Tuesday 24 January 2023

Hello there, Mr Hanratty here.

I am delighted to be the guest author of the Headmaster's blog this week. As you may already know, the Headmaster is attending the prestigious Harvard Model United Nations Conference in Boston, where 24 of our senior students are representing MGS and also have the honour of representing Ukraine at the event. This is a remarkable achievement for the school, as we are the only UK school attending the conference, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and staff.

While the conference is the main focus of the trip, students and staff are also taking the opportunity to explore New York. They will be experiencing American culture and immersing themselves in the diverse and vibrant atmosphere of the city.

Do follow our social media feeds for updates and photos from the trip.

Congratulations to our Senior 1^st XI Football Squad who made history last week by winning the East Kent Premier Division with a game in hand, and going undefeated all season! This is a remarkable achievement that showcases the talent, determination and teamwork of the players, and the support and guidance of our PE Department, and their coach Mr Hughes. This victory is the first in over a decade for the school, and has made the entire school community proud of their achievement.

Last week's Post 16 Open Evening and Open Mornings were a great success. Our sixth form prefects went above and beyond in their roles as tour guides and representatives of the school, and Amelia L (Y12 Tonbridge House) and Lucy S (Y13 College House) did themselves and the school proud in their presentations to our guests at the Open Evening. It is not easy speaking to such large audiences and both Amelia and Lucy did a great job! The events truly highlighted the strong sense of community that exists within the school, and it was inspiring to hear our students and staff speak with pride and passion about the school. These events remind us of why MGS is such a special and unique place to study and work.

Last week, several of our scheduled football and basketball fixtures were postponed. Outside of our Senior 1^st XI Football Squad’s historic 3-2 win against Norton Knatchbull Grammar School, our U14A side had a 3-2 loss against Oakwood Park Grammar School in the Kent Cup and our U15A side had a 1-0 loss in a friendly against Skinner's School. This week, our U15A basketball side has a friendly against NTC, our U16A basketball side has a friendly against Beth's Grammar School, our 2^nd XI side has a league match against Aylesford School, our 1^st XV side has a friendly against Ravens Wood School and the U15A football side has a Kent Cup match against Holmesdale Technical College. Good luck to all those participating in fixtures this week! 

This Friday, College House is organising a Charity Day event to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. The event will feature a cake sale, a re-gifting shop stall, a teacher talent show, and a non-uniform day. Additionally, our Head of College House, Mr Hughes, will be attempting to run 30 miles on a treadmill in Piccadilly on Friday to raise funds. He will also be participating in the London Marathon to support the cause. The school community is excited for this upcoming event and is looking forward to raising money for a good cause.

Tomorrow is an important date for our Year 13 students as it marks the UCAS application deadline. This serves as a reminder of how quickly the academic year is progressing and how soon the exam season will be upon us. Our school motto, ‘Olim Meminisse Juvabit’, reminds us that the hard work put in now will pay off in the future when students look back on their time here. As the exams approach, it is crucial for students to stay focused and motivated, knowing that the outcome will be worth it in the end.

Do have a read of next week’s blog, in which the Headmaster will share his experiences and insights from the Harvard trip. Until then, take care and have a good week.

Tuesday 17 January 2023

Firstly, congratulations to Corpus Christi netball players who won last week’s Inter-House Mixed Netball Competition.  There was a fantastic turnout for the competition, with all four houses well represented and over 35 sixth form students taking part.  Many of the students had never played netball before, but learned quickly and gave their all for their team.  It was also pleasing to see many supporters, lining the court and giving encouragement to those playing, after school had finished. 

Last week we received some pleasing news after an application we made to the Woodland Trust for some new tree saplings.  We have been given 30 new tree and hedge saplings that will help contribute to our green agenda as well as improve the aesthetics of the school site.  We will receive them in March and look to galvanise the students to help plant them.

This week the Year 10 exams, that started last week, continue.  These exams are not only helping the students, parents and us understand where the students are, they also illustrate to the students how examinations work and what the regulations are.  So far, so good.

