Welcome to the First Year Blog!
Welcome to the final First Year blog before half term! It has been a remarkably busy few weeks, and our new Hamptonians have packed an enormous amount into their very first half-term. This week, the year group headed out on Geography fieldwork to the South Downs and to Windsor Castle, and – as you will read below – not even the pouring rain could dampen their spirits.
In this edition, our First Years write about everything from haiku and acrostic poems inspired by the South Downs, to the thrill of the swimming gala, a whistlestop tour of their first term including the Avon Tyrrell residential, and a thought-provoking PSHE session from their Sixth Form mentors on what makes a strong community. You will also find this week’s Tutee of the Week, details of the Interform Photography Competition and, of course, the latest Hampton Hunt.
We hope everyone has a restful and well-deserved half-term break, and we look forward to seeing you all back on Monday 2 November.
South Downs Haiku
Waiting to start school
Eager to have lots of fun
At windy South Downs
Hiking up steep hills
Beautiful land next to you
Unlimited fun
Large clouds in the sky
Green, green grass below our feet
Air smells of nature
The end is nearing
Sad for all of this to end
We must let go now
Memories remain
Joy still remains on our lips
Lovely experience
By Juwon K (1W)
Geography Comes to Life
Geography truly came to life as I stepped out of the classroom and into the landscape to investigate, first-hand, how millions of years of natural processes have shaped our environment. Our laptops were replaced with booklets and waterproof clothing. I was exhilarated as we headed straight into the South Downs National Park.
As we were going up the hill, I noticed that we were walking on chalk. Our teacher, Mr Hill, explained to us that the chalk is actually made of many layers of the compacted skeletal remains of marine organisms from millions of years ago! Over time, these layers of sedimentary rock built up. Then, when the tectonic plates of Africa and Europe collided, all these layers of chalk were pushed upwards to create the hills of the South Downs National Park! However, some of it has since been eroded by the weather, so parts can no longer be seen today.
As we carried on with our trip, we used an OS map to direct us around and to see how high up we were, and how steep the slopes were, using contour lines and spot heights. We climbed to 217 metres above sea level, up some very steep hills. We then discovered Devil’s Dyke, the UK’s deepest dry valley. You may ask why there is no water. It is because, in the last proper Ice Age, the ground was affected by permafrost and therefore became impermeable. When the snow at the top began to melt, the water flowed down the scarp of the hill and carved out the shape of the valley. Then, over time, the chalk became permeable again and soaked up all the water!
Finally, we reached the peak’s triangulation pillar, signalling the end of our journey. Walking back to the coach, we reflected on the beautiful panoramic views and realised we were leaving with a much deeper, real-world understanding of the incredible earth right beneath our feet!
By Aryan P (1F)
A Wet Day on the South Downs
We persevered through the pouring rain, mud slipping beneath our feet. It was like we were in a war, marching our way through the trenches. Rain thundered down from the sky onto our heads, as if it didn’t realise we were trying to enjoy the first of the two trips we had that week. The mud squelched underneath my feet, much to my dismay. Looking ahead, I could see the landscape of the most magnificent national park in England: the South Downs. Only this time, it felt like a completely different place.
But nothing could stop us. We walked as far as our bodies would let us. Although the weather was miserable, it was great to talk to my friends for a whole school day! During the middle of the walk, we thought about the other half of the year, who were indoors at Windsor Castle with underfloor heating…
The South Downs was good, and the Windsor Castle trip will undoubtedly be great too, but nothing beats the upcoming HALF TERM!
Thrilling
Hard-working
Enjoyable
Showery
Outstanding
Unforgettable
Terrific
Heavenly
Delightful
On the go
World-class
Noteworthy
Sensational
By Auryn V (1L)
Gala Glory
The second the final bell rang, I reminded myself that today was the very first Hampton School Swimming Gala. My heart leapt like a panther and, before I knew it, I was sprinting in excitement to the LEH gate with my swimming bag dangling behind me. Just as I got there, I was greeted by my friends, and we all headed to the pool ready to give Hampton another victory!
Ready for the beginning, we all looked at the sheet showing us our races, our voices muffled by the great amount of water splashing in the pool. Suddenly, we were allocated to our lanes and listened for the countdown.
I stood on the block, adjusting my goggles before the start. Adrenaline shivered down my spine; I could feel my hands shaking. I was ready to leap.
“On your marks… go!” Everyone flew off in their streamline, and splashing surrounded me. I took an occasional glance at who was in the lead, accelerating as hard as I could. I was close to the finish – kicking harder, breathing faster. I touched the wall and saw that I was the first to finish. This only meant one thing: another victory for the Hampton Swim Team!
