Welcome to the Fifth Year Blog!
So, here we go, the end of your first half term as a Fifth Year and what an incredible amount you’ve all packed in, with plenty of successes along the way. It’s fantastic to see that you have taken on board Mr Malston’s wise words about getting ahead with revision whilst ensuring you are not overdoing it. As a reminder, we recommend you spend around 10-12 hours per week on homework/revision during term time (half term you can do more!) and if you find yourself with a quieter night on homework to use this time to get some revision in… every 10 minutes counts!
After a wet and rainy start to the term, the weather has stayed fair and with that you’ve all been incredibly busy squeezing in sport, drama, music, clubs, trips, talks, co-curricular challenges and lots more into your busy time here at Hampton. That is no mean feat! Thank you and well done to everybody who has helped bring this blog together and if you feel there is some news missing, please do get in touch to let us know for the bumper Christmas edition in December. Let’s see what you’ve been up to this past few weeks and over the summer with some articles from your peers. Read on and have a good half term break!
Brilliant Basketball and interform update
A hotly contested 3v3 inter-Form basketball saw 5D triumph having qualified second in their group to 5E. A favourable draw and a win on free throws in the semi-final meant pre-tournament favourites 5H progressed to the final to face 5D. However, Jaime and his merry men proved too strong prevailing in the final and taking home the victory to add to the inter-Form stakes. Current standings are as follows (excluding merits and detentions):
|
Form |
Points |
Position |
|
A |
38 |
4 |
|
B |
25.5 |
7 |
|
C |
38.5 |
3 |
|
D |
40 |
2 |
|
E |
33 |
6 |
|
F |
45.5 |
1 |
|
G |
18 |
9 |
|
H |
36.5 |
5 |
|
J |
24 |
8 |
Shout Out Corner
- To all the members of the cast, the orchestra and the creative team of Les Mis, what a production that was! A huge congratulations to you all, there are too many of you to name in person but very well done and good luck for the final production tonight, dare we say “break a leg”?!
- Lorenzo (5B) and Luke F (5B) have been commended for their brilliant presentation at Senior Classics Society (on the Battle of Thermopylae). They volunteered to do it themselves after seeing a Sixth Form talk at LEH and gave such a well-researched and presented talk about how the battle is presented differently in ancient and modern sources; particularly impressive as it was to a big audience of their peers and LEH visitors. Well done to you both, a very impressive feat!
- A special shout out to all the bag carriers out there… There have been a few of your peers who have been injured this half of term which is not only disappointing but also a “right faff”, hobbling around on crutches or in a sling is not the look your average 15/16 year old would choose… further, being pestered by teachers to tuck shirts in and do up top buttons, get to registration, clear your lunch tray etc must be tough… “How can I tuck my shirt in carrying a rucksack with 12 textbooks, a laptop, four packs of quavers and a biro in whilst wearing a sling”… it is a fair response (said politely and courteously of course!)… the question is, who you gonna call? The bag carriers! To all those of you who have carried a bag for a peer, or helped them in their time of strife, we salute you!
Talk! Jim Reid
On 25 September, Jim Reid OH (1992) returned to Hampton. After studying Economics and specialising in Economic History, he is now the Head of Global Macro Research at Deutsche Bank. He spoke to us about the forces that have driven the global and European economies over past centuries, and how the lessons from these past periods of economic history can shape our understanding of the current market today.
The Talk! got off to an amusing start as, hearing about our fire safety procedure, Mr Reid was reminded of a time when the Deputy Head had to run to all the classrooms telling everyone there was a fire and the alarm wasn’t working! No sooner had Mr Reid finished this amusing anecdote that the fire alarm went off. Fortunately, it was only a brief interruption and the Talk! continued smoothly from that point onwards.
Mr Reid began by talking about previous periods in English history where we had high debt (mostly after a war) and how we paid it off. The answer was the monarchy, who were able to tax citizens more without fearing deposition. With democracy, however, the incentive is not to balance the books but spend more on people than the other parties trying to gain office. This leads to ever increasing levels of debt that are not paid off and are even now in fact rising. Mr Reid predicted that eventually, at the midpoint of this century, there would have to be a market reset as nations eventually borrow more than they could ever afford to pay back.
