Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
Although we’re now into the third week of the summer term, this is a particularly full edition of the Second Year Blog. We didn’t share one last week, as many pupils were travelling to Stoke City FC to support the First and Second XI teams in the ESFA Finals – an unforgettable day that features strongly in this week’s reflections.
Alongside that, several of the articles look back at experiences from the Easter break, from trips abroad to personal achievements and moments worth remembering. Mixed in with these are pieces capturing the return to school life, new sports, busy schedules, and the growing focus on the term ahead. Together, they offer a varied snapshot of Second Year life at this point in the year.
There’s lots to enjoy below, so I’ll keep my introduction brief and let your writing take centre stage.
Merit Milestones
A bumper two weeks for Merits – a big shout out to the following Second Year Hamptonians:
Week beginning 24 April
Nico Arrojo-Garcia – 20
Tom Coyle – 30
Hugh Horrocks – 30
Daniyal Ahmed – 30
Noam Cohen – 30
Monty Smith – 40
Alex Chen – 40
Jake Lee – 40
Joshin Fenwick – 40
Monty Smith – 50 (he’s off to see Mr Knibbs)
Kamran Cathcart – 60 (super!)
Edward Robinson – 90 (wow!)
Ansh Rao – 140 (tremendous!)
LION merits
Ashveer Chohan – 40 (impressive!)
Rayan Amiri – 40 (excellent!)
Week beginning 4 May
Mohamed Tageldin – 20
Max Drury – 30
Rayaan Awan – 30
Harri Chapman – 30
Aarav Saxena – 30
Agastya Jain – 40
Rayaan Awan – 40
Harry Turle – 40
George Meckle-Haldane – 40
Daniyal Ahmed – 40
Smyan Mehta – 40
Eden Jung – 40
Rayaan Awan – 50 (he’s off to see Mr Knibbs!)
Peter Rey-Raab – 50 (well done!)
Arhaan Khan – 50 (fantastic!)
Poyraz Dirik – 50 (super!)
Emre Kozan – 60 (excellent!)
Alexander Murphy – 60 (fabulous!)
Luca Dhaliwal – 60 (tremendous!)
Isaac Li – 60 (a great achievement!)
Isaac Li – 70 (congratulations!)
Yuvan Meda – 70 (superb!)
Yuvan Meda – 80 (wonderful!)
Lucas Farnsworth – 90 (impressive!)
Ojas Prabhu – 90 (amazing!)
Sebastian Young – 150 (outstanding!)
Sebastian Young – 160 (he’s trying to break a record!)
Tutor question of the week:
What do you think people interact with most each day?
- Phones – Mrs Richardson, Mrs Owen, Miss Tiller
- Doors
- Furniture – 2P, 2J, 2G, 2F, Miss Holt, 2B, 2H
- Electrical switches
ESFA Final
Last Friday, I was able to go to watch two finals, the First and the Second XI. The coach departed at 8am, and after 3 hours, we had finally arrived at the Stoke City stadium, although we were a bit late. Everyone hopped off the coach and grabbed their lunches, but unfortunately, we heard a goal scored, so we quickly headed off in our groups into the stadium. Five minutes later, we were in our seats inside the stadium. The atmosphere was immense. We then found out that the goal was scored by the opponents. Near the end of the first half, we levelled the scoring with a goal from a corner. Then the second half came and we were dominating, trying to get the winning goal. And then, just before it was about to go into extra time, we scored a last-minute goal to win it.
Then came the First XI match. We knew we had low chances of winning as we were up against an academy level side. They had many chances and managed to score two goals in the first half so we were 2-0 down at the break. We fought back in the second half and managed to score a late goal. Finally, we had one last free kick to win it, and even our keeper went up for it. Unluckily, they stole the ball and scored a final goal to win the game 3-1. Overall, it was an exhilarating experience to go and watch the matches, especially to win one of them.
By Oliver J (2H)
Last Friday, me and some of my friends participated in watching the ESFA Cup Finals at Stoke City FC that both the First XI and the Second XI played at. I am going to talk about the First XI match and my friend, Milo B, will write about the Second XI game as they were both very close and exciting.
