Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
We’re now two full weeks into term and Second Year is already buzzing with activity! Lessons are in full swing, co-curricular clubs are up and running, and we’ve been treated to some brilliant sporting performances. Tomorrow is our Open Morning, and we’re excited to show visitors just how much energy and enthusiasm our Second Years bring to Hampton life.
This week’s blog is packed with watersports adventures, co-curricular highlights, and plenty of Second Year success stories – enjoy!
Merit Milestones
First off the mark with merits! Congratulations go to:
Sebastian Young – 10
Benjamin McCune – 10
Who will get on the list next week?
Tutor Question Time!
Each week we like to poll the Second Years and their tutors on a different hot topic. This week’s question comes from Panshul B (2L):
If you had to permanently live in a video game, which would you pick?
- Fortnite
- Minecraft
- Fifa – 2H
- Hogwarts Legacy – 2L, Miss Winstock, Miss Tiller
- Other (please specify!) – 2G (Goat simulator), Mrs Owen (Mario Bros Wonderland)
Have you ever had a burning question you’ve always wanted to ask your Form Tutors?! If so, then please send your suggestions for a future Tutor Question Time to e.holt@hamptonschool.org.uk.
Water Sports Weekender!
“Adventure Awaits!” That’s what Mr John promised, and for me, last weekend at Rockley Point was nothing short of legendary. The journey began before sunrise, as we boarded the coaches on Saturday early morning at 7.30am, hearts pounding with anticipation. The destination? Rockley Point, nestled in the stunning, windswept embrace of Poole Harbour – a site of special scientific interest, where nature’s drama is always on full display. The wind was howling, the rain was our companion, and the adventure was ON!
First challenge: the wetsuit. “It was like wrestling an octopus!” I thought as I saw how each one of us wriggled and squirmed to put these suits on, turning the changing room into a comedy show. Windsurfing was next. For many like me, it was their first time. We fell, we splashed, but our spirits soared higher than the sails! Even as boards flipped and sails tumbled, laughter echoed across the water. Canoeing then brought a new thrill; we raced, we spun, we got soaked, and we loved every second! Then came the Mega SUP floats – Backflips! Bellyflops! The competition was fierce, the cheers even louder. We felt like kings, crashing the water more dramatically than had ever been done before. As the sun dipped, the fun moved indoors for ‘Rock the Room’, a music guessing game. We took the crown, nailing songs after song and winning the night! But the fun wasn’t over.
Sunday dawned, and so did the wetsuits as we got ready for round two! Still tricky, still hilarious. Sailing was a wild ride. We capsized! The boat flipped, but we climbed back, laughing and shivering, ready for more. Kayaking turned dramatic when someone untied the rope. The rest of the group almost drifted into the open sea! It was like a real-life adventure movie; shouts, paddles splashing, and a heroic rescue just in time. As the coaches rolled back into Hampton, I was tired but triumphant, and to sum this up I would say: “We battled the wind, conquered the waves, and made memories that will last forever.”
By Ashutosh S (2B)
After a relatively long coach journey, we arrived at Rockley Point, buzzing to get started on some exciting water sports. Almost as soon as we arrived, we made our way down towards the bay, ready for some action. Despite the poor weather reports, the sun was just peeking out from behind the clouds. I started by going on a mega stand-up paddle board, which is basically a giant floating platform. After a bit of unsuccessful paddling, we finally reached some deeper water. We played games, pushed people off the board and jumped off in our own way, having a great time. Soon after that, we headed back in and sat down with a jacket potato and hot chocolate to help warm us up. Once we’d finished, we went out to have a go at windsurfing. It was quite difficult trying to stay balanced; however, I managed to get up and almost started sailing! Back at the lodge, we had a little bit of chill time, and some dinner, before going back down to the bay for our evening activity. We played ‘Rock the Room’ which was a quiz about different music and songs. It was great fun! The next day we tried our luck on a few more activities, such as paddle boarding, kayaking and sailing. We got to play loads of games and overall had a great time. Sadly, it was soon time to leave, and we had to wave farewell to Rockley and head home. The whole trip was a great opportunity to try new things, make new friends and have a great weekend.
