mggs summer newsletter 2014
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MGGS Summer Newsletter 2014TRANSCRIPT
End of Year Message By Maureen Wolloshin, Headteacher
Here at MGGS we are enjoying the sunshine, finishing our studies for the
academic year, and reflecting on the many learning experiences we have enjoyed
during the course of the year.
The articles in this bulletin give a flavour of some of those experiences. What
shines through every one of them is the commitment, sense of fun, and joy of
learning that our students bring to everything that they do.
I am convinced that our success as individuals and as a community can be
attributed to the commitment, curiosity, and determination to succeed that
characterises so much of what our students and staff do.
I hope that you all enjoy a peaceful, restorative, and happily eventful summer.
Our students have worked extremely hard this year and I am very proud of their
achievements. They deserve a little rest and relaxation before we see them
again in September; refreshed and ready to give of their best.
Maureen Wolloshin
Headteacher
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
School Production of Angels
The Newsletter
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Maidstone Grammar School
for Girls
July 2014
See inside for full article
U16 Futsal National Finalists By Miss Relph
On Sunday 29th June the U16 Futsal team travelled to the Futsal Arena in
Birmingham to participate in ‘The FA Futsal National Finals’. Teams
from all over the country participated in local competitions, then district,
then regional to have the chance to represent their region at the finals.
MGGS were representing the whole of the South East.
It was a long tiring day for the girls who left school at 6am to register by
9.15am in Birmingham. The girls played some fantastic football and
showed off their skills proving that they are worthy of playing at this
high standard. Katie Startup in goal was phenomenal and kept the team
in the majority of matches due to her fantastic saving ability. Both
Rachel Stevens and Tish Smith were solid at the back and influential in
making accurate passes to Amanda Beeput who played as a lone striker. Megan Gill and Zoe Moyler played well in
the middle and Megan finished a lovely move by scoring on her left foot - a great team goal. Eve Hume is a versatile
player and demonstrated a good performance in defence against some tough and physical teams. Well done to all
players.
Drama Workshop By Mrs Shand
Forty one of our Year 9 Drama students kicked off
preparations for their GCSE course, which starts in
September, with a two hour workshop with the actor
Sean Jones from the cast of ‘Blood Brothers’ on 24th
June 2014. The students were taken through actors’
warm up games, exercises in characterisation, status and
tension and even shown how to bring to life a short
extract from the script of ‘Blood Brothers’ by Willy
Russell. The girls were enthralled throughout and
particularly valued a Q and A session at the end of the
afternoon when they could ask their own questions
about training and working in theatre. Afterwards, the
girls agreed it had been a really inspiring and enjoyable
afternoon!
Report by Jenna
Roper and
Angharad Roberts
On Tuesday 24th June,
the Year 9 GCSE
drama students had
the opportunity to
take part in a workshop run by professional actor ‘Sean
Jones’. Sean Jones is an experienced actor who has
performed the part of Mickey in the West End show
‘Blood Brothers’, and played his part on tour around the
UK.
It was an enriching experience for us all to meet an
experienced actor who has actually taken part in a
famous play. He showed us many acting techniques that
will come in handy for our GCSE drama course and
anything we want to do in the future. The workshop not
only gave us new ways of improving our drama skills,
but also boosted our confidence levels by doing things in
a team. While being taught key skills needed for drama
and performing, we had a lot of fun incorporating games
and funny exercises. Whilst being exposed to serious
techniques we had a lot of fun creating scenarios.
Sean Jones displayed a depth in character whilst playing
Mickey Johnstone, a depth that was interesting to
explore. While playing Mickey, Mr Jones made the
character journey from a seven year old to fourteen
years of age; then age twenty-one to a mature adult, in
the space of a 2 hour show.
We also took part in an exercise that meant we could
show emotion through our character, by only saying one
word. This is a useful exercise for us as it allows us to
show emotions through our actions and facial
expressions, without having to actually say the words.
We are very grateful to Sean Jones for giving up his
time and sharing his experiences and knowledge with us.
We would also like to thank the Drama Department for
providing this opportunity for us and allowing us to
strengthen our drama skills and abilities.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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Angels By Mrs Shand
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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This year our school production was part of The National
Theatre’s Connections Festival. The play was an original
piece called ‘Angels’ written by Pauline McLynn. There
were 22 actors and 24 crew members involved, ranging
from Year 7 up to Year 13. There were three
performances in the School Hall in February and we then
transferred to The Marlowe Theatre in May.
The cast and crew showed a mature dedication to
developing the new play and were never afraid to work
outside their comfort zones. The entire company seized
the opportunity to portray their interpretation of ‘Angels’
with professionalism and passion.
Below is an extract from the Show Report we received
from Richard Weinman. He is a professional director
associated with The National Theatre, who watched the
Thursday evening performance in February and spoke to
the company after the show:
“The performances were committed and truthful and
there were some lovely moments where I felt the actors
were really responding to each other. It is clear that the
actors have really invested in their characters and the
play, and in general the performances are natural
and truthful.
I thought the physical discipline of the Angels was
incredible and that they had a really excellent
balance between being slightly stylized and natural.
The angels were affectively ghost like without being
stereotypes. Overall I thought the design was really
effective in its simplicity.
I really liked the simple but effective lighting design
of the piece, which never felt forced and had a really
natural quality to it. They were clearly able to
demonstrate the time of day and the passing of time
whilst also creating some beautiful images on stage
through the lighting. The use of handheld LED
torches and the fairy lights draped onto the angels,
to light the later scenes was really clever and
beautiful and effectively helped to create the
atmosphere of the graveyard….. what you have is
really beautiful.”
Richard Weinman, Director associated with The
National Theatre
Notre Voyage en Normande By Mme Fourmy
Last May Mme Fourmy, Mrs Farnham, Miss Couves,
and Mr Ansette took 40 students to Normandy for 5
days. The students stayed in a comfortable French
nunnery in the picturesque town of Bayeux and enjoyed
taking part in lots of interesting and varied activities.