The main feature of this week is the Post 16 Open Evening, which takes place on Thursday, and the accompanying Post 16 Open Mornings, taking place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  At these events we will be welcoming our own year 11 students and parents as well as many other students and their families from other schools to see if they wish to consider MGS for the sixth form.  The open mornings are appointment only, but the evening event is open door.  Doors open at 4.30pm.

Finally, good luck to the Senior 1^st XI Football Squad who play Norton Knatchbull School in the Kent league on Wednesday.  The game is away, and if they win, we win the Kent league for the first time for over 10 years.  Best wishes to the players and to their coach, Mr Hughes.

Tuesday 10 January 2023

Happy New Year and welcome to my first blog of 2023.  I hope you all had a good Christmas and a well-deserved break.

We returned last week to a three-day week and the tail end of the formal Christmas period.  Normally we look forward to the year ahead and have Christmas behind us, but with the need to postpone the Christmas meal that many students purchased to enjoy in December, the start of the new term had a festive element to it.  It was so good seeing the students enjoy their meals together and wearing their Christmas Crowns, even if it was January.  Thank you to Cucina, our food provider, for putting on a good spread.

Last week we also saw the 1^st XI senior football squad beat Harvey Grammar School 6 - 1 to produce a deciding match against Norton Knatchbull next week to determine who wins the Kent league. The squad has had an excellent season to date, not losing a match in nine games, and so excitement is brewing because MGS has not won the senior league for over 10 years. Good luck boys.

Friday last week we welcomed over 30 families into the school at the first Post 16 Open Evening. Our own sixth form students guided the families around the school to see a typical day at MGS. Three more open mornings take place next week.

Finally this week, year 10 students complete a set of examinations that mark halfway in their GCSE studies. We wish them all well.

Tuesday 13 December 2022

Welcome to the last blog of the term and of 2022 and what has proved to be a challenging end of year.  Thank you for understanding the very difficult situation we found ourselves in with the extreme weather conditions.

Firstly, I would like to thank Major Highway and the cadets for inviting me to the annual MGS CCF Dinner on Friday.  About 30 people, including some Old Maidstonians and invited guests enjoyed an evening together over a lovely two-course meal cooked for us by our catering team.  Thank you CCF.

This week, as we approach the end of term, each house will have an assembly where it has become accustomed to hear from the School Captain and School Vice-Captain about their Christmases, and what they look forward to at this time of year.

I would like to wish you all a pleasant Christmas and peaceful and quiet New Year.

Tuesday 6 December 2022

Firstly, it is always good hearing from Old Maidstonians and how they are getting on after leaving MGS.  Hamish Reilly (OM 2019) took part in the U23 World Triathlon Championship in Abu Dhabi last Friday and won Bronze!  It was Hamish’s first time racing not only at this level championship but also at the Olympic distance, in what was an incredibly hot climate.  We are delighted for Hamish and wish him continued success.

This week we welcome back Year 11 from their mock examinations for the last two weeks of term.  Their examination papers are now being marked by their teachers, and so very soon we should find out how they got on. It is good to have Year 11 back.

Yesterday we enjoyed an hour with Year 12 and their parents at our annual GCSE Certificate Presentation Afternoon.  Students were presented with their GCSE certificates following three years of hard work as well as hearing from key staff and students about the School’s achievements.  Thank you to the parents who were able to attend as well as to the many Old Maidstonians who returned to see their old school once more and to sing the School Song.

The Year 10 Virtual Parents’ Evening is taking place on Wednesday providing an opportunity for parents to hear how their children are progressing through the GCSE years.  Let us hope the evening is a positive one.

Students in Year 8 are involved in two days of activities that will help them think about future careers, and in doing so get them to consider what GCSE subject choices they wish to make.  We have run these two days of activities for Year 8 for a number of years now and we have found they really help the students think about what they want to do after they leave MGS.

