Hugh Grant amongst past pupils bidding farewell to Chris Hammond

Past and present staff, pupils, and parents of Latymer Upper School gathered at the School last Saturday evening to say a fond farewell to Chris Hammond, who retired as Assistant Head after 41 years of service to the School. The Head, Peter Winter, paid fulsome tribute to Chris, followed by two former pupils – Peter Hendy, a pupil from 1962 to 1971 and now Commissioner of Transport for London and Hugh Grant who attended the School from 1969 to 1978. Chris was his Form Teacher in 1975.

Speaking of Chris’s time at the School, Peter Winter said, “Chris Hammond has served five Headmasters and seen the School change from a Direct Grant Boys’ School to the thriving, independent, co-educational School of today. He quintessentially represents the spirit of Latymer, striving to offer a first class education to able and deserving local children.”

Both Peter Hendy and Hugh Grant attended Latymer when it was a Direct Grant School, at a time when over 60% of the pupils were on free places funded by the Government, a system which allowed many boys the opportunity of a good education. In his speech, Chris Hammond said how proud he was of the work he has done to build up means tested scholarships at the School, allowing Latymer to carry on educating bright and talented children, regardless of the ability to pay fees.

Chris Hammond joined Latymer in 1966 as a Chemistry teacher, and worked his way through the ranks to become Assistant Head with particular responsibility for community links. Chris has worked tirelessly to build up links with the local community, local schools and the police, and was particularly touched that representatives of many local organisations, including the police, attended his farewell party.

Hugh Grant recently made a generous donation to the School, in memory of his mother, a teacher in the state system in West London for over thirty years. The first Fynvola Grant Scholar will take up his place at Latymer in September and will be followed by another one in each subsequent year. A Chris Hammond Scholarship has also been established, with the first scholar joining in September, again to be followed by one in each subsequent year. Both pupils will benefit from 100% free places.

July 11, 2007