6 December 2016

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the final performance of this year's School Production on Saturday evening.  Over 50 students across all seven year groups and about 10 members of staff were all involved in the classic tale of Zorro.  It was a lively mix of South American colours, costumes and music with many moments of comedy brilliance.  The confession scene was genius!  Well done to the entire cast and crew, and thank you all for giving an incredible amount of commitment for the last three months. 

This production is followed tonight by the GCSE Drama Showcase.  Year 10 and 11 students are showcasing their work to an audience at 5.30pm in Room 60.  I look forward to another evening of entertainment.

Tomorrow night we welcome parents of Year 12 who will be attending the Year 12 Parents' Evening.  It is the first opportunity for Year 12 and their parents to hear how they are progressing with their A-Level studies.  We have high hopes for the year group, so let us hope the evening is a positive one.

Thursday night is the Parent's Association Christmas Fair and Pamper Evening.  This year is the third time this event has run, and if last year is anything to go by, this year's event will be well-attended.  There will be a number of different stalls selling a variety of Christmas goodies and stocking filler ideas, plus an opportunity to relax and be pampered.  Do come along.  It starts at 6pm and is £3 to enter.

Friday is the second House Charity Day of the year.  Endeavour and invincible lead this, and as it is the charity day nearest Christmas we ask students and staff to also bring in a food item that gets donated to a charity supporting the homeless.  The day will include the usual opportunity for students to come to school not in uniform in exchange for £1, plus enjoy a number of events during break and lunch.  Remember also we are collecting toys and gifts for The Salvation Army to pass to children less fortunate than ourselves.  If you can support this your offers of help will be very much appreciated.

And finally this Friday and Saturday are two big days in the rugby calendar: they are the days we play The Judd School.  It is always a hotly contested weekend, so I wish all the players the best of luck. 

29 November 2016

On Saturday morning I enjoyed a very tense hour watching the 1st XV rugby squad play St Olaves.  The players played with tremendous passion and pride and ended the tense hour winning 8 - 7.  St Olaves were leading 7 - 5 at half time, and after securing a penalty in the first 10 minutes of the second half we then protected a one point lead for the rest of the game.  In the last minute it looked as though St Olaves were going to win with a very late try, but fortunately for us they did not ground the ball.  A good morning's entertainment.  Well done gents.

Yesterday and today I have been joined by governors, staff and students in finding a new Deputy Head for the School.  The days are incredibly demanding for everyone but also a pleasure to meet people who wish to make a positive impact at MGS.  It is hoped that we are in a position this afternoon to make an appointment.  Thank you to everyone involved.

This week, starting from tomorrow, we will all be enjoying four nights of Zorro, this year's school production.  Students and staff have worked tirelessly over the past three months preparing for this week.  I am sure a number of us remember the black and white TV series, and those much younger will have seen the Antonio Banderas films.  We look forward to seeing this iconic character on the MGS stage.  Good luck to the cast and crew, and thank you to all of you involved.  The show is on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week starting at 7.30pm.  Do come along.

On Friday afternoon I am meeting Mrs Stanley, Headmistress of Maidstone Girls Grammar School, for our monthly catch up.  It is a chance for the two of us to chew the fat over a cup of tea, share ideas and look at how the two schools can continue to support each other.

And finally, congratulations to eight boys who took part in the Literature Quiz Competition at East Tilbury Library last week. The boys settled well in the crowded venue and battled to find the answers to wide ranging questions related to fiction and non-fiction books, comics, poems and author biography.  The boys worked exceptionally well together demonstrating their wide reading and recall of detail. Both teams were a credit to MGS and the results were really exciting. We achieved joint first place, but with only one team able to progress to the National Final and the opportunity to travel to Canada for the World Finals.  Well done to James Tyler, George Bacon, Toby Hardy and Henry Noble all from 7 Challenger; Sam Butler, Ben Collins and Andrew Betha of 8 Endeavour; and Bailey Hearn of 8Challenger.

