Welcome to the Fourth Year Blog!
What a fantastic year it has been. We have been so impressed by the consistent positivity, commitment, inclusivity and dedication shown by all members of Team Fourth Year – that’s you!
Team Fourth Year will undergo a re-branding and become Team Fifth Year next year, but it is important that the values mentioned are transferred across, and you continue to support each other by being kind and generous as you move forward on your respective journeys. It’s approximately ten months until you will be sitting your first GCSE exams – the key is not to panic but to make sure you use each of those ten months wisely to build steadily towards success next summer. If there are gaps to be plugged from this year, then the time to do that is the summer holidays. We also encourage you to read your reports carefully and reflect on the guidance your teachers have shared. Their advice is there to help you grow, and the most important thing you can do is commit to giving your very best effort!
The summer break is shaping up to be an adventure-filled eight weeks. Some of you will be sharpening your language skills on the German Exchange, others will be exploring Berlin’s rich history, and a few will even be taking to the stage with Voices of Lions at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Wherever your plans take you, we hope you enjoy a fantastic summer holiday. Rest well, make memories, and we look forward to seeing you all again in September – that’s when the real fun begins!
Trips aplenty!
Our Fourth Years were fortunate to attend a wide range of exciting trips during the Easter holidays and throughout the summer term. Below, the boys share some of their experiences and highlights.
French Exchange
The French Exchange was an amazing experience to be a part of and it was fascinating to find out about Paris and our exchange partners. Speaking and understanding French a lot was a challenge but with some perseverance I think we all found our French improved in many ways. Finding out about Paris from those who live there provided insight into their lives and what makes the city tick, whilst building crucial understanding and knowledge about France. The buildings were each unique and interesting but of course the Eiffel Tower was certainly a marvel to see in person; both at night where it sparkled and during the day towering.
Living in the homes of our exchange partners was a step out of our comfort zones, but it was wholeheartedly worth it. To experience someone else’s everyday life, especially someone in a different country, is such a rare opportunity we were lucky to have, and the different foods (especially the cheeses), sights, routines and hobbies were each so different to how our lives in England are.
By Liam C and Seb D (4B)
Sicily Trip
During the Easter holidays, I had the opportunity to visit Sicily, an island with a fascinating history shaped by the Greeks, Romans and many other civilisations. Our trip began in Catania, where we explored impressive Roman remains, including the Roman Baths, Amphitheatre, Graeco-Roman Theatre and Roman Odeon. On day two, we visited Taormina, where we had free time to explore the town and see its famous Graeco-Roman Theatre with spectacular views of the coastline and Mount Etna. One of my highlights of the trip was taking the cable car up Mount Etna. The mountain was covered in snow, creating a landscape that was unlike anything else I saw during the trip. The stunning views made it a memorable experience and gave us a greater appreciation of Sicily’s volcanic environment.
Another unforgettable visit was to Villa Romana del Casale, which contains the largest collection of Roman mosaics still in their original location anywhere in the world. The detail and preservation of the mosaics were incredible. In Agrigento, we explored the famous Valley of the Temples and its museum, where we learnt about the importance of ancient Greek culture in Sicily.
Our final major stop was Syracuse, where we visited the Archaeological Museum and Park, including the famous Ear of Dionysius. In Ortygia, we also saw the Temple of Apollo, Temple of Minerva, Fountain of Arethusa, and an ancient Punic cistern.
I would like to thank Miss Winstock and Mr Hall for organising the trip, as well as Mr Barber and Ms Woodward for their support and dedication throughout.
By Oliver Y (4B)
Silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition
At the start of the Easter Holidays, my group, consisting of Benji J, Arik K, Isaac dQ, Fraser M-C, Joe L and myself, embarked on our first of two full DofE expeditions – and it was brutal, to say the least.