And on Friday we are hosting our Christmas Charity Day where students will be encouraged to wear a Christmas jumper, buy goodies from the MGS Christmas market, and bring donations in for a number of local homeless charities.  The usual £1 contribution on the gate for non-uniform will also apply.

Tuesday 29 November 2022

Firstly, I would like to thank the four Old Maidstonians who delivered a Harvard Model United Nations training session at the weekend to those current Maidstonians who will be attending the conference in January.  20 students attended school on Saturday for the four-hour training session, with all being very appreciative of the former students coming along to share their knowledge and giving their advice.  Thank you Freddie, Hugo, Allen and Daniel.

At the same time as this Harvard training we also welcomed Dartford Grammar School for the weekend rugby fixture.  Dartford Grammar School has traditionally been a tough school to beat, and there were mixed fortunes across all of the squads, but the senior squads led the way with two victories: the 2^nd XV winning 14 – 5, and the 1^st XV winning 22 – 10.  It was certainly a good day at the office!

In more sporting success, basketball is probably now the third most competitively played team sport at MGS after rugby and football.  Thanks to Mr Ashenfelter and the commitment of a number of players, the MGS team convincingly beat Thamesview School last week to secure a place in the quarter finals of the Kent Cup.  Well done to the team.

This week is a slightly quieter week for the School.  The Year 11 mock examinations continue into their second week; a group of year 12 art students enjoyed a day out on Monday visiting the Emmanuel Centre in London; and Year 7, as well as some year 12 students, will be visiting Bletchley Park to learn more about the Enigma machine and all things coding.

Tuesday 22 November 2022

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who supported last Friday’s BBC Children in Need charity day.  The weather allowed us to have an enjoyable day, which included an eight-hour badmintonathon, a soak the teacher event, and the sale of hundreds of cakes.  We have yet to understand the total amount raised, but it is hoped that we achieve over £2000.  A huge thank you to Year 12 for leading on the day due to Year 13 being out of normal school completing their exams.

At the weekend we enjoyed a rugby fixture against St Olave’s School with a number of good wins.  As always, it was great seeing the camaraderie and spirit amongst the players and the manner in which the games were played.  Well done to the players and thank you to the staff who support them.

Also at the weekend the RAF cadets successfully competed for the Royal Air Squadron Trophy, placing second overall qualifying for the National Royal Air Squadron Trophy next February.  Many thanks for everyone who took part in the team, bringing the RAF competition team back to the top, beating a number of their school rivals.

We started the week welcoming Year 13 back from their mock exams and wishing Year 11 good fortunes with the start to theirs.  Year 11 will be completing their exams over the next two weeks, and both year groups will be receiving a report showing the progress they have made since the start of the year.

On Thursday, we welcome a new evening event to the MGS calendar: the Year 9 Performance Night.  We will be entertained by a number of year 9 students in the Performing Arts Building, so do come along.  The evening starts at 6.30pm.

Finally, I wish to congratulate the MGS basketball and football players who have seen lots of recent success. The basketball players have won three of their league games this season as well as beating the organisers of the Kent Cup.  They now progress to the next round.  The MGS football players have also been having a good run over the past few weeks, which I have thoroughly enjoyed watching when the games have been played at home.  Well done to all involved.

Tuesday 15 November 2022

Firstly, I would like to congratulate Hadyn of Barton House for taking part in the UK Youth Parliament on Friday 4 November at the House of Commons.  It was an incredibly prestigious event for Hadyn, gaining some fantastic experience in the world of politics. Well done Haydn.

Huge congratulations also must go to the 1st XV rugby squad who beat Skinners' at the weekend 22-21. It was a nail-biting match to watch, but the players remained calm and brought home the win to the delight of the large crowd. They should be very proud of themselves. 24 hours earlier the U12 rugby squads on Friday afternoon set the tone for the Skinners' fixtures by winning five out of the six matches. Well done all.

Also at the weekend a number of cadets and adult volunteers took part in the Maidstone Remembrance Service on Sunday.  This followed the MGS Remembrance Service that we had on Friday where the entire school community stood for two minutes at 11 o’clock to mark the Armistice.

