29 September 2015

The highlight of last week was the University Fair on Wednesday.  Over 900 people attended the event from Years 10 to 13 including students from other local secondary schools.  Nearly 50 universities across the country were present with many saying how impressed they were with the level of questioning the students had.  They were extremely grateful for MGS staging such an event and were eager to come back next year.  I hope everyone who attended found it helpful and that aspirations are higher now, but with the skills and knowledge to be in a position to achieve them.

On Friday the School joined the largest coffee morning in the country in support of the MacMillan Cancer Charity.  Many students and staff came together at break time over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.  Once again it proved to be a very popular event.  It has become one of the MGS traditions that many from the community look forward to.  Thank you to everyone who came along and supported.  The total amount raised was £360.

Congratulations to Jack Arterton of Year 7 who has just been selected to play as goalkeeper in the Maidstone District Football U12 team.  This is an excellent achievement for Jack and one that will help the performance of the School Football Team in the coming season and future.

I wish to point out an event that is coming up in November and one that is being organised by the Parents’ Association.  A ParentMail will be sent out very soon to all parents advertising a Bruges Trip.  It takes place on Saturday 21 November and will include a day trip to Bruges taking in all the sites the town has to offer in preparation for Christmas.  Do look out for the flyer and if you are interested please do come along.  While I am mentioning the Parents’ Association, please keep Saturday 7 November free as it is our annual firework display.  It is a very popular event and one that brings the entire school community and local residents together. 

This week we say thank you to Mrs Lindsey Evans who has chaired the MGS Governing Body for the last five years.  She has been a Governor for the last 15 years, but stands down as Chairman on Tuesday this week.  The School acknowledged her service and contributions as Chairman at the Upper School Speech Day earlier in the month, but I once again wish to thank her for all her hard work in support of MGS.  Thank you Lindsey.

22 September 2015

Following the busy previous week with the Beginning of Year Service and Upper School Speech Day, last week was somewhat quieter.  The Parents’ Association meeting on the Monday was a good one in which we discussed the many events for the up-and-coming year.  This year there will be the normal events such as the annual Firework Display, Quiz Night and Family Fun day, but also a new event at the end of November: a day trip to Bruges.  Please look out for details when they come out. 

On Thursday many Year 12 students and their parents came into school for their Information Evening to hear from key staff about the coming year.  I am pleased to say that the students have settled into their A-Level studies very well and have begun to see themselves as MGS 6^th Form students.  Well done and keep up the hard work.

On Friday, Year 13 had the day off school to attend their Academic Interview with their Form Tutor.  This concept was introduced two years ago as we thought it important for parents and students at this crucial time to be well-informed with all things UCAS.  Last year the staff, students and parents all felt that an opportunity to have a detailed conversation was extremely helpful, so we are going to continue with it now and in the future.

This week we have two main events in school.  On Wednesday we are hosting our University Fair between 5pm and 8pm.  Between 40 and 50 universities will be here in the School Hall and Gym providing information and literature to students from Years 10 to 13.  Over 700 people have already registered an interest in coming, so it is going to be once again a very popular event.  On Friday we are joining the country in acknowledging the Macmillan Coffee Morning.  Each year on the last Friday in September the School Hall is packed full of students and staff who come together over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.  We always raise a lot of money on the day, but it also has become an annual tradition of the School that we look forward to.

Starting this week I begin my meetings with each Head of Department and their Line Manager to discuss in detail the examination performance from the summer.  There is much to celebrate and be proud of, but there are always areas that we could improve on, and so these meetings provide an opportunity to discuss how each department can maintain and strengthen what they do and how they can provide an even better experience for our students.    

Finally I wish to say how impressed I have been with the start of term.  Many members of staff have commented on how well-dressed everyone is, how well students have knuckled down to work, and that behaviour around school is very good indeed.  Please keep this up.

15 September 2015

Last week ended with a glorious Upper School Speech Day.  The weather was perfect, and it was lovely to have back at MGS Mr Turrell, who was Headmaster here for 17 years.  Congratulations once again to all the prize winners, good luck to the leaving year group on their next phase of their lives, and thank you to all parents who came along and supported the occasion.

