Tuesday 28 January 2020

HM Blog- Tuesday 28 January 2020

This week I am delighted to be writing the Blog on behalf of Mr Tomkins.

On Sunday, twenty-eight Year 12 students and three members of staff – Mrs Van Mol, Mr Rivers and Mr Tomkins- flew out to New York and Boston to take part in the 67^th session of the Harvard Model United Nations. The students have spent many hours, weeks and months preparing to take part in the prestigious four-day event. Over 4,000 students from around the world will take part in the international relations simulation, modelling the role of real international decision makers, discussing and debating international issues and developing innovative policy solutions. We wish them all the best of luck and look forward to hearing about their experiences when they return.

Many congratulations go to the 2nd XI senior football team which secured a strong 7-1 victory over Oakwood Park in the Kent Cup Quarter Final – well done boys and we look forward to seeing your ongoing good effort in the competition!

On Thursday 23^rd January, the whole of Year 10 and 11 watched a safeguarding presentation on County Lines and grooming delivered by the St Giles Trust, supported by Kent Police. The exploitation of young people via so called “county lines” criminal networks is a key safeguarding issue at a national, county and local level. The St Giles Trust presenter focused on debunking myths and stereotypes around crime and related issues and challenging some of the messages put out on social media and via popular culture. He also gave students insights to help them identify potentially risky situations and talked about strategies they might use to overcome negative peer pressure. The presentation is part of our proactive and preventative PSHCE and safeguarding programme. A big thank you goes to all of the Year 10 / 11 students who proved themselves to be a fantastic, engaged audience throughout.

Also this week, Mr Tomkins and Cameron B in Year 13 delivered four House assemblies on a green, environmental theme. As well as raising awareness of the wider global climate crisis, they also focused on what we can do - both as a school and also as individuals - to “make a difference”. One key area that we are ALL going to focus on immediately is litter. It is vital that we take care of our environment – in school and beyond – and looking after our immediate surroundings for our own benefit and the benefit of others in our community is a great place to start! Initial reports indicate that the school site is already a much more pleasant place to be – keep up the good effort everyone.

There is a growing number of squash players at the school and we were able to enter teams for the Kent Schools’ Squash tournament on Friday 17^th January at the Mote Squash Club.  The boys faced some tough opposition from schools across Kent, but performed admirably with the Junior Team progressing beyond the pool stages to the semi-finals.  Well done boys!

Finally, we are looking forward to Tonbridge House Charity Day on Friday 31^st January. There are many events planned throughout the day with the aim of raising money for ‘Brain Tumour Research’.  In addition to the usual non uniform day, students are also invited to ‘Wear a Hat’ for a small additional voluntary donation towards this very good cause. Good luck Tonbridge – I am sure you will all be working hard to raise lots of money AND earn lots of points towards the House Cup Competition.

Miss Johnson, Deputy Head

 

Friday 24 January 2020

Sorry for the delay in uploading this week's Blog.

Firstly, I wish to congratulate the boys of the U13 Football Squad who successfully reached the semi-final of the Kent Cup last week, beating Dane Court Grammar School 2 – 1.  Well done boys and good luck.

 

This week Year 10 returned to normal school following the examinations last week.  Over the week the boys will be finding out how they got on.  Also this week the theme for the school assemblies was further highlighting our green agenda and how we are looking after our environment.  The biggest challenge is changing habits, but we are determined to work hard on this to begin a much-needed change.

 

Year 9, 10 & 11 attended what we are calling a ‘Futures Briefing’ this week.  The main focus is to illustrate to the boys how they can achieve their aspirations by showing them what former Maidstonians have gone onto and what their profiles were like when they were at school.  I have seen the presentation and software package, and it is an excellent resource to get the boys really thinking and how they can position themselves for the future.

 

Our budding sixth form artists visited Maidstone Museum to get further inspired, and on Thursday boys from years 10 and 11 had a presentation given to them from Kent Police about gangs and county lines.  This latter event is vital for supporting young teenagers about how society is changing.

 

And on Sunday 28 sixth form students, accompanied by Mrs Van Mol, Mr Rivers and myself, fly out to New York and Boston to attended the Harvard Model United Nations Conference.  Only two school nationally attend the conference, so knowing that it will be Maidstonians standing on a world stage debating global issues is incredibly rewarding and fills one with pride.