 

 

22 November 2016

On Saturday I enjoyed watching some of the younger boys play rugby against Gravesend Grammar School in their weekly fixture.  Both the U12 A & B and the U13 A & B squads played at home resulting in three wins for the School.  It was lovely to see all of the boys committed to the game and play with pride.  Well done boys, thank you to the PE staff that looked after the teams and thank you to the many parents who came along to support.  We also had a very successful District X-country event on Friday, winning two of the three team categories, with individual winners in every race. 17 boys have been selected to represent the District team at the Kent Championships.

Over the last two weeks we have had a number of visitors to the School as perspective candidates for the Deputy Head position which will be vacant from next year following Mr Smith's decision to retire at the end of this year.  The deadline was last Friday, and yesterday I was joined by three governors to shortlist the many applications for interviews next week.  Mr Smith will be a hard act to follow, but it is hoped by next week we will have secured a suitable candidate who will support MGS in its next chapter.

Today I was out of school in the morning attending a meeting of Headteachers looking at how the Local Authority continues to support schools with the many services it provides.  Schools and the support they require are evolving and so it is pleasing that Headteachers are being asked to have an input into how that support is tailored. 

On Friday we will be taking a step forward to achieving the restructure of the House and Pastoral systems of the School by appointing members of staff who will lead the Houses from next year.  A number of members of staff have shown interest in the new roles and I look forward to hearing their vision and ideas of how the restructure will develop.  Also on Friday Year 12 students will be receiving their GCSE certificates at our GCSE Presentation Afternoon.  The students who were here last year will be issued their certificates in the presence of their peers and their parents at this special event.  Mr Mark Rolfe, the Chair of Governors, will be our Guest of Honour and the one who issues the students with their certificates.

15 November 2016

Firstly I wish to thank the 77 members of the MGS Combined Cadet Force that took part in the Remembrance Service in Maidstone on Sunday.  68 cadets and 9 members of staff across all three contingents represented the School in the annual parade and service in front of the war memorial.  Remembrance is extremely important to MGS and so it is fitting each year that our CCF takes part in the event.  Thank you to everyone who attended.

Last Friday evening I enjoyed watching MGS play Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School in the weekly fixture.  Instead of the usual Saturday morning, some of the matches took place under flood lights at Sidcup Rugby Club.  The U12s, 2^nd XV and 1^st XV all enjoyed the opportunity of playing under flood lights and were supported by a number of students who braved the very cold conditions.  Sadly, though, we did not bring a win back for the School.  Bad luck boys, but you played with tremendous spirit and camaraderie, and it will be an experience you will remember.

This week is a relatively quiet week but not for Year 11 as they begin their Mock Exams in earnest.  Year 11 will be off timetable and only expected to come into school when they have an examination.  Mock exams are there not only to provide a point of assessment for students and parents, but to also provide an opportunity to understand what it will be like during the real GCSE examinations in May.  I hope the boys have prepared well and achieve what they are aspiring to achieve. 

This Friday the School acknowledges the annual BBC Children In Need Appeal.  Students will be allowed to dress down for the day for a £1 donation, but hopefully wear something yellow to join in with the theme for the day.  I think also the 6th Form students are being invited to bring in a teddy bear!  Please do get involved with the day.

 

8 November 2016

Firstly I wish to thank the Parents’ Association and all the student and staff helpers who contributed to the MGS PA Firework Display on Saturday.  The PA Firework Display is the biggest PA event of the year raising a lot of money that supports numerous projects within the school.  Thank you all very much, and thank you to the many hundreds of you that came along to watch.  I hope you had an enjoyable evening.

On Saturday I, along with Mr Kincaid, Ms Edmundson and Ms Adams, attended the 60^th Anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at Detling Hill Showground.  The event was put on to mark the anniversary and to thank the many hundreds of volunteers who support the young people of Kent achieve the award.  There were many schools represented illustrating the impact the award has had in Kent over the years.

On Sunday four students from Year 13 took part in the Docklands Head rowing race.  Dan Jones, Sam Bashford, Stephen Mackie and Richard Reardon, coxed by Mrs Birrell, raced as Maidstone Grammar School coming 28^th overall out of over 150 different boats.  The boys raced the rough and difficult 2750m course in 11 minutes and 18 seconds.  Well done boys.

