From the Headmaster's Study
05 July 2024
It has been a hugely enjoyable summer term, and one that has brimmed with Hamptonians’ hallmark energy, enthusiasm and collective purpose.
As this reaches your inbox, my travel bag is packed and I’m looking forward to the exuberant company of our Fourth Years on the Berlin History trip – it’s an annual personal highlight to share time in my favourite European city with an inquisitive group of Hamptonians. Among myriad historical and cultural experiences on offer in the German capital, we’ll be heading to the Brandenburg Gate Fan Zone tomorrow evening to cheer on England in their Euro 2024 quarter-final tie with Switzerland. Hopefully it’s coming home this time!
We’re not the only ones embarking on a School trip over the summer, so we say bon voyage to the many pupils and colleagues embarking for destinations ranging from Malawi, to Konstanz, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The latest edition of News from Hampton (NfH) provides an excellent means of catching up on the term’s highlights. We hope that you’ll enjoy the digital version of NfH and find it similarly interesting to follow the news links within this e-newsletter. You will read about a successful summer term for our sports teams, a highly entertaining Lower School Summer Show, The Playhouse Apprentice, and our superb Summer Concert earlier this week. Indeed, there has been a remarkable standard of musicianship throughout the year ─ thank you to everyone involved in providing such splendid entertainment across all genres.
You can also read about a poignant event organised by our Genocide Awareness group earlier this term. Entitled Never Again and hosted in the Atrium, this profoundly moving exhibition was curated by Hamptonians from Third Year to Sixth Form. The pioneering work of our pupil-led campaign group, so ably stewarded by Mr Andy Lawrence MBE, continues to inspire and make a difference for good.
The close of the academic year also represents the end of an era for senior Hamptonians. You can read in NfH about the Leavers’ events enjoyed by our Upper Sixth as they reached the end of their schooldays. Our Class of 2024 has been a notably inclusive and mutually-supportive year group, whose talent, intelligence and generosity of spirit have set an excellent example for younger Hamptonians. We wish all of them and also our Fifth Years every success when their public examination results arrive in August.
Despite somewhat eclectic weather conditions, it has been a vintage summer of Hampton Sport, and there has been plenty to celebrate in Athletics, Cricket, Rowing and Tennis.
Our Director of Sport, Mr Mills, reports that we have had one of our strongest-ever Athletics seasons with many School and Borough records broken and personal bests achieved. We shall certainly be cheering on the four Hamptonians competing in the English National Schools’ Championships in Birmingham next week.
In Cricket, our senior sides have enjoyed impressive seasons, including an unbeaten one for the Second XI. Our U12As won the Middlesex Cup, which bodes well for the future given the cricketing strength in depth to be found in our youngest year group.
Our Boat Club is resurgent and the National Schools’ Regatta in May saw our J14 and J15 A and B crews rewarded for their year-round efforts with Gold or Silver medals. And in addition to encouraging performances by our senior oarsman at Henley this week, we have also seen our J16 coxed four earn national selection for the GB vs France summer international races. Exciting times lie ahead for Hampton on the water.
Meanwhile, our First Team Chess players followed up their success in topping the 2024 Surrey Schools League earlier this year, by finishing as national runners-up in the English Schools’ Chess Championships in June.
Beyond Hampton, the past few weeks have been dominated by the UK general election campaign. As results are finalised, it seems evident that a seismic political shift has occurred and the Labour Party will form the next government under Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister. Whatever lies ahead under new national leadership, Hampton remains in a strong position and we can be confident in our collective ability to meet any challenges.
Our School played its part in the democratic process by holding a hustings event last Friday, attended by Hamptonians and members of the local community. During an hour and a half of lively and engaging debate, five of the six candidates standing in our constituency answered questions on a range of local, national and international policy areas. We have learned this morning that Liberal Democrat, Munira Wilson, has been re-elected to represent Twickenham in parliament and we send her our congratulations. Mrs Wilson is a firm advocate of Hampton’s positive contribution to our local area and has publicly highlighted the value of our partnerships programme with local maintained sector schools and community groups.
Heathrow, and then Berlin and our Fourth Years beckon, so all that remains is to thank everyone in our community – colleagues, parents, pupils and alumni alike – for ensuring that Hampton has remained such a wonderfully joyful and vibrant School during 2023-24.
I wish you a restful and relaxing summer.
With kind regards and best wishes
Kevin Knibbs
Headmaster