Having filled in the paperwork, we were pumped to set off on a hike through the picturesque New Forest, without much supervision, where we could just talk for hours on end – we were determined not to get lost, as on the training one-night weekend we managed to walk 22km on a 12km route! However, this time we had meticulously prepared our routes, and the first few hours of the first day simply flew by, navigating the so-called ‘Big Left Turn’, all the way to a large cottage and on to a small village without any trouble. However, this was where things took a turn for the worse, missing one turn about 1km after the village that could have cost us a lot of time had it not been for Isaac pinpointing our exact location to recentre us and get us quickly back on track. Not long after, a wet forest with covered paths discombobulated us once again. However, this was not the end of the world as we just needed to head east to a main road, which we did in short order. On the flip side, the end of the world was fast approaching as we met our supervisors and proceeded into the denominated ‘Forest of Getting Completely Lost’ (credits to Benji). As implied by the name, we got terribly lost in this forest, spending an hour and a half circling because we had no clue where we were. We got some brilliant insight from Joe L here, him being the only one not following the map and telling us after standing at the main road for 20 minutes staring at the maps, ‘Guys, the motorway goes north’, and then, when it was nighttime and we were approaching camp, ‘Guys, I think it’s getting dark’. He did, however, provide essential moral lifting. Once we realised where we were (which was not far off), we got back on track and made it to camp with no other problems, apart from our feet being crushed and our bruised back and hips. Dinner went down well, and we got to bed nice and early for the next day.
We all slept reasonably well the first night and had a lovely bacon breakfast while Benji made sandwiches for lunch. Day two was far less eventful than day one, being a much easier route to navigate, and we conquered the FoGCL easily that day. We even had enough time to stop for a full hour in a field to have lunch and take the weight off our feet. It was a long day, however, reaching about 26km, and we were all hurt afterwards. By far the most eventful experience of the day was the walk through Burley Golf Club, watching a retired couple tee off with a horse standing less than two metres away from them. Following this, was the bog. Holmsley Bog. 1.5km of deep, wet, treacherous bog, at points deep enough to swallow Joe L. He was the driving force of our progression though, egging us on and making sure we cracked on. This took a lot of courage, confusion, and time to get through, but we made it and got to camp easily enough. That night, it was freezing, and Joe decided it was sensible to put pasta in cold water, so we decided to put three people in each tent, not two, to share heat – this was an objectively terrible idea.
The next morning, we were up early, leaving at 7am to get to the buses to go home on time. We left early with another group from our year, sharing the same route for a couple of kilometres, before going our separate ways. Day three proved the easiest by far, with 5km of straight footpath, followed by a tricky bit of navigation into 2km of straight bridleway, followed by a minor slip up, which I picked up, and we got back on track easily, all the way to our next supervisor meeting point. There ensued 7km of straight bridleway, no turnoffs, where we enjoyed messing with each other, telling those not following the route we were in the wrong place when we were exactly where we needed to be. We then enjoyed some singalongs, until we reached our penultimate turn at a main road, up to another main road and into a car park where we met Ms Peel and Mr Larkin waiting to pick us up to go home.
DofE was a mixed experience, destroying our feet and not eating nice meals or sleeping properly, but at the same time it personally taught me navigation skills, teamwork, leadership and the importance of preparation. I will say, though, going home was a huge relief.
By Joe B (4B)
Portland Climbing Trip
In April, I was one of a few Fourth Years who went on the Portland Climbing Trip. We left slightly early on Friday and arrived in the early evening. After a tedious three-hour drive down to Portland, with a short but refreshing stop at a service station, we arrived at Portland Outdoors Centre. Not wanting to miss the beautiful sunset, we quickly ate and walked down to a pebbled beach to watch the sun dip below the horizon. On the way back, we stopped briefly for a quick game of football until it became too dark to play, and we headed back to the outdoors centre.
The next day, after a full English breakfast with some slightly questionable eggs, we drove down to the cliffs. Under the watchful eye of three local instructors, we trekked down a narrow path and arrived at the first level of the cliffs. We spent the morning here, learning how to belay, tie in and watching the occasional seal sunbathing on the rocks. After lunch, the group felt ready for some more challenging routes, and we abseiled down to reach the second level of the cliffs. The difficulty of the cliffs here greatly increased but we persevered, and it was very satisfying to complete any of the climbs. Once we got back, we were allowed to eat and briefly relax before venturing out again for an evening of water sports. We kitted up and were split into two teams and given the task of making a raft from wooden poles and barrels, similar to Avon Tyrell in First Year. I’m sad to say that my raft failed miserably and we didn’t manage to get off the launching jetty. It was still enjoyable but all of us were soaking and shivering by the time we ran home to get first in line for showers.