The high point of the visit was a guided ecological walk
across the Bay of Le Mont Saint Michel. Students also
visited some of the following: Bayeux and its well-
known tapestry, a working goat cheese factory,
Honfleur, Arromanches and the D-Day landing beaches.
They also enjoyed the opportunity to visit smaller places
of local interest independently, and tried out their
knowledge of French by visiting the local markets and
shops.
Quelques témoignages…
Normandy was one of the best
experiences! From staying in the nunnery
to completing activity full days, it was
amazing. I really enjoyed seeing different
parts of the French culture and history like
the D-day landing and the Bayeux Cathedral. Although
each day was fun my highlight of the trip has to be the
walk from Mont Saint Michael to the shore, it took a
whopping 7 miles but I am so glad I did it, even if I did
step on a few jellyfish on the way! The market was great
and I loved having the responsibility of looking round
with my friends; we used our French talking skills and I
improved a lot! Overall the Normandy trip was amazing
and will always be a fond memory of mine and I really
recommend going there, you won’t be disappointed!
Safia Rasoul
Normandy 2014 was great! It was filled with fun
activities and spectacular experiences with the French
culture. My highlight of the trip was the bay walk; we
walked from Mont Saint Michael across three rivers, to
salt dunes, past islands crawling with birds all the way to
the shore! It took half a day and we walked 7 miles. The
food there was great. We tried some odd concoctions
and my favourite by far was the snails. The goat farm
experience was tremendous and we were able to pet and
brush lovely little goats. It was really memorable and we
got to taste lots of goat cheese. I liked going to the
activities centre in ‘le Châteaux de la bourdonnière’ too.
We made bread, did orienteering and even archery. I
eally enjoyed myself and I think that next year’s
students going will really have a great time.
Rebecca Cheeseman
The Normandy trip was really great
because we went to all sorts of amazing
places and saw all sorts of interesting
things. For instance, we saw Mont Aaint
Michel which is where J.K. Rowling got
inspiration for ‘Diagon Ally’. We also went to a goat
farm and saw some of the cutest pigmy goats around,
and we also saw the Bayeux tapestry, which is really
famous. The accommodation was really good and the
whole town was very inviting. I highly recommend
going on future French trips; it is the experience of a
lifetime.
Tori Simmonds
I really enjoyed the school trip to Normandy. It was such
a different experience and we did lots of great activities;
from archery to going to a goat farm! When we stayed in
Normandy, I used the French I learnt throughout the
year a lot. We visited many beautiful places including
Saint Michael’s Bay. The evening entertainment was
brilliant and we all put on a talent show at the end. I had
such a fantastic time and would love to go again.
Kristy Maskell
Normandy was an amazing experience because we did
lots of different activities. We did bread making and
archery. The picnics at lunchtime where delicious as
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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“I would love to
go again”
Mont Saint Michel
well as the 7 mile walk through the Monte Saint
Michael. It was tiring but so fun. The evenings where
great fun too and we played different games every night.
My favourite evening was the talent show, everyone did
amazing shows! Overall it was an amazing trip and I
know next year’s students will have an
amazing time too.
Ciel Chaussy
When we were told about the trip to Normandy, I was
excited but didn’t quite know what to expect. Because of
this it exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed all of the
activities, including the walk across the causeway back
to the mainland from Mont Saint Michel as it was a very
unique experience. I also liked the panoramic cinema as
I thought that it was extremely clever and interesting.
Overall, it was a great week.
Lauren Oram
Our trip to Normandy was great. Every activity was
really fun and interesting; my favourite was the trip to
Mont Saint Michel as it was exciting and fun to learn
about. I genuinely think my French improved vastly. I
got to utilise it so much more, especially in the market.
It was brilliant to have your friends around and we all
got to stay in the nunnery together. All of it was
enjoyable, even the everlasting coach journeys! It was a
very memorable trip that I’d love to do again.
Georgia Freeman
Next years visit to Normandy will be
taking place from the 17th of May to the
22th of May 2015 and is open to all of
Year 9. You should have received a letter
via ParentMail. Only 40 places are
available so make sure you return your form quickly.
You would not want to miss out on such a great
opportunity!
Deadline: First
deposit by
Monday the
8th of
September
2014.
Science Extravaganza By Mrs Mahon
On 30th June fifteen students from Year 8 went on a Science visit to the University of Kent. We first had a lecture
from a Cellular Biologist about the causes of cancer and how biologists are trying to not necessarily find a cure to
the disease but a treatment that would allow sufferers to survive longer and die from a disease other than the cancer.
This would work in the same way as someone having diabetes or HIV, they have the disease, it is treated, but it will
not cause them to die.
After a short break we went to our first workshop called Mini Monsters. We had to look at a variety of invertebrates
and find physical features that were similar and different so that we could classify them. We had great fun
photographing the mini beasts through the lenses of the microscopes.
After lunch our second workshop was on Kitchen Chemistry. This was broken up into smaller sessions. The first
was given by a Pharmacist who went through a patient’s prescription and asked us all questions about what the role
of each drug was. We then had to dispense the prescriptions which were Smarties really. Finally we had a quiz to
identify if something was a drug or a sweet. This was very hard and showed that to children a lot of prescription
drugs look like sweets.
We also looked at some small demonstrations about light, static electricity and lava lamps.
We were shown around all day by University Ambassadors. They were students on their summer holidays. They
told us all about student life, courses available and what we would need to do if we wanted to go to university. We
had to fill out a booklet throughout the day and may win an ipod. We all had a great day.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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Le Chateau
“Every activity was
really fun”
Forte By Mrs Wood
We’ve had another busy year at Forte. We hit the ground running in September auditioning new members and
working towards the School Carol Concert and Young Voices at the O2. Young Voices was a fabulous concert
singing a whole range of pieces with professional musicians, including Stacey Soloman. In fact, such a great time
was had, we’ve already booked up for next year - so keep the 31st January free if you would like to come and watch
your daughter singing again - but don’t forget your binoculars!
