupils from Hampton High bring the comedy of The 39 Steps to life.

The inventive and gripping thriller took the Hammond Theatre audience on a breathtaking and hilarious journey, as our dashing hero Richard Hannay tried to clear his name of murder before it was too late. The young actors showcased their comic timing perfectly in this fast-paced and energetic production.

LEGALLY BLONDE

The 2022 Hampton and LEH joint Senior School Musical Legally Blonde was a dazzling, sell-out success.

A riot of pink with a witty script and effervescent score, the captivating performance had the audience dancing in their seats. Congratulations to the 57 members of cast and crew on a wonderful production!

EDINBURGH FRINGE

Voices of Lions wowed at their eighth Edinburgh Fringe appearance.

The 39-stong a cappella choir, which included alumni and Hamptonians from Third Year to Upper Sixth, performed to record audiences at Old St Paul’s Church. Director of Music Mr Daniel Roland warmly congratulated the musicians:

“The success of the choir lies in the strong camaraderie between pupils from across the year groups who share a love of music. Their enthusiasm, dedication and drive for excellence is admirable.”

CARDUCCI QUARTET MASTERCLASS

The award-winning Carducci String Quartet delivered a series of masterclasses to Hampton’s string players and ensembles.

The internationally renowned quartet advised musicians on technique, practice methods and performance skills. The day culminated with the professional musicians taking members of the Chamber Orchestra through their paces as they tackled Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings.

NEW BOYS’ CONCERT

The annual New Boys’ Concert showcased the talents of 42 new pupils as they performed a varied selection of music to an audience of delighted parents and teachers.

From Chopin to John Williams and Bach to the Beatles, our talented young musicians performed on a range of instruments including the cello, electric guitar, trumpet and piano.

FOOTBALL

Footballers have enjoyed a busy term with 246 fixtures across the year groups.

Well done to the First XI who remain in the Independent Schools’ Football Association (ISFA) and U18 English Schools’ Football Association Cup competitions. Several Hamptonians have also been selected for national ISFA representative squads. Congratulations to Fifth Year Josh King, who has been called up to the England national U16 squad.

CROSS COUNTRY SUCCESS

Hampton’s cross country runners achieved an excellent set of results at the Richmond Schools’ Cross Country Championships.

Third Year Marcus Solomon defended his 2021 title in the U15 race to win Gold. The senior team also fared well with Upper Sixth pupil Henry Fagan crossing the line in second place, closely followed by teammates Daniel Clarke and Theo Webb, who finished in third and fourth place respectively. Several of our athletes now go forward to represent Richmond in the Middlesex Championships next year.

ATHLETICS SILVER MEDAL

Senior athletes Kieran Bouwmeester-Reid, Hayden Christian and Aaron Mills achieved an impressive Silver medal when they represented Middlesex at the English Schools’ Athletic Association Combined Events Championships.

The two-day event saw some of the best athletes in the country compete in eight disciplines across track and field. Director of Sport Mr Carlos Mills congratulated the sportsmen on their performance: “This year, all three athletes representing Middlesex were Hamptonians, and achieving a Silver medal is a superb achievement.”

HAMPTON SMALL BOATS HEAD

Over 3,000 young rowers from schools and clubs across the country competed at the 2022 Hampton Small Boats Head.

A brisk and breezy day brought good racing conditions on the Molesey stretch of the River Thames, and there were plenty of supporters lining the river bank cheering on the junior oarsmen and women. There were strong performances from Hampton’s 26 crews including a Gold medal for the J15 coxed quad.

RUGBY

The First XV have had an excellent season including an impressive performance at St Joseph’s College Rugby Festival.

Up against some of the strongest schoolboy teams in the country, the Hampton players won all three of their matches on the first day of the tournament and progressed to the semi-final stages of the competition.

Hamptonians also excelled in the recent Middlesex Rugby Festival. The U12s, U14s, U15s and U16s finished as runners-up in their age group competitions with the U13s winning their tournament.

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES GALORE

With pupils from across the year groups encouraged to take full advantage of all that is on offer at Hampton, our co-curricular clubs, activities and societies are thriving and are the perfect way to discover fresh interests, broaden your knowledge, and make new friends.

From Board Games to Beekeeping Club, Physics Club to Philosophy Reading Group, and from Model Aviation to Music Tech Club, there really is something for everyone!