Tuesday 23 April 2024

Happy St George’s Day and welcome to the MGS 475 birthday celebration week. 

This week the entire school community will come together each day to celebrate the 475^th anniversary of the Royal Charter being granted to the town of Maidstone to set up a school: Maidstone Grammar School.  Each day, one of the four houses: College, Corpus Christi, Tonbridge and Barton will be sharing with the school what life was like at MGS at that specific site, and then on Friday I, joined by OM Jaron Tarry, will be speaking to the school about what it means to be associated with MGS and what it means to be a Maidstonian.  It will certainly be a week to remember.  The week of celebration follows the weekend where we enjoyed the CCF Dinner on Friday, an afternoon of football played by a few former students, and the Old Maidstonian Supper on Saturday.  A good weekend was had by all, and thank you to the many members of staff and students who helped support the occasion.

Also at the weekend, well done to the students who took part in the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Practice Expedition in the New Forest, and thank you to the staff for accompanying them.  The real thing is later this year in Wales. 

As we begin to say goodbye to Year 13 on Thursday the year group will be coming together for the annual Year 13 Leavers’ Photograph.  Very soon Year 13 will make the journey from being a Maidstonian to becoming an Old Maidstonian, and part of that rite of passage is the annual photograph.  Let us hope there is good weather on Thursday!

Huge congratulations to Jack, Old Maidstonian and former member of staff who ran the London marathon at the weekend.  He was running in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust and completed it in 5 hours and 25 minutes.  Well done Jack.  And as I acknowledge Jack, I also wish to congratulate Mr Highsted and Mr Hughes who both ran the Paris marathon in the Easter holiday.  Well done to them.

 

 

Tuesday 16 April 2024

Welcome to my first blog of Term 5; I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

Yesterday, the 24 students and five staff who trekked to Everest Base Camp over the Easter holiday returned to the UK. We all had an amazing experience, and one that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Thank you to everyone who made it possible. Today is their first full day at school, and even though it was an incredible trip, it is so good returning to MGS and to routine. 

Just as we return though, a group of geography students and staff make the trip down to Swanage to complete essential A level fieldwork. We wish them safe travels and a rewarding week of activities. 

This week we begin to look forward to our 475 celebrations. The main week of celebrations for the school is next week, but on Friday we host the CCF Dinner and on Saturday we welcome back over 130 Old Maidstonians to the annual OM Supper. As well as these two events, an Old Maidstonian and former school captain will be in school all week capturing life at MGS now. Back in 1971 a video was produced to capture the life of the school then, and because we are celebrating the school's 475th birthday, the time has come to do the same again. Many aspects of the school will be recorded to reflect the essence and spirit of MGS, and so we look forward to seeing what is produced in the coming months. 

 

 

 

Tuesday 26 March 2024

Welcome to the last blog of Term 4.

Last week we enjoyed a ‘friendly’ one-off football match where we saw the MGS 1^st XI play the MGS 2^nd XI.  As we near the end of the season it was good to see fellow Maidstonians enjoy a friendly match to round off what has been a good year for both teams.  Spirits were high, fun was had by players and spectators, and we even saw guest appearances from Mr Hughes and Mr Smith who put their boots on and joined in.  Thank you all for an enjoyable event.  Also last week a number of students who study drama enjoyed a matinee performance of Life of Pi at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley.  A good time was had by all.

On Monday we welcomed back a number of Old Maidstonians who left in the summer last year to the A Level Certificate Presentation Evening.  About 60 OMs from last year’s Year 13 cohort returned to collect their A level certificates and enjoy each other’s company.  It was good to see them again.

Tuesday is the last day in school for me, four of my colleagues and 24 year 12 students before we leave for Nepal and trek to Everest Base Camp.  This trip has been two years in the making, and so I am delighted to be joining my fellow Maidstonians on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  We will bring back many photos and treasured memories. 

Good luck to Gabby of Year 13 who is representing England at the U18 Six Nations tournament this week.  We have followed her success over the last two years, and this opportunity to play for her country is a fantastic one.  Well done.

Finally, as this is the last blog before the Easter break, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a pleasant holiday and a well-deserved rest.  See you in a few weeks, and don’t eat too many chocolate eggs!

 

 

Tuesday 19 March 2024

Firstly, I wish to thank everyone for supporting last Friday’s charity and non-uniform day.  The amount raised for Mid-Kent Mind is yet to be finalised, but once again, the generosity from Maidstonians was very much appreciated.

