Welcome to the Fourth Year Blog!
Much more so than lower down the School, the summer of the Fourth Year is not an end in itself, but rather the halfway point in the approach to GCSEs. As such, if there are gaps to be plugged from this year, then the time to do that is the summer holidays. Eight and a half weeks provides plenty of time to do this and still have a wonderful break!
As I said in assembly, you should be self-aware enough to assess what is the best use of your time. To enhance this, please can I urge you to read your report really carefully once it is available. Your teachers’ comments will be very instructive. All anyone can ever ask of you is that you put in your best effort.
As I also said in assembly, thank you so much for all the myriad positive contributions you have made in different aspects of School life this year. You have been a joy to work with. I wish you all the best for the summer and will look forward to seeing you again in September, when the fun really starts!
Triple Finalists
It was a sunny day as the Hampton boys piled onto the coach, hoping to witness history from the beloved U15A football team – who we had already watched perform admirably in the ISFA final, with an unfortunate loss. The spirits were high on the coach, with music and conversation flowing, the atmosphere was buzzing as we made new chants and prepared to support our team.
When we arrived at West Brom’s stadium, everyone was pumped to show our support, and hopefully out-sing the opposition supporters. The match started well, with a few early chances being missed, we never stopped singing and chants were being started left and right. However, we conceded two goals before half time and went into the break 2-0 down. Despite this, we kept chanting and singing before half time.
The half time show was put on by a host, with a classic game of higher or lower being played with cards. I was lucky enough to go onto the pitch and take part in this game. I only lasted two cards but had the opportunity to invite Mr Malston onto the pitch to finish it off. When the last card was shown, the celebrations went off and prizes were handed to the participants. I threw mine into the crowd before the second half started this was definitely a highlight of the match and hats off to the host, he was brilliant.
The second half restarted with the Hampton voices once again in full throttle. It was a tense half as we tried to claw our way back into the game and as the first goal went in the celebrations knocked people off their feet (for health and safety this was a metaphor). We sang louder than ever and as Noah R D M knocked in the equaliser the crowd went wild. We did the Poznan and did not stop singing until the final whistle – it was 2-2 and had to go straight to penalties.
This was the most nerve-racking moment and one by one our friends stepped up to take a penalty. The support was unreal despite our 5-4 loss on penalties, and I hope the team will be back next year for another final, hopefully going all the way this time.
By Bene B (4J)
Take a look at some of the fabulous photos from the memorable day out at West Brom here.
Ph-abulous Physics
Each year, the Interschool Physics Quiz takes place at Lampton School. To participate, two Hampton Physics teams – this year called the “Hampton Tungs” (Anton C, Siddharth S, Vasily U, Zhenbo H) and “Hampton Hamster” (Ben G, Leonardo F, Luke T and myself) – fought it out at Hampton a week before the quiz to decide who would proceed to the real quiz at Lampton. The Hamsters won, somewhat surprisingly, given the opposing team had two Physics Olympians!
Finally, the Lampton stage came around – and after a jovial minivan trip we took our seats in Lampton’s quiz room (obviously after indulging in an unnecessary amount of the available refreshments). Up against St Richard Reynolds, Grey Court School, Waldegrave School and Lampton, the Hamsters careered almost flawlessly through the two Kahoot quiz stages thanks to Ben and Leonardo’s rapid responses and won by a considerable margin. After yet another refuel with the selection of biscuits, so started the practical stage. Historically, Hampton have always performed well in the Kahoot stages but fallen victim to the practical task – so we were keen to change this. The challenge was as follows; each team had a clamp stand of a fixed height, with a spring dangling from it and a fixed weight attached to its end – all hanging over an egg. Our task was to figure out the length of string required between spring and weight to let the weight touch but not break the egg when the weight was dropped from a certain height. This had to be done entirely using maths as we had just one egg each, and each of our springs were different.
After much deliberation and what I can’t exactly call “careful” calculation (it had to be redone twice!), we were ready. Each team presented their drop; St Richard Reynolds and Grey Court’s weights whacked the egg a touch too hard, breaking it, while Lampton’s didn’t go down far enough. We went last, and our drop was like Lampton’s, not quite touching it – sparking a debate as to who had been closer! As the judges reviewed the slow-motion footage, we waited for the final decision and had some more biscuits, of course. Finally, it emerged we had won, and we were delighted! Each of us received a book on quantum physics as the prize, and after a last biscuit, returned home very happy. So, Hampton has won every Interschool Physics quiz so far – will you be part of our next winning team?