Since then we’ve been working on a wide ranging repertoire, including Happy by Pharrell Williams, Rolling in the
Deep by Adele, and Viva la Vida by Coldplay. We’ve performed at Mrs Smith’s farewell assembly, and our next
performances are at the two Open Mornings for perspective students and doing a workshop with the new intake of
Year 7 on their Welcome Day. We would like to thank both parents and staff for their support of Forte and all the
concerts we partake in. The choir would not be so successful without supervisors and an audience! Please keep an
eye out for notices of concerts at the start of the new academic year - I hope to see as many of you there as possible.
Twelve Angry Men By Eloise Ball
On 16th January 2014 Drama students from Years 10, 11
and 12 visited the West End of London to watch a
performance of “Twelve Angry Men” at the Garrick
Theatre. The day began with a huge buzz of excitement,
as is always with trips in the Drama Department. The
lively atmosphere on the coach is fantastic - people
singing together, chatting, asking questions about the
show and it got even more exciting as we entered
London. One of the best moments was definitely as we
drove through the West End, looking out of the window
and spotting the different theatres and what shows they
were housing. For some of us, performing in the West
End is a long-term goal and something we hope to
achieve later in our lives which made the trip all the
more special.
We arrived early so had some spare time before our
show. This enabled us to walk down to Trafalgar Square
and spend some time just enjoying the sights of London
in the surprisingly sunny weather. Taking full
advantage of the photo opportunities, we took pictures in
front of the famous lion statues and group pictures in
each of our drama classes.
The show itself was absolutely fantastic. Set entirely in a
single set of a New York City court jury room, the play
was a legal drama on the theme of justice, showing how
12 individuals on a jury can have such a dramatic impact
on one person’s life. The performance was extremely
engaging, leaving us all on the edgesof our seat. There
was light comic relief at times, predominantly coming
from the oldest juror’s charming wit, yet there were also
very emotional moments when jurors had to face a
change in verdict.
After the show a few of us were even lucky enough to
meet the actor Edward Franklin who played the
youngest juror which was extremely exciting!
A huge thank you must go to Mrs Shand and Miss J of
course for all of their hard work in organising such a
fantastic trip which everyone thoroughly enjoyed! And
also a thank you to all the staff who accompanied us as
without them it would not have been possible!
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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ICT Update By Mr Walker
Although we are nearing the end of the academic year,
the Computing Department is still as proactive as ever.
Between lessons, school trips and extra-curricular
activities, Computing students are still working hard and
taking an active interest in this subject.
On Friday the 6th June, 50 Year 9 GCSE Computing
students attended a trip to the National Museum of
Computers at Bletchley Park. These students are the
latest addition to the Department, having no background
in this specific subject area, and they are settling into
their chosen subject comfortably. This school trip not
only allowed the students to learn a broader history of
the evolution of consumer technology, but it also helped
them to understand technology’s place in society
today. Ceilidh Monaghan, 9G, expressed she was
excited to learn about and interact with a robot, and
enjoyed
learning about ciphers, one of the fundamental concepts
behind computer programming. She summed her
experience up by saying, “Seeing all the older
generations of computers made me realise how lucky I
am to live in a generation when we are able to have
access to things like internet
practically immediately.”
Thursday the 26th of June saw a group of Year 10 and
12 ICT & Computing students travel to the Microsoft
UK Headquarters in Thames Valley Park, Reading. This
was a fantastic opportunity to get away from the
classroom and learn about how computer science is used
in one of the largest producers of consumer
technology. The students learnt that women can still be
scarce in the technology industry, but that there are
many opportunities out there for us to have rewarding,
successful, creative careers.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
MGGS Film and Media Awards By Mrs H Smith
The first MGGS Film and Media Awards ceremony took place in April and was
a huge success! This red-carpet event showcased film, television and media
production work by our students and was judged by industry professionals.
There was an extremely high standard of work on display and the judges had a
tough job deciding the winners.
Students won prizes in the following categories: Best Crime Drama - Holly
Cowan, Sienna Foreman and Mollie McKenzie; Best Short Film - Jasmine
Allam; Best Music Promotion - Elle Hays; Best Viral Campaign - Eloise Ball;
Best Drama - Molly Shuter; Best Mystery - Alex Carter and Matthew Lamb;
Best Advertising Campaign - Sophie Teakle; People’s Choice Most Effective
Magazine - Amy Filmer.
The event also revealed the winner of the ‘Spirit of MGGS’ film competition
launched by Mr Horstrup at the start of the year. Students from across the school were invited to take part in a
challenge to produce a film which sums up why they love MGGS. The winning film created by Emilie Bartlett and
Phoebe Brookes, was an excellent stop motion animation which showed a great deal of skill and artistic flair.
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Bletchley Park
Outside Microsoft
Headquarters
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
Geography Trip to Dorset By Jude Shorter
In March 2014, the Year 12 geography AS group went
on a school field trip to Dorset. We went for three days
and the aim of the trip was to collect geographical
information from the area to help us in our upcoming
AS exam.
On arrival, we went straight to Durdle
Door and began our fieldwork. While
we were there, we collected data on the
number of tourists and pedestrians, the
amount of litter in the area and the number of cars which
were in the car parks. We also had set questionnaires
which we asked the locals. Once we had collected all
our data from Durdle Door, we went on to Lulworth
Cove. Here we did some of the same activities, but we
also completed a beach
profile. For this, we had
to measure the size of
rocks, the distance and
gradient of the beach,
count how many waves
there were in a minute
and also measure the
distance of long shore drift. We did this in 8 or 9
different groups at different points on the beach so that
we all had our own individual data that we could then
share as a group later. In addition, we wanted to
evaluate the success of the World Heritage Jurassic
coast rebranding at Lulworth Cove.
