Tuesday 4 June 2019

Welcome back to the final term of the school year; I hope you all had a good half term holiday and were able to enjoy the fine weather at the weekend.

 

Just before half term 12 year 8 students (two teams of six) took part in the National Institute of Engineering and Technology Competition. Congratulations to the team consisting of William Fletcher, David Ringelmann, Charles Stanley, Archie Coombe, Marc Venegas-Grau and Fraser Passmore who successfully won the competition.  Runners up were Mahrus Syed, Charlie Hilder, Sam French, Sonny Henley, Jack Creasy and Ali Shelley.  Well done boys.

 

A Level and GCSE examinations continue this week for our year 13 and year 11 students, but examinations for other year groups have now finished.  Three more weeks to go!

 

Yesterday was an additional day’s holiday for most of the school as staff completed a day’s training.  Much of the focus at this time of year is looking towards the next academic year, so staff were working on a number of areas we wish to further develop from September.  

 

Today, being the first real day of school following the holiday, sees the beginning of our House Teas.  Since the new vertical house structure was introduced we have been inviting year 6 boys and their parents in to enjoy an hour or so with us preparing for next year.  The boys get a chance to meet each other and their house teams whilst the parents enjoy a cuppa and a natter with senior staff.  The teas take place each afternoon for the rest of the week.

 

Today is also the launch of the 2019 Inter-House Photography Competition.  Once again students and staff have an opportunity to demonstrate their photography skills and enter the competition, with this year’s theme being Identity.  Good luck all.

 

Tomorrow is a very special day for the School as we will be able to watch the D-Day 75^th Anniversary flypast that is flying over Maidstone in the afternoon.  Over 40 planes are flying over to Normandy for the celebrations, and their route is taking them right over the School.  The entire school community will be out on the field watching.

 

And finally, this term also sees the beginning of our Quad assemblies.  With the weather usually being on our side, Quad assemblies are opportunities for the entire school to come together outside in the Quad.  Those members of staff who deliver the assemblies always enjoy being able to speak to the whole school outside in the fine weather in a beautiful part of the school.  

 

Tuesday 21 May 2019

Firstly, I wish to congratulate the U13 football squad for beating St Simon Stock 4 - 0 to win the Maidstone District Cup Final last Tuesday.  The first goal was probably one of the best schoolboy goals I have ever seen.  Tonight the U14 squad play St Simon Stock again in their respective cup final, and the U15 squad play on Thursday against Aylesford.  Good luck to all the boys, and that you to the PE Department for supporting.

 

Well done also must go to the year 10 students for completing the Bronze DofE practice expedition at the weekend.  The weather held out to give the boys good conditions to complete their two long walks.  Let us hope they are ready for the real thing later in the year.

 

Yesterday the SLT, joined by the two new assistant headteachers Mr Hanratty and Mr Rivers, spent the day together off site discussing the school and how it continues to develop.  It was a very useful day.  Today we are back in school and will be attending the governors meeting this afternoon.

 

Congratulations to Tobey Smith of Corpus Christi House who has just completed his first season at Gillingham FC and has been awarded the player of the season.  Well done Tobey.

 

Finally, we were very sorry to hear of the deaths of Harry and Beth over this weekend and we send our sincere condolences to their families and friends.  Harry left MGS at the end of Year 11 in 2014 and went to St Simon Stock School to continue his education; Beth joined MGS from Invicta Grammar School to undertake her 6th Form education with us. They are both remembered with much fondness by the staff who knew them here at MGS. 

 

Tuesday 14 May 2019

Firstly, I wish to congratulate Hamish Reilly of Corpus Christi House who won his triathlon at the weekend, qualifying for a place in the European Championships and gaining selection for Team GB.  Well done Hamish; great job.

 

This week is a busy one for many.  Yesterday was the first formal day of the public examinations.  It is from now that students of years 11 and 13 complete their respective GCSE and GCE A Level examinations.  Internal examinations for Year 12 have now finished, but right around the corner are examinations for years 7 and 9.  Good luck to everyone.

 

Good luck to the U13 Football Squad who play in the final of the Maidstone District Football Cup tonight at the Gallagher Stadium against St Simon Stock.  Thanks also must go to Mr Bing for coaching the boys all season and getting them to the final in his first season.