On Sunday, following another hearty breakfast, we decided to explore a different section of the cliff. Once again accompanied by three instructors, we hiked down, almost to the very base of the trip. We were confronted by some of the tallest and trickiest routes yet, but we waited in anticipation as the ropes were put up. We were lucky enough to have the area all to ourselves. However, this didn’t last for long as others trickled in throughout the day, eager to enjoy the glorious sunshine. Today, I was also taught how to lead climb, but unfortunately, I was never able to put this knowledge into practise. At around 3.00pm, we headed back to the minibuses, tired and ready for a relaxing drive home. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would highly recommend it for next year.
By Josh D-L (4D)
Geography Trip to Seaford
In June, the Fourth Year Geographers went to Seaford for a fieldwork trip as part of the GCSE course, to investigate whether longshore drift was an active process. When we arrived the rain started, as we were split into different groups and briefed by the group leaders about what we had to do. The rain was getting heavier as we tried our best to collect data about the movement of sediment by measuring the size of randomised rocks and pebbles.
We took a break for lunch that was fortunately under shelter, but the conditions were too poor to continue taking results ourselves. Our teachers took us along the beach and showed us lots of different features such as groynes and rock armour.
In the end, we sadly had to cut the day short and left slightly early as the conditions were bad and everyone was soaked. We all boarded the coaches to take us back to school where we continued the geography in our classes and worked on field sketches and looked at secondary data that we couldn’t gather ourselves.
By Nathan W (4D)
CCF Summer Camp
On the weekend of 20 June, cadets from Hampton, LEH, and Hampton High attended the annual CCF Contingent Camp. Upon arrival, cadets learnt basic camp skills, such as setting up a tent, and using a Trangia camping stove to cook our food from the military ration packs we had been issued. Over the course of the weekend, the Senior Cadets had opportunities to teach younger cadets important skills, such as essential first aid and CPR, patrol, leadership tasks, and camouflage concealment in the forest. Overall, the trip was very enjoyable, and it was a great opportunity to learn and teach important skills.
By Patrick H (4A)
CCF Flying Trip
During the summer term, me and some other lucky cadets had the opportunity to go flying. Before getting in the plane, we had to go through many safety briefings and an abandonment drill, where you would jump out the plane and deploy the parachute if something were to go wrong. Once you fully understand the safety precautions and have been geared up in a parachute and helmet, you are able to enter the propeller powered plane where once in the air, you are given the chance to pilot it with a military trained professional next to you. If you were okay with it, you could also experience aerobatics including loop-de-loops, stall turns and experiencing up to 3Gs, obviously being done by the professional. Had the weather been a bit better, there would have been more time for more impressive aerobatics which required clearer skies.
In conclusion, we had to wake up and arrive at school earlier, but it led to 30 minutes of a very memorable experience, and the ability to say that I have piloted a plane before driving a car. It was a very fun time.
By Josh K (4D)
Sports roundup
Our sports teams have enjoyed rewarding seasons, showing real commitment, teamwork and resilience throughout. They’ve grown as teammates, supported one another, and should be truly proud of what they’ve achieved. Now, over to the boys to share their highlights and experiences!
Athletics
The 2026 Summer Athletics season has been a memorable and successful season for Hampton School. From the very first competition at Harrow School, we all were determined to improve our performances, set new personal bests, and contribute positively to the team’s success. Through dedication there have been stand out athletes such as Jojo O (4F) (High Jump), Luke M (4C) (100m hurdles) and Eric R (4F) (Javelin) who all qualified for the County Championships (Middlesex). With Luke coming first in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.06sec and qualifying for English National Schools, Jojo coming fourth in the High Jump with a jump of 1.75m and Eric coming fifth place with a throw of 34.05m, with all of them competing against tough competition. The Intermediate Team once again performed extremely well at the Track and Field Cup both in the heats and at the Regional A Final, a great all-round team performance. At the South East Combined Events (Octathlon) competing in eight events over two days which involves 100m hurdles, long jump, high jump, 1500m, javelin, discus, 400m and shotput, Jojo came joint first in the Intermediate age group. A brilliant effort which means he now qualifies for the National Combined Events Finals in September. There have also been a number of school records broken; in the 100m Hurdles, Luke M with a time of 13.5sec and in the 300m, Jojo O with a time of 37.5sec.
