26 April 2016

We are slowly approaching the time when Years 11, 12 and 13 get into examination mode.  I hope that there is plenty of preparation and revision going on behind the scenes!  Year 13 are particularly approaching their last ever day at school.  Some are already becoming emotional and not wishing the next three weeks away too fast.  Last week it was lovely to see Year 13 altogether in their Year 13 Photo; it is hoped that many will purchase a copy and keep it for future viewing.  Last week we also said thank you and goodbye to Harry Webster and Alex Harwood, the School Captain and School Vice-Captain.  On Wednesday the HMS Maidstone Bell was rung by the both of them to signify the end of their tenure and the beginning of the two new incumbents.  Thank you once again. 

Year 8 had a thoroughly enjoyable day on Friday celebrating the work of William Shakespeare.  This day has become part of the School year and seeing the English Department dress up in 16th Century costumes to get into the spirit of the day is a great sight!  Well done boys and thank you to the staff who put the day together.

This week is a slightly quieter one, but we look forward to a new event on Wednesday for Years 7 and 8.  To further embed the House Structure into the workings of the School a science themed House event takes place on Wednesday afternoon where we see boys from Years 7 and 8 take part in a Science Fair in the School Hall which also acts as a House Competition achieving House points that will contribute to the overall House Cup which is awarded at the end of the year.  I hope that the boys enjoy themselves and learn something new about science.

Congratulations to Angus Taylor of Year 12 who won 1^st prize at last night’s Public Speaking Competition.  He made two excellent speeches: one on Donald Trump and one on the EU referendum.  Well done Angus.  Many thanks also to Oli Oakley of Year 12 who partnered Angus to represent MGS and to Mrs Lewis and Mrs Brooks who supported them both.

Finally, Tom Rowe, Sam Luxton, Freddie Gache, Alex McLean, Louis Ashworth and Jack Brown all from Year 7 were part of the U12 Aylesford Bulls rugby that retained the title Kent Rugby Champions.

The boys have won a number of tournaments this year playing in other counties to keep the competition at a high level, beating London Irish and a number of other County champions along the way.  Well done boys.

Tuesday 19 April 2016

Last week saw three events where Old Maidstonians returned to their school to rekindle links with friends and provide opportunities to look back fondly and remember: the A-Level Presentation Evening, the Old Boys’ Rugby and Football matches, and the Old Maidstonian Supper.  All were a delight to be a part.  By the way, the football match resulted in a 5 - 5 draw, but the rugby saw the Old Boys winning 45 – 41.  Thank you to everyone who took part; it was a glorious afternoon of sport. As we looked back with fond memories last week, this week we look forward and welcome the 175 boys and their families who will become Maidstonians from September.  Tomorrow night is the Year 6 Induction Evening for those boys who have been successful in gaining a place here and who are about to begin their MGS journey.  We look forward to welcoming them.

This week the Senior Leadership Team is spending some time popping into a selection of Performing Arts lessons to experience what the students experience each day.  Just like on previous occasions with other departments, this is simply routine and nothing to worry about.  Part of the Senior Leadership Team’s responsibility is to monitor teaching and learning across the School and part of that process is occasionally spending some time visiting lessons.  The main aim is to share the very good practice that is currently going on in the newly formed Performing Arts department and to celebrate its success.  It also can provide opportunities for members of staff to reflect on their own teaching style and develop further as a professional.  I am sure that everyone involved will learn a lot.

Today, in fact this morning, Year 13 had their year group photograph taken.  The students in Year 13 are on the cusp of leaving MGS and so it is important they have a formal token of their time at school and have something they can look back at in the years to come.  We are fortunate the weather has been kind.  On Friday Year 8 take part in the School’s annual celebration of William Shakespeare.  Saturday marks the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, and every year we ensure the boys in Year 8 understand more of Shakespeare’s work and develop an appreciation of his writing which has shaped many aspects of our lives.  I hope the boys enjoy the day and thank you to the staff who put on a great spectacle for them.

The Weald of Kent Grammar School is consulting on proposed changes to their admission arrangements for 2017 entry.  Details are on our website.

Tuesday 12 April 2016

Welcome back to the Summer Term; I hope you all had a good Easter Holiday.  We come back to school to a week when we welcome back many former students to three specific Old Maidstonian events.  The first event takes place today when we invite last year's Year 13 cohort to their A-Level Presentation Evening to be presented with their A-Level certificates.  Tomorrow at 2.30pm the Old Boys' Rugby and Football matches take place when former students who played for their school enjoy a 'friendly' game with the current school teams.  We look forward to two school wins!  And finally on Friday we welcome back over 100 former students at the Old Maidstonian Annual Supper.  It is always a wonderful event seeing the School Hall filled with former students reminiscing over their school days and catching up with old friends.  This year is particularly special as it sees the beginning of Neil Turrell's presidency of the Old Maidstonian Society.  We look forward to seeing him again.