On arrival at our accommodation, Harrow House, we
were allocated our rooms where we unpacked and then
went down to the communal area where to our joy we
found the Wi-Fi and the pool tables! That evening we
had dinner and then went to the lecture theatre to share
our findings from the day. Following this we had some
free time until lights out at 11pm.
The next morning, we were informed that there would
be a small alarm to wake us up nicely for breakfast, so at
7:45, the alarm sounded. It played ‘Wake up Boo’ full
volume from every speaker located directly opposite
everyone’s doors!
Straight after breakfast we headed off to Weymouth.
Here we were again split into our groups and all sent to
locations to complete some surveys. After Weymouth,
we went to Chesil Beach. This was without a doubt the
windiest place we could possibly have gone to. Here we
had to do another beach profile, however due to the
wind and the wild waves, we struggled. Paper was flying
everywhere, hair in our faces, the loss of hats, and trying
to measure the distance of the beach and its gradient,
while dodging the waves, well, it
was a challenge. However, being
the wonderful Year 12 group we
are, we pulled
through, getting
the data which we
needed for our
exams. Here we
had to do similar activities as those
we did at Weymouth, however, Mr
Messenger gave my group the task
of looking after Trevor, the
monkey who accompanied us on
our entire trip to Dorset. For this,
we had to get as many photos of him in unusual places.
This too turned into a challenge for us as we had to get
the best photo of him.
After we had done our fieldwork and photographed
Trevor in a variety of places, we got back on the coach
and made our way back to the accommodation.
On the final morning of our trip to Dorset we boarded
the coach and headed straight for Studland Bay where
we did a sand dune transect. This was very interesting as
due to the earlier storms throughout the year and the
amount of tourists it attracts, many of the embryo sand
dunes had been destroyed and blown out. This then gave
us a variety of results as we were then separated into our
groups and did different areas.
We finally boarded the bus one last time and set off for
Maidstone. The trip was a huge success and the entire
group of 50 students all had a great time, we only wish
we could have stayed there longer.
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Trevor the Monkey
enjoying a ride
“The trip was a
huge success”
Visit to Cambridge University By Miriam Aziz
Cambridge University; Chemical Laboratories and Churchill College, 16th June 2014
At the start of the day at Cambridge University, we visited Churchill College and
had an admissions talk on Oxbridge, especially Cambridge, from the Admissions
Tutor, Dr Sally Boss. This was very useful for those looking to apply to Oxbridge as
they also provided us with useful statistics. This was followed by a tour of the
college.
We then headed over to the other side of the Cambridge City where we explored the
Chemical Laboratories including the library and the largest lecture hall of the
University. As we went past the laboratories we saw different examples of analytical
equipment including mass spectrometer apparatus of various sizes, Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance and Infrared Spectrometers. We went past a working laboratory where we met some PhD students who
were in their final years with various projects and a large PhD thesis to write up. Much of this work was of an air
sensitive nature and we saw many glove boxes and air sensitive equipment.
Overall, it was a very enriching experiment and allowed us to see how chemical apparatus and synthetic Chemistry
is used in real life. A few pupils were able to see if they would enjoy a future in Chemistry and were able to see
themselves as future Chemists.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
Talk by Zack Sabella By Mrs Crozier
The History Department was honoured to host a talk by
Zack Sabella, a Christian Palestinian and expert in
humanitarian aid policy. Zack is currently in Britain
studying a Masters in Public Policy at the extremely
prestigious Blavatnik School of Public Policy, Oxford
University.
The scope of Zack’s talk spanned
his experiences growing up as a
Palestinian Christian in East
Jerusalem, the origins of the Arab-
Israeli conflict and his perspective
on what factors were preventing peace in the region. His
talk was made all the more poignant as it coincided with
the finding of the bodies of three Israeli teenagers and
the murder of a Palestinian youth in Zack’s
neighbourhood.
Sociology and English teachers and students joined us
and the discussions that the talk generated have
resonated around the Sixth Form. Zack’s measured tone
and clear analysis, despite relating events that have
caused personal tragedy, was inspiring. His exhortation
to students to ‘enjoy’ their rights and freedoms and his
insistence on the empowering effect of education forced
us to examine our own lives and consider our aspirations
in the light of the fortune of our location. Excellent
questions were put to Zack by many students and he was
especially impressed with the quality of Sophie Nelson’s
questioning.
Perhaps the most moving part of the talk came at its end,
when a student asked Zack whether, through gaining
qualifications, Palestinians sought to leave the Occupied
Territories. Zack replied that 60%
to 70% of his peers had either left
or intended to do so. When pressed
on his own aspirations, he replied
that he intended to return to the West Bank despite the
reduction in quality of life that would entail. He said, “I
think my people need me. I am willing to make that
sacrifice.”
The History Department hopes to hear the testimony of
Zack’s Israeli course mate, Neta Gruber, on her return
from Mexico in order to hear her views on how far
western interference is the main factor responsible for
the conflict. This testimony will be used and evaluated
by students in their A-Level coursework.
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Churchill College
“I think my people need me. I am
willing to make that sacrifice”
We would like to start by saying just how proud we were of Danes on Sports Day. Every single student
and teacher put in 100% effort to help with the running of the day. There were people that had never
done their particular event before, but everyone did an amazing job and we hope everyone enjoyed the
day as much as we did. We managed to come second behind Normans and one point ahead of Britons, so no one can
feel disappointed and you can all go home believing that you helped to achieve that one extra point that made the
difference. Not only the people that participated and gave it their all, but also the huge amount of support from
everyone else in the house. The spirit that you all have shown was fantastic and we hope that we can
keep this up, if not improve, for the upcoming events. We are extremely proud to have the role of
Danes House Leaders and promise to help get as many people involved next term for House Arts. We
are sure many of you are as competitive as we are, so lets win this for our house!
