Hampton School
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| Headmaster | Mr Barry Martin MA MBA |
| Founded | 1557 |
| School type | Independent |
| Religious affiliation | Secular |
| Location | Hampton, London, England |
| Enrollment | 1,120 pupils |
| Campus surroundings | Suburban |
| Main Sports | Rowing, Football, Rugby, Cricket |
| Mascot | Lion |
| School colours | Yellow, Black |
| School Motto | Praestat Opes Sapientia (Wisdom surpasses wealth) |
Hampton School is a prestigious public school for boys, located in Hampton, London, England. Originally founded on March 7, 1557 from the will of Robert Hammond, the early school assembled on the site of St Mary's Church and later moved to a purpose-built campus in 1880 on the Upper Sunbury Road before its move to the present site on the Hanworth Road in 1939.
The School returned to its status as an independent, fee-paying school in 1975 in the light of changes to the administration of secondary education in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and remains independent to the present day. It is located next to The Lady Eleanor Holles School for girls, with which it shares several classes, clubs, facilities and a coach service.
Founders' Day is celebrated by the school each year. The occasion is marked by a procession of boys walking from the school down to St. Mary's Church by the Thames, towards the end of the academic year.
Hampton prides itself on its all-around successes, combining its sporting and musical successes with a strong academic record, having recently celebrated outstanding GCSE and A Level results in 2006.
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[edit] History
In 1556, a wealthy brewer who had acquired property in Hampton left in his will provision for the maintenance of a 'free scole' and to build a small schoolhouse 'with seates in yt' in the churchyard. This is the story of its survival and eventual growth to become a great school with an enviable reputation for high achievement, both academically and in sport, that it is today.
It was undoubtedly a shaky beginning, although in the 18th century it was nurtured by some celebrated benefactors, the Earl of Halifax, prime minister Lord North, and the great actor David Garrick. Difficult times had still to be overcome. But in the last century began a steady upward curve under a succession of fine headmasters and dedicated staff, leading to the watershed of the change in status from local authority to independent school in 1975. Since then the school has continued to expand and to flourish.
[edit] Campus
The main School buildings includes an Assembly Hall, classrooms, and specialist facilities for the Sciences, Technology, ICT, Art, Music and Modern Languages. The site of 27 acres includes ample playing fields including four rugby pitches, seven football pitches, six cricket squares, six astroturf tennis courts, athletics facilities, a climbing wall and the Old Hamptonians’ Pavilion. [1]
[edit] Sports
One of the great strengths of Hampton ’s excellent games programme is that boys are not obliged to play any particular sport and can make their own choice. However, boys with the ability and talent to represent the School are expected to do so and indeed do so willingly. Though games play a comparatively small part in the formal curriculum, large numbers of boys enthusiastically maintain the school's sporting tradition by voluntarily taking part in representative fixtures and regattas.
[edit] Rowing
Hampton School Boat Club is one of the top school rowing clubs in the country and each year produces 1st VIIIs that compete at Championship level.
HSBC is based at the Millennium boathouse which it shares with the Lady Eleanor Holles School Boat Club.
Rowing at Hampton is open to boys in the third year and above and the boat club competes at many races both at home and abroad.
Hampton has produced three treble winning 1st VIIIs in its history and has been represented at every Junior World Rowing Championships since the event's creation.
Many rowers from Hampton have also gone on to compete at higher levels such as The Boat Race, the World Rowing Championships and the Olympic Games, such as Greg Searle & Jonny Searle (Olympic rowing gold medallists).
[edit] Rugby
Rugby at Hampton School is also of a high quality and former pupils include Simon Amor (England Sevens Captain) and Andy Beattie (Bath back row and current England 'A' player). Recent successes include winning the Middlesex Sevens in 2006.
[edit] Football
Football is a very popular sport at Hampton, and there are many teams in each year group. The 1st XI, who have been coached by Iain MacLean for nearly a quarter of a century, won the ISFA Cup in 1999, and reached the final again in 2005, losing to Millfield. However, Hampton recently beat Millfield in the Semi Final of the 2007 competition, and are currently awaiting the final to be rescheduled after it was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
[edit] Cricket
Cricket is of a high standard at Hampton, with domination of the County Cup throughout the school, the 1st XI have reached the National Independent Schools twenty/20 competition Final recently. The Cricket season has recently restarted for Hampton.
[edit] The Arts
[edit] Music
This is an area of much recent successful development building on a strong musical tradition. In addition to class music, nearly 400 boys receive instrumental tuition from visiting teachers.Hampton has a thriving yet expanding Music Department, which celebrates many strong Associated Board Music Exam results every term. Recently, Lawrence Thain beacame Organ Scholar-elect of New College, Oxford a year early, having been taught by Julie Ainscough (mother of User:Vox Humana 8'). There is a full Symphony Orchestra, as well as a String Orchestra, a Chamber Orchestra, Wind Band and two Jazz Bands. There are about thirty different music groups playing regularly. Frequent concerts provide performing opportunities for these groups, and for soloists and chamber groups.
[edit] Drama
Dramatic productions also range widely: a typical year might see a Shakespearean or classical play, many studio presentations including pupils' own work, a musical, and evenings of junior drama, with each Form in an entire year group putting on a p lay, or a whole year group involved in a major production. A Hampton School Theatre Company, “In Human Form”, took its own plays The London Thing, which was well reviewed in both the Scotsman and the Times Educational Supplement, to the Edinburgh Festival in August 2000, and returned there in August 2001 with their play Lucky. A newly formed Theatre Company, “About Turn”, took its first production to the Edinburgh Festival in August 2002 and returned in 2004. A new Sixth Form drama The Dating Game was shortlisted in the National Student Drama Festival in Scarborough in 2006 and is going to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007, starring students Ben Lander and Andrew Curry.
