Tuesday 11 December 2018

Well done and thank you to the entire cast, crew and supporting members of staff for three enjoyable performances of this year’s school pantomime Treasure island.  It was a typical pantomime with cheeky one-liners and cheesy musical numbers, and with of course, audience participation.  Good job everyone.

At the weekend the school rugby squads should have been out in force against The Judd School.  Sadly, due to the water-logged pitches all matches, apart from the 1^st XV, were postponed.  The 1^st XV squad was able to play away at Judd due to them having an all-weather pitch.  The squad sadly lost 34 – 12, but the score does not reflect the fight and spirit in which the boys played.  For a long time the score line was 10 – 5, but during the second half the wind picked up in Judd’s favour, and so we struggled to get into their half.  Well done boys though for an exciting game to watch.

Tonight is the first school parents’ evening of the year.  Year 12 students and parents will find out how the first term has gone following a very demanding start to sixth form and A Level studies.

Tomorrow and Thursday year 8 students will be off timetable to take part in a careers themed day.  These days signify the start of the process in which the boys begin to think about their futures and how those thoughts will determine what GCSE subjects they will choose for next year.

Also on Thursday, as well as Friday, a group of year 7 students will be enjoying a day out of school visiting Bletchley Park.  The trip is being led by the mathematics and history departments and is one that I have wished to see in schools for many years.  Thank you to Mr Gokool and Mr Wrein for organising.
Friday is a day year 11 students will be aware of.  It is the day the students receive their mock examination results, and following on from last year’s introduction, they will receive them in the same way as they would in August next year.  Good luck boys and make sure you learn from what you receive.
Also on Friday we are looking forward to the second house charity day of the year, this time it is Tonbridge House’s turn.  The house is raising money for Young Minds and will involve the usual non-uniform arrangements, Tonbridge tutors dressing up as Christmas characters, but will also include a Lip-Sync Battle in the Hall between staff and students.  Also this charity day dovetails with our annual ‘Quid And A Can’ Appeal where we ask students to not only contribute a £1 for wearing non-uniform, but also to bring a food item which can be donated to the local homeless charity.  Thank you in advance for all of the organisation and support.

Tuesday 4 December 2018

I cannot believe it is December already.  With only three weeks of term left, where did the last three months go?

Last week we spent two days interviewing candidates for the role of Deputy Head.  I am delighted to announce that Misis Johnson has been successfully appointed.  Following the two-day rigorous process across a variety of tasks and interview panels Miss Johnson displayed both passion and exceptional leadership qualities.  She will be an outstanding deputy headteacher.  I am sure you will join me in congratulating her and wishing her the best in her new role.  

We returned to school on Monday following a weekend when the CCF cadets enjoyed their first recruit camp.  A number of younger cadets experienced their first opportunity being out in the field supported and accompanied by staff and more senior cadets.  The weather played its part sadly, particularly on Saturday, but everyone returned with smiles.

Also at the weekend, MGS competed for the first time against 15 other grammar schools at Maidstone Crown Court in the Bar Mock Trial. 16 students across key stages 4 and 5 represented the school and put in an excellent performance.  Many thanks to Mr Ferguson who accompanied them.

The main focus for this week is the school pantomime.  Technical and dress rehearsals take place today and tomorrow in preparation for three performances of Treasure Island on Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 7pm.  Good luck to the entire cast and crew, and thank you to the members of staff who have been supporting the students over these last couple of months.  Do come along, tickets are still available.

Congratulations to three students: Marcus Stephens of Barton House who has been awarded a Try Angle Award that recognises exceptional achievement and good work of young people and  Matthew Hau of Barton House and Joseph Pickard of College House who both took part in the recent Maidstone Music Festival, and have been invited to perform at the Maidstone Young Musician competition for 2019.  Well done boys.

 

Tuesday 27 November 2018

I would like to start by saying that I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening last Thursday night at the annual Old Maidstonian Society London Event.  Each November the Old Maidstonian Society stages a reunion event in London inviting former students and staff to enjoy an evening together.  There were over 40 people at The George Inn, Southwark, who all had an affiliation to the school, including former students who left recently in 2014 to one who left in 1948.  Thank you to the Old Maidstonian Committee who organised the event and to Mr Paul Smith, the president of the society, for hosting.

Last Wednesday we said goodbye, temporarily, to Mrs Sissons who left to begin her maternity leave.  She is expecting to give birth in the next couple of weeks, so it is going to be an early Christmas present for her and her husband!  Best wishes Mrs Sissons and we look forweard to seeing her and the new baby next year.

At the weekend the rugby squads were out in force against St Olave’s.  The senior and U13A squads were at home and the U15 and U14 squads were away.  I am pleased to say that MGS had a clean sweep: all of the squads brought home a win.  Well done boys.

