All about the ducks, Interform action & Happy Half Term!

Welcome to the Third Year Blog!

Much like everyone else, the Third Year Blog is largely melting today as the marvellous weather we’ve been promised oozes in to frame. It is lovely to find ourselves in a situation where the beautiful weather is actually starting at a point where the week long holiday starts. So often, it can feel as if the British weather gods choose to deliver searing heat when we are all stuck in classrooms, followed by bleak mizzle when the holidays start, so it is wonderfully wonderful to see wonderful weather coincide with the wonderful half term.

The only downside is that the pupils only got to experience one day of blissful release from their blazers and ties. Having said that, there is then the question for the Third Years of whether to keep their blazer on with the buttons done up in order to hide the fact that they haven’t tucked their shirt in (this doesn’t work FYI – just tuck your shirts in, boys), or to actually tuck their shirt in. There is only one sensible option, of course…

However, while the Third Year Blog’s sense of being hot is a fundamental element today, it is not the primary one. More even than being hot, the Third Year Blog feels empty.

In a literal sense it is fairly empty as, with exam week taking the vast majority of the pupils’ mental reserves, there are very few reports from the boys. This is entirely understandable. It is also worth noting that detailed reports on ‘How the Chemistry test went’ tend not to make for good reading, so the absence of reports on the Third Year week may be for the best for all concerned.

Beyond this, in an emotional sense the Third Year Blog is empty as THE DUCKLINGS ARE STILL NOT HEEEERRRRRREEEE. They’re STILL not here.

Of course, the Third Year Blog must steel itself in the face of this reality. It is not easy, but a blog has to do what a blog has to do. Biblical wailing and gnashing of teeth would not really do for such a distinguished vessel as the Third Year Blog. You could argue that it would be lively and unpretentious behaviour, but these things also need to be mediated by a sense of decorum and dignity.

So, what to do?

Speak to the bastion of stability that is the Bursary, that’s what. Specifically, Deputy Bursar Mrs Moria, who is heavily involved in the arrival and safety of the Hampton Ducklings^TM each year.

For those of you who are as concerned as the Third year Blog is about the ducklings (which is none of you – the intensity of the Third Year Blog’s feelings are unmatched), the interview may well offer some succour.

We also have an update on the Williams Cup, following Thursday’s outstanding Interform athletics, as well as the usual Two Truths and a Lie. Connection Corner has already left for its summer holidays.

All that remains is to congratulate you all on getting to the end of exam week and to wish you all a lovely break.

Heads of Year Message

Good luck to the J14 rowers who are competing at the National Schools’ Regatta today. We know you have put in a lot of training and we wish all three crews the very best for a strong performance.

Well done to everyone for completing the Third Year Assessments this week. For those who missed assessment papers due to absence or illness, please come to school on Monday 1 June prepared to sit those papers.  A reminder that we will only ever ask pupils to aim for personal best. There is no failure, only learning if mistakes occur. With that in mind, the assessments reflection task we will ask Third Years to undertake in PSHE during the week after half term is particularly important.

Pupils will receive their assessment results in the week after half term and can inform parents themselves. Parents will receive official notification of their son’s assessment grades at the end of term alongside a full written Report.

Third Year pupils – well done for all your efforts this week. Enjoy your well-deserved week off.

We hope you all have a wonderful half term break!

Best wishes

Mr T Rigby & Mr H Moore

Interform Action

This Thursday saw the Interform Athletics competition – a highlight of the year!

Here are the results…

1^st – 3J – 177pts
2^nd – 3F – 163pts
3^rd – 3D – 147pts
4^th – 3G – 141pts
5^th – 3B – 130pts
6^th – 3E – 127pts
7^th – 3A – 124pts
8^th – 3H – 122pts
9^th – 3C – 82pts

So, what does this mean for the overall standings of the Williams Cup as we move into the final half term of the year??

Williams Cup Overall Standings

It is still tight at the top, so with a few events still to come, it is all to play for…

1^st – 3J – 69pts
2^nd – 3B – 67pts
3^rd – 3D – 63pts
4^th – 3G – 61pts
5^th – 3F – 52pts
6^th – 3E – 49pts
7^th – 3A – 36pts
8^th – 3H – 32pts
9^th – 3C – 31pts

All about the ducklings!

Interview with Mrs Moria

Do we have an idea of how long the ducklings have been coming to Hampton for? Do we know when we started feeding them?

I’ve been working here for nine years, and they’ve been coming for all of those years. I believe they could have been coming for the last twenty or so years. Before The Barry Martin Centre was built there was an open quad with a large pond in it. They used to nest in there and after that building was built, they moved to the Cloisters.

Is it always the same mother duck who brings them?

We don’t know. We think there must be a family link, so whether it started with one mum and we now have the children/grandchildren of the original Mrs Duck, we do not know.

Google suggests it is likely to be the same family. “The female, accompanied by the male, searches for a territory. Most often, she will choose a territory close to where she was born. Some females return year after year to the same site. The nesting site may be close to a pond but is frequently at some distance and may even be far from water.”