Last Thursday Jordan Chambers and Fraser Robertson of Year 13, joined by Mr Terrell and Mr Highsted, took part in a charity 12 hour bike ride around Brands Hatch.  They competed against some very professional looking teams; some teams of old pro rugby players including Shane Williams, Lee Mears and Victor Obogu.  They acquitted themselves admirably; coming 17th out of 34 teams completing over 80 laps of the circuit in the 12 hour period. The team showed real grit and determination to complete what was a very challenging event.  They are raising money for Parkinsons UK and if you would like to sponsor the team please make contact with the School.  Congratulations to the entire team in what was a very long, but very rewarding day.

Last week the Parent Forum met for the first time this academic year and discussed a number of matters that included how we assess and grade students’ work, the Bring Your Own Device initiative, the new building project, and the vision for the next 5 years.  It was an extremely positive meeting and all came away more informed of what is to come.  We will be shortly looking for additional members, so if you would like to get involved please contact the School.

This week I attend the first Parents’ Association meeting of the year to discuss the coming year and join the Academy Working Party to continue discussions on understanding more the concept of academy status.  On Thursday students from Year 12 and their parents are invited in for their Information Evening; an evening to find out more about what is to come in the next 12 months.  Not only will key staff from the Upper School be speaking, but I will be updating parents on the last 12 months with regards to the MGS Development Fund and sharing with them some potential exciting news about our building projects.  Throughout the next few months all students and their parents will be invited in to attend their respective evening to hear more; please do come along.

 

8 September 2015

Welcome back to a new year; I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed the time with your family and friends.

It is always good to see the students again so the first day of term for me is one of the best days in the school year.  Fortunately the weather held off so we were able to have the entire school in the Quad for the first assembly of the year.  The first week of term is required for the routine of school life to settle down.  All students and teachers are learning their new timetables and the layout of the school is sometimes confusing for our new members.  It is always pleasing to see older students help the younger ones out when they are looking to find where their next lesson is.  I hope your child had a good start to the year and is looking forward to the coming weeks and months.

The summer holiday is a time for staff, students and parents to recharge batteries but also is a time for us to complete necessary work on the fabric of the school and prepare for the start of the new year.  The big job, and one that the students have responded positively to, was the complete refurbishment of the Boys’ toilets in the Main Building.  I understand there were cheers from a number of boys on Wednesday when they visited the toilets for the first time.  The toilets have become a tourist attraction!  Another main job for the school is to receive, issue and analyse the summer examination results.  This year we matched last year’s A2 performance with just under 60% of all grades being A* - B.  AS results were the best the school has ever had with just over 50% of all grades being A/B, and at GCSE level 51% of all grades being A*/A.  I am extremely pleased with these results which come from hard work both from the students and their teachers.  There were many individual performances which were mentioned in our press release at the time, and these will be acknowledged and celebrated at this week’s Upper School Speech Day.

As just mentioned, the main event of this week is our annual Upper School Speech Day where we celebrate the achievements of Years 11 to 13 from the 2014-15 academic year.  Many leaving Year 13 students will be present, particularly because this year’s Guest of Honour is Mr Neil Turrell, former Headmaster of the School from 1992 to 2009, was Headmaster when that year group first started at the School in 2008.  We look forward to welcoming Mr Turrell, leaving students and invited guests back on Friday.

 

The end of term has arrived with a very busy final week of the year.  Monday 13th saw the first ever Primary School Outreach Event: The Brazil Fair.  75 boys from Years 4 and 5 from our primary feeder schools spent a few hours in school completing a number of activities with a Brazil theme.  The boys spent about 30 minutes on each of the three sessions: Samba Drumming, Brazil Cooking and Carnival Mask Making.  The boys had a fantastic afternoon, and seeing our students and staff engage with them showing them what it means to be a part of the MGS community was a delight.  Hopefully we will see similar events in the future.

 Sadly the weather on Tuesday required us to move the annual Sports Day to Thursday, but once again Sports Day was an excellent event involving the entire school community.  There were many very good individual performances but seeing Year 12 getting stuck in to their last Sports Day was memorable.  Well done to Max Reid of Year 12 took part in every event and won every event, and congratulations to Rory Kuypers of Year 9 who broke the school 100m record which has stood for 30 years.  Many thanks to everyone who took part, and thank you to all the parents who came along and joined us in the day. 