By Edward R (2F)
Excitement: that was the one feeling that I felt when I woke up on Saturday morning, ready to take on any challenges I was given. Along with a group of 29 Hampton Second Years, Mr John, Miss Brown, Mr Harrison and Miss Parkes, I departed on Saturday morning and set our course to Rockley Waters in Poole Harbour near Dorset. We arrived at the centre at about 10 am and after a quick briefing, got underway with the activities. We were split into four groups and two of the groups did windsurfing. Well, it was more of a case of whether we could hold the mast and keep our balance. Despite our lack of movement, the activity was still brilliant fun, and I had a great time with my friends. After a delicious lunch of jacket potatoes, the two groups that did windsurfing first, split up and did canoeing and Mega SUPing. My group did canoeing first and we had fun chasing each other around in the canoes. Then, we switched to Mega SUPing. This was by far the best activity of the day so far. On a giant paddleboard (hence the name Mega SUP) we got to run around and push each other off the paddle board. It was great fun when someone crept up behind you and you suddenly found the water surface rushing up to meet you.
After some free time, we all went into a marquee by the beach and there was a song competition where the teams had to guess the song that was played. It was great fun and was a great experience to listen to new songs. The next day we packed our bags and tidied our rooms, ready to leave the site straight after our activities. Two groups started off with pico sailing including me and we had a brilliant time. It was especially fun when the boat was half capsized, and me and my partner had to lean to the other side to not capsize. It was also a great challenge to duck down below the swinging sail and mast when the wind suddenly changed direction. After that we went onto paddle boards and with partners, we went around and played some games but the wind was blowing really hard so we had to wait for a motorboat to get back before we could return. After that we were about to start kayaking but as we were still connected, because of the force of the wind, we had to turn back. For some reason someone in the boat in front of us had detached our two boats at the end from the other boats, so we had to wait for another motorboat to come and collect us. After a brilliant lunch of sandwiches and thanks to the staff of the site and our school, we left the site and returned to Hampton. This experience definitely had my adrenaline levels high and I was always excited for the next activity.
By Rayan A (2H)
Last weekend, I got to go on the Second Year Adventure Society Water Sports trip to Dorset. We arrived at Rockley Adventure Centre, which is where we stayed for the trip, reasonably early on Saturday. After a quick briefing, we went into our rooms and got the things we would need for the day: swimming shorts, a rash vest or an old t-shirt, any shoes we were happy to get wet, a towel and a change of clothes. We then went down to the beach and got our wetsuits. Eventually, we had all managed to wriggle into them and we split into groups. My group began with windsurfing. After a quick safety talk and explanation, we got into pairs and began windsurfing. It was very windy but once you got the hang of it, it was very fun. We then had a quick lunch and got back onto the water for the “mega-sup” which is basically a huge stand-up paddle board that fit the whole group. A speedboat took us further away from the shore and we did all sorts of things, diving contests, sumo wrestling and even tried flipping! We then climbed into some canoes in groups of 2s and 3s. After that we had some free time before our delicious dinner. This was followed by some trivia-like games down by the beachfront and then we came back to our rooms for some sleep before our early morning on Sunday.
On Sunday, we began with some stand up paddle boarding in pairs. We played a ton of games and races; it was so fun. We then moved onto kayaking which was also very exciting. Finally, we moved onto the pico sailing which was by far my favourite. I have been sailing before but never pico sailing and it was a whole new experience. We went in groups of twos or threes again. I mainly did the crewing, which is essentially the speed of the boat and making sure we don’t tip over. Most people capsized but me and my partner managed to survive the harsh winds. Sadly, we ran out of time and we had to go and dry off. We ate our lunches and then we were on the bus home. Now that it’s over, I can say my favourite part, which was probably the McDonald’s on the way there!
