Hampton School was founded in 1557 by Robert Hammond, who left a sum of money in his will to set up a school for local boys in the parish of Hampton. Our other early benefactors included Nicholas Pigeon, his grandson Edmund Pigeon, and the Reverend FitzRoy Fitzwygram, who all used their wealth to support the education of local underprivileged children. Many generations on, Hampton remains committed to playing a full and active role within the local community.
Free Places at Hampton
In the 1930s and 1940s, the much-loved Hampton Headmaster, Arthur Mason, awarded Free Places to boys whose families needed help with fees. Following national education reforms in 1944, places at Hampton Grammar School were free for all pupils, irrespective of a family’s financial means. From 1980, the government’s Assisted Places Scheme provided means-tested places for pupils joining at 11+ or in the Sixth Form. Since the cessation of this scheme in 1998, the School itself has offered reduced-fee and Free Places to young people, and will continue to do so.
Establishment of the Fitzwygram Foundation
The Fitzwygram Foundation was established in 2016 for the sole purpose of increasing the number of Free Places offered at Hampton School. The Foundation, a separate but linked charity, provides for truly transformative means-tested Free Places, which cover everything from fees to food, and from trips to music lessons. Currently, 96 Hamptonians benefit from means-tested Free Places. These awards not only enhance the lives of boys who receive them but also benefit our entire Hampton community, and enable us to remain one of the country’s most socially diverse and inclusive independent schools.
Today, members of our community make a difference by pledging single or regular gifts, by leaving a legacy, or through giving their time and expertise to current Hamptonians.
