HT Blog – Tuesday 15 July 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 15 July 2025

As we approach the final days of the 2024–25 academic year, it’s hard to believe how quickly the time has flown. This has been another challenging yet remarkable year in the life of MGS, and with the summer holidays now in sight, a well-earned rest awaits us all before we begin afresh in September.

But before we officially wrap up the year, we still have one more important and eventful week ahead.

Our final week is a little different from the usual. With lessons set aside, we enter Enrichment Week—a time for students to step outside their normal timetables and take part in a range of exciting, diverse activities designed to broaden their horizons and spark new interests. Alongside this, we’ll also enjoy our festival-style Sports Day, our traditional Founders’ Day Service and Lower School Speech Day, and the Biennial Inspection of the CCF led by Brigadier Lamb. It may be the last week of term, but it certainly won't be a quiet one!

As is customary at this time of year, we also take a moment to say goodbye and thank you to some much-valued members of staff who are moving on: Mr Sharp (Design & Technology) has made a strong impression in his single year with us. He now moves into an exciting new role at the Rochester Bridge Trust, continuing his journey in education beyond the classroom. Mr Knight, who returned to support the English Department this year, now resumes his well-earned retirement. His guidance and experience have been much appreciated. Mrs Handley, from our Finance Team, departs after an extraordinary 19 years of service. Her meticulous approach to school budgeting has kept us on track—and we are deeply grateful. Mrs Van Mol, also retiring after 19 years at MGS (and an incredible 49 years in education), has been a steadfast presence in our school community. Her legacy will be long remembered.

Mr Young, our Head of Computing and E-Learning Manager, retires after 27 years at MGS. Thanks to his vision and dedication, our Computing Department has become one of the best in the county—and arguably the country. His impact on generations of students is immeasurable. We thank each of them for their dedication and service. They leave behind not only a professional legacy but also warm memories, and we wish them all the very best for the future.

Before I sign off, I’d like to share a final piece of good news from the student community: Michael in Year 11 recently took part in the Rugby Americas North U19 Championship, where he not only scored two tries, but also earned a mention for Maidstone Grammar School from the commentators! A fantastic achievement—well done, Michael.

To everyone in the MGS community—students, staff, families, and friends—thank you for another incredible year. I wish you all a relaxing, refreshing, and well-deserved summer break.

See you in September.

HT Blog Tuesday 8 July 2025

 

HT Blog -Tuesday 8 July 2025

Hello there, Mr Hanratty here. Yesterday marked the start of Extended Learning Week for Year 7 to 9. ELW is a unique feature of our curriculum and a week many students and staff look forward to, with many arguing it is the best week of the year. This is because during ELW we suspend the normal timetable and provide learning and enrichment experiences that students wouldn’t normally experience through the formal curriculum, including residentials and trips.

Some of our popular activities include Basketball Camp, Chess, Debating, DT Soap Box (a high-energy, Grand Prix-style race where teams will put their soapboxes they’ve been building all week to the test), Golf Academy at Tudor Park Golf Club in Bearsted, Harry Potter Workshop at (of course) Harry Potter Studios, MGS Bake Off, Rowing, Special Effects Makeup, Water sports on St Andrews Lakes (very popular), and Wrestler Bootcamp where students meet real professional wrestlers, create their own wrestler persona, and take part in appropriate exercises that would one day make them ring-ready!

Many of the activities on offer run for 2 and a half days until tomorrow lunchtime, and then we have a reset for those students who have signed up for two 2.5-day activities. There are also 5-day activities such as golf, and of course trips - these include visits to France, Spain, and our CCF contingents travelling to different corners of the UK. We will update our social media over this week with many photos from the various trips and activities and will also publish a rundown of the week in our end of term newsletter.

And while speaking about end of term, next week is the final week of the academic year - and a busy one to end on. On Monday we will celebrate Founders’ Day with our annual service at All Saints Church in Maidstone. The school will walk to the church for the service in the morning and walk back in the afternoon to join our Lower School Speech Day, where subject prizes and top scholar awards will be awarded. The list of prize winners will be published in next week’s end of term newsletter.

On Wednesday we will hold our Sports Day (weather permitting, of course), and you can feel the excitement building amongst the students for this day - they say boys tend to have a competitive streak - well, you really see it when it comes to Sports Day. Like previous years, parents and carers are invited to come along for the day or part of it.

On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, we will be suspending the normal timetable for enrichment activities - similar to this week’s Extended Learning Week - but the focus is more academic in nature, with students given the opportunity to explore academic subjects they wouldn’t normally get exposed to. For example, Year 7 will take part in Film and Media workshops, and Year 10 will take part in Politics and Philosophy lessons.