Tuesday 14 January 2020

The main focus for this week are the Year 10 examinations.  Not only will the examinations highlight how much progress the students have made at this halfway point in their GCSE studies, but they will also provide the first opportunity for the year group to experience examinations in the main hall.  We wait and see what happens.  Good luck boys.

 

Last night was a busy one for me as I attended three after school meetings: The Staff Wellbeing Group, the Parent Forum and the Harvard parent meeting. Much was discussed.

 

And this Friday the application window for applying to be the next School Captain and School Vice-Captain opens with the deadline being Friday 7th February.  Jonah and Jack, the current incumbents, still have three months left in the roles, but the process of finding their successors begins now.  The current Year 12 is a good year group, so we look forward to welcoming many applications.

 

Tuesday 7 January 2020

Welcome to the first Headmaster’s Blog of 2020.  Welcome back to a new term; I hope you all had a good holiday, and Happy New Year. 

This week is a quiet one to ease us back into school life. 

Tonight we welcome parents of year 8 students to hear about the GCSE options process.  The time has come for year 8 students to consider what they would like to study next year, and tonight’s information evening explains the detail.  And tomorrow night is the Year 9 Parents’ Evening.  After two terms of GCSE studies it is a good point for parents to hear how their sons have progressed.  We look forward to welcoming them. 

Tuesday 17 December 2019

Welcome to my last blog of 2019.  I cannot believe we have reached the end of the first term of the academic year let alone the end of 2019.  It has been another demanding and rewarding year, and we are now looking forward to a well-deserved holiday.  Before we do though, there are a number of things to acknowledge.

 

Firstly, I would like to thank both the staff and students for organising last week’s Barton House charity day in support of the NSPCC.  The day had a joyful feel with the wearing of festive jumpers and a hotly contested mince pie eating competition.  The total amount raised was just under £1,750.  Well done all.

 

Congratulations to Tom Fryer of College House who represented the UKIP Party who won last week’s MGS Mock Election.  The outcome of the Election was unprecedented as both Tom Fryer and Liam Turner, who represented The Brexit Party, both received the same number of votes, but after consulting electoral rules, the final outcome was decided with a coin toss!  Well done Tom, and thank you to all other candidates who took part in the election.

 

Continuing the Christmas theme, today and tomorrow the catering team serve the students and staff their Christmas lunch; Barton and College students today and Corpus Christi and Tonbridge houses tomorrow.  Do enjoy the lunch and let us hope the students eat their sprouts!

 

Tonight after school we invite Old Maidstonians who left last year to return to their school to receive their A Level certificates.  A number of the year group are returning to receive applause for their achievements but also to see each other again and to catch up.  The occasion is always an enjoyable one.

 

Tomorrow is the MGS Carol Service which takes place at All Saints Church at 7pm.  The Service will follow a traditional format: hearing lessons and singing carols, before we all enjoy a mince pie and glass of mulled wine.  If you are free then please do come along.

 

And Thursday is the end of term before we break up to enjoy a couple of weeks with our friends and family.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Tuesday 10 December 2019

Firstly, I would like to congratulate the 1^st XV rugby squad for beating Windsor Boys School last Wednesday 55 – 0 in the quarter-final of the National Bowl competition.  The semi-final is now not until March, and we wait to see who we will be playing.  The players should be incredibly proud of themselves to have reached the last four. 

 

Congratulations and thank you to the entire cast, band, crew, prefects, refreshment sellers and staff for three wonderful nights of Little Shop of Horrors.  It was one of the best school productions I have seen, and I certainly went home singing the songs in my car.  Well done all and thank you to everyone who supported.

 

A big thank you to everyone who has supported this year’s Salvation Toy Appeal.  Once again we have been amazed by the generosity of our parents and staff who have donated so many gifts and toys for the children of Maidstone.  Thank you ever so much. 

 

The end of term is nearly upon us, but there are still two busy weeks ahead.  Tonight we welcome parents of year 12 students to attend the Year 12 Parents’ Evening.  This will be the first opportunity that parents hear from their child’s subject teachers about how their child has progressed with their A Levels at the start of the sixth form.

 

Tomorrow and Thursday, boys from Year 8 will be taking part in two careers days.  These days are to get the boys thinking about what their interests are and what they possible might wish to do in the future.  These days will also help with the important decisions the boys will be making after Christmas about their GCSE options.

 

On Thursday MGS will be holding its own Mock Election.  Sixth form students have, for the last three weeks, been campaigning for their parties and encouraging us all to vote for them.  We now can have our say.  The Election will be preceded with a Hustings where all the candidates will be grilled by a hall full of students.  Good luck to all candidates.