By Luke M (4C)
Cricket
The 2026 Season for the U15A Cricket Team sadly came to a close with the final fixture against Whitgift School. It was a season for the U15A where the total number of wins did not reflect the effort and hard work the team put into every game. This was also seen in the team’s final game of the season against Whitgift. The U15A Cricket Team always look forward to playing against Whitgift at the end of the season; it is an encounter that is hardly fought and filled with ebbs and flows, always resulting in a nail-biting finish. The U15A came into the fixture against Whitgift with high confidence, beating them in the 2025 season in a thrilling contest.
The U15A lost the toss and were fielding first; though the team knew beating a great opposition such as Whitgift requires the team to out-skill them in both batting and bowling, Hampton would have also loved to bat first. Therefore, to have a great chance in the game, the team knew they needed a great start, full of energy in the field and taking multiple wickets early on. This is exactly what happened for the side as though Whitgift had a solid opening partnership, Hampton’s continuous pressure on the opposition, especially from the bowling of Louis S (4D) and Sebastian W (4E), saw them falling from 35-0 to 92-5 after 16 overs. However, as the U15A team knew from their previous matches in the season, a major improvement for them was continuing to apply pressure on the opposition when they were in a good position and not let the game slip away. Therefore, from 92-5, Hampton could not afford Whitgift to build long partnerships with their great lower-order batting depth.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened as Whitgift’s number 4 and number 7 stitched together a great partnership of 78 runs; though these two batters played brilliantly together, the U15A team would be disappointed to not have broken the partnership earlier. However, the wicket to break this partnership will be remembered for a long time as Sebastian W took the catch of the season, full-stretch diving to his left on the boundary, and this moment of brilliance lifted everyone in the field as also due to a great finish from Max J (4E) picking up two wickets towards the end of Whitgift’s innings, the U15A team made a solid comeback keeping Whitgift at 215-8 in their full 30 overs.
As soon as the first innings was over, as the U15A team walked off the field, they were made to remember one thing: how their same team excellently chased a very similar score against the very same opposition at the very same venue in the 2025 Season. Therefore, the team knew this chasing task would be difficult but very much possible; it has happened before!
Unfortunately, Hampton were not off to a great start as both their openers were lost in the first 10 overs with the score at 35-2. Therefore, the Captain Manav V (4E) and Sebastian W needed to build a long partnership to see their side at a closer position and this is what had begun to happen until the partnership was unfortunately broken earlier than likings, seeing the team at 80-3 after 16 overs. As Manav V departed for 25, Hampton were reminded of Sebastian W’s unbelievable innings of 120 not out in a very similar position against Whitgift in the 2025 season which was a huge factor why the Hampton team had beaten Whitgift that year.
The position the U15A team were at, therefore, needed a similar knock from Sebastian W with crucial, vital innings from Hampton’s middle order. Things started to go to plan for Hampton as Sebastian W seemed in great touch, scoring runs at a rapid rate through lovely boundaries, bringing up his first 50 of the season in very little time. The hopes of the U15A team, therefore, dramatically started to rise as Fred O (4E) also helped Sebastian W in a great partnership that quickly shifted momentum; however, good bowling from Whitgift saw them break the crucial partnership and Fred O was dismissed with the team at 128-5 after 22 overs. Whitgift then continued to apply pressure on the Hampton side and continued to take wickets including the wicket of Sebastian W who got out after playing a truly outstanding knock of 74 runs off just 45 balls. Hampton’s further collapse then deepened their worries as from a decent position of 128-4 off 22 overs, they stumbled to 139-8 off 25 overs with defeat seeming near.
Due to great contributions from Hampton’s lower-order of Nico W (4F) (15 runs), Louis S (25 runs) and Stanley G (4E) (15 runs) who all played courageous shots uplifting the morale of the team, Hampton reached a respectable total of 185-9 off 30 overs though still losing to Whitgift in the final game of the season. The team believed the fixture against Whitgift closely summed up their season: great starts with the ball creating lots of pressure, but then unable to continue that pressure in the middle but making a strong comeback towards the end.