By Sam F (4J)
Regatta Success
It was early on Friday when we piled into our respective minivans, most of us slightly groggy from the morning start. We used the Friday to drive up to Nottingham, the new venue for the National Schools’ Regatta. We finally got there late in the evening, and the trepidation set in. Tomorrow would be our biggest rowing event to date, and everything was to play for. But that would have to wait until tomorrow. All we could do was sign into our rooms, unpack what we needed, and get the rest we so desperately required.
On Saturday, we all were awakened in unison by the buzz of alarm clocks echoing through the corridor. It wasn’t even 7am yet, and everything seemed so much darker than it should be. We repacked what we had, and went downstairs, listening to the slow rumble of talking creep up as we met the other rowers downstairs. After demolishing some potatoes and eggs, we set out to the minibuses to get to our venue.
Once there, we unloaded our bags and set up camp by our boat. After checking everything was in order, we sat down as a crew awaiting our boating time. The wind had picked up significantly, which would prove to be an issue later down the line, but for now, we could do nothing but wait. Around two hours earlier than expected, our crew was called for our time trial. This was when the wind truly showed why very few rowers enjoyed the venue. It was very apparent that no lane was exempt from the wind, hurling the water around enough for some people to even dub it ‘The North Sea’. However, there was nothing we could do. As we set off for our time trial, the adrenaline fully kicked in, and we were flying through our lane. This would be the practice for the real thing, but it was just as important, as we had to place highly to get into the top final. The first 1km seemed to fly by, the wind not being as bad down the back end of the course. However, by the 1250m line, the conditions worsened. Battling through, we finished our piece, and the crew seemed relatively pleased with it. Our result: second, and not by much.
Happy with the placement so far, we set up, ready for the true race. Once our race was called, an eerie silence could be felt on the water, between all crews. This was what we had been training all year for, and no one was going to reveal anything about their plan. So, we lined up, boats crashing up and down in the wind, until the marshals could get everyone attached. Then, we sat. After the sharp buzz of the sirens, and the switch of the light, we were off. We battled tirelessly through the conditions, our lighter crew not fairing as well compared to some of the heavier, better set boats. Still, we gave it our all, fiercely batting off attempts made by our neighbouring boat. When all was done, we had come out in third, a respectable position for such difficult conditions.
After a good deal of recovering, and lots more food and water, we came together as a crew and enjoyed the multitude of shops and stalls at the event. Overall, it was an amazing and exhilarating experience which I enjoyed thoroughly.
By Kai W (4H)
Cricket Update
It’s been a wonderfully sunny summer term, which means plenty of cricket! Let’s hear from Sanjit B (4E) first on how the U15A team have got on:
After many indoor net sessions throughout the winter, the U15As were prepared by the time the season came around. This meant that we finished with an impressive record of 13 games, eight wins and five losses against some of the strongest teams in the country. Amidst this we also reached the semi-finals of ESCA, a fantastic achievement given the quality of cricket that the other teams played. Our opening game was a home fixture against Tiffin school. Despite having lost to them last year, we comfortably beat them by 103 runs after getting 216-3 (30 overs) in the first innings. Next came the first round of the ESCA T20 cup where we played St John’s Leatherhead. Due to a powerful batting display, we posted 180-9 (Aarav D 75) and successfully defended it to progress to the next round.
Our first real test would come in our first away game at Dulwich College. Batting first on a tricky pitch, we did well to grind out a score of 163-8 (30). However, the second innings wasn’t smooth sailing for us as Dulwich proceeded to score runs at a steady pace and keep their wickets. With 40 runs needed with 7 wickets in hand, the game felt as though it was slipping away. However, 4 wickets from Max P and some good fielding meant that we found a way to defend the total. The best bowling performance of the season came during the second round of the ESCA cup against Reeds. Defending 138 (after a much needed 69 not out from Oli K), Max P took an outstanding 5-17 when we needed it most. It meant we beat a strong Reeds team against which we had lost to last year.
We quickly recovered from a close loss to a strong Harrow side – in which Guradaes S scored 46 to single handedly keep us in the game – to beat Brighton College convincingly. Jack H was the star bowler after he clean bowled the entire Brighton top three. With many players deservedly playing for the First XI, it was impressive to see that the players who had been moved up to our team contributed to the team and made an impact, demonstrating the depth in our squad.
