From the Headmaster's Study
26 December 2024
The oft-quoted aphorism ‘a week is long time in politics’ has perhaps never rung truer than over the past seven days – we have seen not only the fall of a prime minister but also three different secretaries of state for education! While it seems likely that government ructions will continue over the summer months, our recent Founders’ Day celebrations were a timely reminder that Hampton has navigated all manner of turbulent waters successfully during our 465-year history. Come what may in Westminster circles during July and August, I’m sure that we shall do so again.
Please do make time to catch up on recent, much less tempestuous events here at School by looking through the latest digital edition of News from Hampton that is accessible within the accompanying e-newsletter. As you will see, Hamptonians have especially welcomed the resumption of School trips and no fewer than 11 residential visits and day outings took place during the summer term. Especial thanks are due to our Adventure Society, which has enabled pupils to undertake all manner of intrepid activities: scaling cliff faces, coastal kayaking, mountain biking through forests and tackling a mud trail assault course. We are also grateful to Messrs Clarke and McLellan for organising five Gold and Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) expeditions over recent weeks. Many congratulations to the 233 Hamptonians who covered over 13,000km of challenging terrain between them, as well as completing almost 4,000 hours of volunteering as part of their DofE portfolios.
Supporting those around us with kindness, compassion and respect remains fundamental to our cherished Hampton ethos and values, so it has been wonderful to see our community partnerships programme thriving again as Covid-related restrictions have lifted. Members of the Common Room are back working alongside colleagues at local primary and secondary schools; the annual Junior Schools’ Music Workshop welcomed over 80 local children for a memorable day of music-making; and our woodwind ensembles performed at two local care homes, much to residents’ delight, over the closing days of term. Our School community has also been showing solidarity with those affected by the conflict in Ukraine via fundraising, donations of supplies and the provision of community support, such as our recent Film Night. I am also pleased to confirm that we hope to welcome a number of displaced Ukrainian children to Hampton in September on School-funded places.
Hampton Sport is once again operating at full capacity (and indeed full throttle!) and there have been plenty of memorable moments since we returned in April. Our U13A and U16B footballers arguably deserve pride of place after winning through to English Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) Finals in their age groups, with the former bringing home a national title and a handsome ESFA trophy after ten rounds of competition. Our Boat Club crews put in a number of promising performances during summer term events on the water, including at the National Schools’ and Henley Royal Regattas. And Hampton’s cricketers have enjoyed an excellent season, winning 116 of 187 matches played at all levels and reaching two Middlesex Cup Finals (U12 and U15).
It has also been a vintage year for our track and field athletes, with Hampton representatives making up the entire Middlesex U16 combined events team that won the South East competition and will compete in September’s national finals. Meanwhile, a record four Hamptonians – Gus Carter of the Lower Sixth, and Fifth Years Hayden Christian, Kieran Bouwmeester-Reid and Aaron Mills – qualified for the English Schools’ Athletics Championships. You can read more about their exploits and an impressive range of other sporting achievements this term in the accompanying e-newsletter.
I also encourage you to catch up on our Performing Arts programme, which has – true to form – provided an array of cultural highlights for enthusiastic audiences in the Hammond Theatre and other venues. Several performances feature in our e-newsletter or on the School website, but particular plaudits go to our Lower School dramatists for their production of Alex.Wonderland, a video game/social media-inspired version of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, written and directed brilliantly by Miss Tiller from our Drama Department. A splendid Summer Concert was held last Wednesday – from the Jazz Band serenading spectators in the Cloisters to virtuoso concerto performances by some of our Upper Sixth Leavers, the evening provided a fitting finale to the year’s musical programme. Looking ahead, I am reliably informed that tickets are already selling fast for Voices of Lions’ return to the Edinburgh Fringe this coming August and I hope to be there myself.
The conclusion of a School year always signifies the end of an era for our Upper Sixth Leavers and I want to take this opportunity to wish our admirable ‘Class of 2022’ every happiness and success as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. We shall certainly miss them and their diverse talents, but can look forward to hearing about the difference for good they will make in the wider world. Hopefully, there will be news of well-deserved public examination success for these Hamptonians and indeed our Fifth Years towards the end of the summer break.
As our 2021-22 School year ends, I should like to thank Hamptonians, their families and my dedicated colleagues for playing their respective parts in making Hampton such a joyful, uplifting and vibrant place. Regardless of the significant contemporary national and international challenges that we are facing, there is a huge amount for our School community to look forward to during the next academic year and beyond.
I wish everyone an enjoyable, restful and restorative summer break.
With kind regards and best wishes