Another great positive for the U15A team in the 2026 season was the great impact every played had in at least 1 game. Vayun J (4H) stood out with the ball throughout the season getting crucial breakthroughs and finishing leading wicket-taker for the U15As with a total of 16 wickets. Louis S also showed his great value with great starts with the new ball picking 11 wickets. With batting, Captain Manav V finished top run-scorer of the season with 331 runs at an average of 42.3 and Fred O also had a good season with the bat scoring 185 runs. Praise also goes to Siddhant S (4J) and Jon-Jon Biggs (4G) who gave good starts to their team scoring 243 runs between them. Stand-out performances from the season was the unbelievable 128 run partnership between Austin W (4C) and Max J getting Hampton to a very score against a great Harrow side as well as excellent bowling spells from Devan D (4J) and Nico W picking up a 3-fer against King’s College Wimbledon and a 4-fer against Dulwich College respectively.
Great support from all Hampton Cricket Coaches especially the U15A Cricket Coach Mr Harrison also tremendously helped the U15A team to enjoy their season and help the team to develop throughout.
By Manav V (4E)
Tennis
Many made great contributions to the Fourth Year Tennis team throughout the year. This included the squad members of Anthony S (4D), Zidan A (4G), Tom H (4H) and Thomas H (4A), alongside several others. The team participated in the Surrey League and experienced various successes despite ultimately not qualifying for the next stage. They succeeded in the ISL league, winning their second round group due to a collection of strong performances. This continued into the final event of the year, the Thomas Bowl, where the U15’s performed well, making for a fitting and promising end to the year. Our progress this year was the culmination of the immense hard work and effort placed into training sessions. All in all, the team showcased great dedication, perseverance and sportsmanship, which was prevalent across fixtures and training alike. Hopefully they will build upon these previous experiences to further develop in the future.
By Zidan A (4G)
Rowing
The long-awaited summer term had arrived; the highlight of the rowing year for good weather. This was an opportunity for us to show what we had learnt, and what we were made of as a squad. It began with a successful BASHER in April, which was a useful practice ground to improve as a team in preparation for the notorious National Schools’ Regatta in May. Then came Wallingford, a knock-out competition where the J15 First Boat secured a close fourth place, and then Poplar Regatta in East London, having achieved second place.
We were ready for NSR, and the boys truly went for it, achieving pleasing results. In this prestigious race, the J15 First VIII came fifth by narrow margins, the Second VIII achieved fifth in their category, also being extremely close to the opposition, and the Third VIII pulled off a great result of thirteenth in the category for Second VIII’s.
After racing in mixed boats at their final race of J15 in BASHER 2, the boys feel they have had a fantastic year with great opportunities to grow as sportsmen. We would like to thank Mr Double and Mr Perry for all the time they have spent on us this year, and we look forward to next year’s progress with great enthusiasm.
By Hari L (4A)
Golf
I have thoroughly enjoyed my first full year of playing competition golf thus far and I am excited for the remainder of the season. I have become the Junior Vice-Captain at my Golf Club and will become Captain near the end of this calendar year.
So far, I have played in a couple tournaments including a result of tied fourth on gross points at the County Open at Ealing Golf Club in May half term as well as competing in the European Open Qualifier at Sunningdale Heath over Easter. Despite missing out on qualification, it was still a very good experience which I have learnt lots about how to prepare for and the mentality required for tournament golf.
I am prepared and looking forward to more events that I am competing in during the summer and will be hoping for good results in those. In September, Golf as a sports option will allow me more time to practise and improve my game and try to lower my current handicap of 6 through positive tournament performances as well as thoroughly enjoying this new version of Wednesday afternoons at Hampton.
Last week, many Hamptonians took part in the Richmond Schools’ Golf competition at Fulwell and David Lloyd respectively where all our players enjoyed a great afternoon of high-level golf. I shot a round of 78, despite a very rocky start where I was 5 over par through the first 3 holes but was able to recover from this well.