At the weekend, the CCF Army Section took part in a Military Skills Competition against other CCFs in the South East. They took part in a variety of activities including military knowledge, shooting, radio communication and casualty evacuation. The MGS team continued to show their general ability to adapt to situations and performed well overall in the tasks finishing mid-table. Feedback was generally positive from the directing staff and lots of useful feedback has been provided allowing for development in preparation for the prestigious Cambrian Patrol competition in the summer term 

Today, parents of year 7 students hear from their child’s teachers about how their child has got on since joining MGS back in September. The Year 7 Virtual Parents’ Evening is an opportunity to hear how our youngest Maidstonians are progressing and how they are seeing MGS as their second home.  I am sure the evening will be a positive one.

This week we see a number of our rugby squads take part in the prestigious Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens tournament.  Rosslyn Park Sevens is the largest school rugby tournament in the world and has been around since 1939.  It is always hotly contested with many very strong rugby schools attending.  Best wishes to the players, and thank you to the staff for accompanying.

This week is also the last full week before 24 year 12 students, accompanied by five staff, fly out to Nepal to begin their trek to Everest Base Camp.  Over the course of 19 days, the students fly to Kathmandu and then onto Lukla, before beginning the nine-day hike up and four-day hike down, before spending two more days in Kathmandu before flying back.  Best wishes to them all.  We look forward to hearing all about it when they return.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge Lieutenant George, an Old Maidstonian who left MGS in 2015.  Whilst he was at MGS, George took part in the CCF and always wanted to make the Royal Navy his career.  He is now commanding officer of HMS Trumpeter, and has just recently invited current MGS Royal Navy cadets onto a P2000 to show them around and tell them about his career to date.  Thank you George, and huge congratulations for making commanding officer.

Tuesday 12 March 2024

I start this week’s blog by remembering fellow Maidstonian Harrison, who sadly died in tragic circumstances one year ago.  On Friday last week, Harrison’s closest friend, Oliver, shared a few words with his year group about his friend and what life has been like for him in the last 12 months.  As well as this, on Friday of this week we use the charity day to raise money for Mid Kent Mind: a charity that supports the young people of Maidstone and surrounding areas.

On Thursday this week we welcome 30+ visitors to MGS to speak to many of our students at our annual careers event.  Students will be able to choose two different career talks to attend, ranging from engineering to finance, and law to medicine.  Thank you to the 30+ visitors, many of whom are Old Maidstonians, who have offered to come in to share their experiences.

Well done to Amelia and Joe, both of Year 13 and Tonbridge House, who competed in the final of the Oxford Schools Debating Competition at the weekend.  To reach the national final and have a chance to debate against some of the finest schools in the country and at one of the finest universities in the world was such an honour.  Across the four debates they achieved three 2^nd places and one 3^rd place.  The two of them should be very proud indeed.

Huge congratulations to Theo, of Year 11 and Corpus Christi House, who has been invited to interview for the prestigious Arkwright Scholarship for 2024.  From a group of seven year 11 students who applied, Theo was the only successful candidate – which goes to show the expectations and calibre expected for the next generation of upcoming engineers.  We are very proud of all seven students who participated this year, who will now forge ahead on their own path in design or engineering careers.

Tuesday 5 March 2024

Firstly, thank you to the MGS Parents’ Association for staging another enjoyable evening last Friday at the annual quiz night.  Thank you to the many parents, governors, students, Old Maidstonians and friends of MGS who came along to test their general knowledge.  Congratulations to Quizzy Rascals aka the Senior Leadership Team for winning the quiz, and thank you to the members of the Parents’ Association, the year 12 helpers, and to Mrs Friend for supporting.

At the weekend a number of our CCF cadets were out and about.  A group of Royal Navy cadets, accompanied by Ms Alloy and Mr Pinn, enjoyed the sights of Dartmouth taking part in a multi activity weekend at Britannia Royal Navy College, and two teams of Army cadets competed in mini military army skills competition against Skinners’ School in Ashdown Forest.

Over the last couple of weeks a number of squads have represented MGS at various Rugby Sevens tournaments across Kent.  Most mornings I see a mix of students, including a girls team, dressed in their MGS rugby kit to go off somewhere to play the fast-paced game.  Thank you to the players for representing the school, and to the staff who support them.

Today is the Year 9 Virtual Parents’ Evening.  It provides a chance for parents of year 9 students to hear how their child is getting on after embarking on their GCSEs six months ago.  I am sure it will be a positive evening for many.