Wednesday saw the annual Staff vs. Student Cricket Match, but sadly the rain on Tuesday meant that the students could not go out and watch.  The staff put up a good fight with a great opening partnership of 48 runs by Mr Highsted and Mr Shillito, but a collapse of the middle order meant that the staff only reached 113 off the 20 overs.  The students then batted and did so with a level of kindness so as not to embarrass the staff.  They made the runs in just 14 overs, but could have made the total much sooner.  Well done boys.

Finally, following the last day of the term and the final assembly, the School invited back a number of former students to attend the Old Maidstonian Day.  On Saturday 18th July the first Old Maidstonian Day took place.  It was a beautiful day with a number of OMs back in their school, catching up with old friends, meeting new ones and reminiscing about their time at MGS.  With the superb weather we were all able to enjoy a lovely BBQ and a glass of punch in the School Quad and have a tour of the School and enjoy many artifacts from the School Archive.  Thank you to everyone who attended and many thanks to the staff, students, Parents' Association and friends of the School who all help to organise the event. 

Thank you for a wonderful year, have a lovely holiday and see you in September.

Since returning to normal school I have received so many positive comments from students, staff and parents about this year's Extended Learning Week.  The weather clearly helped, the Wednesday could have been cooler though, and the variety of activities really did bring a diverse experience to the week.  Many thanks once again go to the staff who spent a great deal of time preparing for the week, and to the students who threw themselves into it.  Well done all.

Last week I completed my round of visiting each Year 7 class to teach them a PSHCE lesson.  Every year I teach one lesson to each Year 7 class so as to get to know them a little bit, and for them to get to know me.  I always look forward to the lessons, and I hope that the boys go home and talk about what they have learnt.  I endeavour to shed some light on the concept of Emotional Intelligence, and complete four activities to promote certain themes within the subject. 

Two events took place last week that highlight the diverse nature to our community.  On Thursday the Year 6 Induction Day took place where all of the boys joining MGS in September spent a day in school.  The day provides an opportunity for the boys to experience a little of what it means to be a Maidstonian, as well as hopefully developing new friendships.  Seeing the boys attend our weekly Quad assembly with the rest of the School and watching them enjoy the many team building activities is such a pleasure.  The day ended with their parents joining us for a cup of tea and a piece of cake with many excited boys quickly reporting back on their day.  We look forward to welcoming them all after the summer holiday.

The week ended with many from the School community celebrating Founders Day and Lower School Speech Day.  We all processed down to All Saints Church for the Founders Day Service to acknowledge the founding of the School in 1549 and to listen to Mrs Sewell’s husband giving the sermon led by the new vicar of Maidstone, Revd Ian Parrish.  We then returned to school for the afternoon's speeches and prize giving to Years 7 - 10.  At each Speech Day we welcome many from the wider school community: parents, governors, friends and Old Maidstonians to witness the celebration of the achievements of the Lower School.  This year's Guest of Honour was Mrs Michele Anderson, former Deputy Head who left in 2014.  Congratulations again to all prize winners and to the whole school for a wonderful 2014-15 year. 

The final week of school brings with it excited students, tired staff, anxious parents and a number of end of term events: the Year 5 Brazil Fair, Sports Day, Staff vs Students Cricket Match, publication of the Summer Newsletter, the Terry Shambler Memorial Concert and the Final Assembly.  A busy week to a busy year.

I wish you all a pleasant holiday, and we'll see you on Wednesday 2nd September.

I wish to begin by thanking everyone who helped make last week's Extended Learning Week a great success.  To the members of staff who not only worked hard during the week itself, but also spent many hours behind the scenes in the months leading up to the Week preparing for it; and to the large number of Year 11, 13 and Old Maidstonians who returned to school to help out the younger boys.  It is this aspect of the Week where older students support younger ones that defines the relationships that develop at MGS.   For many, Extended Learning Week is the highlight of the year; working with a variety of students from different ages in something not normally seen at school is incredibly rewarding.  Once again the boys responded with enthusiasm and energy and all conducted themselves in a way we have come to expect at MGS.  There were so many words of praise from staff, volunteers and guides about our boys and their behaviour, so well done all.  I hope your child came home each day with excitement and keen to return the following day.  I also hope you were able to track the progress of the week with our new Twitter account @mgsgrammar, and this is something, alongside this Blog, that we wish to make more use of in the future.   

