11 October 2016

Firstly can I thank Challenger and Churchill Houses for organising the first school charity day of the year.  There were a number of events going on around the school, including a massive sponsored silence by many students from the two Houses.  I expect their teachers enjoyed the peace and quiet!  We are still receiving money, but early estimates indicate that we have raised about £2000 for the two charities: Syrian Refugees and the Italian Earthquake Appeal.  Well done and thank you.

As mentioned in last week’s Blog, I attended the Kent Association of Headteachers’ Annual Conference on Thursday and listened to a number of very good keynote speakers.  The main speaker was Professor Lord Robert Winston who spoke about how we can excite people about learning.  He spoke for over an hour and was incredibly engaging and though provoking.  Despite us all being in the business of learning, it was really good to hear from someone outside of education, and who could inspire us to reflect on how we ourselves inspire young people to love their own learning.  

Tonight we welcome parents of Year 7 boys to attend the Year 7 Welcome Evening.  It is an opportunity for parents to meet their son’s form tutor and other members of staff, see where their sons learn in the different subjects around the school, and enjoy a burger and a cuppa with each other prepared by the Parents’ Association.  We look forward to welcoming them later.

Friday this week is a busy day at school.  It is our first Year 6 Open Morning where we welcome many young boys hoping to become Maidstonians next year.  They, along with their parents, will enjoy a tour of the school from a current student and hopefully see what a wonderful place Maidstone Grammar School is.  Also on Friday evening it is the first rock band event of the year where we see a number of musicians perform in front of their friends and family.  Thank you to everyone who is taking part and to the members of staff who will be arranging the event. 

Finally congratulations to the 1^st XI Football Squad who beat Borden Grammar School 3 – 2 on Friday afternoon last week.  It was a close match, but we finally brought home the victory.  Well done boys and thank you to the many 6^th Form students who came out to support.