Also at the weekend MGS hosted the South East Region Cambridge University Schools’ Debating Competition.  A number of different grammar and independent schools across the region arrived at MGS at 9.45am for a day of rigorous debate and opinion sharing.  Thank you to Mr Ferguson and Ms Johnson who led the day and to the students who took part and helped organise.  It is hoped that we can host the event again next year and that high level debating becomes part of what we do at MGS.

Yesterday and today are busy days as we are interviewing candidates for the position of Deputy Headteacher.  Mrs Sewell is retiring at the end of the academic year so we are looking to fill her shoes with someone who can continue and further develop her work.  It is hoped that the governing body can appoint by the end of the day.  Many people are included in the interview process including governors, staff and students.  Not only do the senior prefects guide the candidates around the school but a sample of students across the seven year groups also form a Student Panel that asks each candidate a number of questions.  The student perspective is vital in such appointments.

Year 11 GCSE Mock Exams finished yesterday and now the students are back in the classroom continuing with their studies.  They will find out their results on Friday 14^th December.  Throughout the six days of exams the students have conducted themselves incredibly well indeed and were a credit to the School.  Well done boys and thank you.

On Friday I am attending the next Schools’ Funding Forum meeting and the Kent & Medway Grammar Schools’ Association Head of Mathematics Group.  The Forum is a group of people that represent all schools across Kent that discuss how the Local Authority should spend its money; and the Head of Mathematics Group is a group of mathematics teachers that meet to share good practice and discuss how best the subject can be delivered to our students.  Friday, therefore, will be a busy day.

Good luck to the U16 Football Squad who play in the next round of the English Schools’ National Cup on Thursday against Simon Langton Grammar School.

And at the weekend the CCF is going on their recruit camp: the weekend when the new Year 9 cadets enjoy their first camp.  Let us hope the weather remains in their favour.

 

Tuesday 20 November 2018

Firstly, I would like to thank those sixth form students who helped organise and took part in last Friday’s BBC Children in Need Charity Day.  Students arrived at school contributing £1 for wearing non-uniform, cakes were available throughout the day to buy, and the 12-hour crossbar football was enjoyed by many students and members of staff. Particular acknowledgement must go to Henry Warby and Daniel Little, this year’s School Captain and School Vice-Captain, who played for the entire duration.  The total amount raised is still being calculated, but I am sure we have beaten last year’s total of £1,500.  Well done all.

This week year 11 students are completing their mock examinations – an opportunity for them to see how they have progressed during their GCSE years and provide them with an experience of what it will be like next summer.  Good luck boys.

Oli Leyland of Barton House has, for the last few years, been playing rugby league with London Broncos.  He has just been selected for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Origin Squad to train with the England Academy in hope of playing against Australia on 1^st December.  This is a fantastic opportunity for Oli who strives to become professional after he leaves school.  Well done Oli and best wishes.

Old Maidstonian Steven Adamson, who left in 2013, is now the general manager of Charlton Athletic Women's Football Club.  On Sunday, 25^th November his squad faces Crystal Palace at their ground The Oakwood, in Crayford and Steven is trying to get the largest crowd he can get.  If you would like to know more then please visit Charlton Athletics’ website.

 

Tuesday 13th November 2018

 I cannot start this week’s blog without first acknowledging the conduct of every single MGS student at last Friday’s Remembrance Service.  Standing in front of the entire school community at this year’s special service was a very humbling experience.  I felt very proud to be able to call myself a Maidstonian.  Thank you to everyone - it was a very important day for Maidstone Grammar School.  This feeling was again felt at Sunday’s Remembrance Service in Maidstone when the entire CCF paraded past the town’s memorial.  78 members of the CCF paraded in Maidstone to commemorate the centenary of the end of WWI.  Flight Sargent Ben Roffe, Head of RAF section, laid a wreath on behalf of the Contingent. The wreath bore the inscription 'forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit'; and CSM William Hulme, Head of Army section, acted as assistant to The Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, accompanying him at the St George Memorial.

 

Also at the weekend the rugby squads were out in force this time against Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School.  There were three home wins from the U15 and U12A & B teams and one away win from the 1^st XV.  The boys responded extremely well following last week’s results against Dartford Grammar.  Well done boys.  

 

This week should a relatively quiet one.  Tomorrow, parents of year 12 students are invited in to attend the GCSE Certificate Presentation Afternoon.  Year 12 students, who attended MGS last year, will be presented with their GCSE certificates at a special presentation ceremony.  It is so important that their success is acknowledged, and it is pleasing that their parents will be present.