Matt Cornwell, Danni Bills and Amy Prime
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
Sports Day Reports By House Leaders
After being elected as one of the Normans House Leaders, the first job was to sort out Sports Day.
This was far harder then it seemed, we had to go round looking for willing people to take part in over 20 events for
each year. However, due to the greatness of the Normans, only very few needed some persuasion. Sports Day
arrived and we were all ready, we had all our Normans with face paint on and wearing our house colour, ready for
the events of the day. The three house leaders split up across the field events to make sure every Norman had one
there to support them. As the morning went on we were doing quite well with the many of our Normans finishing in
the top three. Unaware of this, we went out to the field in the afternoon to watch the track events and just before
they started, the results from the field events were announced. To our
surprise, we were in first place! From this excitement, we continued to
do well in all our track events throughout the afternoon. Once the
events had finished, we all gathered together to see who had won
Sports Day. After announcing 6th to 3rd place, all that was left to hear
was who had won the trophy, and due to the hard work of all our
Normans, we finished in first place and won Sports Day. This was
such a great moment as all the Normans put so much effort into
winning their events for their house, we couldn’t be more proud of
them!
Jude Shorter, Ethan Quinn and Georgia Heath
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What a Sports Day it has been for the Britons this year! As always Britons were super loud and
supportive of one another; our team spirit is definitely what makes us Britons special! Not only that but
we were so impressed with the huge talent we had participating this year. Throughout the day we
continually ran at a close 2nd, winning events such as Year 8 shot put and Year 12 800m where Cicely Rice-Wilson
broke the record! Although in the end we came 3rd place by just one point we were all absolutely thrilled as the day
had been so enjoyable. As our first big event as House Leaders it was fantastic to be able to get to know our house
and lead the team spirit that we are renowned for! A huge thank you to everyone who took part; you all did so well
and we couldn’t be prouder! Here’s to our next year together.
Eloise Ball, Molly Shuter and Tilly Pollock
A sea of navy blue was all you could see in our area for Sports Day, amongst support, cheering and
lots of food. As house leaders we are extremely proud of all those who participated in the events on
Sports Day and everyone who supported their team mates throughout the afternoon, a lot of voices
must have been lost by the end of the day. Between the injuries, breathing struggles and spur of the moment rallying
for people to run in the track events, we still managed to come fourth, which
was an improvement on last year! Sports Day was great fun with more to look
forward to such as Interhouse Rounders on the last week of term and House
Arts in October. We are so thankful for everyone electing us as House Leaders
and it is great that we are now getting to know more of you. During Sports Day
we developed so much pride for Vikings, even more than we had before and we
can't wait for the rest of Viking's to demonstrate their many talents throughout
the up and coming year. Thank you to you all!
Charley Parker, Clare Court and Charli Weston.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
Although for the Saxons Sports Day this year may not have made us 1st place champions, we still
feel like victors in our own right. We are incredibly impressed with the dedication, level of
performance and enthusiasm for House spirit that many of our House has given and are immensely
grateful to everyone who took part in some way, whether that meant sprinting the 100m or making us a
Saxons flag. Having been voted for by the people that make up Saxons, we felt a responsibility to lead our House
well and do them proud. We hope that our support for the Saxons throughout this Sports Day has earned their trust
that we will continue to do the best we can to lead our House in the coming year.
Alex Hodgkinson, Kate Moshanova and Amy Thomas
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Firstly, we would like to say how immensely proud we
are of everyone who competed for our house. Although
we didn't win, it is safe to say that everyone seemed to
enjoy themselves and all the people who entered, both in
the morning field events and afternoon track events, definitely tried
their hardest. We found the experience very valuable as it gave us an
insight into trying to organise a large group of people and keeping
morale up. We would especially like to thank Lauren Lefevre, Ruby
Savill and Antonia Matthew for being so willing to get involved and
help us out when we were short of competitors. We think it was a
tremendously successful day and we all thoroughly enjoyed it, and we
are hoping that everyone will bring the same positive attitude and
willingness to get involved in other House events throughout the next year. Thank you again.
Phoebe Freeman, Feaya Conway and Tom Murphy
Mandir Temple Trip By Willow Hall
I remember stepping off the coach. I have visited the
Mandir before, but yet again, the sight of this miraculous
building blew me away. It was unrealistic, almost
dreamlike, to see such a beautiful place amongst the vast
city of London.
The inside was even more elegant. Most noticeable were
the Murtis and shrines with their rich colours of gold
and silver. Furthermore, the ceilings and walls were
immaculately carved, telling stories of the lives of Hindu
Gods.
I felt so small in such a grand place; I find it amazing
how the walls were all hand carved. How long did it take
to create the pillars and building structure? How many
people were involved?
Moreover, I find it incredible how many people visit the
temple each year. After watching the ceremony, I feel
that I now respect Hindu beliefs more than I did before. I
have always accepted the fact that all religions have
different beliefs about our world, but now, I feel inspired
by the beauty of the way that Hindus worship.
The Mandir complex is also very helpful and provides
an exhibition to explain further the beliefs of Hindus.
For example, there was a section which explained the
Hindu symbol ‘Aum’, and another which explained
many Hindu stories.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the visit to the Mandir, it
has opened my eyes to the beliefs of Hinduism and I
would love to visit again.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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Trip to Noel Coel Theatre By Miss Shand
In January 2014 the A2 Theatre Studies
class of fifteen students went to the Noel
Coward Theatre to see the Micheal Grandage production
of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ starring David
Walliams and Sheridan Smith. This visually stunning
production provided our most senior drama students
with a rich variety of comparisons to make with their
study of original Elizabethan performance conditions; as
well as a hugely enjoyable opportunity to visit the heart
of London’s West End. David Walliams was typically
attention seeking as the character Bottom, interacting
with the audience at times and using excellent comic
timing; Sheridan Smith led a cohort of hippy type fairies
on stage in a clever director’s concept inspired by the counter-cultural event of Burning Man in San Francisco. It
was a truly memorable trip and we all, staff and students alike relished this opportunity to see a performance by a
renowned national company featuring accomplished and successful British actors.
