MGGS Information 2012

INFORMATION

Academic Year 2012-2013

The Curriculum

Our Curriculum Vision

At Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, our curriculum vision is to enable pupils to achieve academic excellence, in a caring and supportive environment. We aim to foster a sense of scholarship, the development of thinking skills and a love of learning.

The curriculum is underpinned by a broad set of common values and purposes. These are: • encouraging in pupils a deeper knowledge and understanding of key ideas and concepts through an enquiry based approach to learning • giving sufficient time to each Key Stage so that opportunities are made available for significant enrichment and extension to ensure that all students are intellectually challenged and develop as independent learners and thinkers • providing flexibility in curriculum design and subject choice so that students are able to personalise their learning with regard to their ability and interests whilst retaining breadth in their studies • ensuring that the delivery of learning and teaching is of the highest quality

Enquiry, enrichment and extension form the basis of our ‘Curriculum Extra’ programme both in timetabled lessons and extra-curricular activities. These ideas are embedded within the schemes of work.

Gifted and Talented In addition to ‘Curriculum Extra’, the curriculum has also been organised to accommodate the needs of very able pupils by: • Provision of designated enrichment lessons in Year 7 where a carousel of ‘Big Questions’ such as ‘What is truth?’ are explored by pupils over the course of the academic year • Immersion and Express Languages. Students have the opportunity to complete a MFL GCSE in KS3 and an AS in KS4. Some other lessons, e.g. P.E. are taught through the medium of French or Spanish.

• Provision of science courses leading to two or three qualifications in GCSE Science • The opportunity for pupils to study GCSE Astronomy • Setting in Mathematics • Enabling pupils in GCSE Mathematics top sets 1 and 2 to study free-standing Mathematics AS equivalent modules as well • Providing opportunities for sixth form students to follow a five A level subject route • Providing access to Open University degree modules and extended projects

Our Curriculum Aims We want all of the pupils at MGGS to be: • Successful learners: who enjoy learning, make excellent progress and achieve their full potential • Confident individuals: who are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives and who are capable of leading others • Responsible citizens: who make a positive contribution to society and use their talents and abilities for the benefit of others as well as themselves We want our pupils to be Independent learners, thinkers and scholars who can adapt their knowledge, understanding and skills to pose key questions, research wisely, articulate solutions and provide novel answers to problems. We have been accredited by the University of Exeter as a ‘Thinking School’. Thinking skills are widely recognized by universities and employers as being pivotal in helping people to be effective scholars and key members of an organisation. In addition, we want to encourage all our pupils to develop the capacity for lifelong learning, to have a love of learning and to make sure that the learning needs of all pupils, including those who are gifted and talented, are fully met.

The curriculum and our students Our curriculum structure provides all students with: • equality of access • an appropriate and challenging curriculum related to their needs • a broad and balanced curriculum which gives pupils significant experience of activities and content that develop key skills, knowledge, understanding and attitudes • a coherent curriculum which allows students to see how different parts of the curriculum support and complement each other and how acquired skills and knowledge can be applied across a wide range of contexts and situations • continuity and progression where learning takes account of previous experience, attainment and achievement, and where students have challenging but attainable targets

Citizenship, Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) and Work Related Learning (WRL).

School ‘Focus Days’, when the whole school timetable is suspended for a day, are held five times during the year. Such days provide the main way in which Citizenship, PSHE and WRL are delivered although it should be stressed that timetabled lessons also cover significant parts of these programmes of study.

Citizenship and PSHE include aspects of health, careers and political education, legal and economic issues, personal relationships and responsibilities, community and social studies as well as study skills. The programme recognises the importance of students’ lives outside and beyond school and provides the opportunity for individuals to develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and understanding which are required as they pass through their teenage years and prepare for adult life.

Careers support and guidance is an important and on-going process from Year 7 to Year 13. The school employs its own Careers Officer and works closely with the Connexions Service to provide extensive advice on choice of careers and Higher Education. As part of this package of support students are able to have one to one career guidance interviews.

They also gain a knowledge and understanding of work related areas through visits made to the school by employers and representatives of academic institutions, by attending careers based events outside of school and carrying out mini-enterprise, work experience and work shadowing placements during their time at school. There is a well stocked Careers Library and a wide range of other resources and services that can be accessed. A considerable amount of advice and support is also given to students making applications to Higher Education institutions.

The quality of our career guidance has been acknowledged to be of the highest standing and the school has been awarded Investors in Careers(Stage 3), the highest level of this award.

