HT Blog – Tuesday 29 September 2026

I start this week’s blog by thanking College House for Friday’s Macmillan Cancer Support charity day. With the good weather on our side, we were able to host the coffee morning outside in the School Quad. It was lovely to see parents, carers, staff, students and friends of the school enjoying one another’s company and supporting such a worthwhile cause. My thanks to the College House staff and prefect team for organising the day, and to Cucina for making and donating the cakes.

Yesterday, our Year 7 students, accompanied by staff and parents, enjoyed a day out at Chessington World of Adventures. This trip replaces the Bewl Water and Bletchley Park visits we have organised in previous years, but its main objective remains the same: to provide our newest Maidstonians with another opportunity to make new friends and continue settling into life at the school. Thank you to the Parents’ Association for supporting the trip, and to the staff who made all the necessary arrangements to ensure that the day could go ahead.

Today, we welcome the parents and carers of our youngest and newest Maidstonians into school for our Year 7 Welcome Evening. Over the course of the evening, parents and carers will enjoy a tour of the school led by their own child, have the opportunity to meet their child’s form tutor, and hear from key senior and pastoral staff about the year ahead. I am sure it will be a positive and informative experience, and an opportunity to give our Year 7 families a real sense of the community they have joined.

I cannot quite believe I am saying this, but I am hoping for some wet weather this week so that we can enjoy a full rugby fixture programme on Saturday! This weekend’s fixtures are against Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, who will certainly provide a healthy challenge for our squads. It would be fantastic to have our first full Saturday fixture of the academic year, so let us hope for enough rain during the week to soften our grass pitches.

Speaking of rugby, today sees our Senior Rugby Squad begin their national competition campaign against The King’s School, Canterbury, and I would like to wish the team the very best of luck as they take to the field. Having won the competition last year, the squad enters this year’s competition as the reigning champions, which is a wonderful achievement and one of which the whole school can be proud. We look forward to supporting the team as they begin their title defence and hope they enjoy the occasion and represent the school with pride.

Finally, we are hoping that Friday will see us finally hold the Scout Jamboree Quiz Night. Originally postponed from the summer term because of the exceptionally hot weather, it will be great to see students, staff and families going head-to-head in an evening of general knowledge, obscure facts and, of course, plenty of useless knowledge! The event starts at 7pm, and I hope that many of you will be able to join us for what promises to be an enjoyable evening.

HT Blog – Tuesday 22 September 2026

I am delighted to begin this week’s blog by sharing some truly fantastic news from our Combined Cadet Force. Over the weekend, four of our cadets represented the school at the prestigious Cadet Skill at Arms Meeting (CADSAM) and achieved outstanding success, securing both gold and bronze medals across the competition’s four events. This remarkable achievement reflects their dedication, skill, teamwork and resilience, and we are immensely proud of what they have accomplished. Huge congratulations to the cadets involved on this exceptional performance and for representing the school so admirably. My sincere thanks also go to Mr Cooper for his support, encouragement and commitment in helping our cadets achieve such success.

This week, six of our students have been given the remarkable opportunity to view the Bayeux Tapestry during its special exhibition at the British Museum. Our French Department secured tickets earlier this year when news broke that this extraordinary historic artefact would be coming to the UK. It is a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I have no doubt that those attending will remember the occasion for many years to come. I am delighted that six current Maidstonians have been able to take advantage of this unique opportunity and represent the school at such a prestigious event. My sincere thanks go to Mrs Diaz-Mercado, whose determination and organisation have made this possible.

On Wednesday evening, a number of our talented senior students will take to the stage to perform Bouncers. This energetic and thought-provoking play explores the vibrant and often chaotic world of a weekend nightclub, combining comedy, dance and parody with moments of sharp social observation. Productions such as this showcase not only our students' acting abilities, but also their confidence, teamwork and creativity. I wish all of the performers the very best and extend my thanks to Mrs Brooks and Mrs Edwards for their dedication and support in bringing the production to life.

Thursday provides an important opportunity for the parents and carers of our Year 13 students to attend the Year 13 Consultation Evening. Following the Year 12 UCAS examinations in June, students have spent the opening weeks of term reflecting on their performance and identifying areas for further development as they begin the final stage of their A Level studies. The evening will offer valuable insights into the year ahead and enable constructive conversations between families and teachers. I am sure it will prove both informative and encouraging as students continue their preparations for next summer's examinations and their future destinations beyond MGS.

On Friday, schools and communities across the country will be supporting the Macmillan Coffee Morning, and we are proud to continue our long-standing tradition of taking part. Members of the school community will be invited to dress more casually in exchange for a £1 donation to Macmillan Cancer Support. Throughout the day, the Big Hall will become a welcoming community space where students, staff and members of the wider MGS family can come together to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a slice of cake, while raising money for an incredibly worthwhile cause. Events such as these remind us of the strength and generosity of our community. My sincere thanks go to College House for all of their hard work in organising what promises to be a wonderful event.

HT Blog – Tuesday 15 September 2026

 With our first full week behind us, it is wonderful to see the school settling into the rhythm of the new term. We can now really begin to look ahead and make the most of the opportunities that the weeks ahead will bring.