The Micheal Grandage company subsequently sent to us at school a free set of special editions of the play illustrated
with photographs of the production as part of their outreach and education work; these provided invaluable support
for our students’ analysis of the production.
Year 10 Masterclass By Mrs Meek
Earlier in the year, our Year 10 Food Technology students were lucky enough to take part in a day long
‘masterclass’ with a local chef and PFA member, Mr Peter Chapman. This was an exciting opportunity for the
students to work alongside a highly experienced chef, learn
new skills and experience a little of what is required to be a
professional chef. The day was supported by our Specialist
Science Status and also the generosity of a local supplier,
Steve Hazzard from Booker who provided the whole chickens that the students boned and portioned for their main
course. The PFA also very kindly paid for the other ingredients we used apart from the garlic which Peter himself
had foraged the day before!
The students had a great day and learnt some really high level skills. They also really enjoyed sitting down together
to eat what they had made. A comment from Peter about the day was “It was a great day and amusing to see the
girls squirm at the thought of having to handle a raw piece of meat! I am sure it was a very valuable learning
experience.”
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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Year 11 Active Revision Session By Mrs Meek
The context for this year’s GCSE Food Technology exam was ‘decorated cakes’
and in order to help the students with their revision, we organised for Sarah Farrell
from Confection Perfection Cake School in Maidstone to spend the afternoon with
them.
The students used a variety of cake decorating techniques including moulding,
piping, using cutters painting and adding decorations such as edible glitter.
The students learnt a great deal about cake decorating in a short space of time and
used the experience to start thinking about designs that they could sketch in their exam paper. We also looked at
ingredients, materials and equipment used by professional cake decorators and compared them with those we might
use at home.
It was a really enjoyable and worthwhile afternoon and a number of the students announced at the end that they had
found their future career!
Menu
Smoked Haddock, Apple & Potato Brawn
with Horseradish cream
Chick Pea Bread Rolls
∞∞∞
Chicken Breast with a Black Olive, Tarragon & Cream Cheese
Stuffing
Gratin Dauphinoise, Green Beans wrapped in Black Forest Ham
Vegetarian alternative - Chickpea and Chestnut Burgers
“It was a very valuable learning
experience”
Year 13 Cooking Club By Kyle Davies
Over four weeks, a group of Year 13 students took part in Cooking Club! Each week had a different theme, we
would split into pairs and each pair would cook a different delicious dish. We cooked all sorts! From soup, to bread,
to curries, to lasagne and even finished off with making celebratory cakes!
It was a lot of fun making all the food and was extremely useful preparation for university and living on our own.
We learnt valuable skills and had a great time whilst doing it. Furthermore, all the meals were inexpensive and easy
to make which is even better for uni preparation!
Thank you to Mrs Meek and Mrs Seabrook. It was a brilliant four weeks and so much fun!
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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Farewell By Mrs Meek
As I am writing this, the students are preparing to go onto the field for Sports Day. This will be my last Sports Day
at MGGS and I will be experiencing many ‘lasts’ over the next few weeks. I have been responsible for Food
Technology at MGGS for ten years and have taught almost every student in the School over that time. It has been a
wonderful experience and I will greatly miss the students, my colleagues and the School. I hope that some of the
recipes that the students have made are still being cooked in homes and student accommodation around the country.
I still remember and use recipes that I made when I was at school!
Thank you to all the parents and carers who have provided ingredients (often at very short notice!) and a big thank
you to all the students who have worked so hard to make Food Technology, and particularly GCSE Food
Technology, such a successful subject in the school. Keep cooking!
Wimbledon Trip By Erin Brady
On the 26th of June 2014,
11 students had the
opportunity to go to the
Wimbledon Tennis
Championships with Miss
Relph. On arriving at the
prestigious grounds, we
gathered on Murray
Mount to work out our
court rotations as we had
10 Court 2 tickets and 2 Centre Court tickets.
At Wimbledon, there are 4 shows courts that require
tickets and 14 outside courts with free seating where you
can watch tennis played at the highest level. We were
all eager to watch matches on both of the courts,
especially the World Number 1, Rafael Nadal on Centre
Court. As well as watching Nadal beat Lukas Rosol,
making a comeback after losing the first set, we saw a
mammoth
match between Frenchman Richard Gasquet and
Australian Nick Kygrois. This match was incredibly
entertaining with Kyrgois taking it after 3 hours and 53
minutes, saving nine match points in the process. After,
we were able to witness the final set of Jo-Wilfred
Tsonga vs Sam Querrey due to it being suspended the
day before. Tsonga won the match, with the final score
being 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 14-12. Allez Jo-Wilfred!
British Heather Watson and Roger Federer also played
on Centre Court with Watson losing but Federer
winning after only an hour and a half.
Due to the unique way that Wimbledon is laid out, you
have ample opportunity to meet players and visit the
practice courts where the elite athletes prepare for their
matches. Whilst walking around, we met James Ward
(British Number 3), Jamie Murray, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga,
Venus Williams, Radek Stepanek, Nick Kygrois,
Richard Gasquet and Eugenie Bouchard. We left the
Championships at around 5.30pm after an amazing day
watching some incredible tennis. I would like to thank
the PE staff for giving the chance to visit the hallowed
grounds.
