Maidstone Grammar School

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

Maidstone Grammar School
Maidstone Grammar logo.png
Address
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Barton Road

Maidstone
,
Kent
,
ME15 7BT

England
Coordinates51°15′55″N 0°31′52″E / 51.26538°N 0.53108°E / 51.26538; 0.53108Coordinates: 51°15′55″N 0°31′52″E / 51.26538°N 0.53108°E / 51.26538; 0.53108
Information
TypeFoundation Grammar School
MottoOlim Meminisse Juvabit
"One day it will be pleasing to remember." from the Aeneid 1.203
Established1549; 472 years ago (1549)
Local authorityKent
Department for Education URN118835 Tables
OfstedReports
Chair of GovernorsMark Rolfe
Head teacherMark Tomkins
Staff112
GenderBoys (11-16) Mixed (16-18)
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1,292
Capacity1,314
Houses  Barton
  College
  Corpus Christi
  Tonbridge
Colour(s)  Blue
  Yellow
Former PupilsOld Maidstonians
School Song"Gaudeamus"
Websitehttp://www.mgs.kent.sch.uk/

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]

Admissions[]

Maidstone Grammar School is a selective school, taking boys at the age of 11 and over based on their 11+ results, and also admits male and female pupils at 16+ based on their GCSE results. Current admissions into Sixth Form are at a 5.5 average GCSE grade.

The school currently has 1292 pupils and 112 members of staff, with 69 teachers as of the academic year 2018–2019.[2][3]

Buildings[]

The main school building surrounds a Tudor-style quadrangle with a cloister on one side. Two new blocks were added in the 1960s and 80s to complete a second quadrangle, nicknamed the 'Court'. In 2005, a new refectory and teaching block (renamed the 'Walker Building') opened, followed by 'Applied Learning' and Sixth Form buildings in 2011.

Additional funding from Kent County Council allowed the school to open a designated Performing Arts building, new sports pavilion, and computing and science block between 2017 and 2019. The pavilion was constructed to replace the traditional pavilion which had fallen into disrepair. More recently, the school opened a refurbishment of the War Memorial Library and an all-weather sports pitch.


Houses[]

A house system was inaugurated in 1899 with three houses of 'School', 'East Borough' and 'West Borough';[4] allocation was based on local geography.[5] 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 Barton (blue), College (green), Corpus Christi (red) and Tonbridge (yellow).

Sixth Form[]

The sixth form is one of the largest in the south-east of England[citation needed]. 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 A-Level courses.

Sport[]

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

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)[]

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 and, a land establishment in Portsmouth, and also has an affiliated ship (HMS Kent (F78)).[6] The RAF section regularly enters teams into both regional and national competitions and have won a total of nine.Air Squadron Trophies[7][8]

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.[9][10]

Notable Events[]

In May 2016, former Maidstone Grammar School teacher Steve Restarick was found guilty of fraud charges, involving embezzling £6,258 of the schools resources over several years.[11]

In December 2020, Maidstone Grammar School was widely reported in the news for choosing to delay the reopening of the school over concerns of the impact of Brexit on its students and staff being able to access the school.[12]

Notable Alumni (Old Maidstonians)[]

See also: Category:People educated at Maidstone Grammar School

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

Art, Music & Literature

Business & Commerce

  • Richard (Dick) Beeching, Baron Beeching†, physicist, British Railways Chairman, cause of the Beeching cuts
  • , property mogul & philanthropist[13]
  • , CEO (UK & ROI), Tesco PLC
  • Mark F. Watts, lobbyist & former Labour MEP

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.[22]
  • Steve Restarick, former professional footballer, taught P.E. at the school before his suspension in 2014 amid fraud allegations.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ "School Sites » Maidstone Grammar School". Maidstone Grammar School. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Maidstone Grammar School - GOV.UK". Find and compare schools in England. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Maidstone Grammar School - GOV.UK". Find and compare schools in England. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  4. ^ Phillips, G. Brownfield (1965). Maidstone Grammar School 1579-1965.
  5. ^ Streatfield F, an account of the Grammar School in the Kings town and parish of Maidstone in Kent, Rogus and B,1915
  6. ^ "CCF". Maidstone Grammar School. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Newsletter Winter 2009" (PDF). . Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Maidstonian 2010" (PDF). Maidstone Grammar School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  9. ^ "MGS School Song". . Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  10. ^ "School Song". Maidstone Grammar School. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Gazet, David (19 August 2016). "Former Maidstone Grammar School PE teacher Steve Restarick sentenced for fraud". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Brexit traffic fears prompt Maidstone school to teach online". BBC News. 9 December 2020. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  13. ^ Hickson, Ron (11 April 2006). "Obituary: Sir Jack Hughes". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Paul Lewis – Biography". Debretts. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  15. ^ "Old Maidstonians Society Newsletter Autumn 1996" (PDF). . Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  16. ^ "School's tribute to crash soldier". BBC News. 9 July 2009. Archived from the original on 13 July 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Air Vice-Marshal Mike Hedgeland obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 8 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 May 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Old Maidstonian Society Newsletter - Autumn 1996" (PDF). . Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 August 2020.
  19. ^ Horton, Clare (2 March 2009). "Head of Shelter, Adam Sampson, quits to helm new consumer watchdog | Society". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  20. ^ "Bishop of Crediton announces retirement date". Diocese of Exeter. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012.
  21. ^ "Biography of William Saunders". University of Glasgow. Universitystory.gla.ac.uk. 15 August 2008. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  22. ^ Roberts, Stephen (10 September 2018). "William Golding: inspired in Kent". Kent Life. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.

External links[]

News items[]

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