Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
We are now settling into another busy and exciting week in Second Year, and there has certainly been plenty to celebrate. Last weekend’s Open Morning was a fantastic success, with many Second Years proudly representing Hampton by welcoming prospective families, giving tours and sharing their experiences of Hampton School life.
This week’s blog is packed with a wonderful variety of stories that showcase the talents, interests and achievements of our year group. From Open Morning reflections and sporting successes, to new clubs, creative hobbies, beekeeping, swimming competitions and even a budding YouTube channel, there is something for everyone. It is brilliant to see so many pupils getting involved, trying new opportunities and making the most of everything Hampton has to offer. Scroll down to read all about their experiences and celebrate another fantastic week in Second Year!
Merit Milestones
A big shout out to the following Hamptonians who collected their very first merit certificate this week:
Paul W – 10
Nicholas M – 10
Edin H – 10
Tom W – 10
Andriy K – 10
Arda T – 10
Ronak B – 10
Open morning!
Last Saturday was the Hampton School Open Day, and I was once again one of the pupils helping to give tours around the school. Having conducted several tours before now, I felt calm and confident.
After a year of experience, although I only conducted one tour, I felt I could do it in an efficient manner. It was enjoyable getting to know a potential future Hamptonian and I especially loved getting to know about the family and showing them around the school. It felt great to answer questions about Hampton School life and it made me feel quite proud to be at such a great school.
A very well done to all the Hamptonians for representing the community brilliantly and showcasing the true Hampton Spirit!
By Yuvi U (2F)
Co-curricular adventures!
Our pupils have also continued to make the most of Hampton’s fantastic co-curricular programme. From Muslim Society and climbing to enjoying dog walking in the autumn sunshine, it has been wonderful to see Second Years pursuing their interests, trying new activities and building friendships beyond the classroom. These opportunities continue to play an important role in enriching school life and encouraging pupils to develop new skills and passions. Let’s hear from Kerem about Warhammer Club:
Every week, our school Warhammer Club gives pupils the opportunity to step into a world of creativity, strategy and exciting battles. The club is open to everyone, whether you are completely new to Warhammer or already have experience building and painting miniatures. During the sessions, pupils can work on models, learn how to paint them and take part in exciting battles where careful planning and strategy are important. Don’t worry if you have never played Warhammer before, as the club is a friendly place where beginners can learn and experienced players can share their skills. Best of all, you don’t need to bring any equipment with you! Everything you need to get started will be provided, so all you have to do is turn up and have fun. The club is also a great way to make new friends, share ideas, and discover more about the huge Warhammer universe. Whether you enjoy art, storytelling, strategy or simply want to try something new, the Warhammer Club is a welcoming place for everyone.
By Kerem D (2H)
My MUN Moment
Going to Model United Nations (MUN) Club was a new and interesting experience for me. At first, it was slightly confusing because I was unfamiliar with how everything worked and what was expected of me, but I enjoyed learning about it and getting involved. I also liked learning about the different countries, debates and discussions involved with MUN. I found it interesting to learn how delegates represent different countries and discuss global issues. It was also fascinating to see how people shared their ideas and worked together to find solutions. Overall, I found it exciting and I’m looking forward to attending more sessions and gaining a better understanding of MUN.
By Sam W (2G)
Brilliant badminton
Hello wonderful readers! Today I would like to write about a club which I have been coming to since last year, but I feel like it is worth mentioning. It is none other than badminton! Badminton is an amazing sport which develops hand-eye coordination, footwork and core strength. In Badminton Club we must get changed into our PE kit and head down to play freely with friends on Thursday lunchtimes. However, one problem is that in Second Year I don’t know about you but in my opinion, I have all my favourite clubs on the same day! However, badminton is a sacrifice worth making. There are two types of badminton clubs. One runs at first lunch (badminton squad) and another at second lunch (badminton social). Badminton squad is for people who are very experienced and want to play at a competitive level and badminton social is where people play for fun.
Personally, I recommend going to the badminton social if you are new, as some people in the squad are far too excellent. When you train in the social for a couple of months, then you could think about trying out for squad. As for our coaching team, we have the legendary Mr Lee and the one and only Mr Hooper who always helps people out and will stop by to teach you a tip or two about improving your shots. Badminton’s twin club is also a club in this school, which happens to be right next door…yable tennis! However, I have not yet tried table tennis, and I might write a club review about it in a blog soon.
Overall badminton is a wonderful sport and club at Hampton School, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
By Ronak B (2F)
Hampton Hives
As I have been a loyal and regular member at the Beekeeping Club, it was a nice surprise that the honey that we waited over the summer for was finally done. Multiple pupils from different year groups had come down to collect some of the honey we helped make. I had taken two small bottles with me to fill with honey. It was so sweet, and the best part was that the honey did not have any preservatives or chemicals! It was produced right here at Hampton School. If you are interested in Biology or animals, I highly recommend you come along – 12:35pm S37 with Mr Langton.