Andalucia Trip By Nicole Hallett
On the 31st March 2014,
some students who were
studying Spanish went to
Andalucía on a school
trip. We stayed there for
five days. On the morning
we went, we had to get up
very early to leave for the
coach to the airport! When
we got to Málaga it was
really hot but it was still
quite early. We then had a
short coach journey to the
hotel named Palmasol; it was a
three star hotel. The staff and
guests in the hotel were very
kind and friendly and made our
stay in Palmasol even better!
After that, we had a great time! When we were there,
most of the time, it was very sunny, but on one of the
days we went to Granada it poured it down with rain!
We also spent a lot of time on the coach, at one point it
took three hours to get to Ronda (a beautiful place in the
mountains). Nearly everyone on the trip slept for most
of the coach journey.
While we were in Spain, we visited lots of places
including, the Alhambra Palace, Puerto Banús, Plaza
Bib-Rambla, Alcázar de los Reyes Católicos. The
Alhambra Palace was very pretty with many different
historical features. Also, we went to Puerto Banús, we
saw lots of very large boats, they were amazing!
The time in Spain was amazing; I really enjoyed and
will remember it forever. I had lots of fun with my
school and loved walking around the towns and cities.
This trip was also very educational and I learnt a lot
more Spanish words and can now speak more fluently in
Spanish than before.
By Isabel Miller
The 5 days I spent in Andalucía with my school were
definitely days I will remember for a very long time!
They were full of memories and meeting new people! It
was a great way to get to know the other people in my
year group who I don’t usually mix with. The days out
were always exciting, and we saw at least two new
places every day! I visited places I didn’t think I ever
would, like a historical mosque in Córdoba, the
Alhambra palace in Granada and the amazing shops of
Puerto Banús! There wasn’t a day that didn’t fly by and
I was always excited to talk to my parents at the end of
the day and tell them about the memorable day I had just
experienced. Not only did I speak to my parents at the
end of the day but the chatty hotel
staff and guests at the hotel. This
was an excellent way of
expanding my Spanish vocabulary
and being confident in the language. The guests were so
friendly and they always wanted to talk about our day
trips! The week went so quickly and I didn’t want it to
end! I think that going on a trip abroad with the school
was a great experience that taught me how to be
independent and responsible.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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“This was an excellent way of
expanding my Spanish vocabulary”
Oxjam By Mrs Wood
We wanted to say a massive well done to all of Year 9
for their fabulous Oxjam concert this May. Also a huge
thank you for everyone who supported the effort, from
buying tickets and baking cakes, to running around back
stage helping arrange 180 performers into the right
places – it could not happen, or be so successful without
you. As Hannah has written below we raised a lot of
money this year, in fact in the 4 years we have run
Oxjam we have raised a whopping total of £5,492.86.
This is a real tribute to the hard work the girls put in.
Oxjam is about giving Year 9 students opportunities. A
chance to use all the skills that they have developed in
Key Stage 3 Music, arranging the songs, evaluating their
success and building strong performances. They take
their own lessons, arrange their staging and have
ownership of the entire project. It also gives a realistic
viewpoint of the many careers that are amalgamated into
creating professional concerts, from advertising and
ticket sales, to choreographers and sound/lighting
technicians. It allows all the students to use their
personal strengths towards a common goal. The aim has
always been to put on the best show possible, involving
the entire year group.
As part of the module the girls get a sobering look at the
lives of others and what we take for granted. They begin
to realise how lucky we are, and how little it takes to
make such a profound difference to another individual’s
life. Through this project we are always amazed and
humbled by the compassion shown by our students and
their willingness to take themselves outside of their
comfort zone for others. This has been particularly
evident this year. Year 8 you have a lot to live up to -
we’re already looking forward to Oxjam 2015!
So thank you, Year 9 - you have been an honour to work
with and have made us so very proud of you.
By Hannah Morris
Oxjam 2014 - where do I start? I think the
whole of Year 9 were passionate and dedicated to
raising as much as we could for such an
amazing cause. Each form performed 3
songs and we all performed together as a
finale. The atmosphere was electric. We
raised £1,247.71 and
we are proud to say
we helped save lives.
I’ll never forget
Oxjam 2014 and I
hope MGGS carry on
this tradition.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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Samba By Lydia Watson
I am one of the students who participates in the enjoyable MGGS samba band “Baterias Not Included.” This extra-
curricular club takes place on Thursday lunchtime and in it I, and the rest of the group, learn the techniques in order
to be able to play effective Brazilian samba music. We even have T-shirts with our own logo printed on it -
‘Baterias Not Included’. We are taught by Cheryl Hooker-Blake who plays professionally with the band “Bloco
Fogo.” Through her excellent teaching we have been able to perform in our KS3 assemblies as well as also having
the amazing opportunity to perform in the Maidstone Mela, our local carnival to celebrate all different cultures and
music. Our latest gig was on Saturday 5th July where we took part in the Maidstone Arts Carnival parade through
Maidstone. We were right at the end of the parade line, bringing some rhythm and noise. It was pretty tiring as the
parade lasted for nearly one hour, but great fun! Overall, samba is a delightful experience which I am proud to be a
part of.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award By Ms Starns, Unit Leader
Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - Expedition 2014
Now Going for Gold on Royal Duty!
Thirty five of our students are now aiming for Gold
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award following their successful
Silver assessed expedition in June. One group in
particular sent the Queen their Bronze Award project
and now plan to send their Silver Award project for
Royal approval also!
All our groups, despite what can only be described as
varied weather conditions, on 27th to 29th June
successfully completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s
assessed expedition. Day one was a pleasant sunny day
and all our students shone. On day two, the girls endured
torrential rain and thunderstorms with great humour and
stoicism. Day three of the Silver expedition gave fine
weather and perfect walking conditions. Students
completed their expedition with great enthusiasm and
determination. All groups succeeded through this
expedition element of the award.
