HT Blog – Tuesday 29 April 2025

HT Blog – Tuesday 29 April 2025

We started the week yesterday with a week-long period of examinations for Year 10.  With over half of the GCSE syllabus already covered, it is a good time for Year 10 to pause for a week and review how much they have learnt.  The examinations will be run in the same way as all public examinations which will illustrate to Year 10 what they can expect this time next year in the real GCSEs.  Good luck to them all.

Continuing the theme of examinations, and as mentioned last week, we are now at the stage when Year 11 and Year 13 are completing elements of their own respective GCSE and A-level examinations.  Year 13 PE students will be completing their practical element in front of an external moderator, GCSE MFL speaking examinations continue for Year 11, and Year 11 art students are undertaking 10 hours of their practical examination.  It certainly is a busy time for the school.  Best wishes to all students involved in examinations.

On Thursday parents of Year 9 hear how their children are getting on as they attend the Year 9 Virtual Parents’ Evening.  Year 9 are about one-third of the way through their GCSE studies, and so this week’s feedback point will provide an opportunity for parents to understand where their children are.

The summer season of cricket has begun in earnest with a few fixtures taking place across different age groups.  Apart from last Wednesday the weather has been kind to the players since we returned, with this week proving to be another bumper week for fine weather and good cricket.  Here’s hoping for prolonged good weather.

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 22 April 2025

 

HT Blog – Tuesday 22 April 2025

Welcome back to school and to Term 5 – I hope you all had a wonderful Easter break and enjoyed the lovely weather.  We start the new term with a busy week, but before I go into that, I would like to congratulate Owen of Year 13 and Barton House who last year competed in the Powerlifting Commonwealth Championships in South Africa, coming away with a silver medal.  Well, just before Easter he took part in the British Powerlifting Championships in Wolverhampton, and on this occasion won gold in the deadlift placing him first in the UK.  In doing this he has been nominated to represent GB in the 2025 European Championships in Lithuania and the World Championships in Costa Rica.  Huge congratulations Owen.

Returning to this week and the start of term, today, all year 12 geographers travel down to Dorset for four days of fieldwork to begin collecting data for their A-level coursework.  I am sure many readers of this blog who have studied geography at school can remember the times when they would be measuring pebbles on a beach, counting cars on the side of a road, or asking local residents their views on the area.  I am sure fieldwork has not changed!

With the fast-approaching GCSE and A-level examinations just around the corner, the art practical exam and the MFL speaking exams begin this week.  This is the time of the year when the library becomes very busy, but at the same time very quiet, as the year 11 and 13 students complete their final preparations before their first exam in May.  Good luck to them all.

On Wednesday we welcome our newest and youngest Maidstonians as well as their families to the Year 6 Welcome Evening.  Back in March these boys would have heard the news that they had gained a place at MGS and so the journey to become a fully-fledged Maidstonian starts this week.  We look forward to meeting them and wish them the best for the coming years.

And on Thursday, the step to become an Old Maisdtonian becomes more real as Year 13 enjoy gathering together for the annual Year 13 leavers’ photograph.  This is always a poignant moment, as this photograph, bought by many, will be treasured for years to come; but the gathering together also represents the penultimate time when the entire year group are together as one.  I am sure there will be tears, and if not, there will definitely be tears at the leavers’ assembly two weeks after.

Finally, a huge thank you to the Premises Team, who, over the Easter break, have been working hard getting the school ready for our return.  Acknowledgement must go to the completed gym project and new Student Services Centre that are now both ready to use.