 

On Friday Barton House will be leading on their charity day to raise money for the NSPCC.  The usual non-uniform day will be the main fundraiser, with students being encouraged to wear a festive Christmas jumper.  Throughout the day there will be of course stalls and events to further raise money.

 

And congratulations to Max Cardosi of Barton House who successful won a boxing competition on Saturday. The competition was part of a boxing event held in Maidstone at the weekend involving a number of clubs in the SE region. Max represents West Tree Boxing Club and he defeated a boxer from a club in Essex.

 

 

Tuesday 3 December 2019

Firstly, I would like to congratulate the 1^st XV rugby squad for beating King John School, Benfleet last Wednesday 24 – 17 in the last regional round of the National Bowl competition.  We are now in the last eight of the competition and are due to play Windsor Boys School on Wednesday.  The players should be incredibly proud of themselves to have reached the last eight.  Good luck boys for Wednesday’s match.

 

Sticking with sporting news, the 1^st and 2^nd XI football squads also respectively won their matches last week.  The 1^st XI beat Harvey Grammar 2 - 1 and the 2^nd XI- beat Kent College, Canterbury 8 - 1.  Well done boys.    Last week was a good one for senior sport!

 

Congratulations must also go to the CCF RAF cadets who, at the weekend, achieved 2^nd place in the regional division of the RAF Air Squadron Trophy.  On the way to achieve 2^nd place they came 1^st in the shooting part of the competition.  They now progress on to the national final.  Well done all and thank you to Mr Moores for accompanying them. 

 

This week is one to look forward to as our budding actors and musicians will enjoy putting on this year’s school production Little Shop of Horrors.  The first performance is Wednesday evening and will run for three nights finishing on Friday.  Tickets are available from the Bursary or on the door, with the show starting at 7pm.  Do come along.

 

And on Friday a group of Year 7 and Year 8 students travel to Cologne for a long weekend to experience the culture, try out their language skills and to enjoy the festivities of the famous Christmas market.  I hope the boys, and the staff, enjoy the occasion.  Safe journey to them all.

 

Tuesday 26 November 2019

Yesterday the year 11 students finished their GCSE mock examinations and so return to normal school today.  It is hoped that the last six days have prepared them for next summer’s examinations as well as providing them with a clear ‘marker in the sand’, indicating what work now needs to be done.  The results get published in a couple of weeks.

 

It is at this time of year when our Oxbridge students hear from their respective universities and colleges.  Once they hear we put them through a series of workshops and interviews to prepare them, organised by Mr Rivers, Miss Johnson and Mrs Acaster.  Fingers crossed to them all.

 

Congratulations to the 1^st XI and U14 football squads who respectively won their football matches last week.  The 1^st XI squad beat Borden Grammar School 2 – 1 in the East Kent Premier League, and the U14 squad beat St Gregory’s Catholic School 4 – 1 in the Kent Cup.  Well done boys, and thank you to Mr Terrell and Mr Bing for supporting.

 

This Friday there are two trips: A Level French students are spending the day at the British Film Institute in London experiencing French cinema, and a number of CCF RAF cadets are travelling up to RAF Wittering for a day of flying.  I hope they all enjoy themselves.

 

And on Saturday, the rugby squads play Dartford Grammar in the annual fixture; the cast and crew of Little Shop of Horrors spend a day rehearsing in preparation for the 4^th December; and a number of families enjoy a day in Bruges on the MGS Parents’ Association Christmas Market Trip.  I hope the day is successful on all counts.

 

Last Friday 25 students across years 7 to 10 competed in the Maidstone Schools Cross Country Competition at Mote Park.  Everyone ran superbly, giving their all in very challenging conditions, and representing our school with pride.  MGS was crowned the champions of all three races; and many of the boys will now have the opportunity to represent the school again at the Inter-District Competition later in the season.  A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of sport.  Well done. 

 

Also on Friday Matthew Overal-Roe of College House travelled to the Big Rock Bond in Milton Keynes, representing his bouldering squad (Team Chimera), to compete in a combined top rope and bouldering competition. He won his age category dropping only 2 marks in total.  Well done Matthew.

 

And finally, congratulations to Tom Poole, Old Maidstonian who left in the summer, who has just won one of the coveted John Downton Award Prizes at a recent art competition.  His work will now be displayed in the Turner Contemporary Gallery. I believe this is a first for MGS.  Well done Tom.