[edit] Talk!
n September 2000 a lecture series “Talk!” was inaugurated. Since then over one hundred distinguished visiting speakers from the worlds of art, business, the media, politics and science have spoken and answered questions from large audiences.
[edit] Debating
A range of topics is addressed and boys of all ages are encouraged to participate, either as a main speaker or from the floor. Debates are held with The Lady Eleanor Holles School and teams are entered in national events, notably the Schools’ Mace and the Oxford Union competition.
[edit] Writing
The School Magazine, The Lion, which is distributed free to every boy’s parents and to every Old Hamptonian wishing it, is produced by an editorial team of pupils, led by a teacher. It is produced at the School on our own desk top publishing equipment and supplied for printing on disc. This magazine includes boys’ creative and original writing. Boys on their own initiative also produce student magazines, which offer much scope for creativity, and amusing insights into life at Hampton .
[edit] Art
The School offers great encouragement and opportunity for boys to develop an interest in the Arts, with several going on to study Art and Architecture. The Art Club provides generous facilities for work in a range of media with competitions for those interested. In 2000, new facilities for Art were opened: these consist of four art studios (one for the Sixth Form) including a suite of 15 iMacs; a kiln for production of ceramics; and a gallery for student and external exhibitions. In 2004 a further studio was added.
[edit] Old Hamptonians
- Michael Underwood (c1747-53), surgeon and writer on surgery, discoverer of infantile paralysis.
- William Elliott, engraver of landscapes (1737-40)
- William Page (c1736), highwayman
- Sir Philip Barling Ben Greet, the great Shakespearean Actor - Manager was born on September 24th 1857
- Sir Joseph Coussey (1900-03), sometime President of the Court of Appeal of West Africa
- Air Marshal Sir Peter Wykeham-Barnes KCB DSO and Bar OBE DFC and Bar AFC (1926-28)
- Douglas Everett FRS CBE (1928-35), former Leverhulme Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, Bristol University
- Jim Chandler (1935-42) represented Britain at pistol shooting in the1948 Olympics.
- Michael Brudenell (1937-44), retired gynaecologist
- The Rt Hon Lord Baker CH (1946-48), former Secretary of State for Education.
- John Harvey CBE (1947-54): Executive Chairman, Tibbett and Brittin
- Professor John Lucas (1948-55), poet and academic
- Peter Lovesey (1948-55), author
- Barry Sheerman (1951-57): MP for Huddersfield since 1983 and Chairman of the Education Select Committee
- The Rt Hon Sir David Keene (1952-59), an Appeal Court judge
- Professor Rigas Doganis (1950-58), former Chairman, Olympic Airlines
- John Duerden (1955-60), Chief Operating Officer, Development Division, Invensys plc
- John Roberts CBE (1955-64) former Chief Executive of the Royal Mail Group
- Keith Faulkner CBE (1955-62), Chairman, Working Links, Manpower
- Captain Chris Tuffley RN LVO Royal Navy (1956-63), formerly Captain of the Royal Yacht Britannia
- Robert Walker (1956-63), Chief Executive, Severn Trent plc
- Air Vice Marshal (retd)Graham Skinner CBE (1956-63)
- Michael Austin-Smith QC (1956-63)
- Professor Michael Sterling (1957-64) Vice Chancellor, University of Birmingham and Chairman of the Russell Group.
- Dave Travis (1957-65), GB javelin thrower and Commonwealth Gold Medal holder.
- Professor Brian Vincent (1957-64), Professor, Physical Chemistry, Bristol University
- Dr Paul Brand (1957-64), Fellow, All Souls; legal historian
- Brian May (1958-65), musician, founding member, Queen
- Murray Head (1959-62), musician
- Geoff Hunt (1959-66), President, the Royal Society of Marine Artists 2003-
- His Honour Stephen Kramer QC (1959-66)
- Timothy Charlton QC (1962-69)
- Andy Hall (1962-69), Chairman, Phibro
- Zach Miles (1964-71), Chairman, Vedior
- Major General Malcolm Wood CBE (1964-71), Director, Defence Supply Chain
- Ian Cliff OBE (1964-71): Ambassador to Sarajevo
- The Venerable Christopher Chessun (1967-75): Archdeacon of Northolt
- Robert Hayward (1968-75), ENO baritone
- Dr Simon Green (1970-77), Fellow of All Souls, Oxford; historian
- Stephen Miron (1976-83), Managing Director, The Mail on Sunday
- Jonny Searle OBE (1980-87), Olympic gold winning oarsman
- Greg Searle OBE (1983-90), Olympian gold winning oarsman
- Paul Casey (1989-95), professional golfer (winner, 2003 Benson and Hedges International Open)
- Simon Amor (1992-97), Captain, England Sevens 2003
- Paul Samwell-Smith & Jim McCarty (Founding members of The Yardbirds)
- Greg Searle & Jonny Searle (Olympic rowing gold medallists)
- Andy Beattie (rugby player)
[edit] Notable Teachers Past and Present
- Martin Cross - Olympic rowing gold medallist [2]
- Maurice Xiberras - First Leader of the Democratic Party of British Gibraltar (DPBG) [3]
[edit] 450th Anniversary
The 2006/07 Academic year sees the 450th Anniversary of the School's foundation.This was recently celebrated, in a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral. In addition to the formal 450th celebrations, Hampton is also running a selection of events for the boys: from the recent 450th Lunch, which set out to replicate the conditions in 1557, to an attempt to break a Guinness World Record.[4]
[edit] External Links
[edit] Sources
"School by the Thames" (Edward Wild and Ken Rice, Butler and Tanner Ltd 2005). [5] Ken Rice currently teaches history in Hampton