Over the weekend, our Senior and U15 rugby squads played their first fixtures of the season, with mixed results. It was great to see our students back in action and representing the school so enthusiastically. Particular recognition must go to the 1^st XV and the U15A squads who both won their matches 26 – 17 and 50 – 5 respectively. The football season also got underway last week, with the 2nd XI securing an excellent 4–2 victory against Simon Langton Grammar School. The 1st XI will have their opportunity to face the same opposition this week, and we wish them every success.

Tomorrow sees the return of our annual Higher Education Fair. We are expecting up to 1,000 students, parents and visitors to come into school to meet representatives from a wide range of universities and higher education institutions. It is always a popular and informative evening, particularly for our senior students as they begin to explore and consider the many pathways and opportunities available to them beyond MGS.

Finally, I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone in our school community, and beyond, for the incredibly generous support shown through last week’s non-uniform day, which raised money to support those affected by the recent devastation in Nepal. I am delighted to share that we raised just short of £2,200 - a fantastic amount and a wonderful reflection of the collective kindness, generosity and compassion that exists right across the MGS community. Thank you once again to everyone who contributed and helped make such a difference.

HT Blog – Tuesday 8 September 2026

Welcome to the start of a brand-new academic year and to the first of my weekly blogs. It is wonderful to have the school community back together again, and I hope that everyone associated with MGS has enjoyed a restful and enjoyable summer break. The weather has certainly been marvellous, and hopefully the opportunity to step away from the routines of school, has given everyone time to relax and recharge.

There is always something special about the beginning of a new academic year. The corridors come alive again, familiar faces are reunited, new friendships begin and there is a renewed sense of possibility about the months ahead. I would like to thank all of the staff and students who worked throughout the summer, both front of house and behind the scenes, to ensure that the school was ready to welcome everyone back. Their efforts are greatly appreciated and helped make our return such a positive one.

The beginning of a new year is also a time to celebrate the achievements of the year that has just passed. Over the summer, we received, analysed and shared our GCSE and A Level results, and we were delighted with both sets of outcomes. We were particularly pleased to see 35% of all A Level grades awarded at A*/A, while 41 students earned their place on the school honours boards after achieving three A grades or more. These are wonderful achievements, reflecting not only the hard work and determination of our students but also the support and commitment of the staff. Huge congratulations to all of our students from last year’s Year 11 and Year 13.

Our summer successes have not been limited to the classroom. We were also delighted to hear about the achievements of Matthew in Year 13, who competed in a prestigious UCI road race in Holland. Matthew finished second in the Hill Climb, first in the Bunch Sprint and first in the King of the Mountains, securing the green jersey. A fantastic achievement - and a wonderful example of the talent, dedication and determination that exists across our school community. Huge congratulations to Matthew.

Although last week consisted of only three school days, there was a real sense of momentum as we began the transition back into school life. We were delighted to welcome our newest Maidstonians and, through our first whole-school assembly of the year, brought the entire school community together to remind us all of what it means to be part of MGS. It was particularly pleasing to see our youngest students beginning to find their feet and our older students taking on the responsibility of welcoming and supporting them.

The week also provided opportunities to celebrate and build community. Our Year 7 students enjoyed a team building and rugby day, while Upper School Speech Day gave us the chance to recognise the achievements of our students from the previous year. We were especially pleased to welcome Old Maidstonian Professor Peter Brennan OBE as our guest of honour. Moments such as these remind us that being a Maidstonian is about much more than the time we spend at school - it is about belonging to a community that stretches across generations.

This week, with our first full timetable of lessons, the academic year is now truly underway. For our Year 12 students, this means beginning their A Level journey while also taking part in activities designed to build camaraderie and year-group spirit. Their parents and carers will also have the opportunity to join us for the Year 12 Information Evening, where key members of staff will share information and guidance about the years ahead.

For our newest Maidstonians, there is another important MGS tradition to discover this week: the school song. Written in 1908 by the then Headmaster, it is a unique part of the MGS experience and one of the traditions that connects today's Maidstonians with those who have gone before them. I would like to thank Miss Johnson for helping our new students learn the song and, I hope, helping them to appreciate the sense of history and belonging that comes with it.

As we look ahead to the weekend, we will also see the return of our rugby fixtures, with our first matches against Gravesend Grammar School. The exceptionally dry weather over recent months has led the RFU to introduce restrictions on how much rugby can be played, so this weekend it will be our senior and U15 squads taking to the field, making use of the all-weather pitch facilities at both schools. I wish all of our players the very best of luck and thank the PE Department for all of their work in preparing the squads for their first games of the year.

Finally, our thoughts this week turn beyond our own school community to the people of Nepal following the recent devastation there. MGS has a large and valued Nepalese community, and we feel it is important to show our support at this particularly worrying time. On Wednesday, we will therefore be holding a charity day to raise money for the Nepal Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund. I hope that as many members of our community as possible will support the event and help us demonstrate the compassion, generosity and sense of community that are such important parts of being a Maidstonian.