Welcome to the Third Year Blog!
And just like that, the spring term is done! Buoyed on by the gorgeous weather, the final week has been a typically busy one for Third Years and there has been a wide range of activities going on. Monday saw the U14A footballers look to book their place in the County Cup Final (more on that below) and some Third Year linguists made their way over to LEH to watch a German play. The following day, Monty, Joshi and Will (members of Hampton’s Holocaust Research Project) were involved in an online Holocaust Education workshop run by UCL, furthering their understanding of the tragic event. On Thursday, the Cryptic Crossword Interform Competition took place and our Rugby 7s team headed off to test themselves at the Rosslyn Park National Sevens.
To continue the theme of giving shout outs to celebrate the achievements of members of the Third Year, this week I would like to congratulate Jeff L who enjoyed a busy weekend of music in the weekend just gone. On Saturday, he participated in the Richmond Performing Arts Festival, where he was awarded 2nd Prize in his age category for the String Section. The following day, Jeff performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra. Jeff capped off a busy musical week by performing in the Hampton Spring Concert on Wednesday. Well done!
I hope that everyone has a fantastic Easter break – let’s hope this beautiful weather continues. Rest up, recharge and come back ready to hit the ground running in a few weeks time!
Heads of Year Message
Congratulations to the U14A Football Team for qualifying for the final of the Surrey Cup following their impressive 3-0 victory in the semi-finals earlier this week.
Equal congratulations and good luck to the U14 Rugby Sevens squad which has qualified for the second day of the Rosslyn Park National Rugby Sevens Tournament, taking place today.
Our final congratulations of this term are reserved for Kenny A and Thomas W-M who (in a streamlined team of two in a competition open to teams of four) won the Cryptic Crossword Interform Competition for 3F on Thursday, and lifted them off the bottom of the Interform Challenge leader board in the process.
We encourage any budding writers to submit a piece of creative writing for consideration in the next edition of Lion Print – note that the deadline for submission by email to Mrs Bartholomew is the final day of the Easter holidays.
Bon voyage to Third Year pupils heading off on the J14 Rowing camp and/or the Adventure Society trip to Snowdonia over the Easter holidays. It is so encouraging to see School trips operating once again. We look forward to reading the reports and trust that all the boys will acquit themselves with distinction in all their endeavours.
We hope that Third Year Germanists enjoyed their afternoon out at the theatre on Monday afternoon as they travelled across to LEH in glorious sunshine to watch a German play.
Spring Grade Cards will be available for parents to view via My School Portal from 4pm today (Friday 25 March). If necessary, Form Tutors will conduct Grade Card reviews with boys at the start of the summer term.
Summer Exams – Whilst attention will inevitably start to focus on exams week (May 23-27; the week before half term) from the start of the summer term, we do not expect boys to be revising throughout the Easter holidays. The RS department have set a project which is due to be handed in early in the summer term, and other departments may have set holiday homework to complete. Boys should also take the opportunity to consolidate notes and catch-up on any missed work from the spring term. Otherwise, we strongly advocate the need for time to relax and recover from a busy term over the holidays. Form Tutors will provide guidance and support towards planning a revision schedule, and executing effective revision, during PSHE lessons next term. Subject teachers will include revision advice and activities during lessons next term. There will also be a two-week homework holiday ahead of exams, during which all boys should aim to complete their revision and exam preparations.
Boys – well done for all your efforts and achievements during this busy term. We hope that you all have a happy, relaxing and restful Easter holiday. We look forward to seeing you refreshed and ready to go again on Wednesday 20 April.
Best wishes
Mr T Rigby & Miss V Smith
Message from Miss Smith
It is with mixed feelings that I sit down to write the final blog message of the term: a real sense of pride for the Third Years in all they have achieved over the last two terms, but tinged with a degree of sadness as I move on from my time in the Third Year to take up the post of Head of Lower Sixth.
Firstly, some ‘thank yous’. To the Third Year tutors who have been the most wonderful group of people to work with. Without fail, they quietly but brilliantly guide the Third Years through life at Hampton. To the Assistant Heads of Year – Mr Moore and Mr Lees. They are an endless source of support to your sons, the Form Tutors, and Mr Rigby and me. And lastly to Mr Rigby, my fellow Head of Year and sidekick; over the years, he has been a great source of support, advice and good humour. In all he does, he is simply outstanding and it has been a privilege working with him for the last four years.
One of the many privileges of being Head of Third Year has been getting to know all the pupils as they progress through the year group. Each year group has been very different, but each year group often seems to have shared qualities. For me, I will always remember the Third Year of 2021–22 for their calmness, kindness and enthusiasm; calmness as they go about their day-to-day business, kindness in their interactions with all members of the community and enthusiasm for the way they have tackled all we have asked of them. Third Years, I hope you never lose sight of these wonderful qualities.