 

Tomorrow is a very important day as it is the formal leaving day for Year 13.  Leavers’ Day has become an annual rite of passage, providing an opportunity for the School to say goodbye to the year group.  The day culminates in the Leavers’ Assembly where the students get to sing the School Song for the last time as Maidstonians.  There will be tears.  At this point, I would like to thank the students for their contributions and service they have given to the School.  Best wishes.

 

Also on Wednesday, there is a CCF RAF event at St Martin’s Plain, Folkestone where the cadets going will enjoy a few hours on the DCCT Range.

 

And at the weekend the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Scheme Practice Expedition is taking place for those year 10 students who have chosen to complete it.  Let us hope the weather is good for them all.

Tuesday 7 May 2019

I hope you all enjoyed the extended weekend.

 

Last Friday we said goodbye to the students of Year 11 as they now need to prepare for their examinations.  The first one for many is tomorrow in the form of the iGCSE History examination. Good luck boys.  Also during this week, the Year 12 UCAS examinations continue, with the GCE A Level examinations beginning the week after next.

 

Today, students of Year 13 get issued with their leavers’ hoodies.  The wearing of leavers’ hoodies has become an annual affair and part of the leaving process which includes the Prom and Leavers’ Day.  We look forward to seeing the students wearing them.

 

Tuesday 23 April 2019

Welcome back to you all following the Easter holiday.  The weather has been wonderful, so I do hope you have been able to enjoy it.

 

The start of the summer term means public examinations are just around the corner.  I do hope students in the upper school have made the most of the Easter break.  Year 12 UCAS examinations begin next Wednesday, with the GCSE and GCE beginning a couple of weeks later.  Keep working hard everyone.

 

We return to a busy week. Tomorrow we welcome the boys and their parents who are joining us from September to our Year 6 Welcome Evening this is the next stage of our induction process ensuring the boys have a smooth transition from their primary schools.  Tomorrow also marks the day when the current school captain, school vice-captain and prefect team hand over to the new incumbents.  After the Year 6 Welcome Evening we hold a short ceremony around the school bell to formally hand over the reins.  There will be tears!  Thank you Henry, Dan and the entire team for the last 12 months - it has been a pleasure.

 

Friday is a busy day for two reasons.  Firstly, Friday sees the final charity day of the school year.  College House is in charge raising money for the local charity Dandelion Time.  The usual non-uniform and £1 donation will apply as well as numerous fundraising events throughout the day.  Friday is also the day we welcome many Old Maidstonians back into the school who are attending the annual Old Maidstonian Supper.  Hosted by the current president, Mr Paul Smith, the evening will include a three course meal, speeches from numerous people and plenty and plenty of conversation.  Guest of honour this year is Mr Graham Walker.

 

The weekend is also a busy one for a few.  More students from Year 10 take part in some Duke of Edinburgh training walking the public footpaths of Kent; and Mr Highsted, Mrs Taylor and Mr Terrell on Sunday all take part in the London Marathon.  Best of luck to them.

 

Blog 2 April 2019

Welcome to the last Headmaster’s Blog before the Easter holiday. 

 

Firstly, I would like to thank the many students and the Parents’ Association for organising Saturday’s MGS PA Spring Fair.  The fine weather helped to create a lovely event compared to last year’s when we were battered by the Beast from the East.  Thank you to everyone who came along and exchanged a few £s for a few hours of fun.  The total raised was in excess of £3000.

 

Yesterday the new Student Leadership Team spent a day away from school having some prefect training led by Mr and Mrs Sewell and Ms Kruppa.  The 18 students had to complete a number of task throughout the day which were designed to develop leadership and teamwork skills.  I went along at the end of the day to see what they had learnt.  A good day was had by all.

 

Tomorrow the 1^st XI Football Squad and 1^st XV Rugby Squad play the Old Maidstonians in the annual School vs. OM football and rugby matches.  It will be good to see and catch up with former students who are back home for a few days, and be able to do this in the new sports pavilion.  If you would like to come along kick offs are at 2.30pm, but please do sign in at reception when you arrive.  Good luck to both teams.

 

Friday is the final day of term so the usual final assemblies and slightly earlier finish will be in place.  I would like to take this opportunity in wishing you all a restful and relaxing Easter holiday.

Tuesday 26 March 2019

Firstly, I would like to thank the Performing Arts Department and all of the performers for an excellent Spring Showcase last Thursday.  There was a good variety of acts consisting of students across all seven year groups.  What also needs acknowledging was the audience.  It was the largest audience I have seen at any MGS showcase or concert.  Thank you to those who came along and supported.