 

This Friday is the first whole school charity day in aid of BBC Children in Need.  The usual non-uniform arrangements will be in place, as well as the selling of cakes, but this year the sixth form students are planning a 12-hour non-stop game of cross bar football.  There will be tired legs on Saturday!  Thank you to everyone who has already helped organise the day.

 

Tuesday 6 November 2018

Firstly, I would like to thank the many students and staff who supported Saturday’s Parents’ Association Firework Display.  The weather was kind to us which added to a really good evening out.  Thank you to everyone who came along, and a big thank you to the Parents’ Association for organising.

 

Sadly, the delights of the firework display on Saturday contrasted with the results of the rugby earlier that day against Dartford Grammar School.  Seven games took place across all the different squads and we lost all of them!  The boys played well and in good spirit, though, and thank you to Ed Mead of College House who contributed to both the 2^nd XV and 1^st XV games.  Let’s hope for better outcomes next weekend.

 

Congratulations though must go to the U15 rugby squad who progressed through to the next round of the National Cup last Thursday beating Norton Knatchbull.  It was a tense game for most of it, but the team came through at the end to win 22 - 20.  Well done boys.

 

This week the year 12 geography students, accompanied by Mr O’Hanlon and Mrs Lynch, are away from school in Dorset completing their important A Level fieldwork.  We hope the weather is being kind to them.

 

This week we have two events: The Post 16 Open Evening and the Remembrance Service.  The Post 16 Open Evening takes place tomorrow.  The event is an opportunity for year 11 students from MGS and other local schools to come and see what we offer in our sixth form.  The evening starts at 4.30pm with talks at 5pm, 5.45pm and 6.30pm.

 

Friday is a very important and significant day for the school.  We are holding our annual Remembrance Service which this year marks the 100th Anniversary of the end of the 1st World War.  The entire school community will join together in a service to mark this special occasion, and we are pleased to welcome parents, governors, Old Maidstonians, friends of the school and relatives of the 46 Old Maidstonians who lost their lives in the war.  It is vital that MGS acknowledges the anniversary and ensures that it is recorded in our own archives.  It will be a very special moment.

 

Tuesday 30 October 2018

Welcome back to the start of Term 2; I hope you all had a good break.  

 

Despite it being almost two weeks ago I would like to thank everyone who supported the Year 6 Open Evening which took place on the Thursday before we finished for the half term break.  There were over 300 students present on the night acting as guides and helpers supporting staff selling their school to interested families.  There were many, many positive comments from visitors who enjoyed seeing what we do.  Thank you all very much indeed.

The school is once again open for visitors this Friday at 9am but this time for students and their families wishing to consider MGS as a place to study A Levels.  This open morning will be followed by our Post 16 Open Evening taking place next Wednesday.

Tomorrow is the first of our performing arts showcases.  The Autumn Showcase, which starts at 6.30pm, will be an evening of music, theatre and performance from both students and staff.  Do come along to the drama studio.

We are all looking forward to this Saturday’s event: The MGS Parents’ Association Annual Firework Display.  This is the PA’s biggest event and one that draws many hundreds of people from the school and the wider community.  Do come along if you are free.  Gates open at 5.30pm with the fireworks beginning at 7pm.  Tickets can be purchased from the Bursary or on the gate.

Thank you to Jonah Diomede of Tonbridge House who performed at a Young Lives Foundation charity event a couple of weeks ago.  The organiser of the event said, “Jonah was absolutely fantastic and a real credit to the school. Many guests commented on how skilled and effortlessly he played – he really is gifted.”

Congratulations to Finlay Lodge of Corpus Christi House who took part in the Elite Open International Karate Championships, which took place in London on Sunday 21 October.  He fought in the U16 lightweight category and won all his fights leading up to the final. He subsequently won the final and took home the gold.  Well done Finley.

A couple of weeks ago I acknowledged a few students who attended the Young Leaders in Cricket award ceremony.  Congratulations also must go to Michaela Karassellos of College House.  She received special recognition for her volunteering contribution: a staggering 279 hours over the season. As a thank you from the ECB she will get to spend a day training with the England women's team in Loughborough.  Well done Michaela.

And finally, William Hulme, house captain for Tonbridge House has his first official duty as a Lord-Lieutenant's Cadet.  He will act as an aide to the Lord-Lieutenant at the Maidstone Remembrance Parade on Remembrance Sunday at the St George Memorial.  

 

Tuesday 16th October 2018

Despite it being the last week of the term this week is probably the busiest one so far this year.  Last night I attended the first Old Maidstonian Committee meeting and the Parents’ Association AGM; today is the second Year 6 Open Morning where we welcome once again parents of Year 6 boys to see the school at work, which will be followed by a governors meeting after school; Wednesday I am going into London to attend the Grammar School Heads’ Association October seminar and the annual drinks reception at the House of Commons; Thursday is our Year 6 Open Evening, which probably is the most important event of the year; and Friday is the first day of the half term holiday for the students but is the second Inset day of the year for the staff.  One busy week!