Mr Reid then moved on to the topic of Artificial Intelligence, which has been the latest subject of intense market investment. However, he cautioned that in the past there have been bubbles for all kinds of inventions, from canals to railways to tulips. Eventually, each bubble has burst when people realise the actual value of these commodities is much less than what has been spent on it. Mr Reid thinks that something similar will eventually happen when AI reaches a limit on how advanced it can become and governments and millionaires begin questioning their investment. Mr Reid instead suggested buying businesses that would drastically improve their output using AI, as they are less expensive and more likely to provide a return on investment. Overall, I found the Talk! relevant and insightful and a great way to spend my Thursday lunchtime.
By Rory M (5A)
U16A football camp
The U16A team began preparations for the 2025-26 season with a productive pre-season camp at Loughborough University during the penultimate week of the summer holidays. Joining Sixth Form senior footballers, the U16As enjoyed an action-packed schedule of football, getting back into the swing of things before the start of the exciting new season.
Before making the lengthy journey up north, the team completed a series of physically demanding tests at school in order to grasp an idea of how fit they were feeling, with the beginning of the season just around the corner. Upon arrival in Loughborough, the team were given time to settle into the impressive accommodation before heading out for a six-a- side tournament, played on full sized pitches. The six teams consisted of a mix of Fifth Year and Sixth Form players – providing the perfect opportunity to get to know peers in other year groups too. After good performances all round from every team involved, it was Mr Boyes’ side who claimed victory in a tense final.
The second day comprised of two halves: a position-specific training session in the morning before the first pre-season game in the early evening, with the U16As facing a local side from Nottingham. On a rewarding 3G pitch, the team prevailed 7-0 in their first test of the season, proving a great platform from which to push off into the next few games. After a well-deserved meal, Mr Burke gave an interesting talk on the importance of xG in football and how games can be changed if its helpfulness is properly considered: a challenge for the team to take on board ahead of their second match of pre-season.
After a morning jog on day three and a hearty breakfast, the sessions focused more on theory and how to improve off the pitch in order to gain on it. Sessions included discussions on team chemistry, and how it can be bettered depending on game – realistic situations, sports nutrition and the principles of football that are true for any player, coach and team.
The afternoon played host to the second match of the camp for the U16As, with the team playing a local Sunday league team. Whilst the outcome may have a been a more comfortable one than was expected, with the team winning 10-0, it once again proved a valuable opportunity to get fitness levels back up and gave the side a much-appreciated confidence boost heading into the new season.
With the last morning of the camp having arrived too soon for anyone to believe, sights were set on a recovery session held by staff from Loughborough University. As we had been reminded in our recent theory sessions, recovery plays just as an important role in performance as training does, therefore everyone looked to make the most of the muscle recovery, yoga and spin class sessions, leaving the team feeling ready and refreshed for the 2025-26 season.
By Tom S (5C)
World Schools Chess Championship…part 1
Some background: Having won the English National Championships our chess team was selected to represent England in the World Championships in early August, taking place in Virginia, USA. The event was a four-player team tournament, with all teams playing eight rounds over the course of four days, with the winning team having received the most points. A team win was worth two points, a draw one point, and a loss worth 0. The time control was 45 minutes for each player per game, with 10 seconds of increment added after every move, classified as rapid (very slow rapid).
As we arrived at Heathrow airport in the early morning I felt a rush of excitement, as I was about to play a world schools championship for the first time in my life. More so, the event is held minutes away from Washington, a city which I had wanted to see for some time. After an enjoyable 8-hour flight, the team and I went for dinner at the boarding school premises, where the event took place. We discussed our plans for tomorrow, trying to calculate our pairings for the next day, to get ahead in preparation against our possible opponents. Settling into our small but functioning rooms, we decided to get some extra rest before the first big day, playing a couple blitz games to warm up.
The whole team was awake promptly at around 7.30am, to save time for breakfast before the opening ceremony of the event. In the ceremony, we held the English flag as we walked past the crowds of gathering people, representing not only our school, but the whole country. At 1.30pm, the first round had begun, for which I decided to come off, (as we had a team of five) saving my energy for more important, later rounds against stronger teams. Luckily, I was able to spectate their games in person for the first 10 minutes of the round, getting a feel of the environment of the playing hall, filled with flags, boards and most importantly players. After the spectating time was up, I went to the player lounge and relaxed for a bit, glancing at the live broadcast of my peers’ games every now and then. The first round was an easy victory for Hampton, beating Barbados 3.5-0.5.
Swiftly after we finished our lunch, the second round had begun against a stronger team than the previous round, Pakistan. I was happy to be able to play my favourite opening against my opponent, who was rated just over 1700 FIDE. Yet again, we beat this team without much struggle, securing a confident 4-0 victory, with the whole squad having played great chess.