Despite only working with them for two terms, it is clear to me that your sons are a unique, diverse and charming group, full of their own special idiosyncrasies and quirks. They have proven themselves to be thoroughly decent young adults, who have always put humility at the fore of all they do, among their peers, and in lessons. They have been proud to represent Hampton in a variety of spheres and have proven themselves to be excellent role models for the First and Second Years. In short, they are Hamptonians of the highest calibre.
Third Years: it has been a real privilege being your Head of Year. I wish you very well as you progress through the rest of this year and beyond. Please make sure you enjoy and relish the variety of unforgettable and irreplaceable opportunities the future holds. Keep striving to scale the dizzy heights of life and keep tackling everything with a smile!
Best wishes
Miss Smith
Interform Competition Update
In a recent edition of the blog, you may have read about the Cryptic Crossword craze that was spreading through the Third Year. It was a matter of time before this went mainstream and became the focus of an Interform Competition. Yesterday, the forms took each other on in an activity that is the perfect blend of problem-solving, intuition, communication and teamwork. The results were as follows:
1st Place – 3F
2nd Place – 3D
3rd Place – 3A, 3C and 3J
Well done to Kenny A and Thomas W-M who won the Cryptic Crossword Interform Competition for 3F!
Yesterday’s results have seen changes to the Interform Results Table, with the current top rankings being:
Joint 1st Place – 3B and 3J
Joint 3rd Place – 3A and 3C
5th Place – 3D
6th Place – 3H
Joint 7th Place – 3F and 3G
9th Place – 3E
Keep an eye out for further competitions next term – it’s tight all the way through the table so a couple of big results for your form could make a huge difference!
Sports Round Up
U14A Football vs St Joseph’s College by Joe T:
After a great game in the County Cup quarter finals, the Hampton U14As came up against St Joseph’s College in the semis. Hampton started the match strongly and 15 minutes in, Angus H slotted the ball into the bottom left corner from outside the box. Just a few minutes later, St Joseph’s right winger broke into the box and forced a great double save from James S. The start of the second half brought lots of pressure against Hampton’s back four but throughout the half we managed to defend well. After a short period of back and forth football, Oli S scored a critical goal to put Hampton 2-0 up. Dexter B secured the win for Hampton with 10 minutes to go, following up on a good save from the opposition’s keeper. With only 10 minutes to go it was too late for the opposition to create any meaningful comeback and Hampton clinched the win with a clean sheet. Bring on the final!
U14C Football vs Reading Blue Coat by Alasdair McI:
Hampton U14Cs were set to face Reading Blue Coat School in their last game of the season and were determined to end on a high note. Unfortunately, Hampton were unable to fulfil their desires and were beaten 4-1. The whistle blew and Hampton began to play some decent football and had a few close chances. However whenever Reading gained possession, their first instinct was to counter. It soon became very clear that this was when Hampton were at their weakest as our midfielders could not get back quick enough to help defend. After a series of counters, Reading finally scored after their striker cut it back to a man waiting at the corner of the box who quickly crossed it in to the awaiting winger at back post who put his foot through the ball and launched it into the net. It was not long after the first goal that Reading grabbed their second, yet again they had scored of the counter. The Reading winger had found himself in a great position to shoot and after cutting passed the Hampton right-back he fired it into the opposite bottom corner of the net giving Rocky McC no chance. The half time whistle blew and after conceding two goals in the first half Hampton still kept their heads up with a comeback in mind. A third goal was scored by Reading roughly 10 minutes into the second half. Hampton clumsily lost the ball near the half way line and after a series of attempts to cease the incoming attack, many Hampton players were out of position and the Reading player found himself with enough space to have crack. It was close however Hampton ‘keeper was unable to reach the ball. 3 nil. Now 3 nil down, Hampton struggled to keep their heads up and it was made even harder after Reading scored their fourth. A swift 1-2 left the Reading striker with only Rocky to beat and the striker flicked the ball over him and the ball bounced over the line, centre-back Alasdair McI was inches away from stopping the ball from going in. Hampton found inspiration when Max T scored his first goal for the team. After an initial shot, the ball rebounded off the defender into his feet and after weaving his way through the defence his calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner. A comeback for Hampton did not happen as the final whistle blew leaving the score at 4-1. Being their last game, Hampton hoped for a better result however it presented them with mistakes to correct and problems to solve when looking forward to September when the footballing season would start once again.
U14 Rugby 7s at Reigate by Max R:
After travelling down to Reigate Sports Grounds, the U14 Rugby 7s squad started a tough group stage, only just squeezing through to the Cup by three points after a nerve-wracking game with Framlingham College. Now in the Cup bracket, our first opponent was Hurstpierpoint School, a team we had played previously in a 15s format. After 14 minutes of hard fighting from both sides, we were leading by 2 points (courtesy of a botched conversion from between the posts by the opposition). At the last play of the game, Hurstpierpoint slipped through our defence to beat us narrowly 19-14. It is not easy to describe how disappointing the loss was, but the tournament as a whole was good practice for the Nationals that are happening on the Thursday and Friday of this week.