This week Year 13 are completing their first set of mock examinations in preparation for their A level examinations next summer.  These examinations will provide an idea to all involved where the students are and what they need to do to position themselves well.  Good luck to them all.

On Friday we acknowledge BBC Children in Need.  With Year 13 being out of school completing their mock examinations it is a chance for Year 12 to step up and lead the rest of the school in raising money for the charity.  The usual £1 on the gate for non-uniform will take place as well as seeing the return of the 8-hour Badmintonathon.  Thank you to everyone for their support.

Tuesday 8 November 2022

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who came along to enjoy the fireworks on Saturday night at the Parents’ Association Firework Display.  The weather was slightly inclement, but it did not dampen our spirits and enjoyment.  A huge thank you to the Parents’ Association and to all the staff, student and adult volunteers who made the event possible.

Thank you also to the students and staff who took part in the weekly rugby fixture against Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, and to the many parents who came along to watch.  Results were mixed, but it was once again an enjoyable occasion particularly because a number of Old Maidstonians came to watch whilst they were on leave from university.

This week we are launching our anti-bullying month in school.  The theme coincides with Anti-Bullying Week, which takes place nationally from Monday 14 November.  Mr Highsted, head of Barton House, will be raising awareness of the campaign in house assemblies all week, and he will also be sharing with the students what we as MGS will be doing to recognise it.  In addition to Mr Highsted, I will also be speaking at the house assemblies to launch the MGS 475 logo competition, as from next academic year MGS will be celebrating its 475^th birthday.

On Thursday we welcome parents of year 7 students to attend the Year 7 Virtual Parents’ Evening.  It will be a first opportunity to hear from their child’s teachers about the progress their child has made since they started their journey as a Maidstonian.  I am sure the evening will be a positive one.

In addition, on Friday, it being 11 November, we will be having a Remembrance service to recognise the Armistice and the many fallen Old Maidstonians who lost their lives during conflict.  It is always a reflective occasion and one that MGS will always acknowledge.

Tuesday 1 November 2022

Welcome to the first blog of Term 2.  I hope you all had a wonderful half term break and a well-deserved rest.

We return to school to a busy week.  Over the course of this week, students will be told in assembly about a new opportunity with our food provider, Cucina.  From this week, we will be issuing every student and member of staff an MGS-branded reusable drinks bottle, because by Christmas it is our intention to remove all single-use plastic bottles in the school.  Two new drinks fountains have been installed into the Refectory, and so students wishing to purchase a drink can do so by using their drinks bottles and paying for how much they have.  We hope that this new way of doing things will be appreciated.

Tonight is our first virtual parents’ evening, this time for Year 12.  Parents of year 12 students will have a first opportunity to hear from their child’s teachers about the progress their child has made since the start of the academic year.  I am sure the evening will be a positive one.

On Wednesday evening, it is the turn of parents of year 11 students to attend the Year 11 Information Evening.  The evening is to hear form key staff about what is to come over the next eight months, particularly with GCSE examinations on the horizon, and more pressingly, the process in which students will need to prepare themselves for the sixth form.  Following Wednesday, on Thursday afternoon, Year 11 will have an opportunity to speak to their teachers directly about all things A levels and what they should be doing this year to position themselves well.

Saturday is our biggest event: the MGS Parents’ Association Firework Display.  The PA has run this event for almost 20 years, and during that time it has grown in size and popularity, so much so that last year was the largest yet.  Many members of the MGS community come together to ensure the event goes ahead, so I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to those people and to everyone who will be coming along to support.  If you are keen to come along, and haven’t yet purchased a ticket, please do so online.  There will be no ticket sales on the night.  Gates open at 5pm with the display starting at 7pm.

And finally, congratulations to Jake of Year 11 who was selected to represent England at the World Karate Championships in Turkey over the October half term.  Jake sadly did not medal, but did amazingly well getting through three rounds which a huge achievement at this level.  Well done Jake.