Mr Cocker, one of our assessors commented, “Along
with all the assessors, we were very impressed not only
with the performance of the groups; their enthusiasm
and good humour but also the way they presented
themselves and the public image they projected to the
wider community. Supporting this were the fabulous
staff who not only gave up their precious free time but
also gave the girls tremendous support and guidance,
whilst enduring torrential rain and living in a tent. All
of them were a credit to themselves but also the School.
Well done to everyone involved with this event.”
Ms Starns, Unit Leader for the Duke of Edingburgh’s
Award at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
commented, “Our students were outstanding in every
way. They dug deep and achieved their goals to
complete an exceptional Silver DofE assessed
expedition. It is a joy to work with such determined and
talented young students.”
Mrs Harding, Assistant Unit Leader for the Silver award
at MGGS said, “The girls were an absolute credit to the
School and completed their Silver award with
exceptional humour having to endure quite extreme
weather conditions.”
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Update
Well done also to our 95 students in Year 10 for
completing a successful Bronze practice expedition in
May. We now wish you every success with your
assessed expedition at the end of term!
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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Trips and Visits By Miss Brown
127 trips and visits took place this academic year, and 2014/2015 is looking to be just as busy! The new Year 7 and
new Year 12 students will be attending bonding trips at the start of next term, and oversees visits to Madrid, Milan,
Austria, Normandy, Krakow and Andalucía have been added to the School calendar. Other trips planned for next
year include a GCSE/A Level visit to the Gulbenkian Theatre to see Antigone, a Year 13 visit to the Lyric
Hammersmith theatre to see Othello, and a Business Studies trip to the 4Entrepreneurs Conference in London.
All trips, visits and orders will be added to your +Pay account so that you can make payment using your debit or
credit card. We will, of course, still accept cheques or cash which we will enter onto +Pay for you, but card payment
using +Pay is our preferred method. You can access ParentMail/+Pay by visiting www.parentmail2.co.uk or by
clicking on the link on the school website.
The Outlet is open every break time so that students can return permission slips, order forms and payments, and also
collect any revision guides or pre ordered equipment.
There are still a large number of Mary Glasgow MFL Magazines that are yet to be collected from the Outlet. If you
purchased a subscription for your daughter, and she is yet to collect her publications, please ask her
to do so as soon as possible.
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
Attendance Update By Mrs Hart, Attendance Officer
The reason for any absence should be given by letter or telephone, preferably in advance or on the first day of
absence. Absences will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. Sickness absence should be notified by
10am on the first day of absence and then every morning for each day thereafter in the case of continuing
sickness. As you are aware, regular attendance at school is extremely important. If your daughter or son is
unavoidably absent from school would you please provide a letter of explanation upon their return.
If a medical or dental appointment must be made during school time, a letter requesting authorisation for the
absence must be addressed to the Attendance Officer and given in at Reception. Again, if this is not possible please
contact the Attendance Officer, Mrs Shannon Hart ([email protected]), as early as possible on the day of absence to
notify of this appointment and the expected time required out of school.
Requests for leave of absence for any other reason should be addressed to the Attendance Officer, Mrs Hart.
Any student authorised to leave school during the day should report to the Reception, taking their authorised letter
with them. They will be issued with a pupil pass. Without a letter or prior notification the student will not be
allowed to leave the school premises.
Lateness
Any student who is not in registration at 8.40am or 2.25pm will be marked as absent.
Any student who arrives between 8.40am and 9.00am should enter through the Main School Entrance, collect a late
slip from Reception and complete this. They should then report immediately to their Form Tutor who will mark
them in the register as late.
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Admissions Update By Mrs Hogan, Admissions Manager
Your daughter or son may have siblings, cousins, friends or neighbours
wondering how they can join the school into Years 7 – 11. Please
inform anyone who asks that they are entitled to test for a place at the
school once a year for each year group from Year 7 - 11. So, if a
student in Year 6 at primary school is unsuccessful in the Kent test
(11+) they can test in the summer term when they are in Year 7 for a
place into Year 8 that September.
Other students wishing to test for a place into Year 8, 9, 10 or 11 are
welcome to submit an application at anytime during the academic year.
To apply for a place at the school, complete an In Year Casual
Application Form (IYCAF) and return this to the Admissions Manager
in school, Mrs Hogan. Arrangements will then be made for your
daughter to sit the in year test at a mutually convenient time in school.
External Applications to the sixth form should be made online at
www.kentchoices4u.com There is no closing date for applications, but
to ensure the best possibility of obtaining your subject choices we
strongly recommend that you return your application form as early as
possible and by Friday 7th February 2014 for the September 2014
intake.
Visits and tours of the school are available on request. For further
information or to request a tour of the school please email
[email protected] or visit the admissions pages of the school website
at the following link http://www.mggs.org/about-mggs/admissions#
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947 E: central @mggs.org www.mggs.org
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Annual Holiday
In relation to the new government guidelines from 1st September 2013, no holiday in term time is authorised. Any
parent taking a student out of school on holiday in term time could be subject to a referral to the Attendance and
Behaviour Service, and Penalty Notice Action could be issued. Holiday requests in term time will only be
authorised in exceptional circumstances which are set out by the Government and the School has no authority to
override these. All requests must meet the criteria in order for MGGS to agree the annual leave.
Term Dates
Term 1 – 2014 3rd September Development day
(no students in school)
4th September Start of term 1
15th October Development day
(no students in school)
24th October End of term 1
Term 2 – 2014 3rd November Start of term 2
19th December End of term 2
Term 3 – 2015 5th January Start of term 3
13th February End of term 3
Term 4 – 2015 23rd February Start of term 4
18th March Development day
(no students in school)
1st April End of term 4
Term 5 – 2015
20th April Start of term 5
22nd May End of term 5
Term 6 – 2015
1st June Start of term 6
23rd July Development day
(no students in school)
24th July Development day
(no students in school)