On Thursday this week it is World Book Day, so throughout the week Ms Merrett, our literacy lead, will be leading a series of assemblies accompanied by students sharing their thoughts on their favourite books. 

On Friday I accompany two year 13 students to Oxford to take part in the final of the Oxford Schools Debating Competition.  Joe and Amelia, who both lead the Debating Club, have been debating together for nearly two years now, and are a force to be reckoned with.  In Oxford I am sure they will meet some strong competition, but it will be an absolute pleasure see them do their thing.  Good luck to them both.

Tuesday 27 February 2024

Firstly, well done to the Year 12 Everest walkers who completed two 20km walks over the weekend in preparation for the Everest Base Camp trip that is now only five weeks away.  On both Saturday and Sunday a group of 25 Maidstonians could be seen walking the footpaths of the North Downs getting very wet and muddy in the process.  Not long to go now before they depart.

This week is a slightly quieter week for us following a busy return to school last week.  The highlight for me last week was awarding the roles of school captain and school vice-captain to the two new incumbents.  Huge congratulations go to Isaac and Noah who were successful in the two-day interview process.  The two of them will now work with Rafe and Jess over the next couple of months before they officially take over in April.

This Friday is the annual MGS Parents’ Association Quiz Night.  This year’s theme is MGS 475: every question will have something to do with the letters M, G or S and the numbers 4, 7 or 5.  Knowledge of MGS is not required!  Tickets are still available so do come along.  Quiz starts at 7pm in the Big Hall.

20 February 2024

Welcome to Term 4 and the half-way point in the school year.  I hope you have had a good half term break and found an opportunity to recharge.

I start the term spending two days interviewing the eight shortlisted candidates for the roles of next year’s school captain and school vice-captain.  Eight Year 12 students were successful before the half term break in progressing to the final stages of the process, and so by Thursday this week we will know the next two incumbents.  Good luck to them all.

I also start this term by saying thank you to the staff and students involved in this year’s school production.  Three evenings in the week before the half term break audiences enjoyed being thrown back to the 1980s in The Wedding Singer.  A huge thank you to the musicians, cast and crew and to the members of staff who supported the production, led this year by Mrs Brooks and Mr Bourne.  Here’s to next year!

Finally, huge congratulations to Gaby of Year 12 who has just become the National Schools Equestrian Association County Dressage Champion achieving 2nd place in the Restricted Class and 1st in the Open.  She has now qualified to compete in the County Championship to be held in May at the All England Show Ground Hickstead.  Well done Gaby.

Tuesday 6 February 2024

I start this week’s blog by acknowledging two groups of students who represented MGS over the weekend.  On Saturday nine students, accompanied by Ms Adams, took part in the regional round of the Cambridge University Debating Competition, which was in fact held at Maidstone Grammar School.  Sadly, none of the students progressed to the national finals, but there were some good outcomes across the day and some promising younger debaters who will form a strong team going forward.  In contrast, on Sunday a number of senior rugby players, accompanied by Mr Saunders, took part in a rugby sevens tournament in Surrey.  Competition was extremely tough, particularly against Dulwich College, but the players valued the experience and exposure.

Very soon Year 12 students will begin to think about life beyond MGS, and many will be wanting to make an application to university to further their education, so yesterday, students and parents of Year 12 attended the annual UCAS Information Evening: an evening providing information about the UCAS process. 

This week we look forward to three performances of this year’s school production The Wedding Singer.  A huge ensemble of cast, crew and musicians have been rehearsing for months, and are now ready to perform for an excited audience.  The Wedding Singer is on tonight, Wednesday and Thursday in the Big Hall at 7pm.  Do come along.

Also this week the 25 candidates for next year’s school captain and school vice-captain positions get whittled down to a shortlist of about eight who will progress onto the interview stage.  25 Year 12 students putting their name forward indicates how strong the year group is and how much they all wish to giver service and leadership to their school. 

Tuesday 30 January 2024

I begin this week with a huge thank you to the entire Senior Leadership Team who led the school in my absence last week, and to Mr Hanratty for writing last week's blog. I returned yesterday following a week accompanying 24 Year 12 students who attended the Harvard Model United Nations Conference in Boston. We had an amazing time sightseeing in New York as well joining 3,600 other students from across the world at the conference. A massive thank you to Mrs Van Mol for leading the trip, and for Miss Alloy for joining us both. 