While on the subject of Year 10, this year group, along with Year 12, are involved in work experience this week while everyone else takes part in ELW. Thank you to our Careers Team for supporting them in finding positions and thank you also to the many employers who have supported our work experience programme.

Finally, looking back at last week, Thursday was really a day of two bookends - with Year 6 Induction Day held during the school day and Year 13 Prom in the evening and night.

On Thursday we were pleased to welcome our soon-to-be Maidstonians from Year 6 to their Year 7 Induction Day with us. They took part in a carousel of activities and team building opportunities and joined the whole school for one of our assemblies in the Quad. We hope they enjoy their final weeks at primary school, have a great summer, and we look forward to welcoming them in September as our 477^th cohort.

And following the Induction Day, that night Year 13 celebrated the end of their MGS journey at their Prom at Leeds Castle. It was great to hear them speak so positively about their time at the school and their recent exam experience. Speeches, prize giving, and quizzes took place between a fantastic three course meal, with plenty of laughter, singing, and some questionable dance moves (including from staff!). A big thank you to the Prom Committee for organising and running such a successful event, and to Leeds Castle for hosting us. We look forward to seeing Year 13 again on A Level Results Day on the 14 August and hope they all have a wonderful summer in the meantime.

As we quickly now approach the end of term, I’m sure the Head will share his closing message with all you Constant Readers, but as I will not have the opportunity, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all an enjoyable summer with sunshine and laughs wherever you may be. I may write to you all again in the future through this blog, so until then, take care.

HT Blog – Tuesday 1 July 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 1 July 2025

Firstly, I would like to recognise Old Maidstonian Professor Peter Brennan, Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, who has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours. This prestigious recognition reflects his outstanding contribution to the field of surgery and his commitment to improving patient safety. Our heartfelt congratulations go to Peter on this well-deserved honour.

This week, our Year 9 students are taking part in the Business Enterprise Challenge – a two-and-a-half-day event where the entire year group collaborates with external facilitators to tackle a range of business scenarios. The programme culminates in a presentation afternoon, during which students pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges and MGS staff. It promises to be a valuable and inspiring experience for all involved.

Continuing the theme of business and the world of work, on Thursday our Year 8 students will be out of school for their Workplace Shadowing Day. This initiative gives them the opportunity to experience a day in the professional world—many alongside their parents, while others venture further afield. Whatever the setting, we hope the day offers a meaningful insight into life beyond MGS.

Also on Thursday, we are delighted to welcome the newest members of our community for the Year 6 Induction Day. These future Maidstonians will spend the day getting to know their new school and each other, as they prepare for the exciting step into secondary education in September. And while the school may be filled with the energy of our youngest pupils during the day, we will be celebrating at the other end of the journey in the evening, as over 150 students and many staff members come together at Leeds Castle for the MGS Leavers’ Prom. It will be a wonderful evening of reflection, celebration, and farewell—with, no doubt, a few tired faces the following morning!

For next week’s HT Blog, I will be handing over the reins to Mr. Hanratty. It is Extended Learning Week, with Years 7 to 9 participating in a range of exciting activities, while Years 10 and 12 engage in valuable work experience. I will be out of school for the entire week, as I will be involved in one of the activities myself.

 

HT Blog - Tuesday 24 June 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 24 June 2025

This week marks an exciting time at MGS as we welcome over 250 prospective students for our Sixth Form Induction Week. Students from MGS and other schools will join us for three days to experience life in our Sixth Form. During their visit, they’ll attend sample A-level lessons in their chosen subjects, explore the school through guided tours, spend time in the Sixth Form Common Room and Library, and take part in a range of ‘getting-to-know-you’ activities. We hope they find the experience valuable and choose to begin their Sixth Form journey with us in September.

While our future sixth formers are getting a taste of life at MGS, our current Year 12 students are in the midst of their UCAS examinations. Over the next two weeks, they will be completing these important assessments, which play a key role in determining their predicted grades for university applications. These are the most significant exams they’ve sat since their GCSEs, and we wish them all the very best.

This past weekend, 18 Year 10 students successfully completed their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Assessed Expedition in the New Forest, accompanied by Ms Alloy and Mr Pinn. The hot weather presented an extra challenge, but with careful planning and early starts, the group had a safe and rewarding experience. A huge thank you to our staff for their support and encouragement throughout the trip.