With all our physical energy having built up throughout the day, I went to play some football on the local 3G with some other teams from schools around the world, being joined by one of my fellow team members. Following a relaxing session of football, the team had come together for a pep talk about tomorrow’s upcoming stronger round three opponent, Sri Lanka and went to sleep, ending the first day of the championship. We had started the event almost perfectly, steadily going 2 for 2 (tied 1st), but little did we know that our luck wouldn’t last much longer…
By Alex L (5D)
The Merchant of Merits
In a complete reverse of the famous film “How to lose friends and alienate people” we sent Max P (5E) the unenviable task of interviewing our very own resident merit hoarder Josh M-J (5E) on “how to gain merits and endear yourself to teachers.”
Max – What do you consider your proudest accomplishment that earned you merits, and what effort or strategies did you use to achieve it?
Josh – Let’s set the scene. Thursday, period 3, PSHE. Topic of discussion: sustainability. We are studying the validity of sustainability claims from some of the biggest companies all around the world, investigating their ‘greenwashing’ campaigns. I took the initiative to ask Sir if I could create a presentation of my own to show the class my favourite company: Nike. In my limited time, I produced a comprehensive study of their environmental campaigns and concisely presented it to the form, with confidence and bravado. My reward: five merits.
(We note here that Josh was part of a group but whilst he did present on his own… we wonder if his group members feel they should have received some of the spoils of this mass haul of merits).
Max – Very interesting, now what is a time you think you should have got a merit but the teacher didn’t give it to you?
Josh – The School puts in place the merit scheme to reward hard work and resilience. Obviously, I endeavour to surpass these metrics every single day, and succeed in my efforts. Although it is not possible for a teacher to give me a merit every single lesson, I certainly would not be complaining!
(Very good dodging of the question here, a fantastic question from Max trying to put Josh on the spot but very well deflected by Josh)
Max – Final question, the one the readers have been waiting for, how do you do it every time, I mean this really is quite remarkable.
Josh – I’ll tell you one thing: it’s all about balance. The six out of seven rule – six days working, one day playing. You put the effort in Monday-Thursday, Saturday-Sunday, but you let loose on Friday. Leave the homework for the weekend, get out and enjoy yourself, it’s called ‘Friyay’ for a reason! By managing my workload, I consistently avoid burnout and balance fun and school life as a whole. Guys remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Max – There you have it folks, the man, the myth, the legend. I hope you enjoyed reading, and we will be back very soon!
Inspirational words and thought provoking questions from Max and Josh. Happy “Friyay” everyone!
Cricket Champions
After a great season of cricket, the U17s narrowly overcame a strong Rugby side to win the prestigious National Cup for the first time in Hampton’s history. We showed vast amounts of resilience throughout our fixtures with many tight games and great individual performances to get us through. A few stand out memories were Ed R’s Jaffa against an England U19 cricketer. This delivery sparked excitement and belief within the team, allowing us to progress to the next round where we were to face KCS.
The thought of that KCS game still gets my heart rate up to this day. After a quality bowling performance led by Joe P we managed to limit them to a very below par total. However, in classic Hampton style we decided to make it a lot more tense than needed but Zaid A calmly led us to victory by one wicket.
Next came the challenge of Bede’s who knocked out previous winners Epsom, so we knew it was going to be tough. We posted an average score for a Hampton wicket where everyone chipped in with no big scores to note. Tension filled the dressing room as we went out to bowl but, Joe P’s immaculate “5fer” secured another tight victory as he took three wickets in his final over to swing the momentum our way.
Now it was time for Millfield, a two-hour drive and glimpse of Stonehenge on the way, we were there and desperate to earn a place in the final. After an economical spell from Raf T (2-12-6) we saw ourselves chasing 211. Guided by an opening stand of 67 by Oliver K and James S and then an incredible innings from Ashton C who saw us through to victory with 87 not out we had secured our place in the final.
Now it was time for the final…Excitement filled the air as we stopped for a cheeky Nando’s before getting some rest at Birmingham’s finest holiday inn. Preparations completed we went out to bat with another vital opening stand of 80 and a 50 from James S. Further backed up by back to back 50s from Ashton C and huge sixes from James E to finish. Confidence was apparent within the changing room as we posted 247. However, they managed to take it to the last delivery requiring two to win and one for us to win – a very skillful delivery from Rohan P limited them to only one run and the celebrations erupted. We had won the Nationals! We were ecstatic! It was an incredible ending to an incredible season from an incredible team.
