Welcome
Dear Students, Parents, Carers and Friends We were very pleased to welcome our new students into Years 7 and 12 in September, with the sixth form growing to a record size. We have been very pleased indeed with how well our new students have settled in and how quickly they have become a valued part of the school community. In particular, many of the newest students joined others to make a significant contribution to the House Arts competition, to sporting events, to the Year 7 music concert and to the our annual Carol Service in the church. Students have been working hard since the start of term 1 and this follows a superb set of results in the public examinations. We were delighted to find ourselves placed (and the only Maidstone school to be so) in both The Daily Telegraph list of the top 100 state schools for A level results, and in The Times Parent Power top 100 schools nationally. 72% of all the grades awarded at A level were grades A*-B and there was a 100% pass rate for A level for the third year running. GCSE results were the very best in the school’s history, with 62% of all grades awarded being A*-A. Very many congratulations to all our students. This month sees the end of our 125th anniversary year. It has involved a number of events and we have thoroughly enjoyed gaining a stronger sense of this school’s place in the history of Maidstone. Tracing that history gives in microcosm a fascinating impression of social and political change nationally since 1888. This anniversary year has included a highly successful 125 th anniversary afternoon, attended by over 1,000 past students, a whole school photo, an anniversary mug and a booklet outlining the history of the school being given to all students and staff, and the setting up of an online alumni network. One of the most successful activities has been the opening up of our World War Two air-raid shelters. We
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
have already welcomed 6 primary schools who have visited, learned about the school in wartime and experienced what it is like to have a lesson underground. This has been followed with a WW2 lunch! They have been fascinated to learn that sometimes the girls were underground for 7 hours and had to spend break and lunch time in the narrow tunnels as well as having lessons with their work balanced on their knees. We are looking forward to welcoming more primary schools in the new year, and it is also our intention to make sure that all of our own students have a chance to see what MGGS students experienced in wartime. Visiting the shelters is a genuinely moving experience, and makes us realise how lucky we are not to have had to work in those conditions. Students from Madginford Park Finally, thank Junior School visiting the WW2 airyou to all staff, raid shelters students, parents and governors for your continued and valued support of the school. I hope you have a very peaceful, restful and enjoyable holiday. Merry Christmas!
Christmas Newsletter - December 2013 | Page 2