Next week is also a busy one.  On Monday parents of Year 7 come into school and attend their son's Parents' Evening meeting their son's teachers for the first time since they joined back in September; and on Wednesday we welcome parents of the Year 6 boys who successfully gained a place at MGS to attend our Year 6 Induction Evening.  Not only is that evening an opportunity for the boys and their parents to begin their MGS journey, but it also signifies the end of office of the current School Captain and School Vice Captain and the beginning for the new incumbents.  It is tradition that the out-going captains ring the HMS Maidstone bell that hangs in the School Lobby to signify the exact time when they hand over the reins to the new captains.  All of the out-going and in-coming senior prefects will be present to witness this poignant and sometimes emotional occasion. Once again I would like to thank Harry Webster and Alex Harwood for doing to tremendous job this year and best wishes to Tom Lindsey and Joshua Gray who have the next year to look forward to.

22 March 2016

I cannot believe we have reached the end of term.  With Easter being early this year it has felt a lot busier than normal as we have crammed a number of things in before the holiday.  I am sure many of us are looking forward to a well-deserved break.  At the end of each term we publish a School Newsletter celebrating numerous successes and news stories, so please look out for the Spring edition coming out tomorrow.  The term has ended with the School community once again coming together to illustrate its charitable nature.  At this point I wish to acknowledge the team of students and staff that took part in a sponsored Football-athon last week.  So many 6th Form students supported by a number of members of staff played football for 24 hours.  It was wonderful to see so many wanting to take part; some even spent the entire evening and night playing non-stop.  Many, many thanks to the organisers of the event and to the members of staff who gave up their evening, and their sleep, to supervise.  Well done to everyone and thank you.  In addition to the Football-athon, many members of the School took part in the MGS Sport Relief Mile enjoying a lap round the School field together, and I completed my Three Marathon Challenge.  Thank you ever so much to everyone who sponsored me; in total you raised over £2500.  A huge achievement.  Thank you.

Following the weekend's exertion I spent a day in London yesterday looking at how schools can build character amongst young people.  There is a lot of research out there suggesting that building character amongst young people can lead to improved mental resilience and toughness; and this is something that I personally wish to see develop at MGS.  The day's conference had a number of eminent guest speakers who shared their thoughts and ideas, alongside schools who provided practical advice on how they had built character.  I will be sharing my findings with the rest of the School community in due course.  Last week the Senior Leadership Team spent the week visiting a number of lessons in the Social Science Department: Religious Studies, Politics, Sociology, Philosophy and Psychology.  Just like the Science Review a couple of months ago these visits are nothing to worry about, they simply provide an opportunity to share good practice, praise the excellent work going on across the School and give teachers ...I visited two lessons myself, and I must say I was incredibly impressed with the academic rigour of the work and of the level of debate amongst the students. 

Tomorrow is the last day of term and it is now tradition at this point in the year we hear from the current School Captain and School Vice-Captain about their year in the roles.  Both Harry and Alex will speak to the entire school in the final assembly about their year, what they have enjoyed and what they have learnt about themselves.  At this point I wish to say thank you to both of them for their service since last April.  They have been a pleasure to work with I wish them all the best in their futures.  Have a lovely holiday and we'll see each other on the 11th April.

15 March 2016

This week we have three main events that are all contributing to the School's support of Sport Relief.  On Wednesday a group of about 100 students and staff begin a 24 hour Football-athon.  From break time on Wednesday to break time on Thursday, a non-stop football match will be taking place in the Sports Hall.  On Friday, the start of the Sport Relief weekend, I begin my Three Marathon Challenge in which I cycle, row and walk a marathon on each of the three days.  Your support has been incredible, so much so that a total of over £2000 has been raised so far.  Thank you ever so much, and if you would like make a donation please click on the following http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MGSThreeMarathonChallenge . Also on Friday many students and staff join together to complete the MGS Sport Relief Mile.  Good luck to everyone involved and thank you in advance for your support.
 

On Friday MGS also play Oakwood Park in the annual rugby fixture at Aylesford Rugby Club.  This annual fixture is now a key date in both schools’ calendars; many students from both schools come along and enjoy not only the rugby, but also the opportunity to share some healthy banter! 

At the weekend a number of cadets from the CCF RAF Section competed in the prestigious RAF Air Squadron Trophy.  Maidstone Grammar School has had an excellent record in this competition winning the trophy 9 times and winning it over three consecutive years; the only school to achieve this.  This year we came 6th out of 17 schools; Dulwich College being the winners.  Well done to the cadets and thank you to the staff who have supported them throughout the year.

Also last Friday a number of students took to the stage and performed in one of the School's Band Evenings.  These evenings have become very popular over recent years, not only for the musicians amongst the student body, but also for their friends who see this as an opportunity to support their fellow Maidstonians and enjoy an evening out.  Thank you to the staff and students who performed and organised the event. 