Congratulations to Amelia and Joe of Year 13 who successfully progressed to the national finals of the Oxford Schools Debating Competition.  Last night eight students from years 12 and 13 took part in the regional round, four of whom having just returned from the Harvard trip, and Amelia and Joe, who have led the MGS Debating Club all year led by example and broke through.  Well done to everyone who took part

This week the Year 13 mock exams continue. Starting last week Year 13 students are completing seven days of exams to assess where they are four months before their A Level exams in the summer. I hope the opportunity to find out where students' strengths and weaknesses is welcomed.

Today we welcome parents of Year 8 to attend their virtual parents' evening - hearing from subject teachers about progress as well as recommendations for GCSE options. 

On Thursday, with it being the first day of February, the school begins its acknowledgement of LGBTQ+ History Month, which this year has a theme of healthcare and medicine. Once again the Pride flag will be flying on top of the gatehouse, display screens across the school will be showing images of renowned figures in the field of medicine and healthcare, and some form time activities will be adapted to acknowledge the month. 

Also on Thursday it is the deadline for applications for the roles of School Captain and School Vice-Captain for 2024-25. A number of Year 12 students have thrown their hat in the ring, but will need to wait until next week to see if they have been shortlisted for the interviews the week after half term. Best wishes to all who apply.

 

Tuesday 23 January 2024

Hello there, Mr Hanratty here, in the absence of the Headteacher who is currently in the USA with our Year 12 students and staff members representing the school at the prestigious Harvard Model United Nations Conference in Boston. Prior to the conference this weekend, the staff and students are staying in New York, immersing themselves in the sights and sounds while enjoying everything the city's culture has to offer.

We are honoured to be the only UK school attending this conference, a testament to the hard work, commitment, and impact of our staff and students year after year. We send our best wishes to all the students and staff participating in the conference, and we will be sharing updates and photos from the trip on our social media profiles later this week and next.

Last Thursday, our Sixth Form Open Evening took place. A massive thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the success of the event. A particular thanks must go to those staff and students who worked outside in the freezing temperatures to support the event. A special thanks must also go to Megan J (Year 12 Barton House) and Vice School Captain Jess R (Year 13 College House) who proudly spoke about the School and shared their Sixth Form experiences with our visitors during both presentations in the Big Hall. We are delighted to report a record number of applications to join the Sixth Form, and submissions are still coming in before the deadline this Thursday.

This Thursday also marks the start of our Year 13 Mock Exams, scheduled to run until Monday 5 February. It has been heartening to see how seriously Year 13 have taken their preparation for these exams and they are working hard to put their best foot forward. A special thanks to all the staff providing last minute revision sessions for Year 13. These exams serve as a valuable indicator of how Year 13 students will fare in their upcoming exams starting in May. Best wishes to Year 13 in their final preparations and during the exams – you've got this!

Also this Thursday (there is a lot going on this Thursday), a number of staff and students will travel to Queen’s College, Cambridge. We regularly visit universities as a part of careers and destinations programme, and our students and staff always return with positive feedback, and an extra bounce in their steps. On the subject of Cambridge, we extend our best wishes to our prospective Cambridge candidates, hoping for the best as they await confirmation of their offers tomorrow.

We have a wide variety of fixtures scheduled for this week: this afternoon, our U13A basketball team will compete against Wrotham School at home, while our U14B football team will also face Wrotham at home. Tomorrow, we have two football away fixtures, with our 1st XI playing against Judd and our 2nd XI against Oakwood. On Thursday, our 1XI hockey squad will play away at Ashford School. The sporting week will conclude with four football sides (U13A, U13B, U12A, and U12B) competing against Ewell Castle School at home. Best of luck to all those participating.

In last week's fixtures, the U14A football team secured a 3-1 victory against Wrotham on Monday. Despite an unfortunate loss in U16A basketball against The Canterbury Academy (67-70) on Tuesday and a 1-1 draw for our U14B football side against The Howard School last Thursday, Friday brought success for our U16A basketball team with a 74-51 scoreline against Wrotham School. Unfortunately, our U14A football side experienced an unlucky loss against Ravens Wood School (3-5). The Saturday fixture resulted in a 1-4 scoreline favouring Hurstmere against our U14B football side. Congratulations to all for their efforts, and a massive thank you to the staff and families who supported these fixtures.

Do have a read of the Headteacher’s blog next week, where he will undoubtedly provide an update on their exciting trip stateside. Until then, take care and have a good week.

