Tuesday 30 April 2024

Yesterday felt like the day after the night before!

We started the week reflecting on our week-long 475 celebrations that took place last week.  Across the week the entire school came together for five whole-school assemblies looking at the history of MGS as well as hearing from key people about why MGS is special to them.  Thank you to everyone who contributed to the week - it was so good sharing in the celebrations together.  Very soon our year 11 and year 13 students will be starting their study leave and their respective public exams and so it was right to have these celebrations before they leave.   

Talking of exams, this week year 10 students complete their school exams: a set of exams that will illustrate to them how they are all doing half way through their GCSE studies.  Good luck to them all.  As I talk about examinations, this week is the last full week before the GCSE and A-level exams begin.  Thursday 9 May is the key date, with the first exam being GCSE Religious Studies.  Keep up the hard work Year 11 and Year 13, not long to go now.

Yesterday, Year 7 enjoyed an afternoon in the Big Hall hearing from Kent Music who delivered their Bach to the Future presentation.  It is a presentation Kent Music do every year to promote the idea of learning a musical instrument as well as encouraging our younger Maidstonians to continue their enjoyment in music.  I always enjoy this presentation as from my office I can hear the opening music from the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.  A good afternoon was had by all, including me! 

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.