By George U (2P)
Rugby runouts
On Saturday, our U13 teams played our first matches of the season against Royal Grammar School High Wycombe. Both teams played very well, with the A team fixture finishing a 35-all tie after what sounded to me like a competitive and intense match, and our B team winning 50-20 after we dominated RGS with our pace, power and fast passes. I do not know much about how the A team fixture played out, but here is, in as much detail as possible, how the B team match went.
We started the match well, with Morgan K (2G) powering through the opposing side to break their line, finishing a brilliant try off with his pace. 5-0 Hampton! After the restarting kick, we managed to win the ball back after some relentless strength at the breakdown. Just seconds later, Archie A (2W) ran past many of their defenders, showcasing some amazing evasive manoeuvres, before offloading it to me after he hit contact just metres before the line. I touched it down for 10-0!
Next, we were playing some brilliant rugby, skipping past them easily until we were 5 metres from the line. We gave the ball to Finley S (2W), and he got through them but hit his head in an attempt to ground the ball and had to be substituted. Arthur B-P (2L) came onto the field to replace Finley, coming on with great energy, although his fresh legs would have been more beneficial later on in the game when the front row were tired. This was followed by a masterclass from Eric L (2F) by simply running with power and pace at the opposition, who simply couldn’t tackle him. What a try! 15-0! Then, Daniel K (2L) was given the ball on the wing. Seeing a gap, he sprinted towards the line and performed an amazing finish in the corner. 20-0!
Our next try came when Eric charged with incredible pace and power again, overwhelming their defence and scoring an almost identical try to his last one, 25-0! Morgan got a second as our next try, using the same speed as his last try, giving us a 30-point lead, 30-0. We were six tries up when we conceded first. We gave the ball away in our 22 following a knock on and they played it out wide from the scrum and scored on the stroke of half-time, 30-5.
We were given a good pep talk by Mr Studt at half time, and we brought on the fresh legs of Jake C (2P), coming on at inside centre for Morgan, Henry G (2W), replacing Ollie H (2L) on the wing and Toby B (2J), coming in at outside centre for Daniel. I don’t know what their coach said to RGS at half-time, but they returned to the pitch a different team, scoring 3 tries in the first 5 minutes of the second half, reducing our lead to 30-20.
After this difficult phase of the match, we started getting into the flow of the second half, with Harry M (2W) as our next try scorer. After a rapid passing play, he had just enough space to finish in style on the left wing, 35-20.
I scored next, after making a run behind Henry on the right wing, just about squeezing through the gap and stepping inside of a defender to score 5 metres inside of the touchline, 40-20 Hampton! Our final two tries were both scored by Eric, who did the exact same thing as his first two tries, powering through and avoiding RGS’ tackles like he had Vaseline all over him! What a game he had, 50-20 Hampton, final score.
Credit to the forwards, Edward G (2J), Sam G (2P), Finley S (2W), Eric L (2F), Noah R (2P), Rowan F (2B) and Arthur B-P (2L), who scrummaged really well, won a few scrums that weren’t ours to win, were relentless at the breakdown, tackled like steamrollers and were solid all day.
Credit to my fellow backs, Archie A (2W), our captain Ren F (2L), Ollie H (2L), Morgan K (2G), Daniel K (2L), Harry M (2W), Toby B (2J), Henry G (2W) and Jake C (2P), who maximised our untouchable pace to break their line many times and played fast passes to run circles around our opponents.
Finally, a thank you to our coaches, without whom it wouldn’t have been possible.
Our first match of the season was a great experience, and our team looked the best it has been. Our next match is next Saturday, when we play Ewell Castle School’s A team – we are all looking forward to it!
By Alex B (2L)
Pupils are starting to get back into the flow of Hampton life with many fixtures and open morning. On Friday Fourth Years and above got to go home early which was annoying for me as First to Third Yearss were doing Open Morning final preparations, and a video from Mr Hill explained it all. Then we got to watch a movie for Friday afternoon which was a very relaxing end to the week. Then on Saturday morning, it was Open Day! I had a rugby fixture where the rugby U13As were up 30-10 (6-2) in the first half against Wycombe but in the second half we weren’t very awake and so the match went on to be a very close 35-35 (7-7) draw.
By Theo C (2H)
On Saturday Hampton’s Rugby U13’s A’s and B teams played RGS High Wycombe. I was in the Bs for this match. Within the first minute Sam made a brilliant tackle before gaining a couple of yards, that’s how the move for the try started. After that Archie spun the ball out to me and I passed it to Morgan who went on a rampage running through their entire team and handing off anyone who even tried to get close to him. That was the first try of the game and we all felt like it would not be the last.
After that, we scored three more tries by passing quickly out to our wings before Harry, Oliver and Eric took apart their wings all three scoring tries in the corners. Just before half time, RGS really put us on the back foot, but we were able to hold off for a couple of moves, eventually they cracked us to make it 4-1. None of us let the try get to our heads and seconds later, Sam scored to re-extend our led by 4 tries. The half time whistle blew and we were all exhausted!