This year, there seem to be two male ducks and one female – is that unusual? And has it caused any problems?

In the wild they believe there are more male ducks than females, because females face higher mortality rates from predators while incubating eggs on the nest. This means that it is not uncommon for there to be two male ducks with one female. However, one of the drakes will be the mother’s partner, while the other will be another male duck hoping to lure her away! Male ducks can be quite aggressive during mating season, so it can sometimes cause problems, but we haven’t seen any so far this year.

How many ducklings were there last year?

We started with 12 ducklings, and we released 10. One was predated quite soon after they hatched and one was just before we moved them. A successful hatch is considered when over 50% of the birds reach it to adulthood. 

How long do they normally stay for?

Last year they were here for three weeks. We make a judgement call as to when we move them. We try to make sure they’ve had the chance to grow a bit to give them the best chance of survival in the wild. Last year they decided they wanted to stay until they could fly away which was when they were 60 days old!

Are there any predators that they face in the School grounds?

They are very lucky that they are protected from foxes, but in the Cloisters, crows are their biggest predator and we believe responsible for the predation of the ducklings last year. Thankfully, we have never been around to witness this. We think it must happen around dawn and dusk.

Do you see them enough to get a sense of any individual characters?

Unfortunately not.

How do you manage the process of them leaving?

Moving them is quite stressful. Last year there were five of us who came in early on Sunday morning to do it. When she feels threatened Mrs Duck flies off and there is the potential that she could abandon the babies, so we had to be careful this didn’t happen. We funnelled all the babies into one area and gently placed them into a large high sided container. We put this on the back of the School Buggy and drove slowly over to the back of the field. We kept having to stop to make sure Mrs Duck was still around. When the babies were separated from her they make a distress call and you can hear them calling to each other. Once we knew Mrs Duck was at the back of the field, we released the babies by the fence so that they could easily access the River Crane which is behind the fence.  We retreated and watched from a distance to make sure they were all reunited. The whole process took about 2 ½ hours.

How long have you been in charge of making sure their Hampton experience is a good one?

It’s a complete team effort, my job is to buy the food! The Cleaning Supervisors and Keepers are responsible for feeding them. The Grounds team are responsible for making their accommodation nice and they also put the pond in last year.  Quite often when the team arrive at 5.30 in the morning, Mrs Duck is at the doors by the Hammond pecking the door to remind them that she wants feeding!

I think the arrival of the ducks makes everyone in the School feel a bit happier, so it feels right that we do our bit to make their stay as comfortable as possible.  

So, to that point, how confident are you that the ducklings will eventually arrive this year?

The mother duck arrived a little later than usual this year, so we are not really expecting to see any ducklings until towards the end of term, but we are confident that they will arrive!

A first for us this year is that we have also had a mallard nest on the roof at the Boathouse. The mother duck successfully hatched six chicks and, following a team effort with the help from The Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton, she was successfully moved to the river and we were able to release her and her ducklings into the wild. 

Take a look at the video below to see the ducks successful release:

Wellbeing Garden

The Hampton Environment Society received funding from the HSPA last year to create a Wellbeing Garden in the Geography Quad. This space is designed as a quiet area where pupils can read, work or relax if they need time to pause and reflect. Mr Knibbs and members of the HSPA officially opened the garden this week. If you’re nearby, do take a moment to visit this fantastic new space.

Two Truths and a lie

You might meet Mr Hurst, Third Year tutor and think ‘What a reliable, charming man.’ You would be wrong. He is a liar. Last week, he claimed the following things were true:

• Mr Hurst once hit a 6 at the Ageas Bowl, home of Hampshire and Southern brave
• Mr Hurst once scored a goal against Hampton School
• Mr Hurst was once a mascot for Manchester United

For those who know him, this was a fairly easy lie to unearth. While he rightfully tries to hide the fact, Mr Hurst is a Reading FC fan, meaning that it was inconceivable that he would have been a mascot for Manchester United.

This week we have the illustrious Maths teacher, Mr Lee, as our contributor. Here is a man who wants to be honest, but is having his hand forced by the nature of the feature. We, at the Third Year Blog can only apologise for impinging upon his natural integrity. Which of the following statements is the lie that is causing Mr Lee moral pain?

• Mr Lee once won a ballroom dancing contest
• Mr Lee is scared of heights
• Mr Lee has seen the band Bon Jovi perform live on five separate occasions

Which is the lie? Find out after half term…

Connection Corner

In case you’re still perplexed, here are the answers to the last conundrum:

What is the name of partner in crime of Bonnie Elizabeth Parker? Clyde Chestnut Barrow

What wool patterned fabric has become synonymous with Scottish and Irish style? Tweed

What motorway suspension bridge connects South Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in South East Wales? Severn Bridge

What is the name of the barrier that protects Central London from flooding? Thames Barrier

Connection: Rivers in the United Kingdom (Clyde, Tweed, Severn, Thames)

Connection Corner is having a well-deserved rest over the holidays – lots of sunshine to enjoy!

Have a great half term holiday!

Back to All Blogs