Welcome to the Fourth Year Blog!
Another term down and you have all been as busy as ever! The Fourth Year Blog relies on your contributions so a huge thank you to everyone who has written an article this time round. There are many more events we would love to hear about so please to get in touch if there is anything you would like to write about for the next edition. During the Easter holiday, Fourth Year Hamptonians will be heading out on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, enjoying Modern Languages trips to France and Spain, stepping back in time on a Classics trip to Hadrian’s Wall, an RS trip to explore Rome and much, much more. Whatever you are doing, we wish you a wonderful, relaxing break and we look forward to seeing you refreshed and ready to go for the summer term.
Mr Malston
Bugsy Malone
Just before the February half term, Hamptonians from Fourth Year and below, alongside our talented guests from Waldegrave, put on a fantastic production of Bugsy Malone. From the lively musical numbers to the brilliantly choreographed slapstick comedy, the cast brought the 1920s gangster world to life with energy and enthusiasm. The performances were outstanding, with each character adding to the show’s charm, and the live band added an extra layer of excitement. A huge well done to everyone involved—this was certainly a school musical to remember!
By Devan B (4B)
Double Finalists
With the 2024-25 football season coming to a close, it only seems right to reflect on a successful season for the U15A team. Going into the season, there was a strong sense of determination to win, after narrowly being knocked out of ESFA last year. With this determination in mind, the boys certainly achieved their aim, tallying 24 wins, scoring 110 goals, with one more game still left to play. Bearing in mind 31 games have been played this season, which is a staggering amount, and something the team should be extremely proud of. This glut of success all contributed to the impressive runs that the side managed in each competition. This included the ISFA Cup, the Elgin League, and the ESFA Cup. The first two of these cups, the boys fought their way to the final, and sadly narrowly lost by a goal in ISFA and on penalties in the Elgin league final. However, and arguably most importantly, the boys demonstrated their perseverance despite these setbacks and turned their attention to their ESFA Cup semi-final.
This was a highly anticipated fixture against a strong Aldenham squad who were familiar faces to the boys. After losing to this side in the ISFA final the boys were keen to make up for the ISFA defeat, and that’s certainly what they achieved. Despite facing adversity, being two goals down with twenty minutes to go, the boys fought hard, taking the game to extra time. This in itself was a huge achievement, pulling their way back to a level score, yet the team weren’t finished. With the words of Mr Boyes, Mr Burke, and Mr Hirst pushing the team on, they left everything on the pitch, grasping the opportunity with both hands. This pure grit and hard work gave the squad the result they deserved, finishing the match at 5-2. This wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of the whole squad, but most importantly each and every coach who supported us throughout our journey. On behalf of the squad, we would like to say a huge thank you. However, it isn’t over yet, and the most important game of the season is still left to play. Now in the final two of the six hundred and fifty-five schools who entered, the team need the support of the school to bring home the silverware they deserve. Come on Hampton!
By James P (4G)
Take a look at some of the highlights from the ESFA semi-final:
Iceland Trip
During the February half term Fourth and Fifth year Geographers embarked on a five night trip to the land of ice and fire. Iceland sits on top of the Mid Atlantic ridge, where the Eurasian tectonic plate meets the North American plate. This makes it one of the most volcanically active places on the earth. In many ways, Iceland is defined by its volcanic activity due to its barren, rocky landscape (created by volcanic ash and rock), its many hot springs and geysers and its reliance on geothermal energy (99% of energy is generated through it).
Yet, due to its position on the earth, Iceland is also extremely cold with temperatures frequently dropping to -20 degrees Celsius. This combination of extreme elements is what makes Iceland so different from any other place on Earth. Immediately upon entering the country late at night on the first day we got a glimpse of the high-speed winds (when we later went to the coast, the wind speed was measured at nearly 50mph) and sudden changes in weather. Despite this, the weather was better than expected and similar to the UK.
One of the most unique experiences we had was being able to walk on top of sólheimajökull, a glacier ‘tongue’. While it was the first time many of us had real a glacier in real life, the event was overshadowed by the fact that the glacier had retreated rapidly in the last couple of years itself. In fact, some glaciers in Iceland retreat by 100-200 meters per year.
In Iceland, it is widely accepted and believed that global warning is the main driver of this and, therefore, only a small percentage on people in Iceland deny climate change. In total we saw three waterfalls on the trip with the most famous being Gulfoss, a two-tiered waterfall that drops a total of 31 metres. It has become a hugely popular tourist attraction with water flowing over it at over 100 cubic meters per second. It is also one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland.