Alongside the Extended Learning Week for Years 7 – 10, Year 12 students took part in a week of Work Experience.  On return to school yesterday I have had a chance to catch up with a few Year 12 students who said they thoroughly enjoyed their week and learnt so much about the work they did, how it could help them in the future and what they should do now to secure their plans.

There are now two weeks remaining of the summer term, but they will be filled with a number of important events in our calendar.  On Thursday this week all of next year’s Year 7 spend a day in school attending the Year 6 Induction Day.  They will meet new friends, be introduced to their Form Tutor and spend time getting to know many of the important features of MGS.  Friday this week is our annual Lower School Speech Day; a day where we acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the boys in Years 7 to 10 during the 2014-15 academic year.  We welcome back Mrs Anderson, who was Deputy Head of MGS from 2006 to 2014, as this year's Guest of Honour.  We hope the weather is good to allow Speech Day to take place in the School Quad; a setting fit for the occasion. 

Congratulations to the U13 and U15 cricket teams for making the finals of the Maidstone Schools District Competition. Good luck to both teams in their respective finals.
Advance notice to remind you all that next Tuesday is the annual MGS Sports Day and next Wednesday is the Staff vs. 1st XI Cricket Match; both events parents are welcome to attend.  Please just arrive in school and sign in at Reception.  Sports Day takes place during the entire day starting around 9am and finishing about 3pm.  The cricket match on the following day starts at 2.30pm.  Also, and something that is going to be special for MGS is the Terry Shambler Memorial Concert, which is taking place next Thursday 16^th July at 7pm.  Terry, a student who left MGS last year, was sadly killed in a traffic accident whilst on holiday last July.  This concert will be a permanent event in the School’s calendar as it is important that we continue to go on remembering Terry.  Please do come along and support.
 

Headmaster

I write this following a glorious day on the river supervising the Rowing activity during the Extended Learning Week.  So many of the boys in Years 7 to 10 now look forward to this annual week of activities, and I hope that you son is thoroughly enjoying himself whatever he is doing.  This year there are so many different activities which are adding to the development of better links and relationships amongst boys between different year groups.  Friendship is the over pinning quality that we want to focus on during this year’s week.  Please do log on to the school website each day and follow our twitter feed to find out more about what you sons are getting up to.  Year 12 students this week are enjoying their week of work experience; finding things out about themselves and of the places of interest they have chosen to go.  I look forward to hearing from them their experiences.  

Thursday and Friday last week was Sixth Form Induction; where our current Year 11s, joined by a large group of external students, experienced what it is like being an MGS Sixth Form student.  A number of activities took place ranging from a ‘getting to know you’ session to taster lessons in each of their A-Level choices.  The School was busy again, which was good to see, and it is hoped that this new cohort adds to the already improved Sixth Form ethos. 

Thursday was a busy day: we held a coffee morning for parents who wanted to find out more on how we are supporting their child with any additional education or medical needs.  It proved to be a great success and thank you to the parents who came in, and to the members of staff who led on the presentations.  In addition to this we also had an ‘Investors in Careers’ assessor in school assessing how we provide high quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to the student body.  Not only did we gain re-approval of our work but the assessor could make virtually no comment on how we could improve on what we do such is the quality of the programme.  Many, many thanks to Mrs Acaster, Mr Smith and the students for spending time with the assessor and to Mrs Acaster for creating an excellent programme of events that include a number of work related focus days, enterprise education and the BBC School Report.  CEIAG is very much appreciated by the student body, and it remains one of the great strengths of MGS.

 

Finally, last week we received the draft review of MGS that will be appearing in the next edition of The Good Schools Guide.  MGS has never appeared in the Guide, but with our on-going developments and improvements over the last few years we were invited this year to appear.  The article is such a pleasure to read and makes one feel even more proud of the School.  The next edition of the Guide will be published later in the year so do look out for it.

