Maidstone Grammar School

Maidstone Grammar School (MGS) is a grammar school in Maidstone, England. The school was founded in 1549 after Protector Somerset sold Corpus Christi Hall on behalf of King Edward VI to the people of Maidstone for £200. The Royal Charter for establishment of a grammar school was also granted at this time.[1]

This article is about the single-sex boys' grammar school. For single-sex girls' school, see Maidstone Grammar School for Girls.

Maidstone Grammar School
Address
Barton Road

Maidstone
,
Kent
,
ME15 7BT

England
Coordinates51°15′55″N 0°31′52″E
Information
TypeFoundation Grammar School
MottoOlim Meminisse Juvabit
"One day it will be pleasing to remember." from the Aeneid 1.203
Established1549 (1549)
Local authorityKent
Department for Education URN118835 Tables
OfstedReports
Chair of GovernorsMark Rolfe
Head teacherMark Tomkins
Staff120
GenderBoys (11-16) Mixed (16-18)
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1,273
Houses     Barton
     College
     Corpus Christi
     Tonbridge
Colour(s)     Blue
     Yellow
PublicationThe Maidstonian
Former PupilsOld Maidstonians
School Song"Gaudeamus"
Websitehttp://www.mgs.kent.sch.uk/

Admissions

The school takes boys at the age of 11 and over, by examination, and male and female pupils at 16+ on their GCSE results. The school currently has over 1200 pupils and approximately 120 members of staff. The school holds both a Language College award and a Healthy School award. It is situated just off Loose Road (A229), west of Mote Park and the Mote Park Leisure Centre.

Buildings

The main school building surrounds a Tudor-style quadrangle with a cloister on one side, with a new block added in the 1960s to house the geography, religious studies, classics, business studies and post-16 subject classrooms. A design and technology (DT) block was added in 1981 to complete a second quadrangle nicknamed the 'Court'. In 2005, a new refectory and teaching block (later named the Walker Building after a retired member of staff) with 15 classrooms was built for the maths, history and art departments. An 'Applied Learning Centre' was completed in the 2010–11 academic year and a similarly styled 'Food Technology' and Sixth Form block opened in September 2011.

A new Performing Arts building was built ready for use at the start of the 2017/18 academic year. The building includes a recording studio, music practice rooms and stage in order to accommodate the reformed performing arts department. In the 2018/19 academic year, a new sports pavilion and separate computing and science block was completed. The pavilion was constructed to replace the traditional pavilion which had fallen into disrepair and houses improved changing facilities and PE offices. The computing and science building consists of modern laboratories and three new computer suites.

The school opened a refurbishment of the War Memorial Library at the start of the 2019/20 academic year to accommodate the growing number of students, and planning permission has been approved for a new all-weather sports pitch on the field.

Houses

A house system was inaugurated in 1899 with three houses of 'School', 'East Borough' and 'West Borough',[2] with allocation based on local geography (East House for boys living east of the River Medway, West House for boys West of the riverside, and School House for local townspeople).[3] In September 2007, the school reformed the tradition with the introduction of six new school houses, named after military vehicles: Challenger (purple), Churchill (yellow), Endeavour (red), Hurricane (green), Invincible, (blue), and Spitfire (white).

For the 2017-18 academic year, a new house system was introduced to accommodate the expansion of the school. The four new house names are based on the four sites the school has used since its foundation in 1549, being blue-based Barton (the present school site, used from 1930), green-based College (the site at the College of All Saints), red-based Corpus Christi (the original site in 1549 of Corpus Christi Hall) and yellow-based Tonbridge (the former Tonbridge Road site used from 1871).

Sixth Form

The sixth form is one of the largest in the south-east of England. Each year the school takes up to 200 students into Year 12, including about thirty external pupils of mixed gender from any school according to their GCSE results. The sixth form teaches AS and A2 courses.

Sport

School sport participation includes rugby, football, field hockey, cricket, rowing, athletics, handball, and basketball.

Combined Cadet Force

The school has a Combined Cadet Force, with Navy, Army and RAF sections accepting students on a voluntary basis when they reach year nine. The Combined Cadet Force, in particular the Army section, has roots in the Royal Engineers. The Navy section is affiliated with HMS Collingwood, a land establishment in Portsmouth, the Navy section is the senior service after the creation of the CCF in 1906. The RAF section won 9 Air Squadron Trophies and entered teams into competitions on a national level, including Air Squadron Trophy.

School song

In 1908, Rev C. G. Duffield (the headmaster from 1898 to 1913), wrote Latin lyrics to the music of music-master Dr H. F. Henniker for Gaudeamus, the school song. The words, based on verses in Virgil’s Aeneid, are still sung on special occasions such as upper and lower school speech days.[4][5]

The Maidstonian

The Maidstonian is the school's annual publication of reports, articles, news and original contributions. Originally a simple record of every member of staff, as well as each pupil and his form, The Maidstonian has evolved into a publication that is written by pupils, for pupils. Editions include information about any member of staff who has left or who joined the school that academic year, reports from the CCF, Music Department, sports teams, and diaries from foreign trips. Original contributions are of mainly poetry, prose and artwork.

Future developments

The school operates a Development Fund replacing the previous Alumni fund in order to seek funds for future developments. In late 2019, the school received planning permission for an all-weather sports pitch.

Notable Maidstonians

Former pupils of the school are called "Old Maidstonians" and include:

Art, Music & Literature

Media, television & film

Military

Politics & government

Religion

Science & academia

Sport

  • David Flatman, Bath Rugby Union player
  • Tom Parsons, Kent and Hampshire county cricketer
  • Frank Sando, Olympic athlete, two-time winner at the International Cross Country Championships (1955, 1957), represented Great Britain in two consecutive Summer Olympic Games
  • Steven Haworth, wrestler also known as Nigel McGuinness and Desmond Wolfe

Other

Notable staff
  • William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, taught English and Music at the school between 1938 and 1940, when he met his wife Ann Brookfield.
  • Steve Restarick, former professional footballer, taught P.E. at the school before his suspension in 2014 amid fraud allegations.[12]
gollark: He seems to still be here but just not harbinging ☭ unless my client's outdated.
gollark: At least transfer ownership to me if you're leaving.
gollark: no.
gollark: Besides, I would HAPPILY have used non-JS languages, just not certain non-JS languages.
gollark: Weren't you just suggesting JS, the language you disliked, as an alternative language for challenges too?

References
  1. "School Sites » Maidstone Grammar School". www.mgs.kent.sch.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  2. Brownfield G.The Maidstone Grammar School a record 1579-1965,Phillips
  3. Streatfield F, an account of the Grammar School in the Kings town and parish of Maidstone in Kent, Rogus and B,1915
  4. "MGS School Song", Old Maidstonian Society. Retrieved 29 October 2014
  5. "School Song", Maidstone Grammar School. Retrieved 29 October 2014
  6. "Paul Lewis – Biography". Debretts. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  7. Heart Radio
  8. Ben Babington-Browne
  9. "Air Vice-Marshal Mike Hedgeland obituary". Telegraph. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  10. Clare Horton. "Head of Shelter, Adam Sampson, quits to helm new consumer watchdog | Society". theguardian.com. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  11. Scotland (15 August 2008). "Biography of William Saunders". Universitystory.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  12. http://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/steve-restarick-13866/

News items
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