Upper Sixth leavers; yet another reunion

Mixed feelings this week as the Upper Sixth 'left' school - except for their forthcoming exams, that is. Apart from exam days, the next time we will see them will be A level results day in August - and then they will really be Old Mancunians. I must admit to having a particular soft spot for the bursary holders, many of whom I first met with their parents before they were admitted to MGS. It's great to know that their time here has given them every opportunity to be pacesetters in their generation. Here is the Upper Sixth gathered in front of the pavilion, nominally in uniform:

And here they are in their leavers hoodies, resplendent with nicknames for the class of 2010:

On Saturday the northern section of the Oriel Society hired school facilities to hold a lunch, attended by thirty-odd former students of Oriel College, Oxford (including one Old Mancunian and at least one parent of an Old Mancunian). Like MGS, the college is seeking financial support from its members for bursary and building projects. Once again our catering department came up trumps:

Just another week?

Plenty of variety this week. A great start, with a further donation of £78,000 from a regular benefactor (worth £100,000 to us with reclaimed tax under the Gift Aid scheme) - the sort of gift which encourages the MGS Trust trustees to be generous when looking at future grants based on the income generated from their invested Bursary Fund. Investment income in the current markets is a little difficult to predict, but we still recognise each £100,000 of gift value as likely to provide an additional bursary place for ever.

If you are an Old Mancunian or ex-member of staff, you should receive your New Year copy of The Old Mancunian next week. It's out a little later than usual, but offers the usual wide range of articles. If you qualify but aren't receiving one, it's because we don't have an up-to-date postal address for you - please send details including your years at school by email to oldboys 'at' mgs.org.

Unusually (see last blog) I was in London again this week for a couple of days. First, courtesy of an Old Manc season ticket holder, to a highly entertaining Intelligence Squared debate at Central Hall, Westminster on the motion 'Public Schools are a blight on this country'. Lots of Harrow-bashing (Barnaby Lenon, the Head, was opposing) and lots of reminders of how far away the MGS tradition is from that of the mainly southern, public boarding schools. The pros and cons of academic selection weren't mentioned at all.

Then to meet the Chief Executive of the Lords' Taverners to see if MGS and they can work together on improving our cricket and pavilion facilities with a view to our being able to offer cricket courses to local children throughout the summer holidays. Discussions to be continued, next time on site in Manchester.

The trips to London are a reminder of the extent to which this country is capital-centric. How few organisations have their national HQs outside the capital! At least my trips don't cost much in expenses - we buy discounted Charity Line rail tickets and my daughter provides me with a Finsbury Park boxroom to sleep in. It's not luxury, but it keeps our costs down!

Entrance Examination

How many of us remember the Entrance Exam? Looking, then walking, down a seemingly never-ending drive towards buildings which would swallow up the junior school which we attended. Not knowing which of the people looking after us were prefects and which were staff. Above all, not knowing the answers to so many questions in the papers. In my case, not having been taught decimals at junior school in Rochdale, and so finding many of the questions in the Arithmetic paper more than a bit puzzling.

Well, today is Entrance Exam day 2010, so we have been doing the tests which will decide the intake of September 2010, and the A level and IB results of 2017. We no longer have Part 1 and Part 2 days (written as Part I and Part II until, a few years ago, a parent told us it was cruel to advertise an 11-part exam). Now all the candidates come for written papers on one day and on another day for a general assessment based on putting them in groups in front of experienced teachers and seeing how well they do with newly taught material. This is our best endeavour to make our judgements on the basis of potential as well as acquired knowledge.

I've been marking a few papers this morning, and am impressed by the quality of the answers I've seen. A good sign for the future.

It's good to know that the Bursary Fund will support between 30 and 40 means-tested bursaries in the new entry. We may have even more deserving cases than that, and it will be very sad not to be able to help everyone who deserves it. This is why continuing the fundraising for bursaries is so important.