By Thomas L (2G)
Co-curricular Chronicles!
On Tuesday I attended Book Club after some encouragement from my form tutor. We had a fantastic discussion about a book called Auslander (meaning outsider in German) which is all about a Polish orphan adopted by Germans in Nazi Germany who were big supporters of Adolf Hitler. The themes of identity and resilience really resonated with us, and we had some thought-provoking conversations about the protagonist Peter and the hardships he had to go through, even having to change his name at one point. To fuel our discussion, we enjoyed some delicious cookies, which were a perfect way to complement our relaxed and engaging chat. Overall, it was such a good experience to discuss a great book with others and receive different insights in such a laid-back setting.
By Rahim K (2B)
Knitting – something I had always associated with grandmothers and endless balls of wool – not really something I thought I’d ever do myself. But when the new knitting club started at Hampton, I signed up for the sake of Zac and Lucas F. On the first week, we were taught the absolute basics – or at least that’s what the teachers called it. Just one stitch. One single stitch. But for the 18 of us crammed into the room, not a single person could get it right! The teachers, of course, made it look effortless, while we sat tangled in yarn and frustration. The room was filled with groans, laughter, and cries for help as five teachers hurried around trying to rescue our hopeless attempts. Ms Jacobs came to help me more than once, but even then, the “simple” stitch refused to go our way… Hopefully I’ll have better luck next week!
By Sophus W (2P)
Artistic Achievement
Congratulations go to Isaac L (2P) who, last term, entered the EMACT Art Competition which was promoted by Miss Winstock and the Classics department. This week he was announced as the winner in the KS3 category for his artistic interpretation of Ovid’s Metamorphose. Next month, Isaac will be travelling up to Loughborough for the award ceremony – we look forward to hearing all about it!
Sporting Success!
On Saturday 13 September the U13B team played a match against a strong Grey Court side. From the get-go, we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy match as Grey Court had some very good players. Hampton scored the first goal which put us in the lead, but that lead didn’t last very long as Grey Court quickly equalised. As the first half ended the score was 1-1 and both teams were still in it.
As the second half commenced, stakes were high and both teams were playing for the win. It was an end-to-end half with lots of shots being taken but none reached the back of the net as both keepers were making some outstanding saves. It was coming towards the end of the match and no one thought anyone was going to score and the match would just end in a 1-1 draw but out of nowhere our left winger found the bottom left corner of the net! The full-time whistle blew, and it was an amazing victory for Hampton.
By Xavier T (2J)
The Under 13B team football match between Hampton School and Grey Court School was a display of fantastic teamwork and determination. In a closely contested game, both teams showed great effort throughout the first half. Hampton’s determination paid off with a brilliant opening goal, bringing cheers from the home supporters.
Grey Court responded with equal spirit in the second half, and their hard work resulted in a well-deserved equaliser, bringing the score to 1-1. The final moments of the match were filled with tension, but Hampton’s players maintained their focus. They seized a late opportunity to score a decisive second goal.
The final whistle blew with a 2-1 victory for Hampton School! The win was a tribute to the team’s resilience and their ability to work together under pressure.
By Daniel F (2H)
Returning for a new season, I was honoured to captain the U13C football team as we started in fine style, winning 3-0 against a well-organised Grey Court side.
In the early stages, our defence was under pressure but repelled the Grey Court attacks. As the first half progressed, we began to show our dominance and took the lead through Lucas O’C’s half volley from a well-hit corner from Aryan T. In the second half we picked up where we had left off and Lucas added a second, a similar strike but this time it was Noah L who got his first assist on the board before Milo B rounded off a strong performance with a third.
So a positive start to the new season for the U13C team. Man of the Match was Jake L. The team also greatly enjoyed playing on a superbly prepared pitch, so thank you to Mr Webb and his grounds team.
