Tuesday 10 September 2024

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who was involved with Friday’s Upper School Speech Day and Year 7 Team Building Day.  The weather was sadly not on our side, but despite wet conditions Year 7 still had a good time getting to know their fellow Maidstonians, and the guests and prize-winners at the speech day still valued the opportunity to celebrate.  It was a good day for MGS.

With last week starting in a phased way, this week is the first full week of school for everyone.  On Wednesday we welcome year 12 students and their parents to the Year 12 Information Evening: an event for Year 12 to understand more about what is to come as they embark on two years of A-level study.  On Friday we wish a number of our students well as they leave for the weekend to complete their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Assessed Expedition.  And on Saturday we look forward to the first Saturday rugby fixture against Gravesend Grammar School.  Good luck to all the walkers and players, and thank you to the staff who will be accompanying them. 

Finally, huge congratulations must go to Carys of Year 13 and Corpus Christi House who, over the summer, competed in the Junior Track Cycling World Championships in China.  She competed in three events: the Team Pursuit, the Individual Pursuit and the Madison.  Her team placed 1st in the Team Pursuit - achieving a world record time of 4 mins and 20 seconds for 4km; she won a gold medal and achieved a PB in the Individual Pursuit; and also won another gold medal in the Madison with her partner.  Well done Carys – clearly someone to look out for in the future.

Tuesday 3 September 2024

 Welcome back to a new academic year; I hope you have all had a wonderful summer break and an opportunity to rest and relax.  This week, as we start the new year, we welcome many new Maidstonians who are joining the MGS community.  The 216 young year 7 students, the 50+ year 12 students and the 17 new members of staff all began their MGS journey today, and I hope that their time at MGS is a good one.  Tomorrow I will be welcoming them all, as well as the rest of the school, at the first whole-school assembly in the Quad.  Having over 1500 Maidstonians sat in front of me reminds me how we are all connected, and it is those connections that make MGS a special place.  I hope everyone has a good start to the year. 

Contrast this to the end of the week where we will be welcoming back some of the outgoing students who left in the summer to receive prizes at the Upper School Speech Day.  At the start of every academic year we award prizes to a number of senior students from the previous years’ 11, 12 and 13 as well as reflect on the year that has passed.  This year’s guest of honour is Old Maidstonian Dan Abnet who attended MGS back in the 1980s and who went on to write for Marvel and DC Comics.  Let us hope the weather is good so as we can host the event in the Quad – something we have not been able to do since 2019.  Also on Friday the new year 7 students will be enjoying a morning of team building activities to encourage them get to know more of their fellow Maidstonians as they transition from their smaller primary schools to the much bigger school of MGS.  I am sure they will make new friends in the process.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to an upcoming art exhibition featuring the work of MGS art teachers.  From Saturday 21 September for three months, work by Mr Ashenfelter, Mr Hanratty, Mr Jones and Mr Martin will be on display at the Maidstone Museum.  Please go to www.museum.maidstone.gov.uk for more details.  Admission is free.