Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
Welcome back to another exciting year in Second Year! The corridors are buzzing once again with laughter, stories from summer adventures, and the energy that comes with a brand-new academic year. It has been wonderful to see everyone settling in so positively and reconnecting with friends whilst embracing the opportunities that lie ahead.
The Second Year team are thrilled to begin this journey with you and are looking forward to supporting, celebrating, and sharing your successes throughout the year. If the first few days are anything to go by, 2026-27 promises to be a fantastic year filled with achievement and memorable experiences.
We’ve certainly hit the ground running, with plenty already happening across the year group. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s highlights and celebrate everything our Second Years have been up to!
Clubs Galore
One of the highlights of the opening week was our vibrant Co-Curricular Fair, which showcased the incredible range of opportunities available beyond the classroom. The atmosphere was buzzing as pupils explored stalls hosted by subjects and societies from across the School. Whether speaking to members of Psychology Club, debating big ideas with Philosophy Club, discovering the world through Geography, learning more about EDI initiatives, or even meeting the star of Dog Club, there truly was something for everyone.
What makes Hampton’s co-curricular programme so special is the opportunity for every pupil to discover new passions, develop confidence, and build friendships with like-minded peers. For many of our Second Years, the challenge was not finding a club to join but deciding which of the many exciting options to choose! The fair was a wonderful reminder that some of the most memorable experiences at Hampton happen outside the classroom, and we cannot wait to see our pupils throw themselves into the opportunities on offer throughout the year.
If the enthusiasm and excitement on display at the fair were anything to go by, this year promises to be bigger, busier, and more rewarding than ever before.
Let’s find out what Theo V, Vahin A, Yifan C and Aubin W got on at the Co-curricular Fair:
This week we had the Co-curricular Fair where we signed up and checked out different clubs! There was such a wide variety of clubs from Bridge Club to Volleyball. Many people gathered around the Pride Society stall as they all got sweets for answering questions and listened closely in on the geography questions like “Where is the driest place on Earth” (at first, I thought the Sahara Desert but then I thought it is probably Antarctic).
On one side of the Hammond were clubs such as History Society and Backgammon Club along with Boardgame Club. In the centre, where it was most crowded, it had the clubs like Model United Nations (MUN), Geography Club and of course Pride Society. The fair was so popular that the pupils were asked to leave as they were taking too long deciding over all the amazing activities.
Sports, games, articles and so much more, the fair was for all people with any ideas of clubs. Maybe next time I’ll sign up for even more than three clubs.
By Theo V (2J)
All of the Second Year went to the Co-curricular Fair to choose our new clubs. When I entered the hall, I saw lots of the clubs I used to do and even some new ones like the Scalextric Club. I personally chose clubs like Board Games, Badminton, History Society and Football. The most popular club was the Drama Club. Mainly as they are going to start a new play and the last Charlie and the Chocolate Factory play was outstanding. There were many other clubs to select from such as Dog Club, Chess Club and MUN. Overall, it was a great fair with a large number of different clubs.
By Vahin A (2F)
Each year there is a Co-curricular Fair at lunchtime which has loads of fun activities and a selection of clubs ready to get. I went to it and I had fun choosing the clubs that I’m going to go to. There was Speed Cubing Club which I always enjoy doing every Wednesday and some new ones too like the Scalextric Club which I was very intrigued at where you get to 3D print your own car and race them which I found very cool. There was also Bridge Club that I decided to carry on doing and Code Ninjas which I want to try out.
By Yifan C (2L)
Tuesday was the Co-curricular Fair, with many clubs on offer (maybe too many!). Thursday seems to be an amazing day for clubs with so many to choose from. This year I decided to go to young Philosophers Club and Board Games Club. However, many other clubs like Lego Architecture seem great fun. However, I am most looking forward to getting involved in MUN Club. This seems great fun but challenging as thinking from the point of view of another country seems hard, as you must put into thought about how it will effect the country, not just how it will affect the world.
By Aubin W (2P)
Spectacular Summer
In the summer holiday I went to Switzerland with my family. We went camping, hiking, biking, and paddleboarding. The campsite was next to a pristine blue lake with mountains surrounding it. It was really fun and the views were amazing.
We went on a long, 17km hike into the mountains going to the top of the Faulhorn (2681m) and back down. On the way we saw more lakes, cows, flowers, and mountain goats. Another cool adventure was a 37km cycle around lake Brienz which proved quite challenging due to the hilly terrain.
However, my favourite part of the holiday was when me and my brother went paragliding. The feeling of slowly floating upwards was sensational, but the view was something else entirely. Imagine being hundreds of metres up in the air, flying over a Swiss valley with the wind blowing in your face.
I absolutely loved Switzerland and would really recommend it as a place to go on holiday.