By Dan S (4C)
The start to the golf season is coming and with the pre-season now finished I will be looking forward to the holidays. I have played in a few competitions so far this year with T20 in both Midlands regionals and Spain La Manga. I also played well at Nationals with a solid T11 with the best players in the country. Also winning the Men’s 36-hole scratch championship at my home club and a few other small wins, this pre-season has been successful.
When the holidays finish, I will be travelling the country to compete in competitions like Scottish U16 and Regional qualifiers, hopefully placing high in those.
In Fifth Year, Golf becomes a sports option as well. I hope many of you join golf no matter the level. Have a good holiday.
By Brian K (4J)
Football
The spring term has been highly successful for our U15A Football Team, and it was great to see all our progress come together in our final matches. The team only lost one game since the Christmas break, against a strong Dulwich team on a cold January morning. Despite the result, we kept fighting for an equaliser until the very last minute and were unfortunate not to find the final goal we deserved. The highlights have to be our 3-0 win against a physical KCS side and a 4-1 win versus St John’s Leatherhead, whom we have never beaten until this year. The team were unlucky to have drawn multiple games since Christmas, but I am sure that next year we will be able to take the final step to secure those wins. The whole team has performed excellently this season, and I am proud to have been able to play alongside such a great team. We look forward to next season with confidence, and I am sure there will be plenty of success to come.
By Cillian C (4F)
Rugby
Our Rugby this season has been extremely enjoyable. Our coach, Mr Scarratt led us through a disciplined 15s season, and a triumphant 7s season. Our 7s season, in the summer term, began with an educational triangular fixture, against Benedict’s and Brighton College. This set the standard for the rest of our 7s run. Our skills were then put on display at the Surrey 7s tournament, where we won the plate, followed by a cup final appearance, at John Fisher 7s, where we narrowly lost to this season’s rivals, Brighton College. Our final 7s performance came the morning after DofE, and with sore and tired bodies, we were not our best but still put on a wonderful show. Overall, our season taught us lots and set us up for what will hopefully be an extremely successful U16 season, with Mr Hood next year.
By Max C (4H)
Triple British Open Champion Earns England Call-Up
Congratulations to Ethan K (4C), who enjoyed an exceptional weekend of success at the ISKA British Open Kickboxing Championships.
The British Open is one of the largest and most prestigious kickboxing tournaments in the United Kingdom, attracting top competitors from clubs across the country. Competing against a very strong field, Ethan delivered a remarkable performance, winning three gold medals in his age and weight categories.
Ethan took first place in:
- Semi-Contact Points Fighting
- Light-Contact Continuous Fighting
- Kick-Light Fighting
Winning a national title is a significant achievement; winning three at the same event is a testament to Ethan’s talent, dedication and hard work.
Adding to this success, Ethan has been selected to represent England at the ICO World Championships, which will take place in France. Selection for the England squad is a tremendous honour and reflects Ethan’s standing among the country’s leading young kickboxers.
We congratulate Ethan on his outstanding achievements and wish him every success as he prepares to represent England on the world stage later this year.
Perfect performances
It has been thoroughly enjoyable to watch all the Fourth Year actors and musicians excel in their various productions and performances this year. Not to be forgotten, a number of Fourth Years have also been a part of the important behind the scenes tech team, including in the recent production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Now, over to the boys to give us an insight into the performances they were part of this summer term!
Summer Rock Concert
The 2026 Summer Rock Concert was an absolute blast to perform in, and the atmosphere was just as incredible as I remembered. Stepping into the cool Hammond Theatre was a welcome relief from the scorching heat outside. During soundchecks, all the performers hung out and relaxed in the theatre, and after grabbing some food, it was time to gear up and prepare for the show. Since this was my second time on stage, I felt a lot more confident compared to the nerves I had back at the winter concert. The acts before us were phenomenal, each showing off the immense hard work and dedication they’d put into their sets. But as the clock ticked closer to my band’s slot, the butterflies started to kick in again. When we finally stepped up to the stage, those nerves we had before, turned into energy, and we played our hearts out. The atmosphere was electric – the flashing lights and the hyped-up, dedicated crowd brought so much life to the room. In the end, I walked off the stage feeling incredibly proud and grateful to have been part of such an unforgettable concert.