The best batting performance of the season came in the quarter finals of the ESCA Against Reigate Grammar school. A destructive hundred from Ashton C set an imposing target of 210. Something we could easily defend. We thought. We were not prepared for what came next as their opener smashed a 40-ball 80. With each ball that cleared the boundary, our hopes faded. But all we needed was one moment. After getting hit for a six and a four (like many others) off his first two balls, Rufus L came back to take the crucial wicket, the biggest moment of our season so far, and send us through to the Semis on Finals day…
… Against Whitgift, the national champions. Still, we were the most confident we had ever been. After three early wickets, a partnership of 68 between Sanjit B and Xavier K stabilised the innings and we set 128 to win. Some top-class new ball bowling from Isaac M removed both Whitgift openers and we prevented them from scoring too quickly. An inspired bowling performance of 3 big wickets from Xavier K meant that Whitgift were 5 wickets down, needing 38 with 4 overs to go. Advantage Hampton. But just as we had gained momentum, the rain came. The delay allowed Whitgift to regroup and they chased down the runs. The sense of deflation was made worse by the fact that we came so close. In previous years, we would be extremely proud to have made it to the semifinals of a cup but this year we aimed to win the competition. This year, we believed – rather than hoped – that we could beat the best teams in the country. Still, we had to beat strong teams to get where we did and we should all recognise that.
Sandwiched between two disappointing losses to KCS Wimbledon and Eton was a crushing victory against RGS Guildford. In the first innings, RGS were restricted to 120 after 3 wickets from Will Bush whose ripping leg spin earned him the nickname ‘Shane Bush’. Another blistering century from Ashton C sealed the win. However, we saved our best for last when we played Whitgift again. On a hot day we did well to restrict their strong batting line up to 194-9 (30 overs) on a batting pitch. Contributions from 20 to 50 from the entire top 5 set the platform for an exhilarating finish. With 13 needed off the last over Rufus L hit a crucial four and soon the equation became 8 off 3. Will Bush, fresh to the crease, could have tried something spectacular. He could have even listened to the nervous shouts from the boundary: “swing hard!”. Yet, after what felt like an eternity, the bowler released the ball and watched in despair as Will nonchalantly flicked the ball over the boundary for six. He scampered a single and levelled the scores. Another mad scramble later and we had beaten Whitgift for the first time in our last match together as an age group team.
After another successful cricket season all the boys should feel proud that all their efforts, throughout the year, had been rewarded with some terrific performances and wins. With many players already playing senior cricket for the school, it won’t be a surprise to see many more in the next few years. Finally, on behalf of the team I would like to thank Mr Harrison for coaching us this year whether that would be at training during the week, or at games on Saturday.
And now to Ethan G (4E) who gives us the highlights for the U15B cricketers:
Our first match was against Tiffin, we batted first and put a strong score of 202-5 from 25 overs and we kept Tiffin to only 155 runs leading to a comfortable victory in our first game setting us up for a great season. Our next game was against Dulwich College; we chose to field first and with wickets coming from everyone that bowled we bowled them out for 127. With the bat we lost wickets early however with a steady innings from Charlie D and and outstanding 59 from 26 by Ollie H we chased the score in 16 overs.
Next came Reed’s School, we were put into bat first, with runs coming from Benedict B and Ollie H we put up 155 from 25 overs. With 5 for 19 from Manraj G, we bowled them out for 92 leading to yet another comfortable victory. In the next week we played Harrow, we batted first and put up 208-8 with a 50 from Ethan Gas well as other contributions throughout which gave us a nice score to defend. We ended up bowling them out for 131 keeping the unbeaten season.
After this we played Brighton College, we batted first and despite a diamond duck, we managed to put up 177 with major contributions from Myan (30), Ethan (49) and a maiden 50 for Manraj. We then managed to defend this by bowling them out for 110, with 3 wickets for Oscar B. Next week, we then played King’s College Wimbledon and despite a slower start both openers managed to bring up 50s with 70 (68) and 50* (93), with 3 runs between the rest of the team. We then played a T20 vs RGS Guildford, where we put them into bat and successfully chased down 100 relatively easier with contributions from Ethan, Ollie Hazell, and Jatin.
Our final game was Whitgift where despite a slow start we were able to put up 150 on the board with a technical 50 from Jatin. Our bowlers fought very hard against a strong batting side but however we fell short by one over in the end due to a few too many extras and some fielding mishaps. Overall, we had a good season only losing one of our 9 games and a great season by all. Our leading run scorers were Ethan, Ollie, Bene and Myan and our leading wicket-takers were Manraj, Theo, Will, Ambrose and Abhi. Finally, a big thanks to George for turning up constantly for us throughout the season and writing this report. And most importantly, thanks to Mr Haynes, without him our entire season would have collapsed.
Interform Roundup From 4A
In Basketball Interform we came second. We won both of our group stage games and our semi-final. However, in a close final against 4C we just fell short. Marco G and Euan S both scored in most of our games, and it was a great group effort. In the Physics Olympiad Interform competition, run by Anton C, we came joint sixth. There were a few short answer questions which we did well in and several longer, difficult questions which we attempted.