The First XI played just after a great win from our Second XI prior. Almost immediately, I could tell this was going to be an intense match. Both teams had lots of chances, yet no-one seemed to be able to break each other’s defensive lines. Finally, we got an incredible shot off but it just narrowly missed and hit the crossbar and we started gaining momentum. However, the opposition caught us on a counter-attack and punished with a goal to make it 1-0. We answered back by gaining control and hitting the woodwork a total of two times and getting so close to levelling the game. Unfortunately, we conceded a second goal to bring the game down to 2-0 but this didn’t stop us.
The crowd roared as the second half began. We did everything we could to get our players heads up and change this game – and it seemed to be working as we applied lots of pressure on the other team’s defence and scoring a goal to make it 2-1 towards the end. As the end of the match grew nearer, we knew we needed another goal soon and the atmosphere grew more immense by the minute. We kept getting so close to goals and were dominating. A pass was played in and our striker hit it first time and we all thought we had finally scored until their keeper made a brilliant save to keep them alive.
Eventually we got a corner in the last play of the game. As a last-ditch effort, we sent our keeper into the opposing box to try and outnumber then and get a goal. However, they managed to clear it out where an attacking player on their team was waiting and he got to it and sprinted towards our goal. With no goalkeeper, and the opposition player sprinted it all the way into our box where he passed it into an empty net, sealing the game as a 3-1 loss.
I don’t think the score reflected the game very well as I believe either teams could have won, we just got a bit unlucky but nevertheless it was a great run throughout the season in order to make it all the way to the finals and a great accomplishment.
By Thomas L (2G)
The amazing thing is, is that Hamptons First XI and Second XI both got into the finals! We were lucky enough to go to Stoke City stadium to watch both the matches live. My friend Thomas L will write about the First XI game and I will write about the Second XI .
The second the game started I felt confident in our squad. Unfortunately, we conceded first which was a disappointment, however our fanbase stayed very strong and sung throughout. Then, brilliantly, Hampton made it 1-1 with a nice goal bringing great hope to our fans, making us sing even louder. It got to 1-1 at half time and the mood was high from our fans!
In the second half, we started strong creating many chances and our keeper making some great saves. Then, Hampton had a great opportunity and we took it, making it 2-1. Everyone was very happy and the players celebrated with joy. The players held on until the end, securing the Second XI the ESFA cup champions! The mood was great and the players played brilliantly and the highlight was them lifting the trophy in front of us fans!
By Milo B (2G)
Friday was a big day for Hampton, the eagerly awaited ESFA finals for both the First and Second XI took place. 7.50am at Hampton saw a huge scrum of Hamptonians trying to get on their bus. We scrambled onto the buses; the journey was 3 hours with no stops. We arrived and were able to see the Second XI win their cup final. We were all ready for the long-awaited First XI ESFA final, the Hamptonian atmosphere was incredible. Unfortunately, Hampton lost the final after hitting the frame of the goal three times. Both teams were amazing and it was a great day out for everyone who came and watched them.
By Henry R (2F)
Summer Sports
After the break, it was our first session playing our choice of summer sports. I chose tennis – an exciting new season of tennis. We were split into three groups total beginners, people who had played tennis before but weren’t confident or could improve and then the good players. I was in the amateur group however the groups aren’t finalised. This week we practised serves and serving cross-court as well as the correct positions for doubles tennis. It was all really fun, and I look forward to returning to it again.
By Felix R (2H)
Everyone enjoyed playing their summer sports, I chose tennis and it was fantastic. Fist of all, we split into three separate groups based on our experience level, ensuring everyone could learn and progress at the right pace. The session started off with some partner rallying, where we paired up and kept a steady rally. Then we shifted into focusing on doubles. We learnt the court positioning, and various strategies to help us become better. we wrapped the session up with serving practise, where we learnt the techniques. Overall, the tennis lesson was very enjoyable.
By Arun B (2H)
This Monday, I started the sport of rowing after having a fantastic taster earlier in the spring term. While I haven’t been out on the river, I have become accustomed to the sport quite well after our first training session where we did a rowing relay on the Ergo machines. After the session, I could instantly see that everyone had great smiles on their faces and that continuing the sport would bring a lot of excitement to everyone’s Hampton journey ahead. I really look forward to rowing on the river and training on the Ergo machines more during this term.