I begin this week’s blog with two very sad pieces of news.  Firstly, friend and Old Maidstonian Paul Oldham passed away last week following a long battle with cancer.  Paul was a huge supporter of the School, despite leaving MGS back in 1963, and was integral in the recent redevelopment of the War Memorial Library.  We send our condolences to his friends and family.  The second piece of the upsetting news is the sad death of Mary Pettit, wife of former headmaster Dr Philip Pettit, who died just after Christmas from a short illness.  Mrs Pettit was associated with MGS for over 50 years - since her husband became headmaster in 1972 and seeing her grandson achieve a place here a few years ago.  We also send condolences to her close and wider family.

In contrast to this sad news, huge congratulations must go to Rafferty Pedder (OM 2013 – 2018) who made his professional football 1^st team debut last Saturday for QPR in the third round of the Men’s FA Cup against Bournemouth.  Well done Rafferty.  Also, following this football theme, the 1^st XI football squad beat Sir Joseph Williamson School 10 – 0 in the Kent Cup, a team that they lost to earlier in the season in the East Kent Premier League.  Well done to the entire squad.

At the weekend the students and staff trekking to Everest Base Camp in April went on their third practice walk, this time west of Sevenoaks in the Ide Hill area.  The 24km walk enjoyed the Greensands Way, Chartwell House, and the small town of Westerham.  Everyone returned with no blisters and a smile!

This week we open our doors to the wider Maidstone community and welcome prospective sixth form students to our Post 16 Open Evening.  Throughout the evening there will be opportunities to hear from key staff about life at MGS as well as speak to current sixth form students about their experiences.  We hope that everyone has an informative evening. 

Following four months of after-school rehearsals, preparations for this year’s school production have now moved into the Big Hall.  The Wedding Singer takes place in the first full week of February, and so last week and this week’s all-day rehearsals are a significant step to the main event.  Do come along on Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 February at 7.30pm for an enjoyable evening.

On Sunday, 24 Year 12 students, accompanied by three members of staff, fly out to the United States to attend the Harvard Model United Nations Conference.  Following three sight-seeing days in New York the group travels to Boston and to the Conference to put into practise what they have been working on since September.  It will be an amazing experience for the students, and one that will become a memory they cherish for a long time.

 

Tuesday 9 January 2024

Even though we returned to school last week, welcome to the first full week of 2024.  With Mr Hanratty being absent from school last week, this week we will be enjoying his New Year assembly, presented to each house.  Once again, we can say Happy New Year.

I continue this blog by commiserating the senior football players as last Wednesday they sadly lost their game in the last 16 of the National Cup.  The team were 2 – 0 up within 15 minutes, but went on to lose 4 – 3 to Newham College, Brighton.  It was a disappointing result, but the players and coaches should be very proud of what they achieved both on and off the pitch. 

Last Friday I launched the process of finding the next school captain and school vice-captain to Year 12.  It is this time of year when we begin the search, and by the start of Term 4 we will know the next two incumbents.  Best wishes to all who decide to apply.

Today after school the Year 11 Parents’ Evening takes place.  Parents will hear from subject staff about how their children are getting on, and how they should use the next four months to position themselves well for the GCSE examinations. 

Also this week we open our doors to the wider community for the first of three Post 16 Open Mornings.  On each morning prospective sixth form students will have a tour of the school and hear from their guides about what it is like being a Maidstonian as well as studying A-levels at MGS.  These mornings will be followed by the Post 16 Open Evening on Thursday 18 January.

Tuesday 2 January 2024

Happy New Year and welcome to the first blog of 2024.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break and a well-deserved rest. 

I start the new term with news that on Friday 8 December, at our annual Christmas-themed charity day, we raised £1,206.38 for Homeless Care, an organisation that supports the homeless and vulnerable in the Maidstone area.  Thank you to everyone who supported the day.

During this four-day week there are two main events: the rescheduled Year 13 Parents’ Evening and the Year 8 Information Evening.  The Year 13 Parents’ Evening provides a chance for parents to hear how their children are getting on, and the Year 8 Information Evening provides parents with greater detail and understanding in the upcoming GCSE options process.  Both events take place on Thursday.

However, the biggest event of the week is Wednesday’s football match, which will see the senior 1^st XI football squad compete in the Last 16 of the National Cup.  The players have done so well in getting this far, and there is only 90 minutes between them and the quarter-finals.  Good luck to them all.