In Interform Badminton, we faced tough opponents first up, and despite putting up a good fight, we ultimately lost both our games in the A and B categories. However, it was an enjoyable experience to represent our form alongside our peers. In rowing we each did one minute bursts and put in all our power. We were able to hold a strong fourth place for the first half of the competition with good performances from experienced rowers such as Dylan L. In the second half, we were able to push forward up into second place, overtaking 4C and finishing as strong runners up.
In football we started off with a 0-0 draw against 4F. After that we won 2-0 against 4H, starting off with a goal from Adam S followed by an outstanding goal from Euan S which meant we topped our group. In the final two games to decide the winner we faced 4G and 4E. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way against 4E with a 1-0 loss. However, against 4G we bounced back and a goal from Adam S meant we finished second overall. We were very happy with our performance as a form across the Interform competition.
This year 4A competed in two Interform football quizzes coming first in both. The questions ranged from footballers’ career paths to football kits and “Who am I” questions. In the first quiz, I competed alongside Hamza Y and in the second, with George M. The quizzes were always fun and competitive, and we gained some extremely valuable Interform points.
This year I competed in Interform table-tennis. It was fun and I thought the format was good. There was an A and B tournament, and I thought that was good as it allowed for more people to play. In future a doubles tournament might be fun.
World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships
On Friday 13 June, I took part in the biggest tournament of my chess career. This tournament was called the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship, featuring the world’s best players such as Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi and many more. Normally, events like this would take place in countries and cities around the world, however luckily for me this prestigious event was held in London this year.
Even though the team which I was in was one of the weakest at the event, we still tried to play our best game and enjoy the once in a lifetime experience. I had played three rapid games on Friday, receiving an overall 2/3, with a win and two draws. Despite having hoped for a slightly better result individually (considering that I was playing on an easier board), I was very happy as I was able to talk to some of the world’s best chess players and rising stars, such as the grandmaster Eric Hansen and future world champion Faustino Oro.
Overall, the thing which I enjoyed most was being in the moment during the game, in a playing hall surrounded by the world’s best players, sitting alongside my friends in a ruthless battle against the opposing team. Team events are a great way to turn a seemingly individual sport into one with teamwork and support, as well as reliance on your teammates, sharing all the positive and negative experiences together.
By Alex L (4D)
Royal Albert Hall Performance
On Tuesday 24 June I had the pleasure of performing on stage at one of the most iconic music venues in the world, the Royal Albert Hall, as part of Ealing Youth Orchestra in collaboration with Ealing Symphony Orchestra. This was part of the centenary celebrations of Ealing Symphony Orchestra which also involved several schools and ensembles in Ealing celebrating a theme of “Harmony in Diversity”. The programme combined classic orchestral favourites such as “O Fortuna” by Carl Orff, which opened the show, and “Organ Symphony – Finale” by Saint-Saens alongside more modern and diverse pieces such as “Celebrate a Big Idea” and the world premiere of “Ada in Ealing”, a specially commissioned composition which featured all orchestral ensembles, choirs and a narration by the poet Michael Rosen.
When I first entered the arena of the Royal Albert Hall and took my seat on the stage I was taken aback by the sheer aura of the location. Fortunately, we had a day of rehearsal before the concert during which I was able to compose myself and mentally prepare for the upcoming performance during which I would be playing the trumpet.
When the time came to enter from stage left for the concert in front of a full audience, I was excited yet apprehensive. However, as soon as we started playing, I was able to relax and focus on the music, which sounded incredible with the combined forces of the choirs and orchestras. By the time the interval came around I was incredibly pleased with everything I had just played and was looking forward to the second half, especially the Saint Saens which took full advantage of the concert location as we performed alongside the world-famous Organ which sounded fabulous – all under the dome of the Royal Albert Hall and the flying saucers in the ceiling which provide great acoustics.
Overall, I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to play such an amazing programme of music on one of the greatest stages in the world, it was a brilliant evening, and I have made memories I will treasure forever.
By Rory M (4A)
Music News
A big congratulations to Theo T (4H) who sat the ABRSM Grade 7 Organ exam during the Easter holiday and attained Distinction with a 142 (out of 150) score, amongst which full marks was awarded for a Bach BWV 526 piece. This is his personal best ever ABRSM score to date. Theo plays the piano, violin, drums and organ, so this is quite some achievement! He has also recently played the piano and organ at the Reigate & Redhill Festival, as well as performing at our last Year Group assembly.
And all that’s left to say is…