After a refreshing couple of minutes, we were back on the pitch and raring to go. As soon as the whistle blew, both teams came at each other like it was a new game. We couldn’t handle it for the first ten minutes, RGS dominated us and we conceded 3 tries bringing RGS right back into the match at 5-4 to us. After a quick regroup, we were able to refocus. By giving the ball to Eric a couple of times and passing the ball out to Alex, we were able to recover our lead to 8-4. Going into the final minutes of the match after hammering at their defence, we were eventually able to break it TWICE just before the final whistle blew. The final score was 10-4. A very memorable match and one I certainly will not forget. To top it all off we came up with a new song we all started chanting called “Mauled by the Lions.”
By Ren F (2L)
Looking ahead
Best of luck to our many of our talented Second Year musicians who will perform in the Scholars’ Concert next week. Pupils have been working hard in rehearsals over recent weeks, and we wish all those involved the very best for what promises to be a fantastic celebration of musical talent.
Form spotlight
This week, Form 2H put their thinking caps on when discussing the abstract question:
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
The discussion sparked a fantastic range of creative responses. Some pupils chose classic superpowers such as invisibility and super strength, while others thought more deeply about abilities such as having unlimited knowledge or even the ability to control time.
It was wonderful to see such imaginative and thoughtful contributions from the form, with plenty of lively debate and good humour along the way. Activities like this provide a great opportunity for pupils to develop their reasoning skills and listen to different perspectives. One thing became clear: if the ideas from 2H ever became reality, the world would certainly be a very interesting place!
PSHE week
This week, Second Year pupils also took part in an engaging PSHE programme focusing on social media, algorithms and responsible technology use. Pupils explored how algorithms influence the content we see online, discussed the benefits and challenges of social media, and considered practical ways to maintain a healthy balance with technology. The thoughtful contributions made throughout the sessions were excellent, and it was fantastic to see so many pupils actively engaging with discussions and demonstrating a mature awareness of the digital world around them.
plenty of Pokémon
Recently, I started my Pokémon card YouTube channel. Here is how I am finding it and why I started it:
I love Pokémon cards. I have always wanted to start my own channel so I could share my collecting experience: which cards I pull, my favourite Pokémon, and how I collect them, because every collector has a different way.
Luckily, the 30th Celebration, a new set (collection of cards) came out a week ago, so I have had lots of content to post. I pulled lots of great cards! For safety, it is my father’s account, but I post everything. My parents see what I post, and I do not have comments on. This relates closely to the PSHE lesson we had on Thursday about Algorithms and social media use.
I am excited to continue my collection and YouTube journey. I will face both challenges and successes with the same enthusiasm. It is also easy to start your own channel too, you do not have to post daily or be professional to have some fun and a laugh!
By Aahil U (2G)
Swimming Success
This weekend, I took part in an exciting swimming gala called the Club Championships, which brings together swimmers of all ages to compete in a range of events. Throughout the competition, I raced in the 50m butterfly, freestyle and backstroke, as well as the 100m Individual Medley, 200m Individual Medley and 200m Freestyle. It was a busy and challenging weekend, but I really enjoyed testing myself across different strokes and distances.
I was delighted to win medals in both the 50m Butterfly and 100m Individual Medley, which made all the hard work in training feel worthwhile. However, I was particularly proud of my performance in the 200m Freestyle, where I achieved a time that I was very pleased with. Swimming in longer-distance events, requires determination and focus, so seeing my progress was a great achievement.
The gala was not only about racing, but also about enjoying the experience and meeting other swimmers. It was a fantastic atmosphere, and I had the opportunity to make lots of new friends who share the same passion for swimming. It was a brilliant weekend filled with competition, personal achievements and memorable moments, and I am already looking forward to my next gala.
By Harrison S (2J)
Quiz of the week
Welcome to the Quiz of the Week! Each week, we’ll be putting your knowledge to the test with five general knowledge questions. Why not have a go yourself and see if you can get full marks, or challenge family and friends at home to see how they fare?
Merits are awarded to all those who get five correct answers.
Here are the answers to last week’s quiz:
- September is named after the Latin word septem. What number does septem mean? Seven
- Which season begins in the UK during September? Autumn
- September’s birthstone is the sapphire. Historically, what quality was the sapphire believed to represent? Wisdom and Loyalty
- The autumnal equinox usually occurs in September. What happens on the equinox? Day and night are approximately equal in length
- September is the only month whose name has the same number of letters as its month number. True or False? True
Well done to the following Second Year Hamptonians who answered everything correctly – Hiu Yeung K, Karter E, Arthur S, Arman H, Arthur C, Zac N, Morgan K, Jack D, Alex B, Andreas C, Ethan V and Yifan C,