By Julian C (1W)
half term highlights
Writing my first blog at Hampton School, I feel even better than I did when I first joined this phenomenal school. Here are the highlights of my first half term at Hampton.
In my first week, I met all my new classmates, and we all became friends immediately. In the second and third weeks, we got all our books and started using our laptops, which to me sounded epic.
In our fourth week, we went on our first residential as a form – like a troop, all working together. That was exhilarating! At Avon Tyrrell, we worked on teamwork and enjoyed fun activities, new experiences and lots more.
In our fifth and final week just before the half term break, we went to Windsor Castle, which was awesome, and to the South Downs, which was tiring yet truly a great opportunity. In my opinion, Avon Tyrrell was the best of all.
This truly has been a wonderful half term with my old and fairly new mates! Thank you, Hamptonians, for providing such a terrific first half term at Hampton School.
By Jayden D (1W)
Community Connections
A month after I started at this amazing school, I am still finding new things to surprise me and new routes to discover. When period 2 finished on Monday, we rushed towards our classroom and waited for our Sixth Form Mentors, Matias, Olly and Daniel, to give an assembly. As soon as they arrived, rapturous applause broke out – even our tutor, Miss Parkes, joined in! The three of them were there to talk to us about communities and their effects on us.
To start off, they asked us what sort of ‘bridges’ communities help to build. 1B produced some brilliant ideas – which I am sure were the best responses from any form – including talking to people about similar interests and bonding over shared experiences. Extending our knowledge of communities, the mentors then asked us what some of the ‘barriers’ within communities were, and 1B came up with even more splendid ideas. We also discussed how we could solve these problems and ‘jump over the barriers’ – metaphorically, of course!
Before the assembly finished and we were dismissed for break, the mentors asked us three final questions:
- How can communities ‘break the barriers’ they have?
- How can communities make people feel included?
- What do communities do to help everyone?
All the pupils gave extremely good answers, with many of us taking part in the discussion.
Finally, they showed us three pictures. The first was of Andrew Flintoff shaking hands with the Australian cricket team while the rest of his team celebrated a victory. The second showed Gareth Southgate comforting Jude Bellingham after England lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. These were two pictures showing different emotions, yet the same understanding between players. The third was a picture of the Refugee Olympic Team on their boat at the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony in Paris. This picture showed how the Olympic community welcomed the Refugee team into the event.
Overall, I am sure that most pupils would agree with me when I say that it was a brilliant assembly, and we would love to see our mentors do it again.
By Arjun I (1B)
Interform Photography Competition
The competition for the Interform Cup begins with the Interform Photography Competition. Taking part means points for your form, so get snapping!
The theme for the competition is the colour yellow, to celebrate the Hampton colours! The judges from the Art Department and Photography Club are looking for:
- Composition
- Use of colour
- Originality
- Number of entries per form and teamwork
There is no limit to the number of entries per form, but each person may submit only one photo. Top entries will be posted in the First Year blog. No photos of other pupils are allowed, and no AI-generated images will be accepted.
The competition opens now and closes on Monday 2 November (the first day back after half term). Please send all submissions by email to Mr Jimenez (v.
SPECIAL SHOUT OUTS!
We love to hear about what you have been getting up to outside of school and to celebrate your successes in the First Year Blog! Please do send any information about any of your achievements through to Mr Harrison (ch.
Tutee of the Week
Every week, the First Year Tutor team nominate a Hamptonian who they have been particularly impressed with and Mr Hill and Mr Fuldner present him with a certificate and a tasty treat to eat!
Congratulations to Alex D (1F) on being named this week’s Tutee of the Week!
Alex is always a delightful member of the class, demonstrating hard work in PSHE and impressing with his attitude on School trips this week! Great job, Alex!
THE HAMPTON HUNT
Each week I will set you a challenge where you need to find out a random fact, number or indeed anything else around the School – you won’t be able to do this from home! You have until the end of Wednesday to complete the challenge; you will find out in next week’s blog if you’re correct, and you will be given a merit by your Form Tutor the following Monday. And who knows – you might get to know the School better in the process!
Last week’s challenge: Find the heaviest element printed on the stone benches in the quad? The correct answer is Oganesson! A big well done to Willis L, Alfie d R, Damon N, Raadin J, Aryan P, James Z, Ethan D, Siddarth M, Akhil V, Christian A, Archunan V, Arjun P and Jake P.
The Hampton Hunt is having a well-deserved rest over half term – we’ll be back in November!