Another popular tourist attraction was the Þingvellir National Park where the plate boundaries of the Eurasian plate and the North American plate could be seen. Over 700,000 people visit the park annually. One reason why this has become one of Iceland’s most visited areas is the fact you can walk between the two plates.
However, undoubtedly one of the best experiences was the lava show we saw in Reykjavík. This lava show is the only place on earth where lava can be observed safely. The intense heat and light that we experienced when even small amounts of lava appeared was an unforgettable experience.
During the show, it was explained how the speed at which the lava cools affects its structure. It was also explained how many people visit volcanic eruptions to witness lava, oblivious to the risks. Lava can stay hot for days after an eruption and can be hundreds of degrees despite looking as cold as a usual rock. In addition, toxic gases, that are trapped in the lava, can escape the lava. These gases include carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. For the lava show, they collected volcanic rock from an eruption and melted it. As it had already once been lava, the rock contained no toxic gases.
Other highlights of the trip would include the geysers and hot springs (some erupting as often as once every 15 minutes) and the warm swimming pools that we visited frequently.
Overall, the trip allowed us to experience a land that was vastly different from ours while also highlighting how these geographical differences came about. It also furthered our knowledge on plate tectonics and natural hazards, topics that have become essential in shaping the Icelandic landscape. On behalf of everyone on the trip, I would like to thank all the staff on the trip for planning and running the trip.
By Sanjit B (4E)
Bailey H-C (4C) and Fifth Year Hamptonian Samuel tell us a little bit more about the highlights of the Iceland trip:
Cricket Season Preview
As the weather improves and the football and rugby season draws to a close, everyone’s minds begin to turn to playing cricket. The Fourth Year is an important year in the development of cricketers as many will go on to play First, Second or Third XI cricket in the next few years which is a step up from age group cricket. Due to this, there has been consistent attendance to pre-season after school training.
Last season, saw many strong performances across all teams with many Third Year joiners strengthening the squads. Still, there are lots of targets that need to be worked towards, personal and collective, in order for effort off the pitch to be translated to performance on the pitch. Matchplay and nets on Tuesday afternoons will undoubtedly aid this as the season moves closer.
This season the A’s, B’s and C’s will all play ten games with the A team participating in a competitive cup (involving strong teams such as national champions Whitgift, Epsom and Reed’s School). All the teams we will play in the friendly fixtures, we faced last season with varying levels of success. Therefore, all the teams will be eager to improve on last year’s performances and ensure that this season will showcase the skill and depth that each of our teams have.
By Sanjit B (4E)
Basketball
On 16 March, we had the London Youth games qualifying tournament, a 3×3 tournament to decide who went to the London Youth Games to represent the borough of Richmond. It was during lunch time, so safe to say all the teams were hungry to win. We were up against the likes of Turing, Teddington and even Surrey champions Christ’s – it was going to be tough.
In the U16 age group, we were relatively inexperienced compared to schools with lots of national league players and prem players, however we still had the talent to compete. As the tournament began, we faced off against the one of the weaker teams in the tournament RPA and managed a good win, then we faced off against the challenge, Christ’s. It started off with lots of traded baskets, however in overtime we hit a game winner to upset the top school in the tournament and win.
Remaining undefeated except for our final game against Teddington, we were seeded first in the tournament and thus faced off against Christ’s in the finals, who had the GB and England national team player on the court now. It was hard fought, but ultimately, we missed out on qualifying for the London Youth Games by only two points.
By Jaime R B (4D)
Chess – The Challengers Part 4 – The Finale!
There were three players left for tiebreaks to try and reach that second place and hence, the Terafinal spot. Two 2000+ rated players and myself. Luckily enough, due to my performance of second place by rating, I was the favourite. This meant that I would play the winner of my two opponents, having to win only one match to qualify. As I anxiously watched their match commence, I mentally prepared myself to play one of my fierce opponents. The game kept favouring one side, then another, a representative of the unpredictable blitz time control! Eventually, the white pieces had resigned, leaving the remaining opponent to face off against myself. After having taken a deep breath and adjusted my pieces, the arbiter let the time run. MY opponent and I quickly played the opening, gaining time with the two second increment each move. As we traded pieces it was clear that my position was worse, as I concentrated on defending my weak pawn. Suddenly, both me and my opponent had launched a ferocious attack on each other’s kings, racing to checkmate the other’s exposed king. As my opponents’ seconds ticked by on his move, I realised that he had a winning idea, with a mating net against my precious king. However, my opponent quickly played a different move, leaving me with a mating net myself! I held my breath as adrenaline rushed through my veins, I executed the combination and swiftly delivered the final blow. Only once the arbiter had paused the clock and confirmed my victory, I fell to my knees on the floor, like a tennis player who had won the Wimbledon final. Despite my utter excitement and emotion, I controlled myself and got up, shaking my opponent’s hand as a sign of respect.
