Tuesday 23rd May 2017

This week Year 7, 9 and 10 join Year 11 and 13 in completing their end of year examinations.  All the students in Years 7, 9 and 10 will complete examinations in a number of subjects which will then provide a detailed analysis on how they have progressed during the year.  Good luck to the boys and I hope that they have been revising hard.

Yesterday the Senior Leadership Team spent the day away from school working on a number of things in preparation for next year.  It is always this time of year when a lot of work takes place for the new academic year, and being away from school allows for a clear head and no distractions.  From now we are able to put together the 2017-18 School Development Plan which draws our attention to key areas we wish to see develop.

Tonight I am attending the final full governors meeting of the year.  At every full governors meeting I compile a report in how MGS has developed and what we have been working on since the last meeting.  It is also a chance for me to inform the governors of the outcomes of the previous day.

Tomorrow evening I have invited some neighbours who live around the school site to join me in looking at the plans for the new pavilion.  It is really important we engage our neighbours with such matters and understand from them their thoughts and ideas.  I look forward to welcoming them.

 I am very excited about Thursday night’s Parents’ Association event.  I am a huge snooker fan and was brought up on the vintage snooker years of the 1980s.  The six-time world champion Steve Davis will be here at MGS playing a few frames of snooker and entertaining the audience with some funny stories and providing an insight into his life.  Tickets are still available. 

 And finally congratulation to Hamish Reilly of Year 9 who took part in the National Youth Triathlon Super Series event in Llanelli last weekend.  It was Hamish’s first race at this level and he finished in a very credible 6^th place.  Coming out of the swim he was in 31^st place but then had a fantastic bike segment which put him into 8^th place going into the run.  Well done Hamish.

Tuesday 16 May 2017

 Last Friday was a sad day for many as we said goodbye to Year 13.  Year 13 Leavers’ Day is always an emotional occasion; for students saying goodbye to their school after building a connection with it can be very difficult.  The students left in good spirits, with some shedding the odd tear.  Good luck and best wishes to them all.

 Sadly the U14 footballers lost to Oakwood Park Grammar School at last week’s Maidstone District Final at the Gallagher Stadium.  It was 1 – 1 at full-time and then still 1 -1 at the end of extra-time.  After the standard five penalties, it was 3 -3, and then sadly we missed the next penalty to mean Oakwood taking the match.  The game was incredibly exciting with the boys being a credit to their School.  Bad luck boys, and thank you Mr Terrell for supporting them throughout the season. 

The GCE and GCSE examinations began yesterday and will be with us for the next six weeks.  Timings of the school day are different because of the examinations and it always takes a few days to get used to them.  With lunch being an hour earlier I am sure there will be some hungry students in the evening when they return home!

Tonight after school there is a Full Staff Meeting which is providing me with an opportunity to speak to everyone about the coming months and years.  It is always this time to year when attention turns to the new year in September, and my words to the staff tonight will set out the next phase in MGS’s life.

On Friday I am in Birmingham attending the Grammar School Heads’ Association (GSHA) committee meeting.  I am standing to be a committee member of GSHA and this meeting on Friday is my first opportunity to support the workings of the association.  With grammar schools being encouraged to expand and the drive from the Government to increase the number, the work of GSHA is becoming even more relevant. 

Tuesday 9 May 2017

This week we say goodbye to Year 11 and Year 13.  GCSE and GCE examinations begin in earnest next Monday, so it is that time of year to let students of those two year groups begin their study leave.  Year 11 will go some time during the week, but Year 13 leave on Friday.  Year 13 Leavers’ Day is a very special day for everyone involved, particularly for the students as they move from being a Maidstonian to being an Old Maidstonian; there will be tears.  I would like to wish Year 11 and Year 13 success in their examinations, and thank Year 13 for their service to the School.

This week Year 12 will be completing their examinations, which, along with the AS examinations later in the month, provide an idea of how the students have progressed since September.  These examinations are vitally important as they form the basis of predicting the students’ UCAS grades later in the year.  Good luck to them all.

On Thursday last week two events took place.  The U15 football squad played Valley Park School in the Maidstone District U15 Final at the Gallagher Stadium.  The boys played really well, but sadly lost to Valley 3 – 2.  The boys were very disappointed not to bring back a win for the School, but throughout the game conducted themselves extremely well and were a credit to MGS.  And also on Thursday the Year 11 drama students performed their GCSE pieces to an external examiner.  The students had spent the last few weeks preparing for their assessments, and fingers crossed for some good results which won’t be known until August.

Today after school the U14 football squad play Oakwood Park Grammar School in the Maidstone District U14 Final at the Gallagher Stadium.  Good luck to the boys and let’s hope they can bring home a win.

Finally, congratulations to Matthew Piper of Year 12 who completed the Milton Keynes half marathon a week ago.  He finished it in a really good time of 1 hour 52 minutes and raised over £250 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.  He now has plans to run the Tonbridge half marathon later this year.  Well done Matthew.

Tuesday 2 May 2017

Good morning, I hope you all had a good bank holiday weekend; I could get used to these three day weekends and four day weeks!  This week is a relatively quiet one.  Tonight we welcome parents of Year 7 boys at the Year 7 Parents' Evening.  It is the first time parents of Year 7 boys have met their son's teachers, and I hope the feedback they receive is positive. 

Thank you to everyone who supported the Parents' Association’s non-uniform day on Friday.  Support from the Parents' Association is becoming increasingly important, and their non-uniform day is a really good example of an event that involves the entire student body supporting the School.  Thank you.