A Selection of Events from the School Calendar 2011 – 2012 September 2011 Year 12 visit to Carroty Wood Year 10 Maths enrichment trip to the University of Kent, Canterbury Year 13 Textile students to Henry Poole Tailors, Savile Row Year 8 Art trip to the Royal Academy, Degas Exhibition Year 11 Food Technology students to Bore Place Farm Some year 9 students to Teen Tech Festival October 2011

U19 Kent Schools Netball Tournament U13 Kent Schools County Hockey Tournament Year 11 Art Trip to the Tate Modern and Tate Britain Galleries Year 7 Residential weekend to Marchant’s Hill, Surrey Year 7 BAE Roadshow U14 Hockey Tournament 4 Year 12 Students to the launch of the EES at BAE Systems Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Qualifying Expedition, Cranbrook Years 10-13 PE students to Motionhouse ‘Scattered’ Dance Show, Cranbrook House Arts Competition - Singing

November 2011

Year 9 Geography field trip to Herne Bay Year 12 Art & Design students to the Cork Street Galleries and the Hayward Gallery Some students from years 11, 12 & 13 to Mock Bar Trial, Guilford Crown Court Year 7+ Music concert Gifted & Talented Year 8 student to Kids Lit Quiz District Cross Country Sports Presentation Evening U16 Kent Netball Tournament

December 2011

Year 8 German students to Koln 4 students to participate in a Golf Tournament at Tudor Park Year 13 Spanish students to La Tasca, Maidstone Year 8 visit to Hever Castle Business Community Carol Service Carol Service at All Saints Church, Maidstone

January 2012

Years 10 & 11 Drama visit to ‘Warhorse’ New London Theatre Years 10 & 12 ICT visit to Kent University Year 12 Drama visit to ‘Metamorphosis’, EM Forster Theatre Year 10 Art visit to Tate Britain and Tate Modern galleries U14 Kent Netball tournament Year 8 Art visit to the Royal Academy – David Hockney Exhibition Choir members to Young Voices at the 02 Arena Year 7 Gamelan

February 2012

U15 Cricket competition Intermediate Maths Challenge U13 Kent Netball tournament School production of ‘Alice’ U14 Kent Futsal Finals at University of Kent, Canterbury Year 12 Psychology trip to ‘The Holocaust Exhibition’ at the Imperial War Museum Year 10 Food Technology trip to Commonwork Land Trust, Bore Place Farm County Indoor Rowing Final Year 8 Art students to The Royal Academy, London A2 Sociology Seminar at St. Simon Stock School PFA Quiz night Music Concert Years 12/13 Maths Inspiration Lectures at the University of Kent Science Week Activities Year 7 visit to the Natural History Museum Science Quiz Science and Technology Career Talks on Pharmacy, Microbiology and Civil Engineering Careers talk on dentistry

Big Bug Show Year 11 Psychology focus day Year 11 Triple Biology students to Port Lympne Animal Park Year 8 science day March 2012

MGGS whole school fundraising event- helicopter fly-by Year 13 Drama students visit to the Globe Theatre KS3 Forte members to Young Voices at the O2 Arena Year 13 Physics trip to CERN, Geneva U13 Kent School Games Basketball Finals Year 12 & 13 Drama students to ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ U12 Kent Netball tournament at Aylesford Rugby Club Year 8 students to ‘Risk It’ Enterprise Technology Challenge Final, BAE Rochester West Kent Book Awards Presentation Evening Year 12 Geography field trip to Swanage, Dorset 10 Year 12 students to Queens’ College Cambridge Roadshow Years 9 & 10 Kent Indoor Cricket Finals

April 2012

Duke of Edinburgh Silver Qualifying Expedition 12 Year 9 students to G&T Science and Technology Challenge Day Junior Maths Challenge Higher Education Convention at Kent University, Canterbury Maidstone Area Book Awards

May 2012

Year 7 visit to St. Omer, France Kent School Games championship Year 7 Rowing at Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club Mayor Making Ceremony Year 9 Oxjam Concert Year 12 visit to Health and Social Care Open Evening at the University of Surrey Year 10 Geography Fieldtrip to Rochester Year 7 Street 20 Cricket Competition Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Practice Expedition Year 9 study trip to Normandy Year 8 visit to St. Omer, France

June 2012

Year 7 students to compete in Kent School Games Athletics Years 12 & 13 MFL students to Stephen Fry Lecture at the Royal Institution of Great Britain 2 Year 9 students to DUX Award Scheme, Warwick University Some year 8 and 9 students to compete in Inter-school Golf Competition Schools Summer Indoor Rowing Competition Inter schools Tennis Competition Year 9 Maths Leader Day Year 8 History Day Some year 9 students to Maths Conference at Greenwich University Year 8 Geography Fieldtrip to Rye Year 12 Health and Social Care students to Health & Social Exposé Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Qualifying Expedition, Cranbrook Year 10 GCSE Business Studies trip to Coca Cola Education Centre Year 7 Growing Scientists Project at Chatham Historical Dockyard Year 8 students to Science Extravaganza at Kent University Duke of Edinburgh Gold training Expedition Sports Day

July 2012

Technology Master Classes Summer dance Show Year 7 Medieval Evening Year 9 ‘World of Work’ day Year 7 Food technology trip to Bore Place Farm Music and PE Students to Olympic Torch Event KS3 Celebration

ACCESS TO FURTHER INFORMATION Each year, in addition to the School and Sixth Form Prospectuses, we produce a variety of other publications. A regular newsletter is distributed to all parents.

Details of information contained in statutory orders, DFE circulars, the OFSTED Report (2009), school policy documents (e.g. the Governor’s Charging Policy; Health and Sex Education) and schemes of work are available on request from the school.

BUCKLAND ROAD MAIDSTONE

KENT ME16 0SF TELEPHONE: 01622 752103 FAX:

01622 681947

WEBSITE:

www.mggs.org

EMAIL:

central@mggs.org