Yesterday I chaired a meeting with the Parent Forum: a group of parents who act as my and the School's sounding board.  A number of matters were discussed: the new assessment arrangements, reports, the new building and pavilion projects and the House system.  Much of what we discussed will be shared in next week's end of term newsletter and in future parental evenings.  Thank you again to the parents who sit on this forum; giving up their time for the benefit of the School.

 

8 March 2016

Firstly I wish to thank Ms Alloy and all the staff who organised a very successful Hurricane House Extravaganza last Friday.  This was a new event and one that we hope to see across all Houses in the near future.  Many thanks also to the students who performed at the event and to the parents who came along to support.  We raised over £500 for Demelza House.

This week is yet another busy one.  I continue to meet a number of Year 11 students and discuss with them their choices for A-Level next year.  I thoroughly enjoy this aspect of my job as, even though it is only about 10 minutes, it is nice to give my undivided attention to one student and hear about them.  I will finish my meetings by the end of the week.

Also this week I have a number of other commitments including governor meetings, a meeting with Mr Patrick Leeson, the Corporate Director for Education in Kent, and spending time in the D & T and Business Studies departments.  This latter commitment is something I also enjoy doing; visiting lessons and talking with students about what they are learning.  This year I am visiting each department and spending a couple of hours in each one getting a flavour of what the students experience.  What I have seen so far has been excellent.

On Thursday the Year 7 students complete Day 2 of the BBC Schools Report.  I popped in to see Year 7 during Day 1 and they were all enjoying the experience and discussing a number of topical news issues that matter to them.  This week each group presents their news broadcast, and I get a chance to watch a select few perform in front of the rest of the year group. 

I wish to congratulate both the U18 and U15 rugby squads that took part in last week’s Kent Sevens Tournament.  The U18 squad reached the semi-final beating schools including Skinners’ and Chis & Sid, but then sadly lost to our old adversary, Judd!  The U15 squad went one better and reached the final of their tournament, but sadly came runners-up, an achievement not seen for over 10 years.  Well done to both squads, thank you to the staff that supported the boys, and good luck to all rugby squads next Friday when they play Oakwood Park!

 

1 March 2016

This week is an extremely busy one for me and the School.  Starting yesterday and for the next two weeks the Senior Leadership Team and pastoral leaders in the Upper School interview each and every Year 11 student about their thoughts and aspirations for the 6^th Form.  It is vital that we understand their choices and how best to support them during the last few months before the GCSE examinations in the summer.  I hope the boys find the interviews helpful.

Parents of Year 8 this week receive their son’s GCSE recommendations: the subjects that both the boys wish to study and what we consider to be suitable for them.  This then forms the basis of the Academic Interview Day on Friday when all Year 8 parents are invited to come in to school and meet with a member of staff to discuss progress and GCSE choices.

On Wednesday we welcome Year 13 parents to attend their child’s parents’ evening; their last ever one.  There are only about 8 school weeks left before Year 13 leave us and begin their A2 examinations.  Keep working hard everyone. On Thursday this week is the Spring Concert.  Once again students from all year groups will be involved in performing a number of pieces from a variety of musical genres.  The concert begins at 7pm, so please do come along.

On Friday students and staff from Hurricane House launch a new event that hopefully will be part of the School calendar each year and be enjoyed by all Houses.  Hurricane House parents have been invited in to witness some of the talent that the House can offer, and I know that many of the students are excited about this opportunity.  Many thanks to the students and staff who are involved, and particularly thanks must go to Ms Alloy who has led the organisation from start to finish.  Sadly I will not be able to attend this Hurricane House event as I am travelling up to Oldham to visit a school to look at how they have been developing concepts of mental toughness and resilience amongst their student body.  Developing mental resilience is being talked about a lot within the education sector and many schools are now beginning to look at how they can develop such skills amongst their students.  It is important that every school addresses the need to prepare young people for their future; not just in terms of examination success and providing an all-round balanced curriculum, but also in terms of characteristics and skills that young people can draw upon in their lives.  The intention is to build a positive relationship with key staff at the Oldham School to share their knowledge and experience with MGS staff.    

 Finally I wish to congratulate Tom Lindsey and Joshua Gray both of Year 12 who have been appointed as School Captain and School Vice-Captain respectively for the following academic year.  Well done to them both.

23 February 2016

Welcome to the start of Term 4.  I hope you all had a good half term break and are well rested for the next few weeks.  Firstly I wish to welcome back the students and staff who have just returned from the MGS Ski Trip.  It was the first school ski trip for a few years and it is pleasing to hear that a good time was had by all.  I have already been told that the students were a credit to the School and thoroughly enjoyed being on the slopes for the week.  A big thank you to the staff members: Mr Martin, Mr Kincaid, Mr Williams, Mr Jones and Mr Terrell who accompanied the boys for the duration of the trip.