Congratulations to the MGS Army team who won the Military Skills Competition at the weekend. They, along with second place Royal Grammar School High Wycombe, will now represent the Brigade in the Cadet Cambrian Patrol in 2020.  The team consisted of RSM Will Hulme, CSM Chris Owen, SSgt Ben Jessell, Sgt Anuj Thapa, Sgt Ben White, Sgt Joe Smith, Cpl Toby Berry-Naisbitt, Cpl Finley Wishart.  Well done boys and thank you Maj Highway and WO Rai for accompanying them.

Congratulations also to Hamish Reilly of Corpus Christi House who took part in the SIABs Schools Cross Country International in Dublin at the weekend.  Out of all the runners, and there were many, he finished 8^th.  He was also the 6^th scorer for the England Team, winning gold.  Well done Hamish.

Tonight we welcome parents of year 11 students who will be attending the Year 11 Parents’ Evening.  With it being only four school weeks before year 11 students leave for their examinations, tonight’s evening is an opportunity for them to hear how they should utilise the time – the final push as it were.

Tomorrow a group of year 12 students are spending the day in Epson at the Year 12 Oxbridge Regional Student Conference.  MGS attends this event each year, taking a group of students who are aspirational for Oxbridge.  This event is essentially the beginning of the next eight months which hopefully culminates in an interview and then offer at an Oxbridge college.

Also tomorrow a group of CCF cadets from the RAF section hopefully will be experiencing a day of flying, weather permitting. 

On Thursday we are hosting a new event: the MGS Year 7 – 13 Careers Fair.  During the day over 30 companies and industries will be in school providing an opportunity for all students to discuss different career paths with them.  Students from year group will be given some time out of lessons to walk around the fair and learn about what they might be interested in.  We hope that this event becomes an annual fixture in our calendar.  Thank you to Mr Highway, Mrs Sewell and Mrs Accaster for organising the event.

Also on Thursday the new Student Leadership Team will be spending the afternoon beginning their leadership training.  This year we have introduced a prefect training programme to train the students how to be a successful prefect and to be able work well in a team.  Thank you to Mr and Mrs Sewell for arranging the event.

And on Saturday it is the MGS Parents’ Association Annual Spring Fair.  The event starts at 10.30am and will comprise of many different stalls including a coconut shy, a cake stall, a tombola and a ‘guess how many balloons in a car’ stall.  Do come along.  All proceeds will be matched funded by the PA and donated to the School Library Project.  Thank you to the Parents’ Association and all of the student helpers.

Tuesday 19 March 2019

HM Blog - Tuesday 19^th March 2019

 

Firstly, I would like to thank the entire prefect team for organising last Friday’s Comic Relief Day.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, particularly when watching students and staff being auctioned off to be ‘custard pied’, and seeing Henry and Dan, the school captain and school vice-captain, walking around school with a two-headed jumper.  Thank you all very much for your support.

Thank you to the girls of the sixth form who took part in the first Inter-House Netball Competition last Wednesday.  Each house was represented and congratulations to Barton House for winning.  Thank you Mr Hughes, Ms Wilson and Ms Dimmock for organising.

Tomorrow the final of the Inter-House Spelling Bee takes place with students across the four houses competing to be the best speller of the School.  Good luck to all, and thank you to Ms Wilson and Mr Highsted for arranging the event.

On Thursday this week we look forward to enjoying a number of students from the Performing Arts Department performing at the MGS Spring Showcase.  Please do come along.  The evening begins at 6.30pm.  And also on Thursday a number of students in years 10 and 11 are attending a presentation from the University of Cambridge to see if they would like in the near future to make an Oxbridge application.  We were very pleased this year to receive seven offers in our current Year 13.  

And at the weekend a number of students from Year 10 will be completing the first part of their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, and a number of army cadets will be taking part in the Military Skills Competition at St Martin’s Plain in Folkestone.  Good luck to the cadets, and for the Duke of Edinburgh students, all of them will be completing two walks learning to use a route planner, compass and OS map.  If you find any Maidstonians lost on Saturday somewhere in Kent, then do point them in the right direction!

Congratulations to Hamish Reilly of Corpus Christi who has been selected to represent England in the Home Countries’ International Schools’ Cross Country Championship this weekend.  We wish Hamish the best of luck.