Looking ahead to the end of the week, we’re excited to host our fourth annual Pride BBQ on Friday. This much-loved event brings together students and staff in the Quad for a lunchtime celebration featuring great food provided by our caterers, Cucina, and a soundtrack of music from iconic artists. Let’s hope the sunshine continues to make it a perfect day.

 

 

 

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 17 June 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 17 June 2025

After five weeks the GCSE and A-level examinations begin to wind down.  Years 11 and 13 can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and so look forward to a long and well-deserved summer.  We now wait a couple of months for the results to be released later in the summer.

This week we welcome students from our local feeder primary schools into MGS to enjoy two outreach activities.  On Tuesday the young students will be transported to Pompeii to learn about what life was like during the Roman Empire.  They will learn a little bit of Latin, make some authentic Roman food, and produce some artwork that would have been seen 2000 years ago.  On Wednesday we change tact somewhat and leave Pompeii to put on a morning of rugby.  Thank you to the staff for organising these two days.

On Wednesday we host the last virtual parents’ evening of the year, with year 10 parents being invited to hear from their child’s teachers on how they have been getting on.  This is a crucial time of year for Year 10 as within weeks of starting Year 11 in September they will be preparing for mock examinations and considering their futures beyond GCSEs.  I am sure the evening will be a positive one.  And on Thursday this week we welcome to the school our newest and youngest Maidstonians who will be in Barton House next year to the re-scheduled Year 6 Barton House Tea.  I am sure they will have an enjoyable time and have an opportunity to meet new friends.

HT Blog – Tuesday 10 June 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 10 June 2025

I am delighted to begin this week’s blog by sharing a lovely story about a Maidstonian and their kind actions which was featured on the Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2 last week.  The story was about the difficulties of barcode train tickets.  A member of the public phoned into the radio show praising the kind actions of a student from Maidstone Grammar School who had kindly purchased a physical ticket when they were having trouble with their electronic one.  The fact that the person phoned into a radio show to share this story with the wider public illustrates that kind actions seen each and every day are being recognised and appreciated. 

At the weekend I enjoyed a couple of hours just south of Tunbridge Wells in the company of Year 9 and those staff accompanying them on the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Assessed Expedition.  The weather held for the day’s walking, but the heavens opened as the students returned to the campsite to pitch their tents.  There were a few damp tents.

Also, at the weekend Old Maidstonian Billy Leyland joined Hull Kingston Rovers at Wembley Stadium to win the 2025 Men’s Rugby League Challenge Cup.  Billy, as well as his brother Oli, both pursued careers in rugby league, and we have been following their successes since leaving MGS.  We are delighted for Billy and his Challenge Cup win.

This week is another busy week for MGS.  Year 10 geographers travel to Stratford to complete essential fieldwork as part of their GCSE studies.  Yesterday we welcomed BAE Systems into the school to share with some students their RAF and Navy Education Programme in the hope that it will inspire more young people to pursue engineering as a career.  Today a group of younger students take part in the UK Junior Mathematics Challenge.  On Wednesday we not only welcome some primary school students into MGS to take part in our Football Outreach Day we also invite the wider school community in to enjoy the annual MGS Art Exhibition.  The MGS Art Exhibition exhibits work from years 11, 12 and 13, and it takes place in the Big Hall from 4pm.  Do come along.  And on Friday a group of students, accompanied by the English Department, visit the Globe Theatre to enjoy a Shakespeare play.

This week, for me, however, means travelling into London to attend the annual Grammar School Heads Association Annual Conference.  Each year, over two days in the second week of June, all headteachers of grammar schools across the UK come together to share stories, learn about new educational developments, and understand more how they can improve their respective schools.  From previous experience, I am sure I will come back with some good ideas.

Finally, huge congratulations to art teacher, Mr Ashenfelter, who, with his team, became the 2025 GB Masters Over-60 Basketball Champions.  Well done Mr Ashenfelter.

HT Blog – Tuesday 3 June 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 3 June 2025

Welcome back to school and to a new term - I hope you all had a restful half term break.  We start the new term with acknowledging Pride Month.  June is the month where we raise the profile of our equality, diversity and inclusivity agenda further by shining a light on the LGBTQ+ community.  I will be launching this month’s focus at the first Quad assembly of the new term: a chance to gather the entire school community together and remind ourselves of the importance and values of being a Maidstonian and acknowledge how proud we all are of being associated with Maidstone Grammar School.