U14B Rugby vs Ibstock Place by Peter C:
Last weekend, the U14B team played our final match of the season against Ibstock Place U14A. Spirits were high as the team headed out onto the pitch for the last match, with many players eager to go out on a good note. These good spirits were evident during the game, with some excellent rugby on display. Hampton held the advantage from the beginning, with Max C opening the scoring with an excellent try following a Hampton line out. James calmly slotted the ball between the posts for the conversion to make the score 7-0 after the first 10 minutes of match. Several great line breaks were made by Amulya and Rajvir during the remainder of the first third of the game but no more tries were scored. In the second third, Hampton quickly furthered their advantage over the visitors with an outstanding try scored by James. This was once again converted by James to make the score 14-0. A try from Rajvir soon followed thanks to a series of great carries by the forwards following a Hampton line out. At the beginning of the final third, Ibstock quickly gained the momentum due to several sloppy Hampton errors and scored with a fantastic solo run by their winger. One more try was scored right at the end of the game by Hampton, a thrilling run by Raph T followed by a dive over the line by Gabriel to make the final score 24-5. Overall, it was great way to end the season and a big thanks to Mr Lashley and all players involved throughout.
Arts Award
The Arts Award is an external GCSE level qualification offered by Trinity College London, in which Third or Fourth Year students complete a creative project in an area of their choice, for instance they might record a music album, write some short stories or build a model; there is a huge range of possible projects. They also have to lead others in their area – this is usually done by the boys delivering workshops to Primary School students who visit Hampton for the day. As well as completing their final piece (e.g. book, album, etc), they evidence all their work in a portfolio, which gets submitted to their moderator at the end of the year. As such, the Arts Award also encourages students to honing other valuable skillsets such as research and planning, whilst developing leadership skills. Last week, we heard from Xander B about his art project called ‘Senses’. This week, it is the turn of Harresh J to tell us what he has been up to:
For my Arts Award, I am writing a journal about my experiences in lockdown during the early stages of the pandemic. For some inspiration on how to write my journal, I attended an online meeting with Margaret Atwood, author of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ on YouTube, which was arranged by Waterstones. It was extremely interesting and useful to see how to get inspiration to write books and what to do if you get stuck. Mrs. Atwood reviews her memoirs or reads Greek mythology for inspiration and sometimes tends to start anew if her idea is not working. I also learnt how to work to deadlines, which is a great way to stay on track when lots of homework needs to be handed in or when the week is occupied with many tests. It is also an effective way to stop procrastination and balance work and play. It was very informative, and I would recommend anyone to go, whether it be with your favourite author or a random one, because you are bound to learn something new and exciting!
Third Year Steel Pan Workshop!
On Friday 18 March I went to the Steel Pan Music Workshop in school. We got to learn about the history of the pans and how they came about to be recycled oil barrels that first originated in Trinidad and Tobago. We used many different types of pans each different shapes and sizes to create varying pitches and rhythms, we also used a type of drum called a Cajon where we played the tradition ‘calypso’ rhythm that is still used in many carnivals around the world. By the end of the workshop we could all play Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars on the pans. Overall, I found it a very enjoyable experience to learn about different cultures and how to play their traditional music. By Arun B
Photography Club
After the Easter break, Photography Club will be happening on a weekly basis for any budding photographer interested in developing their skills. It will take place in Art Room 5 every Tuesday and will run by Aryan S in the Sixth Form.
Creative Writing
At the beginning of next term, we will be selecting pieces for publication in this year’s edition of Lion Print, our creative writing magazine. (See the link for last year’s edition here).
If you are interested in submitting one piece of creative writing for us to consider including, please send it to Mrs Bartholomew by email (t.bartholomew@hamptonschool.org.uk), with a Word document attachment by Tuesday 19 April. The piece should have been written during this academic year, either as part of your English lessons, or as independent writing you have done in your own time. It must be your own work, and should be between 750-1,000 words of prose (not poetry). It should include a title for the piece, as well as your name within the Word document.
We look forward to reading your submissions!
Treasure Hunt
The entries to last week’s Treasure Hunt have been incorrect so far, meaning there is still time to get hunting and enter! Read the below carefully and see if you can work out the answer. Hints: remember BIDMAS and the Psychology & Politics classrooms on the top floor!
Connection Corner
Well done to everyone who had a go at last week’s Connection Corner – 20 of you had a go at the tricky challenge. For those of you that guessed the connection as letters of the alphabet, nice try but not quite right. Big shout out to the six Hamptonians who correctly guessed the connection as blood groups. Merits go to Alex R, Oliver D, Ed M, Monty S, Thomas W-M and Evan R.
There are three weeks to get your thinking caps on and have a go over the Easter holidays at the connundrum below:
In case you’re still perplexed, here are last week’s answers:
What are the English letters that are equivalent to the Greek letters, alpha and beta? A and B
What type of insect can be a honey or a bumble? Bee
What qualification preceded GCSEs? O-levels
What is the name of Italy’s premier football league? Serie A
Connection: Blood types (AB, B, O, A)
Have a great Easter holiday!
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