By Oliver K (5E)
Open Morning
This term’s Open Morning was a huge success, filling the School with energy, curiosity, and excitement. Visitors were welcomed by friendly pupil guides who proudly shared their experiences and achievements. Classrooms buzzed with interactive displays—from science experiments and art exhibitions to live music and drama performances.
Pupils particularly enjoyed meeting visiting families, sharing stories, and creating new connections that showcased the welcoming, community spirit of the school. Many spoke about how rewarding it was to see their hard work and talents appreciated by others, and how the event brought everyone—pupils, staff, and guests—closer together. It was a morning to remember—celebrating not just our facilities, but the enthusiasm and warmth that makes Hampton truly special.
By AJ C (5H)
The psychology of Hump Day
This article was inspired by Maths teacher Mr Rudajev:
At school, Wednesdays—often called “Hump Day”—bring a mix of emotions. We’re halfway through the week, which means the toughest part (Monday and Tuesday) is behind us, but the weekend still feels just out of reach. That’s why Wednesday gets its nickname: once we get over the “hump,” it’s a downhill slide to Friday. Psychologically, Hump Day can be a turning point. Early in the week, pupils and teachers are often catching up on assignments, tests, and responsibilities. By Wednesday, there’s a natural shift in energy. Some Hamptonians start to feel more motivated, knowing they’re closer to the weekend and a break from school routines.
But it’s not always easy. For some, Hump Day can be a reminder of what still needs to get done. If the week has been stressful so far, Wednesday might feel overwhelming instead of encouraging. That’s why it helps to keep Wednesdays positive. Whether it’s through small rewards, fun classroom activities, or just taking a moment to reset, Hump Day is a great time to refocus and recharge.
In summary, Hump Day is the turning point in the week, where it is time to start looking forward for the weekend signalling a clear mental shift, yet for some it feels like there is still a long way to go in the week.
Further comment from Mr Hooper… does this mean that half term is the hump week (fortnight) of the term and therefore, we are over the hump, and on the downhill slide to the Christmas holidays…?
Velodrome Racing
Herne Hill velodrome hosts the annual Convene ESG Track League. This consists of 24 weeks of track cycling racing, every Wednesday evening, from April to September. I have competed in this league over the last few years, and this season I set myself the target of making the podium. Track bikes have no brakes and no gears, making racing fast and unrelenting. Every Wednesday night there are four races and these vary week to week. They include Scratch, Elimination, Keirin, Derny and Win-Outs. Some are long endurance races, others are short sprints. Whatever the race, tactics are as important as strength and speed.
For every race the winner is awarded 60 points for the overall standings, second gets 50 points etc. This year the U16 league podium places came down to the final night of racing. I started the night placed third overall, chasing the 10 point difference between 2nd and 3rd. After two Scratch races and an Elimination race I was really pleased to finish on the podium as 2nd overall in the U16 league.
Herne Hill track league has a great atmosphere. The races are commentated by Phil Wright, dad of Team Q36.5 pro rider Fred, and music and good food makes it a fun event for spectators. Track racing can be dangerous and riders need to trust each other’s technique to stay safe when racing fast and finding gaps to sneak through, millimetres from each others wheels. While extremely competitive on the track, everyone is friendly off it.
By James E (5F)
Fabulous Fishing
Every summer I go to the North of Scotland in Altnaharra and last summer my father and I went salmon fishing on the way up North with our fly rods. We were fishing the River Avon, a tributary of the Spey. On the first day after a blank in the morning we started to see a few fish, and in the afternoon, we managed to catch a four-pound grilse and a few trout whilst wading in the middle of the deep river. On the second day yet again, we started to see a few fish and caught another salmon but this time five pounds and saw a pair of kingfishers. In the evening, we carried on fishing but had no more luck but encountered an otter for the first time which was lovely to see and a roebuck down by the riverbank. On the final day I was very keen to catch my first salmon of the trip as my father had caught the other two, but the weather made a turn for the worse and there was bright sunshine and so the chances of catching a fish were minimal. However, there was a local golf course nearby and so we spent the afternoon having a wonderful game of golf. Then in the evening once the temperature had dropped, we speedily fished the pools as the light was fading, I managed to hook a salmon but, in the end, it spat the hook, and my chances had gone. It was a thrilling fishing trip with stunning scenery and one I will do again.
By Oscar B (5G)
And all that’s left to say…
