Kingston Grammar School (KGS) and Hampton School school life and comparison - fit for an all-rounder kid

[Ian85]

Hi everyone,

I'm seeking insights from parents with children in both Kingston Grammar School (KGS) and Hampton School. My son is lucky enough to have offers from both. While I understand the key difference of co-education, I'm curious about the day-to-day life at each school. Is KGS known for a more relaxed atmosphere, or would my son (an academic, sports-loving, arts arts, drama and music-enthusiast) potentially thrive more in a bigger (+1300 boys I heard open day), all-boys environment like Hampton?

While Hampton seems to have a slight edge in A-level results, the specific science and engineering degree options appear equivalent for both schools when you look at the leavers destinations stats. Ultimately, I'm interested in finding the best fit for my son's well-rounded interests and personality.

Here's what I've considered:

Academics: Both schools boast impressive results, with similar offerings in his preferred science and engineering fields.
Sports: Clearly Hampton has the edge
Arts & Music: Does either school offer more diverse or intensive programs in these areas?
Drama & DT: Are there ample opportunities to participate in these at both schools? Is it more important to practise drama classes in a co-ed environment?
School ethos: Would KGS's co-educational environment or Hampton's all-boys environment be more stimulating and supportive for him?

Any insights from parents who have experience with both schools would be greatly appreciated!

If your ds is keen on sport does he prefer hockey, rugby or football as the offerings are quite different. Also where do you live as KGS is across Thames Ditton too. Things like school ethos come less into play in the situation you are luckily in as you have remarked the outcomes are similar.

he is very sporty outside the school so sports for us is not as important and that is not deciding factor, is more of the other points that i would like to learn from parents that are already there.
we live in Kingston so distance is not an issue for us

Hampton school is amazing but... It is boys only. I would never do that to my child.

If you go for either of these schools they will expect commitment to the school sports above all else so you should consider it. You will agree to the sports policy when signing up that your child will be available every Saturday morning some other times if selected for the termly sport.

i totally agree and we are not planning to not play sports there. My point was that sports greatness will not make us decide to go to either school, but i want parents to let me know what is their experience of day to day life of the school on other subjects

@Ian85 , I'm a parent at Hampton, the sports is the big decider between these schools. My ds likes football so we didn't apply to Reeds. He chose Hampton over KGS because of this too although he misses hockey. There isn't much training at school at Hampton, 1 or 2 lunch break sessions (plus the games session) only so if you choose rugby or football at school you then play for a club outside school and get the training after school and on Sundays. Hampton is unusual in making you play 1 or the other and no swimming or hockey.
It's said again and again on these threads that sport and journey to school are the deciders because the academic outcomes will be the same.

It’s not as simple as saying “won’t play any sport there”. If your child is sporty (and tbh even if they aren’t) there will be an expectation from peers and school alike that he will play sport in school lessons, lunchtime, after school, Saturday mornings. So make sure the school does sports you like in a location you can get to. The exception to this is if they are a music scholar or something, where the same pressures exist, just in a different sphere.

The above applies to KGS btw.

what about drama, DT , art or the feel of the school and the opportunities?

i do not see the sports as decider for us

Mine are at a similar school to both and this is the expectation of selective Indies for sports commitment.... Not attending would be akin to truency as far as school is concerned and in the younger age groups if contact rugby is played, school matches on Saturday and club on Sunday is considd too much contact rugby to be safe so club rugby is not played during the rugby term at school.

"It is expected, as stated in the College contract, that all students will represent the College in fixtures which take place within Games lessons, after school and on weekends, if selected.

College commitments should be prioritised ahead of club training and matches and this includes school matches that are national competitions or related to them on an ad hoc basis. The Sports Administrator will make sure all fixture information is up to date.

We realise that in exceptional circumstances a student may need to miss a College fixture, and in such a case permission should be requested from Heads of Sports no less than 2 weeks before the fixture."

Ok if you don't want to consider sport it's up to you but when your child gets there they will realise how big a deal it is not only for the time commitment but for friendships and social.

tbh, if you’ve visited them both you must have an idea of whether you would prefer a small, urban, co-ed school with 60 boys per year or a massive surburban one with rolling acres and 150-200 ish per year! Maybe have a look at the clubs list for both and see if it reflects your sons interests?

KGS parent here (2 boys at the school). The drama department is great - something I didn’t really appreciate until we got there - lots of opportunity to get involved. DT also very established at the school - last year they got involved in the green power car racing, which my son enjoyed. I can’t really speak on the art, although I know my two non-artistic boys are enjoying it!

If you look on Twitter the school has lots of handles from different departments that give you a feel for what the kids are up to.

