From the Headmaster's Study
12 December 2025
As the curtain falls on a vibrant Hampton autumn term, there has been plenty of seasonal good cheer in evidence, not least when the Hammond Theatre resounded to three splendid Christmas Concerts. These joyful occasions involved over 330 Hamptonian musicians, including virtuoso performances by our senior soloists, an evocative performance of the Nutcracker Suite by our Symphony Orchestra, and the eagerly awaited First Year rendition of It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
The festivities continued at St Mary’s Church, Hampton earlier this week, as our annual Christmas Service of Readings and Carols brought together pupils, parents, alumni and colleagues for an uplifting evening of music and reflection on Christmas themes.
You can catch up on these and other highlights in the latest edition of News from Hampton, which should have arrived in your inbox earlier this week. Among the most memorable moments was the joint Hampton and LEH Senior School Musical, Les Misérables. In what is the 80th anniversary year of this iconic show, our talented cast, crew and musicians staged a remarkable production that will surely take its place among the best in our two schools’ history. Chapeau to all those involved!
Our sporting term has been equally action-packed. The Hampton Small Boats Head saw over 1,000 young rowers compete along the Molesey stretch of the Thames. Grateful thanks are due to our Boat Club and an indefatigable army of LEH and Hampton parents, staff and alumni for ensuring the event ran so smoothly. It was pleasing to see Hampton crews performing so well, with our young athletes securing 17 Gold medals – hopefully an auspicious sign for spring and summer term racing ahead. On dry land, eight Hamptonian footballers have been selected for ISFA national squad training camps over the break, and rugby players from our U15s to First XV will be featuring for Harlequins, Saracens and Ealing Trailfinders’ Academies. It has been heartening to see such strong performances from our younger players across both sports, and we look forward to what next term will bring in national and regional cup competitions.
In other news, we were delighted to be chosen as Independent Boys’ School of the Year at the prestigious Independent Schools of the Year Awards. Judged by a panel of leading educationalists, this accolade celebrates excellence and innovation – qualities found in abundance at Hampton thanks to the talent and commitment of our pupils and the dedication of my Common Room colleagues. Congratulations to our whole School community on this independent endorsement of who we are and what we stand for.
It would not have escaped the judges’ notice that a defining feature of Hampton life is the ability of our pupils to embrace academic and all-around opportunities while keeping fun and laughter at the heart of their School experience. This year’s Christmas video captures that spirit perfectly, with our celebrated Voices of Lions providing a seasonal soundtrack to accompany a host of entertaining cameo appearances from pupils and colleagues. It remains an unfathomable mystery that I allowed myself to be persuaded into a speaking part – suffice to say that an acting career was never on the cards for this correspondent! You can view our Christmas e-card here.
As we look ahead to the holiday season, I wish bon voyage to those heading off on School trips, whether to the ski slopes of Austria and Italy or to the festive markets of Lübeck, Germany.
A sincere personal thank you to all members of our Hampton family for making this term so enjoyable and fulfilling. I wish you a peaceful, relaxing Christmas and a Happy New Year.
With kind regards and season’s greetings.