Tuesday 12 March 2019

Firstly, I would like to congratulate the cadets who competed at the RAF Air Squadron Trophy Competition at the weekend.  A few weeks ago they won the regional finals gaining a place at the national finals as the best school from the South East.  Sadly, they did not place overall but they did come 3^rd in the Knowledge section.  Despite not placing the cadets should certainly be very proud of their achievements, and thank you to Mr Moores and Mr Parish for accompanying them.

Also, can I thank the many parents, staff, students and friends of the school who took part in the Parents’ Association Quiz last Friday.  It was an enjoyable evening and congratulations to Real Ale Madrid who won.  I particularly would like to thank the PA, Mrs Friend, Hayden of Year 11 and the Sixth Form Prefects who all helped support the evening.  The PA raised over £1500.  The next PA event is the Spring Fair on Saturday 30^th March starting at 10.30am.  Do come along.

Congratulations to the Senior Rugby 7s Squad who won the Kent 7s Plate last Wednesday beating Judd in the final.  Well done lads and thank you Mr Hathaway for your on-going support.

Yesterday four students from Year 11 competed in the Mathematics Challenge Final and six students across different year groups took part in the Kent Public Speaking Competition, both at Invicta Grammar School.  At the Public Speaking Competition Matthew Wesson of College House came runner up in the Upper School section, and Connor Anthonissen of Corpus Christi House won the Lower School section.  Well done to all of those students for taking part.

Tonight we welcome parents of Year 13 to the Year 13 Parents’ Evening.  Tonight is an opportunity for those parents to hear from subject teachers and for the teachers to give the students a last ‘push’ before they leave to begin their examinations in May.  Not long now.

Tomorrow we welcome some primary school students into MGS to take part in our Primary Outreach Debating Event.  We have run the event for the last few years with great success; the special thing about it being it is predominantly run by our sixth form debating students.  We look forward to welcoming the young students tomorrow.

This week there are two events for students looking at road safety.  On Thursday Year 7 take part in the KCC Road Safety ‘Streetwise’ event and on Friday Year 12 take part in the ‘No Turning Back’ event.  This latter event is one of the best resources I have seen being used to educate young drivers on the safety of driving.  It is hard-hitting and certainly encourages the students to think about the possible dangers of driving.

And on Friday it is the annual Comic Relief Appeal.  Like any MGS charity day, the usual fun will be had, cakes will be sold, staff will make a fool of themselves, and for this year Henry and Dan, the school captain and school vice-captain, will be going round together in a ‘two-head hole’ jumper.  The usual non-uniform and a £1 contribution will also apply.  Many thanks in advance for all of the support. 

 

 

Tuesday 5 March 2019

At the weekend I had the privilege of accompanying Jonah Diomede and Kerem Mumyakmaz, both of Tonbridge House and of Year 12, to Cambridge.  They were taking part in the Cambridge University Debating Union National Competition.  The two of them successfully qualified from the South East Final back in November achieving a place in the National Final from over 500 teams. The day was extremely demanding and involved some pretty in-depth debates from whether schools should be teaching the liberal arts to whether the Gig economy should be abolished.  Jonah and Kerem should feel very proud reaching the final, and we should be very proud that Maidstone Grammar School was represented. 

Also at the weekend a number of cadets across all three contingents enjoyed a couple of days away from school experiencing different things.  The Army section took part in some weapons handling training at Crowborough, the Navy section drove down to the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, and the Air Force section completed more training in preparation for the RAF Air Squadron Trophy Completion next weekend.  A busy weekend for them all.  Many thanks to the members of staff who accompanied the cadets.

This week the process of appointing the next house prefect teams continues.  Each head of house has received a number of applications that they will now go through, shortlisting a handful of students for interview. I will be able to share the list of students who are successful in the next couple of weeks.

 

Thank you to the parents who came along to last week’s Ofsted meeting.  The meeting was an opportunity for parents to understand more of the recent Ofsted inspection and for us to hear their views and answer their questions.  It was a very positive evening.  

 

To complement last week’s Ofsted meeting, this Thursday is the next Parent Forum meeting.  The Parent Forum is a group of parents that act as my sounding board providing me with an important parental view of how the school is developing.  The recent inspection, as well as a number of other things, will be discussed.

 

This Friday is the annual MGS Parents’ Association Quiz.  Tickets are still available from the Bursary, and teams must be made up of no more than 8 people.  This year’s theme is ‘Goodbye Europe’.  Doors open at 7pm with the quiz starting at 7.30pm.  Do come along.