The big event this week is the Post 16 Open Evening which takes place on Wednesday.  It provides an opportunity for current Maidstonians in Year 11 and numerous students from other schools to visit MGS and see what we offer in our Sixth Form.  There will be a variety of subject displays and exhibitions, staff and students on hand to provide information and answer any questions about specific A-Levels, and three presentations from myself, Mr Smith and Dr Everett on life at MGS as a sixth form student.  The evening begins at 4.30pm. 

On Thursday I am attending a conference in London looking at how schools support young people develop good levels of resilience and mental health. We as a school are restructuring our pastoral system this year ready for when we expand in the future, and part of this restructure is looking at how we can continually support our students develop sound levels of resilience and mental health.  I hope to bring back some good ideas and which can be adopted into what we are already doing. And on Friday this week a number of governors are coming into school to spend the day seeing what we do on a typical day, receive some training in order they are kept up-to-date with the numerous educational changes and to attend our annual Remembrance Service.  Each year we remember the Old Maidstonians that lost their lives during conflict and this year the service will be held in the School Hall in front of the WWI Memorial Boards to acknowledge the 100 Anniversary of The Battle of The Somme.

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Welcome back from the half term holiday and the well-deserved break.  Despite the event being over a week ago I must first thank everyone who was involved with the Year 6 Open Evening.  The event is the most important event in the school calendar and once again it went off with great success.  On the night itself and the following days via email, I have received many positive comments from parents and their sons on their experiences of the night.  Thank you very much for all of your efforts, particularly to the student body and prefect team who were, and are always, the ambassadors of the school.
That same week I visited the House of Commons as part of the Grammar School Heads' Association October Conference and had the pleasure of meeting Theresa May, MP.  Grammar schools have been discussed a lot recently in the media following the Prime Minister's vision for their expansion, so it was apt that she attended the reception at the House of Commons.  I was able to catch a brief moment with her before she continued moving around the room, but her attendance went down very well with us all considering her incredibly busy role. 
As we approach this period of remembrance I decided to spend a day during the half term in northern France visiting a number of memorial sites that remember those that lost their lives during The Battle of The Somme.  I visited four sites in the Somme region which included Thiepval Memorial: a memorial that commemorates the 72,000 soldiers who lost their lives and whose bodies were never found or were unable to be identified.  It was a reflective day and one that I felt important to do.  Our Remembrance Service takes place next Friday 11 November at about 10.40am culminating in the two minute silence at 11.00am; and this week Mr Smith, the Deputy Head, leads the assemblies on the theme of remembrance.
This week is the week when we begin opening our doors to perspective students who wish to join MGS in the sixth form.  Wednesday and Friday this week are our two Post 16 Open Mornings when we invite students across Maidstone to visit the school and see what we offer in the sixth form.  This is followed with our Post 16 Open Evening next Wednesday 9 November.  Once again many of our current students will be on hand to act as guides, and I thank them in advance for their support.  This Thursday 3 November is the Autumn Concert when a number of students perform and show off their talents in front of their friends and families.  It starts at 7pm.  Please do come along.
And finally, this Saturday 5^th November is the MGS Parents’ Association Fireworks Display.  Gates open at 6pm with the display beginning at 7pm.  Many hundreds of people come along each year to enjoy the display and their support raises a lot of money for the School.  If you are free this Saturday please do come along and bring your friends and family.  Wrap up warm!