By Kamran C (2F)
Start of term reflections
The first week of the last term felt very different from what we were doing before the Easter break. With the end of year assessments closing in on us along with the inspections, we had to be super focused and always be at our best.
I started my revision for the assessments during the break, and the recent lessons have really helped with my revision and helped to refine my notes. Putting the revision to the side, I really liked being back in school and talking with my friends again and being able to play some different sports such as rowing compared to rugby or football. However, nothing ever beats the feeling of being able to be around your family and having lots of free time!
By Yuhao L (2G)
Being in Year 8 with a whole week of end-of-year exams feels like a lot for me, especially when everything seems to come at once. I sometimes feel stressed, tired, and a bit overwhelmed trying to balance all my revision and expectations. It can feel like every test really matters, but I remind myself that it’s just one part of my learning journey. I don’t need to be perfect—I just need to try my best and stay consistent. As long as I keep going and don’t give up, I know I’m doing enough.
When I revise, I try to use techniques that actually help me remember things better. I break my study into smaller chunks, like 25–30 minutes at a time and then take short breaks so I don’t burn out. I use things like flashcards, mind maps, and practice questions instead of just reading my notes over and over. Sometimes I explain topics out loud, like I’m teaching someone else, because it helps me understand it more clearly. I also mix different subjects, so I don’t get bored focusing on just one thing for too long.
To stay motivated, I set myself small goals each day so I can see the progress I’m making. I make sure I get enough sleep and take proper breaks, because I know I won’t do well if I’m exhausted. When I start to feel stressed, I try to calm myself down by listening to music or stepping away for a bit. I remind myself why I’m doing this and that I’ve handled challenges like this before. Even though it’s a tough week, I know I can get through it if I stay focused and keep a positive mindset.
By Zachariah A (2W)
Epic Easter Adventures
This Easter holiday, I didn’t just eat chocolate eggs — I went on one of the coolest adventures of my life: the school trip to Sicily! From volcanoes and ancient ruins to beaches and bus laughs, this trip had everything. Honestly, it felt like history, geography, and fun all collided in the best way possible.
One of the most unbelievable moments was visiting Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano. Guess what? There was snow at the top! Yes — snowball fights on a volcano. How many people can say that? We were throwing snow, laughing like crazy, freezing our hands, and trying to imagine the same mountain erupting with fire and lava.
We also walked through Roman ruins and massive amphitheatres. Standing there made history feel real, not just something in a textbook. Then came the Greek temples, dedicated to powerful gods . These temples were huge, ancient, and seriously impressive. Even after thousands of years, they still looked majestic. The museums were also surprisingly fun. Seeing ancient statues, mosaics, and artefacts made me feel like an explorer discovering secrets from the past.
Of course, no trip to Sicily is complete without the beach! The sun, the sea, the fresh air, it was the perfect way to relax after busy days of walking and sightseeing. BUT Some of the funniest memories of the trip happened right there on the bus rides around Sicily. At the end I would like to say a huge thank you to all the Latin teachers who didn’t just teach us about Roman and Greek culture there – they made sure we were safe, supported, and still had loads of fun.
By Ashutosh S (2B)
Our remarkable Sicilian expedition began with us waking up at 1am. It was so tiring!!! We went to the airport and arrived in the historic city of Catania, where the striking architecture and the famous black lava elephant statue set a grand stage for our journey. Although we had originally planned to scale the heights of Mount Etna on our second day, a giant storm forced us to postpone the climb for safety. Instead, we adapted our journey and explored the cliffside town of Taormina, where we marvelled at the ancient Greek Theatres. Fortunately, the weather cleared on the third day, allowing us to finally to go to the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna. It was a great experience (aside from the fact that it was insanely cold). Our adventure continued south to Syracuse, where we tested the legendary acoustics of the Ear of Dionysius cave. On the fifth day, we transitioned to the Market and eating iconic street foods like golden arancini and sweet, creamy cannoli. Finally, we concluded our tour with a nice big breakfast before heading to the airport, ending our truly spectacular trip!