Following on from my last blog in May when I mentioned the introduction of devices to Year 7, today is the first official day when Year 7 will get a chance to use them in the classroom.  During the first period of the day all of Year 7 will receive a lesson from one of our digital champions or digital leads where they will learn more about some of the ways they will be able to use their device going forward.  It is hoped by the end of the academic year they will be using their devices in many of their lessons.  A huge thank you to Mr Hanratty, Mrs Rees, Mr Young and Mr Steel for making all of this possible.

This week is also a big week for a newest Maidstonians as we welcome into the school those students joining MGS in September to attend their respective house tea.  It will be a chance for students and parents in each house to come together and make new friends and begin their journey in being associated with MGS.  

At the weekend a number of year 9 students will be walking the footpaths and country lanes of Kent as they complete their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Assessed Expedition.  Following their practice expedition earlier in the year it is now time for the students to do the real thing.  Best wishes to them all, let’s hope the weather is kind, and thank you to the staff who will be supervising them.

HT Blog – Tuesday 20 May 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 20 May 2025

Now years 11 and 13 have formally left and are completing their respective GCSE and A-level examinations the school is much quieter.  The Refectory at lunchtime is less crowded, there is more space in the corridors during lesson changeover and many more classrooms are empty as you walk around the school.  But it is this time of year when we really begin to look ahead to the following academic year, and this week marks a significant change for MGS.  On Thursday we issue Year 7 with their own electronic device.  Over the last 12 months we have working hard behind the scenes to reach the point where we as a school can now begin the process of teaching our Maidstonians to learn in a more digital way.  Teaching is going to radically change as devices become an integral part to students’ learning within the classroom, and so the rollout this week is the beginning of that change.  We are all looking forward to seeing how this new development works out.

Congratulations to the year 8 students who took part in last week’s UKMT Mathematics Challenge - they produced the best set of results we have seen in the last five years.  A special mention must go to Ryan of College House who was one mark from qualifying for the Junior Olympiad, and an impressive six students qualified for the Kangaroo Challenge.  Well done to all who took part. 

HT Blog – Tuesday 13 May 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 13 May 2025

This week we say goodbye to Year 13 and au revoir to Year 11.  On Thursday Year 13 make the transition from being a Maidstonian to being an Old Maidstonian, and if past experience is anything to go by, there will be tears and high emotions.  You cannot leave a place such as MGS without feeling a little sad that no longer can you be a part of something special.  We wish Year 13 well.  Contrast this with Year 11 where the GCSE examinations for many form simply a hurdle to jump, as many will be returning to MGS in September.  Some however are choosing to use this point as an opportunity to continue their learning journey elsewhere, and for those Maidstonians we say thank you for choosing MGS, and best wishes for the future.

This week Year 9 will be hearing from the History Department as we host another one of our Curriculum Extra lectures.  These lectures started last year and form a part of how we are maintaining the breadth of the curriculum beyond the point when the students chose their GCSE subjects in Year 8. 

Merrick S (Year 13 and Corpus House) attended a ceremony at Buckingham Palace to collect his Gold Duke of Edinburgh award this week.  Many congratulations to him on what must have been a very proud day for him and his family.

Finally, congratulations to the U15 Football Squad who became Maidstone District Champions last week when they beat the School of Science and Technology, Maidstone (SST) 4 – 0 in the final.  Well done to the players and thank you to Mr Hughes and Mr Smith for supporting them throughout the season.

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 6 May 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 6 May 2025

Welcome back after the May Bank Holiday weekend.  The warm weather during last week is sadly over, but it does mean that we can now be slightly more comfortable in school.  This week is the last full week Year 11 and Year 13 will be in school as the GCSE and A-level examinations begin.  Starting on Thursday, Year 11 will be beginning their six-week journey of examinations with Drama, and then Year 13 start on Monday 12 May.  Good luck to them all.  

As mentioned in last week’s blog, the sport of cricket benefitted from last week’s fine weather with a senior cricket match against Oakwood Park Grammar School and an U15 match against The Judd School.  Sadly, the results did not go our way for both matches, but it was delightful sitting in the warm morning sunshine on Saturday watching the U15 team.  Bad luck boys.

On Thursday we join the Nation in acknowledging the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The CCF will be undertaking a special parade in school and spelling out VE 80 on the school field, and students who visit the school library will be reminded of those 72 Old Maidstonians who lost their lives in the 2^nd World War.

Finally, this week a group of year 10 and year 12 students travel down to Canterbury to enjoy a PE-themed day of activities.  Students will be learning more about their bodies, how they work, and having a few tests done to inform them of the BMI and how fit they are.  We have been running this trip for a few years now and it always proves to be an enjoyable one.