Tuesday 18 October 2016

On Thursday last week, 10 CCF Army Cadets attended the finale of Sapper 300, the 300th Anniversary of the Corps of Royal Engineers. The event at Brompton Barracks was attended by Her Majesty The Queen, Colonel-in-Chief, Corps of Royal Engineers and a number of CCF Army Cadets from different CCF Contingents.  Congratulations to the cadets who were selected to attend, and thank you Maj. Highway and Mr Rai for accompanying them.
On Sunday the MGS rowing squad took part in the Medway Rowing Club Head, a 5km race downstream on the river Medway in Rochester.  Out of 21 entries from different rowing clubs across Kent we came 5^th, rowing the distance in 15 mins and 51 seconds; I think the boys surprised themselves with their performance.  Well done boys.
This week is probably the busiest week of the school year so far.  Last night I attended the Parents' Association AGM.  I must say a huge thank you to the Parents' Association Committee and the many parents who have attended a number of events in the last 12 months.  Last year the Parents' Association raised over £24,000 and were able to support a number of important projects in school that make a big difference, such as buying us a new minibus, for which we are extremely grateful.  Thank you ever so much.
Today is the second Open Morning where we invite future Maidstonians into the school to see if they would like to come here next year.  The first one last week was very well attended and there were many positive comments made about the school.  We look forward to today.  Following this I am heading into London to attend a Grammar School Heads' Association afternoon seminar, followed by a drinks reception at the House of Commons.  Grammar schools have been in the news recently and so I expect a number of MPs will be joining us.
On Wednesday we are having an additional non-uniform day to raise money for the people of Haiti following the recent hurricane.  The community of MGS always respond positively to such events, so let us hope we raise a substantial amount of money to make some real difference.  That evening I will be attending the Old Maidstonian Society Quiznight.  I will be joining parents, staff, friends of the school, and current and former students in an enjoyable but challenging evening.  Thank you to the Old Maidstonian Society for organising the event.
And on Thursday, before we all enjoy a well-deserved half term break, the most important school event takes place: our Year 6 Open Evening. Following the two Open Mornings on Tuesday and last Friday we open our doors once again to hundreds of potential Maidstonians and their parents to see why MGS is so special.  It is the busiest school event of the year involving all members of staff and many hundreds of current students.  Our students are a credit to the school and are certainly the best people to sell MGS to others.  Thank you so much to everyone for all of the organisation that has gone on prior to the day and best wishes to everyone for a fantastic evening.

11 October 2016

Firstly can I thank Challenger and Churchill Houses for organising the first school charity day of the year.  There were a number of events going on around the school, including a massive sponsored silence by many students from the two Houses.  I expect their teachers enjoyed the peace and quiet!  We are still receiving money, but early estimates indicate that we have raised about £2000 for the two charities: Syrian Refugees and the Italian Earthquake Appeal.  Well done and thank you.

As mentioned in last week’s Blog, I attended the Kent Association of Headteachers’ Annual Conference on Thursday and listened to a number of very good keynote speakers.  The main speaker was Professor Lord Robert Winston who spoke about how we can excite people about learning.  He spoke for over an hour and was incredibly engaging and though provoking.  Despite us all being in the business of learning, it was really good to hear from someone outside of education, and who could inspire us to reflect on how we ourselves inspire young people to love their own learning.  

Tonight we welcome parents of Year 7 boys to attend the Year 7 Welcome Evening.  It is an opportunity for parents to meet their son’s form tutor and other members of staff, see where their sons learn in the different subjects around the school, and enjoy a burger and a cuppa with each other prepared by the Parents’ Association.  We look forward to welcoming them later.

Friday this week is a busy day at school.  It is our first Year 6 Open Morning where we welcome many young boys hoping to become Maidstonians next year.  They, along with their parents, will enjoy a tour of the school from a current student and hopefully see what a wonderful place Maidstone Grammar School is.  Also on Friday evening it is the first rock band event of the year where we see a number of musicians perform in front of their friends and family.  Thank you to everyone who is taking part and to the members of staff who will be arranging the event. 

Finally congratulations to the 1^st XI Football Squad who beat Borden Grammar School 3 – 2 on Friday afternoon last week.  It was a close match, but we finally brought home the victory.  Well done boys and thank you to the many 6^th Form students who came out to support.

4 October 2016

Thank you to the 30 or so parents who visited the School and joined our MacMillan Coffee Morning on Friday.  It was a pleasure having them in school enjoying each other's company over a cuppa and a piece of cake.  Whilst present they were able to witness the many hundreds of students who came along at break time to join in on the occasion.  Thank you to the members of staff and students who organised the event and thank you to everyone who supported it; in total the School raised over £600 for MacMillan.

