Tuesday 25 May 2021

Friday last week we said goodbye to Year 13 and it was a probably the best leavers’ day in my lifetime at MGS.  Spirits amongst the year group were perfectly judged, and it was clear that the students will really miss us.  Thank you to the entire year group for being a very special bunch of people.  Good luck and best wishes to them all.

This week is a moment in the story of MGS where we turn over to a new chapter.  As we slowly progress out of lockdown and restrictions are lifted we are able to return to elements of the old MGS.  We have now gone back to a normal timetable with a single break and lunch, and now students move around the school for each of their lessons.  Measures are still in place to keep year groups in some form of bubbles, particularly during unstructured time, and students have been informed how they should move round the school in a sensible and safe manner, but the opportunity to see each other and appreciate that we are one small part in a much larger community is wonderful.

This week we also see our first ‘big event’ in the Hall to raise money for a charity we are supporting. “Lend with Care” is a charity originating from “CARE International UK”. It allows individuals to make small loans, starting at £15, to individuals in developing countries so they can start their business and work their way out of poverty.  Today we are staging a ‘Staff Wars’ event which will see staff pitted against each other in a number of different challenges.  My money is on Mr Hughes who is taking part in the Keepie Uppie Challenge against Mr Terrell.  I would like to thank the group of business studies students, led by Samantha Croucher of College House, who has organised the event. 

Tuesday 18 May 2021

This week is the last week for Year 13.  For many of them they have been at MGS for seven years, so Leavers’ Day on Friday will be a bitter-sweet occasion.  Before that though they have their final assessments to complete.  Good luck to them all, and I look forward to the Leavers’ Assembly on Friday where I am sure there will be tears.

This week we are also putting together the final touches to our new arrangements that will be in place from Monday 24 May.  From next Monday, we are adjusting a number of measures that we have had inn place all year to return the school to some form of normality.  Teachers will be teaching in their own classrooms, students will travel around the site to get to their lessons, and we go back to having a single break and single lunch during the day.  This is something to be looking forward to.

Congratulations to College House who won the first ever inter-house netball tournament.  Year 12 students took part in this high-spirited event which saw both boys and girls play together.  It is always fun watching the boys try and bring the rules of basketball into the game!  Thank you to Mr Hughes, Mr Highsted, Miss Wilson, Miss Dimmick and Mrs Coveney for supporting.

I wish to acknowledge the many students I see every day bring their cricket kit to school to take part in our after school cricket clubs.  Thanks to Mr Davies, Mr Calvert, Mr Rivers and Mr Johnston the profile of cricket has drastically increased across all age groups.  It is so good to see many students take part and see them using our new cricket nets alongside the all-weather.

Tuesday 11 May 2021

We start the week with one fewer year group in school.  Year 11 left last Friday after finishing all of their final assessments, and now they have gone the focus for the next two weeks will be on Year 13 and ensuring they do as well as they can in their final assessments.  This is their last push so good luck to them all.

Much of the work over the next couple of weeks will be to prepare the students and staff for Monday 24 May: the day when we return to our normal timetable and to when teachers teach in their own subject areas and classrooms.  Since September teachers have been moving around the school site, teaching their classes in year group zones.  But with fewer students in school from Monday 24 Monday we are going to be moving to a point where students move around the site and have their lessons taught in departmental areas. Certain precautionary measures will be put in place to minimise risk, but this is something we have been looking forward to for a while.  It illustrates a big step forward to normality.

Tuesday 4 May 2021

Firstly, welcome back following the long weekend.  The May Day Bank Holiday weekend has always been my favourite bank holiday weekend of the year, and with the good weather, particularly on Saturday, it made for a pleasant extra break in the middle of a busy term.

Last week we enjoyed the last three inter-house football tournaments for years 7, 8 and 9.  Like all of the others they were strongly contested and played in good spirits. Congratulations to Barton House for winning both A and B competitions in Year 9; to Corpus Christi and College houses in Year 8; and Corpus Christi and Barton houses in Year 7.  All of these results get plugged into the overall House Cup Competition that will be awarded at the end of the academic year.  Thank you once again to the PE Department and to Mr Highsted for overseeing the events.

This week we welcome back Year 13 for their last three weeks of school.  During that time they will complete essential final assessments in each of their subjects before jetting off for a long summer holiday.  The hard work is not yet over, but some light at the end of the tunnel is slowly becoming visible. 

We also say goodbye this week to Year 11 who have come to the end of their time at MGS (for the moment).  They will complete all assessments by Friday and then leave having 17 weeks of holiday ahead of them!  Use it wisely, boys.

Finally, Haydn Price of Year 13 will be doing a 1.4 mile open-water swim in the Bournemouth 'Pier to Pier' on Saturday 3 July.  Haydn has started training, and gratefully welcomes donations towards the British Heart Foundation here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/haydn-price1?experiments=b2c_054_show_hide_fitness_totaliser%2Cb2c_059_donate_to_yourself_v3&isMobile=true&successType=StaticDonateButtonClick