FAQs

We set our own entrance papers which are based on Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum and accessible to boys in both preparatory and primary schools. The papers are designed to identify academic potential and innate ability rather than test what has been taught and are accessible to all. Past papers are not released, however the commercially available 11+ papers can provide useful practice. We encourage boys to read as much and as widely as possible as this will assist them in all papers and also recommend lots of practice with Maths problem solving questions. We do not recommend tutoring as we are looking for naturally bright boys who will thrive and be happy at school.

No, boys may only sit for entry at 11+ or 13+. Offers made for 11+ and 13+ entry are not transferable from one entry point to another (the offer of a place in the First Year at 11+ cannot be transferred to entry in the Third Year and the offer of a place at 13+ cannot be transferred to entry in the First Year).

It feels like a small school. There are just over ten pupils per teacher. There is a sympathetic and comprehensive induction programme and each boy is given The Hampton School Survival Guide, written partly by recent new boys. All new First Years go for two days at no extra cost to the Avon Tyrrell activity centre in the New Forest as part of their induction. All the Third Years have a team-building day shortly after the new boys arrive. A boy can always find someone to talk to: their Mentor, his Form Tutor, his Head of Year, or if needed one of the School counselling team.

At the start of the Third Year the forms are re-organised into completely new groupings of both continuing and new pupils. All new boys can express a preference if they wish to be with a particular friend.

Morning registration is by 8.50am. There are five lessons each morning, with a 20-minute break after the first three. Lunch break is 12.35pm – 1:50pm to allow plenty of time for co-curricular activities. School ends at 4.00pm. The School coaches leave promptly at 4.15pm. We like boys to arrive from 8.00am (when breakfast is available) and, after School they can work in the Library under supervision until 5.30pm.

No lessons but on a typical Saturday there could be over 400 boys and 40 staff involved in sport, music, drama, chess, all voluntary.

The average form size from First to Fifth Years is 23, and actual class size in some subjects can be less. In the Sixth Form, the Forms or Tutor Groups can be in single figures. Each form has a Form Tutor who stays with them, at GCSE and A Level, for two years if possible. Each form in the first three years has a volunteer Sixth Former who acts as a Form Mentor to the boys in the form. The Form Tutors work as a team with the Assistant Heads of Year and Head of Year and meet often to discuss the progress of each boy and the year group as a whole.

Very easy. Simply telephone, email or write, probably to the Form Tutor or Head of Year, to have a discussion or make an appointment. We also hold one full parents’ evening for each year group every year. There are voluntary extra parents’ evenings for pastoral, careers and university matters. Parents also receive one major written report every year, with regular grade cards for effort and academic performance in between.

Based on common sense and reasonably relaxed and friendly, because the working of the School and the atmosphere in it is built on tolerance and mutual respect. Poor behaviour of any kind, especially any form of intentional or thoughtless bullying, is rare, deplored and treated very firmly and the boy helped to improve. Relations between boys and staff are excellent. There is a sense of shared and common purpose at Hampton.

We are not a co-ed school, but close links with LEH perhaps offer the best of both worlds. The buses and jointly run School coaches offer a meeting place. Service Volunteers and the Millennium Boat House are run jointly. A great deal of drama and music is done co-operatively including a number of joint theatrical productions each year.

Our ethos and atmosphere are very precious and we do not want to become a “hothouse”. We have always taken boys from a very wide variety of schools and we want this to continue. The plan is simply to try to raise standards academically and all round and make the School and its facilities better and better each year without changing its character. A continuous development programme ensures that our pupils enjoy excellent facilities and we are proud of our state-of-the-art Sixth Form Study Centre, 3G all-weather sports ground and professional standard Performing Arts Centre, The Hammond Theatre.

In the First Year boys are set three pieces of homework each day. They are expected to spend 20 minutes on each subject.

The Modern Languages are French, German, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin. Any one of the first three can be chosen as the first language studied, with the opportunity to start a second (and third) language in the Third Year. Classical Greek is also available from the Third Year. All First and Second Year boys study Latin, which supports English and Modern Languages by teaching precision and grammar.

There is no setting in the First Year. There is some setting of Modern Languages and Mathematics from the Third Year. Science is partially set for GCSE. There is no other setting as the boys are generally from a reasonably narrow ability band and opportunities for differentiation, each boy working to his best with none marking time or held back, are offered within the class.

This is excellent, with full careers aptitude diagnosis for each boy. Nearly all leavers secure their first choice university and course. Virtually all go to elite UK universities or medical schools. For further details of leavers’ destinations please visit the Leavers’ Destinations page.

All boys choose the sport they wish to play. In the First Year, they can pick football or rugby. From the Third Year, they can row, which they do all year round. Summer games include cricket, tennis and athletics. There are many other activities available, such as golf, real tennis, squash, cross-country, basketball, table tennis, badminton, swimming, fencing, sailing and rock climbing.

The top teams are all very good indeed and play the best opposition. However, there is sport for all: for example Hampton fielded 26 football teams last year including D, E and F football teams.

He won’t be the only one! Although sport is very strong at Hampton there is something for everyone and we also offer an extensive range of pursuits off the sports field catering for a whole variety of interests. Some boys enjoy the opportunities offered by the creative arts; others enjoy the excitement and camaraderie of the Adventure Society or DofE. Some boys opt for the intellectual challenges of Chess and the keen writers have the opportunity to work on one of the many School magazines and newspapers. The list and opportunities are endless.

Where possible all clubs and activities take place during the extended lunch period (an hour and 15 minutes) as around 55% of boys use the School coaches which leave promptly at 4.15pm. In the First, Second and Third Year the only activities which take place after School are Orchestra and some cricket practices. Further details are available from the Admissions Office. Training sessions in Rugby, Football and Cricket are held after School for those in the Fifth Year and above but by this stage many boys are happy to use public transport and parents know each other well enough to arrange lift shares.