By Joshua A (4B)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
During the last part of the summer term the Drama department ran ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, this year’s summer play. I was a part of the technical team and when I started going to rehearsals to put in cues for lighting and sound I was blown away by the quality of acting shown. For this production, I was the DSM (Deputy Stage Manager). This means that you call the cues for sounds, projections, lighting to be played and alongside an excellent team of Max and Rory (both Second Years) we ran the backend of the production. They were excellent even when there were a few technical hiccups that we needed to fix/adjust for. With the help of Mr Thompson and Mrs Thomas, I believe that the effects really helped emphasise the great performances of the actors and the props really added to the comedic effect, with a balloon being used to represent Veruca Salt when she turns into a blueberry being hilarious, with the actors having to make sure it doesn’t accidently fall into the audience. Overall, I think this was a great production and hope to do more in the future.
By Gabriel K-S (4E)
Working tech for the summer show offers a completely fresh perspective on theatre. Behind the scenes, it’s a world of precision – ensuring props transition flawlessly and the production runs without a hitch. For the Lower School Summer Show, I was chosen to be an Assistant Stage Manager (ASM), acting as the crucial “eyes and ears” for the Deputy Stage Manager. Alongside another ASM, my responsibilities included managing the actors in the wings, tracking props, and ensuring the performance maintained its momentum without a single interruption. It is easily one of my favourite roles to take on with a great attitude, and ever since my interest in stage management began in Second Year, my love for the Hammond Theatre and my technical knowledge of production have grown immensely.
By Joshua A (4B)
PSHE Finance Talks Award winners
At Prizegiving, the Fourth Year Group prize was awarded to a particularly special group who gave up their time and volunteered to deliver PSHE sessions in finance to some Prep School pupils. This was much appreciated by the younger pupils, and demonstrated the sort of kindness, generosity and community-mindedness that we value so highly at Hampton. Joshua A (4B) shares more about the talks:
The finance talk was easily one of my favourite highlights of the summer term. Three of my friends and I had the opportunity to teach Year 6 pupils at Hampton Prep all about finance – lessons I honestly wish I had been taught at their age. After signing up, we held several meetings to discuss which topics would be most beneficial and appealing to the pupils. Ultimately, our group was chosen to cover credit versus debit cards, debt, and interest. Once our focus was locked in, we worked hard to create a presentation that was both highly informative and engaging for a younger audience. On the day of the talk, we headed over to the Prep School and split into our groups to deliver the sessions. I felt pretty nervous at first, worrying that the pupils might find the subject dry, but they completely surprised us. All three groups we spoke with were incredibly engaged and enthusiastic, even stumping us with a few brilliant questions! In the end, it was a fantastic experience that not only boosted my public speaking confidence but also deepened my own understanding of the financial world.
InterForm update
The Fourth Years have competed head‑to‑head in a number of exciting competitions this year – from a spelling bee and Pictionary to a variety of different sports. A huge congratulations to this year’s inter‑Form champions, 4B, who successfully held on to their first‑place spot this term!
| 1st | B |
| 2nd | D |
| 3rd | A |
| 4th | G |
| 5th | J |
| 6th | H |
| 7th | E |
| 8th | C |
| 9th | F |
Special shoutouts
- Congratulations to Gabriel K-S (4E) on his election to the Richmond Borough Youth Council; we look forward to seeing the impact he’ll make over the next two years.
- Well done to Tom B (4G) and Jai K (4G) who helped the Hampton team finish as runners up in the National Schools’ Chess Championships.
- Congratulations to Manav V (4E) and Sebastian W (4E) who made their School First XI debuts this season – an impressive achievement.
- Well done to Max J (4E) who has been selected to play for Germany in the U19 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, a super effort.
- Well done to Ben J (4H) whose Rugby Team topped their Tier Two league this season, with four wins and no losses. This gave them entry to the Quin’s Cup Final which they won, with an emphatic victory, 45-14. Ben played in the second row and helped the scoreline with a try in the second half!
- Congratulations to Ishaan M (4H) and Neal H (4H) who were selected as semi finalists in the Young Reporters Scheme.
- Well done to Patrick H (4A) who was highly commended in the Anthea Bell prize for Mandarin translation
And all that’s left to say is…
