Maidstone Grammar School for Girls

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Maidstone Grammar School for Girls

Location	Maidstone, Kent United Kingdom

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls is a selective grammar school in Maidstone, UK. It operates under the 11 plus exam system, in which students take an exam at the end of primary school in order to be accepted at a school. The school is primarily a single sex girls school however it also incorporates a sixth form college which is mixed.

1 History
2 Sixth Form
3 Rag Week
4 Houses
5 Notable Alumnae
6 External links

[edit] History

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls was founded in 1887 by the Wardens and Assistants of Rochester Bridge. It was originally located at Albion Place when it opened in January 1888 with only 18 pupils. The current building was opened in Great Buckland in 1938. Additional buildings have since been added, including a large extension to the old building, and several separate blocks of classrooms and a large sports hall.

The school has been a voluntary controlled grammar school since 1944, and it returned to the 11 plus entry examination since 1993.

[edit] Sixth Form

The Sixth Form at M.G.G.S is now well established and high achieving. It has around 300 members each year, comprising of students studying for AS and A2 level exams. As well as continuing students, every year around 30 males and females accepted into the M.G.G.S sixth form from other schools. The Sixth Form remains integrated with the rest of the school, and sixth form students hold positions of responsibility within the school. They also organise the annual raise and give "RAG" week.

[edit] Rag Week

Rag week is entirely organised by year thirteen students and led by the head students (there are four at present although this number is normally three.) It is held in the last week before the Christmas term from Monday-Thursday. There is a fancy dress theme for around two different year groups a day, sometimes relating to the overall theme for Rag Week. This theme usually relates to the pantomime held twice during an extended Thursday lunchtime to allow lower school and upper school to see it. During Monday and Wednesday lunchtimes two different 20-minute shows are held, usually based on a television format such as 'X Factor' or 'Ads and Trailers'. Tuesday lunchtime traditionally features two performances of Top of the Pops. These shows are all written by the year thirteen students and feature the staff in the central roles. Students will sometimes present the shows or take up minor roles such as dancers. After the panto, the students perform the "Rag Song" to the rest of the school. This is a popular song with lyrics relating to school life. Rag week often raises in excess of £4,000 and splits the funds raised between a local charity and a national charity such as the Kent Air Ambulance Fund and the Make a Wish Foundation.

[edit] Houses

The school operates a house system consisting of six different houses; Vikings, Normans, Danes, Britons, Saxons and Romans. These houses compete in four annual competitions which encourage team work and team spirit and are a vibrant part of M.G.G.S life. Perhaps the most popular competition is the House Arts Cup which takes place at the end of October. The event celebrates the arts of song, dance and acting and alternates between these each year. As well as House Arts the other competitions are Sports Day, Interhouse Rounders and Science Quiz. The houses are lead by three enthusiastic sixth formers, who are elected into their role of House Leaders by their house. In 2006 the House Arts cup competition (drama) was won by the Vikings house for their production of George Bernard Shaw's play, Pygmalion. The theme was 'regeneration'. The competition was judged by Jo Coombes, the assistant director at the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre. She is currently directing pop star Will Young in a production of Noel Coward's The Vortex at the theatre.

Sports Day was won in 2006 by the Saxons house, captained by Emma Collinson, Noor Karam and Rozalind Fallize.

In 2006 the election process, which had previously been decided entirely by votes from members of the house (both staff and students) was decided by interview as well as votes. It had been a worry that slightly 'impressionable' students might vote for popular male candidates over a more suitable candidate. Elections take place at the end of the second term before year thirteen students go on study leave. This year the only male house captain is Samuel Nolan of the Vikings house (along with Anna Thompson and Frankie Ward). Every week, house captains organise an assembly on set topics, which often feature poems and stories relating to the theme.