It’s great school. Though I have no doubt Hampton is too, so you are in a good position!

not sure why we keep saying not attending. i did not say at any of my comments that will not attend or will not do sports, but i said that would not be the decider for us sicne my son been sporty will have no issue get involved in both schools. as i said in my original post i care about all other day to day activities etc of the school, but thanks for makign clear sports are important but not for all kids.

At KGS they promote involvement in things like DT, Art, Dance, Drama through both extracurricular clubs and also house competitions - so there are loads of optional opportunities in the lower years, even if you aren’t scholarship level talented in that area. My son has swerved them through choice but from what I’ve seen the standard is very good.

I know you don’t want to talk about sport but just bear in mind that KGS doesn’t have a sports hall and the sports ground doesn’t have floodlights (yet) so there is an awful lot of shuttling back and forth to external venues.

Got it, sports are not a factor. Good luck with your decision 👍

I have a son at Hampton school. He is very happy & loves school life. Drama, sport, art & music are all very strong and plenty of opportunities to get involved. The teaching is excellent. Pastoral care also good.
I would seriously consider the commute for you & him. If you’re in Kingston, KGS will be closer to you. It makes such a difference for sport, music, trips, drama rehearsals, parents evenings, study leave (at GCSE & A level).
Does he prefer mixed or single sex?
Another thing to consider is their social life outside school. I’ve heard KGS pupils hang out in Kingston after school but Hampton has no where nearby for boys to go and they need to be catching the school coach at 4.15pm to go home. They do socialise at weekends/holidays and meet up in Kingston/Richmond or wherever is central to their friend group. This isn’t so much an issue in the first few years (and is maybe an advantage!) but as they get older, teenagers like to meet up after school. Good luck with your decision.

OP, just to add sport is a big deal if you are sporty at these schools. It's what the boys live and breath, who is in what team, who won their Saturday match, in your club outside school are you playing matches against other pupils in your year group. When Hampton had their IS inspection last year they still sent almost the whole school cohort out for the day to support and watch the first team win the ESFA.
If your ds likes football and goes to KGS he will play against Hampton Court House, if he goes to Hampton he will play against Eton and Harrow. You must know which sport he will play on a Sunday and this should help you select the school as well as many other factors.

For anyone with a non sporty dc this is absolutely fine too and there is plenty to get involved in that is non sporty.

I have a DS at Hampton and relatives at KGS. Most of the posts have covered your questions and the way are both amazing schools well loved by parents at both, but I’d say the music and drama and KGS isn’t comparable to Hampton. Hampton’s is just incredible, so inspiring. Loads of boys take part in drama as it’s not seen as a girls subject. Sadly even in this day and age drama at KGS is definitely girl heavy and music/orchestra/choirs etc is a bit lacking at KGS especially in comparison to Hampton’s amazing offering in these departments. Good luck it’s a hard choice, one we also had to make 2 years ago!

As far as hanging out after school my son is in second year and already on a Friday he and his friends get the bus to Kingston to go to five guys or the cinema etc so I don’t find being ‘out of town’ a problem. It’s not far.

Happy to answer any questions if you want to pm me.

For those with kids at KGS, how many Saturdays would a lower school child (who is not particularly sporty and unlikely to make it into any of the top teams) have to attend training/fixtures? 50% of the time? every Saturday? occasionally? Do parents take/pick up the kids directly to/from the fixture/school fields or they always take the kids back to the main site?

As for drama, D&T and other clubs: do they tend to happen at lunch or before/after school? In other words, how much of the sport and extracurricular is contained within the school day and how much of it is outside? I'm trying to get my head round the logistics implications and how straightforward (or not) is for a child (with a longish commute) to get involved in things.

Very grateful for any information.

Year 7 at KGS - about two thirds of the boys choose to do after school hockey training, and if you do that you get picked for Saturday morning sport, which is most Saturdays. If you don’t train after school you don’t get picked, typically. Football is also after school and leads to fixtures by mostly on weekdays. Saturday fixtures parents drop off and pick up - to the sports ground for home fixtures and to the school for a coach for away fixtures. After school fixtures , and after the games afternoon on Friday, there is almost always a coach back to school.

Other clubs are a mixture of lunchtime and afterschool. There are dozens of them. Drama productions do require quite a time commitment in the evenings. Can’t comment on music!

hope that helps. Short version - if it’s on a weekday and isn’t at school they will get you back to school.

above is for a child in one of the lower teams. a-d have regular Saturday fixtures and training; e and f are Friday afternoons (games afternoons) only.

The sports fields are very close to a train station so often it’s quicker, after training or games, to get the train home rather than the coach back to school.

This is super-helpful, @Trickleg Many thanks.

Does all sport at KGS happen at Ditton Field? I'm wondering about after-school sessions in winter, since I'm not sure they have floodlights there.

Do they do any sport on site, either as part of their games/PE or clubs?

when you say after school , do you mean after 4pm please? so if you are sporty and want to do sports you have to do that after 4pm?