 

Headmaster

Despite this time of year being slightly quieter without Years 11 and 13, the weeks are still packed full of events.  Last week I attended a very informative Grammar School Heads’ Association conference where we discussed a number of matters such as funding, curriculum and accountability changes and the impact grammar schools are having on social mobility.  The conference closed with Boris Johnson, MP speaking about ‘Grammar Schools in the 21^st Century’.  Putting our political persuasion and opinion of him to one side, we were all completely absorbed by his presence and by the way in which he delivered his speech.  He was witty, intelligent, well-informed, and articulated incredibly well the similarities between the impact grammar schools have in society to the importance and impact of cities around the world; it was a pleasure to hear him speak. 

Returning to school following the conference on Thursday last week MGS held its annual Art Exhibition and Summer Concert.  The exhibition was once again a delight to walk around and the quality of art work from the Year 11, 12 and 13 students was very high indeed.  Congratulations to all the prize winners, and everyone who had their work displayed should feel very proud.  Well done all.  Alongside the Art Exhibition was the Summer Concert which was able to be held in the Quad due to the glorious weather.  The selection of music this year was varied ranging from the Theme to Downton Abbey to Beethoven’s Adagio in F Major.  It was such a pleasant way to spend an early evening in the sunshine. 

At the weekend the Parents’ Association held its annual Family Fun and Sports Day to raise money for the association and to bring the community of the School together.  The weather held off for most of the time, which made for an enjoyable day; many people enjoyed the opportunity of winning chocolate on the tombola, sipping at a glass of Pimm’s and scrambling across the inflatable assault course.  Thank you to everyone who came along and to the many of you who donated money, cakes, chocolates and other items for the tombola and stalls.  These events are so important for the MGS Community and I thank the Parents’ Association for working hard to organise it.

This week is another busy one: last night I attended a meeting of the MGS Development Fund Trustees discussing how the Fund is progressing and what things we can continue to work on to see it develop.  Tonight is the last Full Governors’ Meeting of the academic year where, as you can appreciate, we share what has happened during the year and look forward to the next.  Remember, anyone is welcome to attend a governors’ meeting as an observer, and if you would like to do so then please make contact with The Clerk to the Governing Body, Mrs Friend.  Her email address is school@mgs-kent.org.uk.  On Wednesday the leaving Year 13 students return to school for their Leavers’ Tea followed in the evening with their Sixth Form Ball which this year is taking place at Mountains, Hildenborough.  These events are always a pleasure to go to as it is an opportunity to really say goodbye to the leaving students and also see them in their best gear.  And finally this week the new cohort of Sixth Form students for the next academic year attend school for two days at the Sixth Form Induction Conference. 

I hope you found the first Headmaster's Blog informative, giving you some idea of what goes on behind the scenes at MGS.
Last week saw the return of Year 12 following their AS Level examinations. They completed two days of activities that covered a number of important aspects from how to go about writing a UCAS Personal Statement, understanding how to manage one's finances and what to do in an emergency situation when required to give basic first aid. Today Year 12 return to normal lessons embarking on their A2 studies; it is good to have them back. Last Friday I went on my second visit to another grammar school to see what they do there and what we could learn from them.

I visited Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire and spoke to a number of staff and students about a variety of things: teaching and learning, pastoral structures, staff development, all things 6th Form, and Development Funds. I came away with some good ideas and will be sharing them with the rest of the MGS community soon.

Sharing some good news, George Oram, an Old Maidstonian aged 21, has signed a professional contract for Rotherham Titans in the Rugby IPA Championship. Not only this but he also represented England Counties on their tour of Romania last month where they won both their games. George started the first match at number 8 and came off of the bench for their second win. Congratulations George.

Later in the year in November the Maidstone Riverside Rotary Club is organising a sponsored swim to raise money for Children In Need and other local charities. 24 teams of between four and six swimmers will swim as many lengths as possible in 30 minutes - the event is open to teams of anyone and of any ability. MGS has a very close relationship with the Rotary Club and so wishes to support this event and encourage keen swimmers to take part. If you would like to know more or simply register a team then please visit www.swimrelay.co.uk. Many thanks.

This week I am attending the Grammar School Heads' Association annual conference. It takes place every June and provides a great opportunity for all the Heads of grammar schools to network, share ideas and come away with some new ones. This year Boris Johnson MP is the keynote speaker giving the case for 'Grammar Schools in the 21st Century'. I have never heard him speak but I am sure he will be fascinating to listen to and provide the odd smile as he delivers it in the only way he knows how!
Headmaster