The Bulletin Edition 20

There are weeks at Hampton Prep when the threads of history, current affairs and our own shared values seem to weave themselves together with a pleasing, almost conspiratorial neatness. This has been one of those weeks!

In my assembly on Monday our subject was Hampton’s (arguably) most famous local resident: King Henry VIII. It is easy, of course, to reduce Henry to caricature. The vast silhouette, the succession of wives, the allegedly thunderous ego. I wanted the boys to look more carefully however as here was a man of Renaissance brilliance and catastrophic moral failure existing in the same formidable frame, and a King whose court sat just a short walk from where we gather each morning to be at school. Hampton Court Palace was not merely a royal residence, it was the beating heart of Tudor power and that power was exercised, time and again, at the direct expense of the women around Henry VIII.

This was a connection I was keen to draw out, not least because this week has been bookmarked with International Women’s Day last Sunday and Mother’s Day occurring this Sunday. The journey towards equality between genders has been long, hard-won and, in many respects, still incomplete. Thankfully, in my opinion, we inhabit a different moral landscape from Tudor England, and that difference is not incidental. It is the result of courageous women and enlightened men across generations who refused to accept that half of humanity deserved less.

At Hampton Prep, our Pride Values ask us not merely to acknowledge this progress but to embody it: to act with integrity, to show respect in every interaction, and to understand that the measure of a community is found in how it treats those who might otherwise be overlooked. I finished my assembly with a simple challenge: I asked every boy to make time this week to think about the remarkable women in their lives and to consider what they might do not merely to remember but to say something, give something, enact something – however modest – that showed they had noticed. I hope they will!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Here’s a round-up of our Instagram posts from this week – take a look below!

1/1

Make sure to follow us on Instagram for regular updates and snapshots of daily school life.

The last seven days have very much been about Rugby Festivals, with three different year groups representing Hampton Prep in three different events. Last Friday, the U8s travelled to the King’s College Surrey Rugby Festival, where they not only faced teams of an excellent standard but also contended with a very wet afternoon. The rain did nothing to dampen their spirits: the boys showed huge determination, matched every team in their group, and drew every match. Mr Johnston was particularly impressed by their support running and improved team structure.

This term, we celebrated two much loved members of our community: Mrs Murphy, our dedicated Head of Pre Prep, and Mrs Hand, our wonderful Kindergarten teacher, who are both marking an incredible 25 years at the School. Between them, they have guided, encouraged and inspired generations of young learners. It was a truly special moment as colleagues presented them with flowers and gifts - a small token of appreciation for the enormous impact they have made on the lives of pupils, families and staff over the years.

Year 5 had a wheel-y-good time blending learning with fun as they powered their own smoothies using pedal powered bikes. With a colourful selection of apples, bananas, oranges, spinach and strawberries to choose from, everyone got stuck, in mixing their own fruity combinations. Strawberries were especially popular, resulting in a wave of bright pink smoothies spinning their way out of the blender.

Year 3 enjoyed a vibrant food workshop making their own rainbow wraps. Before getting started, pupils learned about different food groups and what makes a healthy, balanced diet, exploring how colourful fruits and vegetables help keep our bodies strong and energised. They then created their own wraps using a range of colourful ingredients, with many designing playful faces using vegetables - turning their healthy snacks into edible works of art

We had a fantastic Maths Event, with boys from Years 3 to 6 taking part in three rounds of competitive mathematical fun. We began with a fast-paced Decode the Joke race, followed by an energetic game of Maths Bingo, where boys solved 25 calculations and battled to complete a line, column or diagonal. The room was full of excitement, cheering and strategic number-placing. We finished with Fastest Brain First, where boys showed their working and solved three challenging questions under pressure. Excellence Points and House Points were awarded throughout. A huge thank you to all parents who attended and supported the event.

Year 6 had a fantastic trip to the STEM Fair, where they met Hampton School pupils and explored a brilliant range of science and engineering projects. From aeroplanes programmed to drop seeds into infertile soil to an impressive engineered crane, there was plenty to spark the boys’ curiosity. One particularly memorable invention was a fascinating chemical slime that behaves like a liquid when left alone but turns solid when pressure is applied – much to the boys’ amazement! They also discovered a helicopter powered by charged energy, a water-storage tank designed to help communities during droughts, and a clever device that can tell exactly how much water a plant needs. There were some wonderfully creative ideas too, including a “perfect circle” app that tests just how steady your hand really is, and an intricate marble run that kept everyone watching to see where the next turn would lead. The boys asked lots of thoughtful questions and left with their minds buzzing with new ideas.

Thank you for coming into school for the parent teacher consultations this week. We hope you found your child’s report and targets both constructive and informative, giving you a clear picture of their progress and the next steps in their learning. These conversations are an important opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school, and we truly appreciate the time you took to meet with us. Your support plays a vital role in helping each child grow in confidence, develop their skills, and most importantly enjoy their learning. 

This week, Kindergarten have been exploring another traditional tale, The Three Billy Goats Gruff. After reading several versions, the children noticed that although the main characters stayed the same, the trolls looked quite different in each book — and some stories even had alternative endings. One of our favourite versions was the one where the troll said sorry because he was feeling lonely, and the goats became his friends. 

We have had an incredibly exciting week in Reception as we continued our learning on the theme of Iconic Buildings and Towers. The classroom has been alive with creativity, exploration, and hands‑on building as the children immersed themselves in the fascinating world of architecture. Our adventures began with a journey around the globe, where the children explored different types of houses and discovered how climate, culture, and environment influence the way people build their homes. They were captivated by the variety of structures they encountered and enjoyed comparing these with the kinds of homes they see in their own lives.

This week in maths, we have been learning about mass and volume. The children have really enjoyed being introduced to these new concepts and have shown great enthusiasm during our lessons. We discussed how mass helps us understand how heavy or light an object is, and the class was introduced to the different tools we can use to measure this, such as weighing scales. 

In English this week, Year 2 have continued their adventures with Bob, The Man on the Moon, inspired by Simon Bartram’s brilliant series of books. First, the children explored how to structure a story using a “story staircase,” focusing on Bob’s Moontree Mystery. They began generating ideas for their own stories and created detailed planning documents, deciding on a title, main characters, setting, opening paragraph, build-up, a problem for Bob to overcome, and the story’s resolution. We look forward to studying some inspirational story openings from a few of our favourite authors next week, as these examples will help us learn how to hook the reader and get started with our own writing.