By Paul W (2P)
During the summer holidays, I watched an open training session at Loftus Road (the home ground of Queens Park Rangers). QPR are currently in the Championship – but we always have hopes for promotion (and sometimes fears for relegation!) At the session, we saw the men’s squad and part of the women’s team carry out their pre-season training. This included a warm-up of stretches, mobilisation and acceleration drills, followed by small groups of players moving the ball around with different types of passes. Then, the team were separated by their positions, each doing drills specific to their roles on the pitch. In the far corner, the second, third and fourth choice goalkeepers were saving shots blasted in by two coaches. At the away end, the defenders practised their distribution by passing balls from the edge of the box into two small goals near the halfway line to simulate the wingers. Finally, in the opposite goal, the midfielders were playing through balls for the strikers to finish against the first-choice keeper. I enjoyed getting a first look at some of our new signings and some of my favourite QPR players such as Ilias Chair and Ronnie Edwards. I’m looking forward to attending a match soon and hopefully seeing us make the playoffs! COME ON YOU R’S!
By Alexander W (2B)
Back to hampton!
After a deserved and revitalising summer break, Second Year at Hampton has finally begun for us. Although there have been some new locations and routines to adjust to, at its core, life at Hampton remains the same – bustling and full of energy.
Meanwhile, in lessons, there are new topics to look forward to and new teachers to meet. Second Year also brings fresh co-curricular opportunities in new clubs and trips.
Let’s get ready for another action-packed year at Hampton!
By Hiu Yeung K (2P)
First day back at Hampton. I’m woken by my deafening and irritating alarm clock at 6:30am! It was painful to get up early after so many weeks of relaxing; get dressed in formal uniform and start our ‘weightlifting’ training – carrying the heavy schoolbag. I could hear the loud chitter chatter of the coach by the very excited First Year pupils. Finally, we reached School after almost two months of holidays. It felt so long since we’d walked through these school gates.
It brought back feelings of nostalgia and fun memories of our time spent in First Year and the reception greeted us where the atmosphere was buzzing with a distinct kind of energy. Last year, we arrived as First Years – nervous, unsure of the corridors, and constantly checking our maps & timetables. This year there was a sense of confidence and accomplishment from finishing our First Year.
The first day back is always a brilliant blur. It was fantastic to reunite with friends after the long summer break. Gathering in our new form rooms with our lovely new Form Tutors: Miss Holt and Miss Thomas. There was a quick briefing and then we met our new Head of Year: Mrs Owen.
Looking around, we saw First Years in their oversized blazers navigating using the maps. It’s hard to believe what we went through last year, which flew by so quickly. Now we have another year: a big second (more theatrical) year full of fun and homework.
The summer break was particularly exciting for me as I came in the top 17.5% in the global 2026 John Locke essay institute for the science and technology Category.
Hampton for us started with a bang as it was a Monday and every one of us was looking forward to two hours of games!
By Arnav A (2L)
This Monday, Hampton pupils returned after a long restful period of nine weeks ended where during that time many people got the well-deserved rest and recuperation they needed by going on restful retreats under the sun. Take me as an example as I went to one of the Canary Islands: Lanzarote where I spent time with my family on the volcanic rock pools and exploring new cuisines and fresh seafood. However, I only went for two weeks so after that I made good use of my remaining time by hanging out with my friends to avoid staying inside and stopping the boredom that would have otherwise ruined my holidays. So that brings us back to this week where a familiar feeling almost like déjà vu from First Year returned, as before our drama lesson on Wednesday, me and Theo spent ten minutes looking for our classroom F80 before finally finding it hidden deep in the maze that is the Hammond and then proceeding to enjoy my first ever drama lesson. Now here we are about to finish our first week back at School with an exciting year ahead.
By Benny B (2F)
Summer shoutouts
A huge congratulations to Arnav A (2L), who has enjoyed an outstanding achievement over the summer! After entering the prestigious John Locke Institute Essay Competition last term, Arnav has successfully progressed all the way to the final round.
The competition attracts entries from talented young writers from around the world and challenges pupils to explore complex ideas and present their arguments with clarity and originality. Reaching the final is a remarkable accomplishment and reflects the dedication and perseverance that Arnav has shown throughout the process.
We are incredibly proud of Arnav’s success and look forward to hearing more about this fantastic achievement. Congratulations, Arnav, and very best of luck for the final stages of the competition!
We would love to hear about what you have been getting up to outside of school and to celebrate your success in the Second-Year blog! Please do send any information about any of your achievements through to Miss Cookson. M.Cookson@hamptonschool.org.uk
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?
There is also an element of friendly competition, with points awarded towards the Interform Competition for every entry submitted. At the end of the term, the form with the most entries will be crowned champions. This week’s quiz is inspired by all things summer, so get your thinking caps on and enter your answers below:
Come back next week and find out if you’re right!
Have a great weekend!
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