As I strolled out of the playing hall, my ears were filled with a melody of cheering friends, proud of my shaky, yet glorious success. “You did it!” I thought to myself as I high fived my supporters.
By Alex L (4D)
Rowing Roundup
Schools’ Head of the River
On Tuesday 25 March, the Tideway stretch of the Thames hosted well over 300 crews down its 6.8km course for Schools’ Head of the River. Of those 300, four of them were Hampton J15 VIIIs. Having been constrained to land training for the majority of the winter, this was just the 21st water session for the crews. Nevertheless, each crew rowed their best, posting some very impressive results. In the J15 1st VIII category Hampton placed 12th whilst in the Championship J15 VIIIs, Hampton came third just 2.2 seconds behind KCS completing the course in 18:42.1. When the A crew last raced KCS at Kingston Head 10 days ago, the margin was much greater, clearly showing the excellent work being done by rowers and coaches alike. The B and C crews performed very well too, placing second behind St Pauls and winning the 3rd VIIIs by a strong 6.6 seconds, respectively. Additionally, the C crews result put them as the only crew sub-20 minutes in their category. It was a tough day for all, with some crews being on the water for over 4 hours, but a great learning experience, as for some it was the first time racing on the Tideway. Secondly, these results convey the squad depth and strength of the squad – a promising sign going into the regatta season over the next few months.
By Josh M (4D)
Scullery 2025
We headed off to Dorney Lake on Wednesday during the final week of term. The sun was shining, and our spirits were high, after a successful race at Schools’ Head the day before – even if our bodies were still recovering! Today’s race was quite a different format – we were to race 2km to the end of the lake, before spinning and racing another 2km back down. Having not done much sculling for a while, we were all excited to be back in the boats we raced in to win National Schools’ Regatta last year and to race against a different set of crews. It is always exciting to paddle under the Olympic rings on the bridge at Dorney at the start of a race, and today we were off, followed closely by our B boat. The boat felt like it was moving really well even when we had to grit our teeth to get through the second 2km. We ended up finishing in second place to Windsor who won narrowly by three seconds. Our B boat also had a strong performance, finishing in third place. We were all happy with the results, and we are now looking forward to improving as much as we can for the regatta season.
By Alex C (4C)
Interform Update
We have had a packed Interform schedule this term, but who has been crowned the spring term winners? Round up below:
Winners of Interform Events
Football: 4E
Rowing: 4B
Co-Curricular Week: 4A
Badminton A Competition: 4F
Badminton B Competition: 4E
Table Tennis A Competition: George E (4E)
Tables Tennis B Competition: Ashton C (4E)
Spelling Bee: 4J
Physics: 4G (and specially written by Anton C)
Football Quiz: 4A ( George M & Rufus L)
Music Quiz:4G ( Alex L & Harry S)
Sports Quiz: 4C (Tom Sc, Finlay H, Krishang T)
Top Merit Getters
90 – Dom N
80 – Kiran G
70 – Zen N, Alex L, Oli K
Interform Final Results
1 – 4A = 133
2 – 4E = 122
3 – 4G = 111
4 – 4C and 4D = 104
6 – 4B = 89.5
7 – 4F = 86
8 – 4H = 84
9 – 4J = 63.5
Full Break down below:
| Merits | Detentions | Music | Spelling Bee | Physics | Sports Quiz | HAFA | Football Quiz 2 | Badminton | Table Tennis | Football | Co-Curricular Week | Rowing | Total | |
| A | 24 | -2.5 | 5.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 13 | 8 | 9.5 | 18 | 25 | 18 | 133 |
| B | 23 | -13.5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6.5 | 1.5 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 89.5 |
| C | 21 | -7.5 | 4 | 3 | 6.5 | 13 | 4.5 | 4 | 14 | 21.5 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 104 |
| D | 41 | -15 | 5.5 | 2 | 5 | 7.5 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 104 |
| E | 19 | -13 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4.5 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 32.5 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 122 |
| F | 15 | -5.5 | 7 | 5 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 86 |
| G | 5 | -7.5 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 9.5 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 111 |
| H | 12 | -4.5 | 1 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 84 |
| J | 13 | -9 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 8.5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 63.5 |
And all that’s left to say is…