Over the weekend a handful of Maidstonians took part in the Maidstone Small Boats Head organised by Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club.  They raced along the River Medway over a distance of 2500m in a variety of boats from Allington Marina to the town centre.  A few boys from Year 10 rowed for the club itself along with four Year 13 students who rowed for the School.  Stephen Mackie, Sam Bashford, James Doran and Dan Jones all of Year 13  rowed in a Quad, followed by Dan and Stephen rowing again in a Pair.  Well done to all of those boys, as well as the boys from Year 10 who competed well for their local club; a good weekend of rowing. On Wednesday this week we welcome Year 10 parents to attend the Year 10 Information Evening to hear from key staff about the up-and-coming year and what can be expected.  Year 10 boys are the second year group of students who are experiencing the new GCSEs and so it is vital that everyone understands what all of this means.

On Thursday I am attending the Kent Association of Headteachers annual conference.  It is a chance to hear from key speakers about a variety of matters, and a chance to network with colleagues from other schools.  Guest speakers this year include Dominic Herrington, Regional Schools Commissioner for South East England and South London & Estelle Morris, who is currently working at the Institute of Effective Education and Richard Burnett, co-founder and director of Mindfulness in Schools.

Friday is the first Charity Day of the year.  Challenger and Churchill Houses will be responsible for the day organising a number of events to raise money and awareness for the charity they are supporting which is the Italian Earthquake appeal and Syrian refugees. Students are not required to wear uniform on that day and in doing so contribute a £1 to help support the charity.  Thank you to Challenger and Churchill staff and students for overseeing the day.  Finally, congratulations to Ben Ward (9CR) who recently competed in the ASA Summer Nationals Swimming competition in Sheffield.  Ben reached the final of the 50m breaststroke and gained an excellent 7th place at only 13 years old.   He also reached 11th place in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.  Well done Ben.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 October 2016

Thank you to the 30 or so parents who visited the School and joined our MacMillan Coffee Morning on Friday.  It was a pleasure having them in school enjoying each other's company over a cuppa and a piece of cake.  Whilst present they were able to witness the many hundreds of students who came along at break time to join in on the occasion.  Thank you to the members of staff and students who organised the event and thank you to everyone who supported it; in total the School raised over £600 for MacMillan.

Over the weekend a handful of Maidstonians took part in the Maidstone Small Boats Head organised by Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club.  They raced along the River Medway over a distance of 2500m in a variety of boats from Allington Marina to the town centre.  A few boys from Year 10 rowed for the club itself along with four Year 13 students who rowed for the School.  Stephen Mackie, Sam Bashford, James Doran and Dan Jones all of Year 13  rowed in a Quad, followed by Dan and Stephen rowing again in a Pair.  Well done to all of those boys, as well as the boys from Year 10 who competed well for their local club; a good weekend of rowing. On Wednesday this week we welcome Year 10 parents to attend the Year 10 Information Evening to hear from key staff about the up-and-coming year and what can be expected.  Year 10 boys are the second year group of students who are experiencing the new GCSEs and so it is vital that everyone understands what all of this means.

On Thursday I am attending the Kent Association of Headteachers annual conference.  It is a chance to hear from key speakers about a variety of matters, and a chance to network with colleagues from other schools.  Guest speakers this year include Dominic Herrington, Regional Schools Commissioner for South East England and South London & Estelle Morris, who is currently working at the Institute of Effective Education and Richard Burnett, co-founder and director of Mindfulness in Schools.

Friday is the first Charity Day of the year.  Challenger and Churchill Houses will be responsible for the day organising a number of events to raise money and awareness for the charity they are supporting which is the Italian Earthquake appeal and Syrian refugees. Students are not required to wear uniform on that day and in doing so contribute a £1 to help support the charity.  Thank you to Challenger and Churchill staff and students for overseeing the day.  Finally, congratulations to Ben Ward (9CR) who recently competed in the ASA Summer Nationals Swimming competition in Sheffield.  Ben reached the final of the 50m breaststroke and gained an excellent 7th place at only 13 years old.   He also reached 11th place in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.  Well done Ben.