Tuesday 19 November 2019

Firstly, I would like to thank all of the sixth form students who helped last week organise the Children in Need charity events.  The fundraising started on Thursday with the sponsored row.  Collectively the six senior prefects and I rowed three marathons over 9 hours raising over £1,300.  The support from students and staff who watched and cheered on was incredible.  And on Friday saw the usual non-uniform day which included cake selling, tombola stalls and a staff vs. staff arm wrestling competition.  Congratulations to Ms Wilson and Mr Bell, both from the English department, who won their respective competitions.  The final amount is yet unknown but the total to date is over £3,000.

 

Sadly, on Saturday and during last week, the rugby results against Skinners’ School did not go in our favour, but the spirit in which the games were played was tremendous.  The run up to Christmas is a hard one with Skinners’, St Olave’s, Judd and Dartford over four consecutive weeks.  The step up is a good one for us to rise to, and if the Skinners’ game is anything to go by, the next three weeks will be exciting to watch.  Thank you, as always, to the players who play, the parents who support, and to the staff who coach. 

 

This week is generally a quieter one, which is no bad thing.  By the end of the week we will be halfway through this eight-week term, and with the darker nights and colder weather, it always feels more demanding than it actually is.  This week though is certainly not a quiet one for Year 11 as they have their mock exams to complete.  Over six days the students will be tested across all of their subjects as well as experiencing what it is going to feel like next summer.  Good luck everyone.

 

And just an advance warning that in a couple of weeks’ time the school production is taking place.  Little Shop of Horrors is this year’s production which takes place from Wednesday 4 December to Friday 6 December.  Curtains open at 7pm with tickets being purchased on the door or in advance from the school Bursary.  Do come along.

Tuesday 12 November 2019

Firstly, I would like to thank the staff and students who supported last week’s Post 16 Open Evening.  Nearly 500 Year 11 students from MGS and surrounding schools visited us to see what we do in our sixth form.  Despite it being incredibly busy it was an extremely positive evening with many positive comments from visiting students and their parents.

 

Congratulations to the students who took part in the Mock Trial Competition on Saturday at Maidstone Crown Court.  This is the first time Maidstonians have taken part in the competition for a long time so expectations were somewhat realistic.  I am pleased to say though that the students have progressed into the national final beating Skinners’ School, Mayfield Grammar and Tonbridge Girls Grammar along the way.  The final will take place later in the year at the Old Bailey.  Well done all, and thank you Mr Ferguson for supporting them.

 

Also congratulations to the U13 rugby squad who last week beat Oakwood Park Grammar School 90 – 5, and to the 1^st XV senior squad who beat Chatham and Claredon Grammar School to progress into the final regional round of the National Bowl Competition.

 

And finally, congratulations must go to the junior cross country team who finished fifth in the South East English Schools Cross Country Competition on Saturday. This was an event involving the best teams from schools in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire and our students beat the likes of Whitgift School, Hurstpierpoint, RGS Guildford, Dartford Grammar and Sevenoaks School.  There is now an outside chance that the team will qualify for the English Schools Final in Derbyshire next month.  Well done boys.

 

Before looking ahead to this week I would like to acknowledge the conduct of all of our students at last Friday’s Remembrance Service.  Parents should be very proud to know that the entire school paused for two minutes during break time to coincide with the two-minutes silence during the Service.  It is pleasing to know that today’s generation respect the concept of remembrance even in the digital world.  Thank you to each and every Maidstonian. Thank you also to the 73 cadets and five staff who took part in the Maidstone Remembrance Service on Sunday. 

 

This week is a busy one.  Tomorrow afternoon we invite parents of year 12 students into the school to attend the GCSE Presentation Afternoon.  Students from last year’s Year 11 will be receiving their GCSE certificates to recognise their achievements following three years of hard work.  Congratulations to everyone.

 

This Friday is the annual BBC Children In Need Appeal and like every year we support the charity with a day of fundraising events.  The usual non-uniform will be in place as well as the sale of cakes and a staff vs. students Big Hall event.  To help with fundraising, the day before, on Thursday, the six senior prefects will join me in rowing a marathon.  I have foolishly agreed to row a marathon on my own, alongside Jonah and Jack, the school captain and school vice-captain, who will row one between them; and Ben, Zack, Jasmine and Will, the four house captains, who will also be rowing one between them.  There are going to be some very tired legs!