Just before half term a group of CCF RAF cadets took part in the South East Area Air Squadron Trophy Competition.  The Air Squadron Trophy is one of the most prestigious cadet competitions within the Combined Cadet Force and Maidstone Grammar School has won it on numerous occasions.  This year we have once again achieved a place in the National Final by coming second in the SE Regional Final.  We were also the highest scoring state school out of 13 competitors.  Well done to the cadets, thank you to the staff who accompanied the students, and good luck to the team who compete in the Final on Sunday 13 March.

This week we will know who next year’s School Captain and School Vice-Captain are.  Seven candidates, shortlisted from 16 applicants, took part in a rigorous interview process which involved two interviews, an assembly, two presentations, a group task and a lunch with key staff and members of the wider school community.  The outcome of the process will be announced very soon.

Finally’ on Friday all of the Year 7 boys take part in the annual BBC School Report.  This is an opportunity to illustrate how the BBC works and provide an insight in the field of journalism.  Every year the boys enjoy the experience, and it is one activity they fondly look back on when they get older.

9 February 2016

I cannot believe we have reached the end of Term 3 and that today is Shrove Tuesday.  It only feels a few days ago that we were taking down our Christmas decorations.  Last Friday saw the last House Charity Day of the year.  Challenger and Churchill students took over the School for the day to raise money and awareness for Sarcoma UK and The ABF Soldiers’ Charity.  The highlight of the day was the showing of The Great MGS Bake Off on the big screen in the Hall which was filmed the week before.  Thank you to the staff and students who took part in the Bake Off and well done to those who won Star Baker.  Friday was also the day 22 teams competed at the annual Parents' Association Quiz Night.  Over 150 people took part in what was an enjoyable evening and congratulations to Fifty Shades of Grey Matter who won scoring 222 points out of a possible 300.  Thank you to the Parents' Association, the student helpers, Mrs Lois Birrell and everyone who took part.  The quiz illustrated one thing though, the need to brush up on our spelling as the spelling round saw some very low scores!
In all my recent Blogs I have never mentioned school assemblies, but the last five weeks’ assemblies have been particularly appropriate.  The members of staff who give the assemblies have always spoken about something specific to them or on a matter that is significant for the time of year.  Since returning to school in January, everyone, without being asked to, has spoken about resilience.  Mental resilience and mental toughness amongst young people is something I am particularly keen to see develop at MGS and so spoke about it during the first week of term.  Following this, Ms Lang, Ms Johnson and Dr Everett all then continued the theme and spoke about something specific to them, from the strength of character Shackleton had when he endeavoured to cross Antarctica 100 years ago, to Dr Everett who shared with everyone the need to find peace and time to reflect quietly.  All of the assemblies certainly made me think, and I am sure many of the students did the same.
Congratulations to Rebecca Stone of Year 12 who has been selected to represent England at the U19 Korfball World Cup taking place in March in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. She will be part of a squad of 7 boys and 7 girls and will play teams from 15 other countries. Well done and good luck Rebecca. Finally I wish to thank the 18 students who have applied to be School Captain for the 2016-17 academic year.  Reading application letters from students who wish to be considered for the role and how they feel about their school is always incredibly rewarding.  The shortlisting now begins with the interviews taking place after Half Term.  Best of luck to them all.

2 February 2016

Today we welcome back to school the Year 12 students who spent last week attending the Harvard United Nations Conference.  I am sure they had a wonderful experience and were given the opportunity to achieve something that they thought they would never feel possible.  I expect they also enjoyed the snow.  Welcome back everyone.

This Thursday is the opportunity for parents of Year 8 students to come into school and meet their sons’ teachers.  It also provides an opportunity for the boys to find out more about the new subjects that we offer at MGS during the GCSE years and so give greater understanding to help in the up-and-coming decision making process.  We look forward to welcoming you all on Thursday.

This Wednesday we welcome a group of French students and their teachers who are spending the day in Maidstone.  They will be joining a number of lessons during the day and helping our own students in their French lessons.  We hope they enjoy the day.

There are two events taking place on Friday: the Challenger and Churchill Charity Day and the Parents’ Association Quiz Night.  The Charity Day is the final House Charity Day of the year and is the chance for the students from those two Houses to raise money and awareness for their charities, which this year are ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Sarcoma UK.  I hope everyone is able to support the two Houses and so collectively raise a substantial sum of money for two important charities. 

Also on Friday is the annual Parent’s Association Quiz Night.  It takes place in the School Hall and starts at 7.30.  This year I am in the Quiz Master’s chair once more, so there’ll be no running in the aisles!  If you are able to come along and enjoy what proves each year to be an entertaining evening then please do make contact with the School Office to book your team a table.  We look forward to seeing you there.