 

Congratulations to the U15 football squad who beat St Gregory's Catholic School of Tunbridge Wells 6 – 4 in the National Cup.  They came from behind twice and played really well.  Round 3 of the tournament awaits.  Good luck boys.

 

About a week ago a few MGS students were presented with the Young Leaders in Cricket Award at Lord’s cricket ground. Young Leaders in Cricket was set up in 2010 to give young people the skills to volunteer for their local cricket club and help grassroots cricket to thrive.  Jacques Hutchinson of Corpus Christi House, Ryan Ambanpola of Tonbridge House, Harrison Keeping also of Tonbridge House and James Poole of College House received their awards from the founder of the award Paul Daniels, Kent player Harry Podmore & Sky Sports presenter Matt Floyd.  Well done boys.

 

And finally well done to Cadet Yousif Egan of Corpus Christi House who made his first successful flight in a Grob Tutor last week.  His experience included taking control of the plane and completing the aerobatic manoeuvres wing-over and stall turns.  Congratulations Yousif.

 

 

Tuesday 9 October 2018

Sadly, the two sporting fixtures mentioned in last week’s blog did not end positively.  The 1^st XI football squad lost 1 - 0 against our local grammar school Oakwood Park, and the 1^st XV rugby squad lost their National Cup 26 - 10 against Sutton Valence.  Bad luck boys; there is still plenty of season left.

 

Thank you again to everyone who helped organise and supported the Barton House charity day on Friday.  Raising money for the NSPCC, students enjoyed a day in non-uniform and appreciated seeing staff and students embarrass themselves at the Disney Karaoke.  A good day.

 

Congratulations to Hamish Reilly of Corpus Christi House.  Last weekend he took part in the Super League Jersey Triathlon Elite Youth Event.  The event hosted competitors from across Europe selected by their national governing bodies and involved a continuous swim-bike-run repeated twice with only a few minutes between each stage.  Hamish finished in second place only missing out on gold by a couple of seconds.  The event rounded off Hamish’s excellent season where he finished second overall in the National Super Series.  Well done Hamish.

 

Today we welcome parents of Year 7 to attend the Year 7 Welcome and Information Evening.  Year 7 students have been Maidstonians now for 5 weeks and so this event tonight looks back on their time here and looks forward to what is expected this year.  In addition to this event, from now for the next two weeks all form tutors will be making contact with Year 7 parents inviting them in to touch base and share with them how the first few weeks have gone.  We hope that these meetings and tonight’s event are helpful in ensuring a smooth transition into Year 7.

 

On Thursday I meet the Parent Forum for the first time of the new academic year.  It is a chance for me to share a number of developments and understand the perspective of a parent as we continue to improve the school.

 

And on Friday the first of two Year 6 open mornings takes place.  It is that time of year when we open our doors to the wider community and invite Year 6 boys and their parents in to see what life is like at MGS.  These days are always incredibly busy, but also a pleasure, as we always enjoy showing others why we feel MGS is so special.

 

Tuesday 2 October 2018

I cannot believe we are in October already.  It does not seem a month since we returned from our summer holidays.

 

At the weekend it was the turn of the younger rugby squads to play at home, and their opposition was Simon Langton Grammar School.  Both squads played with great spirit and were well-supported by friends and family.  The U15 squad won 55 - 14 and U14 squad won 55 - 7.  Well done boys.  The senior players had a weekend’s grace before playing in the second round of the National Cup this Wednesday against Sutton Valance.  Good luck boys.

 

Continuing with sport, last Wednesday the 1^st and 2^nd XI football squads had matches against Norton Knatchbull and Queen Elizabeth grammar schools respectively.  The 1^st XI drew 1 – 1 but the 2^nd XI won 5 – 3.  Well done boys.  This week the 1^st XI play Oakwood Park!  Let us hope they bring a win back with them.

 

Thank you to the many students, members of staff and parents who collectively enjoyed a cuppa and a slice of cake at last Friday’s MacMillan Coffee Morning.  It was such a pleasant atmosphere seeing the whole school community come together to support a worthy cause.  We raised £632.30.  Thank you.

 

During this week we invite parents of Year 10 to attend the Year 10 Information Evening.  This evening takes place on Wednesday at 7pm and it a chance for students and parents to understand what can be expected during the coming year. 

 

Friday is the first House charity day of the school year.  Barton House will be leading the way with a host of events to raise money for their chosen charity.  The main event, Disney Karaoke, will be taking place in the Big Hall at lunch.  The usual non-uniform arrangements will be in place.  Thank you in advance for the support and organisation for the day.