By Seb G (2F)
Over the summer, I competed in the English National Swimming Competition. To qualify, I had to be in the top five in the country for a 200 metre event, so after several rounds of qualifiers, I was incredibly happy to make two of the events (200 free, 200 IM)! I flew back from Greece to compete, and I managed to get two bronze medals which I was really happy with. I am now working to get into even more events next year!
By Henry M (2W)
I was very happy to be picked to play in the ESFA Cup game on Monday against Howard of Effingham School. We travelled to their home ground on the school bus with hopes of getting through to the next round of ESFA. When we got there, we did a quick warm up and then started playing. We were playing well and got an early lead. They then started to come back at us and got a goal back from a corner. At half-time, it was 1-1 and we had an inspirational team talk from our coach. We came back in the second half, scoring three more goals, and not letting them get back at us. By the final whistle, we had won 4-1 and got through to the next round of ESFA!
By Ethan C (2G)
On the 13 September we had our first A team rugby fixture of the season. Last year was a great success as we were Middlesex champions and won lots of games. This year we were looking to do the exact same, and a win in our first game would be a great way to start the season off.
It was a gloomy morning as I was woken up quite a bit earlier than usual, around 6:45am before leaving at 7:30am. We were playing a strong well-drilled St Paul’s side, and we knew it wasn’t going to be very easy. Our warm-up started around 8:30am for a match start at 9am. The pitch was very damp and wet due to rain for the previous couple of days. I was nervous but at the same time very excited as our squad had improved in every aspect of the game since last year. I was playing full back (stays behind the defensive line when the opposition are attacking in case they kick and can slot in anywhere in our own attacking line) which I had been for most of last year, so I was pretty used to it.
We kicked off to them to start proceedings. We were quite asleep at the start of the game. They had a massive number 8, and nobody seemed like they wanted to tackle him. They scored an extremely quick try, and we were under the pump very early. However, in the middle of the first half I was able to make two great breaks down the wing putting two tries on the board for us. From their very first try we became a lot tighter with our defensive line and made most of our tackles. Towards the end of the first half, I was able to make another good break scoring another try. With very tired bodies at the end of the first half we were able to make a great passing play down the line allowing my classmate Ralph L (2B) to score a try at the very end of the first half. By the end of the first half, we were 20-5 up but we knew the 2nd half would be much harder as they would throw everything at us.
I came off for the start of the second half and they put us under heavy pressure. They kicked to us, and we were back on our own line with them having the ball. However, we were able to defend excellently and win the ball back with a lucky knock-on. From that moment on we started to dominate the match with tries from Ollie J (2H), Luke B (2J) and myself again. Despite our shaky start, it was a comfortable win.
Overall, it was a great performance and a thrilling start to the season, and I hope we can win our next match this Saturday against RGS High Wycombe!
By Kaarthikan K (2B)
Last Saturday the U13 Rugby As and Bs played St Paul’s School. The A match, which I was playing, was our first match of the season. The match was quite hard, and they had a few big people that no one could tackle, meaning that they could gain distance. However, our Captain, Fred GvP, carried us to victory against them 7-2. In the end it was a great match, and it challenged our tackling capabilities!
By Natty N (2J)
Weekly Questions
Welcome to the Weekly Questions! 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.
If you’re keen to write some general knowledge questions for the Blog, please email e.holt@hamptonschool.org.uk.
Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers below:
Here are the answers to last week’s quiz:
- What is the hardest natural substance on Earth? Diamond
- Which African country is the world’s smallest by land area? Seychelles
- What is the largest organ of the human body? The skin
- What is the original first name of the cartoon character Scooby-Doo? Scoobert
- Which country has the highest life expectancy? Hong Kong
Well done to Alfred C, Isaac L, Freeman W, Akshaj A and Ethan C. Don’t forget to collect a Merit!