By Freeman W (2L)
Running
Last Saturday I competed in the London Mini Marathon. This is a 2.6 km race with the fastest six people from the London boroughs and the fastest few people from the Home Counties, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. I had qualified as the fastest in Richmond, so I was allowed to start at the front. After a bad start, I was forced to make up positions throughout the race, especially up Constitution Hill where a lot of people were forced slow down since they had burned out their energy earlier. In the end, I finished in 25th place and the first person in Richmond.
By Noah L (2G)
There’s something about a Sunday morning in Richmond Park that makes the rest of the week feel like an afterthought. Yesterday’s run was one of those – the kind that reminds you exactly why you laced up in the first place. I set off solo, which is how I prefer my long runs these days. No pace pressure, no conversation to maintain, just me, the trail, and whatever my legs felt like doing. The plan was a 7.2 mile long loop. And from the first mile I could tell it was going to be a good one.
Early May in Richmond Park is genuinely hard to beat. The grass had that fresh, almost luminous green going on, the chestnuts were in full bloom, and the deer were doing their usual thing – pretending we humans don’t exist while strategically positioning themselves exactly where you want to run. A small group of fallow deer crossed the path near Sawyer’s Hill and I had to slow to a jog just to take it in. You could run the same loop a hundred times and still get caught of guard by moments like that.
The legs felt good and I needed that exercise. Sometimes you start a run and you’re negotiating with your body by the second mile, which is like the Haffa Run in Hampton. The breathing settled quickly, the cadence locked in, and by halfway round I was actually having to hold back rather than push. The climb up towards Pembroke Lodge usually gets me, but I crested it without the usual internal monologue of complaints. That’s always a sign the training is doing what it’s supposed to.
The park was busy in the way it always is on a Sunday morning – cyclists in full kit pretending they’re at the Tour de France, dog walkers with flat whites, the occasional hardy soul doing yoga on the grass. There’s a quiet camaraderie to it. The other runners we exchange those tiny nods with, that universal acknowledgement of yes, I’m out here too, well done us.
I came in feeling strong, which is a rare and lovely thing to do on a long run. No wall, no late-stage suffering, just a steady finish and the satisfying ache of a job done. Stopped at the gate for a few minutes to stretch and watch the park keep moving-runners coming in, runners heading out, the rhythm of a Sunday in Richmond.
If you’ve never done a long run there, this is your sign. Pick a nice, pleasant weekend like Sunday, get there early and let the park and nature calm you down and relax. A long run is a good way to maintain the stress of End of Years and a good opportunity to have a break. Enjoy running!
By Reyansh K (2L)
Clubs Galore
Basketball Club!
Every Tuesday at second lunch there is Basketball Club which is very fun and awesome. We get to play matches every time (which is very fun) plus the basketball coach is brilliant and knows everything about the game. Overall the club is really fun, and I would recommend doing it.
By Sol W (2J)
Geography Club!
Every Tuesday first half of lunch there is the best club in the whole school. Geography Club. You partake in fun quizzes every week in G67 with the fabulous host of Mr Harrison. There are edible and other prizes on offer for winners, and the losers receive half an hour of laughing and fun. You don’t need a lot of knowledge in geography to partake so I hope you come to Geography Club!
By Ethan C (2P)
All to play for!
Tonight, the Championship playoffs start. It starts with Hull vs Millwall as an 8pm kick-off, which is then followed by Middlesbrough (my team) vs Southampton, a 12:30pm kick-off tomorrow. The playoffs are considered the best way to move up in the division, due to the unexpectedness and drama, as well as the feeling of a late evening watching your team play, in games that could determine the future of your club. They last three legs – one at one team’s stadium, and then the other match is played in the reverse fixture at the reverse club’s stadium. One example of the unexpected nature is Sheffield Wednesday vs Peterborough, often named ‘The Miracle of Hillsborough’. It was the League 1 playoff semi-final, where Sheffield Wednesday travelled to the Weston Homes Stadium, in which they lost 4-0 – a margin that seemed impossible to overturn. However, Sheffield Wednesday as a club still believed, and they managed to turn it around to 5-1 in the fixture at Hillsborough, making it 5-5 on aggregate. This is recalled as the greatest comeback in playoff history, which I very much agree with.
