Hampton Grammar School

Hampton Grammar School   (School)
Formation	1557
Headquarters	London, England
Boys' day school in Hampton, Greater London. One of the top school rowing clubs in the country.

Hampton School (formerly Hampton Grammar School) is an independent boys' day school in Hampton, Greater London, England.

Hampton School Boat Club is one of the top school rowing clubs in the country and each year produces a 1st VIII that competes at Championship level in national school events. Its cricket 1st XI frequently tours overseas countries such as Sri Lanka and India. In England, the 1st XI has regularly won the 50/40 League cup, a competition played amongst schools in London and surrounding areas, as well as having reached the final stages of the National Twenty20 competition.

History

In 1557, Robert Hammond, 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 of Hampton Church.

Although Hampton School was founded in 1557, there was provision in the will that the school would only continue as long as the vicar, churchwardens and parishioners carried out his requests. If not, then the properties would revert to his heirs. It seems that the school did not survive beyond 1568, or possibly earlier, and the properties reverted to the heirs.

Subsequently, however, the school re-opened in 1612. This was as a result of a commission established to enquire into the fate of Tudor charities that had disappeared for various reasons. The "learned counsell on bothe sides" reached deadlock at the commissioners. However, in the spirit of compromise and through the generosity of the then legal owner of the properties, Nicholas Pigeon, the school was re-endowed.

The early school was on the site of St Mary's Church by the River Thames. It moved to a site on Upper Sunbury Road in 1880. The new school buildings cost £8,000 and were built in the Elizabethan Tudor style to accommodate 125 day boys and 25 boarders. The school moved to its present site on Hanworth Road in 1939. The new 28-acre site allowed for expansion and the potential to provide for 600–650 boys. The foundation stone was laid on 5 July 1938 and a year later the school was opened.

The school converted from voluntary aided status to become a fee-paying independent school in 1975 after changes to the administration of secondary education in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is next to The Lady Eleanor Holles School for girls, with which it co-operates in a number of co-curricular activities and shares several classes, clubs, facilities (including a swimming pool) and a coach service. Headmaster Barry Martin retired in July 2013 after 16 years of service. He was succeeded by Kevin Knibbs in September 2013.

Founders' Day is celebrated by the school towards the end of each academic year. The occasion is marked by a procession of boys walking from the school to St. Mary's Church for a service including the school choir singing and readings.

 

Alumni on Wikispooks

Person	Born	Nationality	Summary	Description
Peter Beaumont		UK	Journalist	Foreign affairs editor of The Observer since 1989, as well as writing for its sister paper, The Guardian.
Ian Cliff	11 September 1952		Diplomat	Diplomat having worked in several places of high interest for UK deep state
Geoffrey Tantum	November 1940	UK	Diplomat Spook Soldier Deep politician Businessperson	Sandhurst, MI6, Former(?) secretary of Le Cercle

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