Anyway, back to the Championship, there was some major breaking news released yesterday, in which it was found a Southampton first team analyst (spy!) was found spying on the Middlesbrough team training at Rockcliffe. He was confronted by the Middlesbrough staff and deleted the footage he recorded, as it is now a new FA rule that you are not allowed to watch a team train 72 hours before a game, after a famous incident involving Derby and Leeds in a playoff match in 2019. In the reverse fixture at Southampton, my dad managed to get us tickets, although I may be in the home end as away tickets to playoffs are practically impossible to get, and if you do get your hands on them, they are gold dust. The winners of the two teams in the semi final go through to the final which is played at Wembley, which is a 90,000 seater, so it is slightly easier to get tickets, yet I would still guarantee any of the four teams would sell out their allocation. I hope you enjoyed reading and if you weren’t originally supporting a team you choose to support Middlesbrough just for this occasion.
By Toby S (2P)
Football Focus
Over the Easter holidays, my team, City Select Academy, won the Winners Only/City Select tournament, only conceding one goal in nine games, keeping eight clean sheets which I was very pleased with as I was the GK. It was an 11-team elite tournament with all of the teams in one group playing six group games each. The top eight teams qualified for the quarter-finals. The group stage results looked like this:
1: City Select 2-0 Mass Elite
2: City Select 2-0 JGC A
3: City Select 1-1 JGC B
4: City Select 0-0 UpElite Portsmouth 1
5: City Select 1-0 Three Bridges Youth (Pulled my best save of the tournament this game)
6: City Select 2-0 Legacy FC
We topped our group meaning that we played 8th in the group, Legacy.
The knock outs looked like this:
QF: City Select 2-0 Legacy FC
SF: City Select 2-0 JGC B
FINAL: City Select 2-0 UpElite Portsmouth 2
In the final came lots of drama, with us scoring the winner with four minutes to go and after the goal we did a pile on off the pitch, however, the other team took the centre and drove towards goal! Luckily, one of our defenders spotted this and ran back the goal saving the shot with his chest! With two minutes left a foul was committed and I made a great free kick save to palm it over the crossbar. With only seconds left, UpElite rattled the post, almost equalising, but we hit them on the counter and our attacker slotted the ball into the bottom corner with the final action of the game!
When the awards were handed out, GK of the tournament, highest goalscorer and Player of the Tournament, I received GK of the tournament for some great saves, distribution and keeping clean sheets!
By Faaris MC (2W)
Guess the Film – Emoji Challenge!
Each week I will ask a different member of the Second Year Tutor team to tell me their favourite film – in emoji form! Your job is to guess the film and the teacher…!
👧📚👩🏫🍯🥛🍰🤢
The answer from the last blog was Matilda and is one of Mrs Wallace’s favourite films.
Try and guess this week’s film and which teacher claimed it as their favourite: 😴❌🌃🌧️🗼
Pet of the Week
This week’s pet of the week is Pippa – Miss Mattinson’s adorable doggo!
If you would like to submit your pet please email b.tiller@hamptonschool.org.uk
Quiz of the Week
Welcome to the Quiz of the Week! Every week, we’ll post five general knowledge questions. Take a look at this week’s questions, have a go yourself or challenge people at home and see if they know the answer.
Points for the Interform Competition will be awarded to the form with the most entries over the term.
This week’s quiz questions come to us from Sophus W (2P). Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers for this week’s quiz here:
Here are the answers to last week’s quiz:
- What do the initials “www” stand for in a website address? World Wide Web
- Which element was named after the scientist Marie Curie? Curium
- What is the name of the first artificial satellite sent into space? Sputnik 1
- Which language has the most native speakers worldwide? Mandarin Chinese
- What type of animal is a komodo dragon classified as? A lizard
Well done to the following Second Year Hamptonians who answered everything correctly – Daniyal A, Tom C, Ediz Y, Jesse G, Jia x, Eli M, Ansh R, Kiyan J, Fred GvP, Harri C, Reyansh K, Arhaan K, Arthur H and Oliver J.
If you’re keen to write some general knowledge questions for the Blog, please email b.tiller@hamptonschool.org.uk.
