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Withington Girls' School

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Withington Girls' School
Standort
Map
Fallowfield
,
Manchester

England
Information
TypIndependent
Motto Ad Lucem (Latin: "Towards the light")
Established1890
HeadmistressSue Marks
Number of pupils650 (approx.)
FoundersCaroline Herford, Louisa Lejeune, Charles Scott and Henry Simon.[1]
Websitewww.withington.manchester.sch.uk

Withington Girls' School is an independent day school in Fallowfield, Manchester, United Kingdom, providing education for girls between the ages of seven and eighteen. Withington Girls' School is a member of the Girls' Schools Association and a MyDaughter school. Withington is consistently ranked in the top ten schools in national league tables. It is also the only school in the north of England ranked within the top twenty independent schools nationwide based on A Level results.

Traditions

The founders' principles have been influential in its development. The school seeks to remain relatively small. It strives to achieve and maintain high standards in the delivery of education and the results achieved by the girls but does not award prizes.

Withington Girls' School is an excellent school. Pupils achieve very high levels of academic success and enjoy an educational experience that is very successful in promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Consequently, pupils leave the school with secure well-founded values to guide their future life. Educational standards are very high, teachers are strongly committed to the success and personal well-being of pupils and pastoral care is excellent.

— Independent Schools Inspectorate[2]

Its aims

The founders of the school stipulated that:

  • the school should remain small, to allow for the individual development of each girl
  • all girls should be taught the natural sciences, as an excellent intellectual training
  • there should be more physical exercise and practical work than usual in girls' schools
  • no prizes should be awarded, as the pleasure of academic work should be its own reward

Despite much development academically and physically over the years, the school has tried to remain true in essence to these principles.

Founders' Day

Founders' day is an important part of the school calendar, as it is the occasion upon which the lives and works of the school's founders are celebrated, as well as the Upper Sixth students, each of whom receive a book, as a present from the school.

It is held annually at the Bridgewater Hall, in Manchester. It usually occurs in October, however has been known to change.

All parent and governors of the school are invited to enjoy music from the choir and the orchestra, the headmistress's and head girl's speeches, as well as a speech from a special guest, usually an inspirational or leading woman.

Gaudeamus

Gaudeamus is the school song, and is sung each year at founders' day, and accompanied by the orchestra. However, the school only sings three of the famous song's seven verses. Below are the lyrics as sung by the school:

Gaudeamus igitur, Juvenes dum sumus, Gaudeamus igitur, Juvenes dum sumus, Post jucundum juventutem, Post molestam senectutem, Nos habebit humus, Nos habebit humus.

Vivat academia, Vivant professores, Vivat academia, Vivant professores, Vivat membrum quodlibet, Vivat membra quaelibet, Semper sint in flore, Semper sint in flore.

Vivant et republica, et quae illam regit, Vivant et republica, et quae illam regit, Vivat nostra civitas, Maecenatum caritas, Quae nos hic protegit, Quae nos hic protegit.

Uniform

The uniform consists of a navy blue blazer and jumper both with the school crest, a navy blue pleated skirt, a blue and white striped shirt and navy blue tights or socks.

Sixth Form pupils do not wear uniform, and follow a very casual dress code unlike most other girls schools, as suits are not at all compulsory.

Trips

The school offers pupils many exciting trips, which, in the school's opinion, widens their personal development, knowledge and understanding.

Lower School trips

  • Third formers all participate in a weekend away to Ghyll Head, an activities centre in the Lake District.
  • Third formers also go on many day trips, including the Welsh castles and Chester zoo.
  • Lower Fourths are given the opportunity to go to France, to visit Disney Land and the Alps.
  • Upper Fourths can also go to France, to Paris on an exchange.
  • Upper Fourths are also given the opportunity to visit Germany in the summer holidays. They spend four days in the beautiful capital city of Berlin, which was changed in the summer of 2009 from previous trips to the Rhineland.

Upper School trips

The day trips undertaken by upper school girls are dependent on the subjects taken at GCSE and A-Level. Below are listed a selection of the incredible trips on offer:

  • All upper school girls can go on the Easter trip, which varies yearly, and has previously visited fantastic cities, such as New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow.
  • All girls in the upper and lower fifth that study food nutrition or Spanish can take part in a trip to Spain.
  • All girls studying German, are able to go on a German exchange, to a school in the South of Germany,
  • All girls studying French, can go on a French exchange, to a school in the Flanders,
  • Girls studying Greek or Latin, have the option to go on a classics trip, which visits famous ancient historical sites in Italy,
  • MUNers can participate in national conferences in Croydon, Bath and Eton,
  • Geographers can go to the volcanic island of Iceland, or Sicily,
  • Girls in the Upper Fifth or Lower Sixth can go on a World Challenge expedition - the 2009 expedition will be travelling to Mongolia,
  • Sixth formers can go on a trip to Africa, where they help in community activities, such as helping out at a school,
  • A-Level historians can go to Paris,

Year names

Withington adopts a rather traditional naming system for its year groups.

Junior School

  • Transition - Year Three (aged 7–8)
  • Form 1 - Year Four (aged 8–9)
  • Lower II - Year Five (aged 9–10)
  • Upper II - Year Six (aged 10–11)

Senior School

  • Third Form - Year Seven (aged 11–12)
  • Lower Forth - Year Eight (aged 12–13)
  • Upper Fourth - Year Nine (aged 13–14)
  • Lower Fifth - Year Ten (aged 14–15)
  • Upper Fifth - Year Eleven (aged 15–16)
  • Lower Sixth - Year Twelve (aged 16–17)
  • Upper Sixth - Year Thirteen (aged 17–18)

In Senior School the years are split into three forms; W, X and Y. These letters were chosen as it was agreed that if A, B and C were used, pupils would feel like the class they were in was an indication of their intelligence. However, the school didn't want anybody to feel even worse because they were in class Z, at the very bottom, and so decided on the fourth to last, third to last, and second to last letters of the alphabet.

Present day

Withington Girls' School was founded in 1890 by a group of eminent Manchester families who wanted the same educational opportunities for their daughters as were already available for their sons. Founders' Day is celebrated in the autumn term when all members of the upper sixth receive a book to recognise their contribution while at the school. The aim of founder day is to commemorate the efforts of the school's founders - Charles Prestwich Scott, Louisa Lejeune, Mr Henry Simon and Mrs Simon and Miss Caroline Herford, after whom the houses are named.

The school has approximately 550 girls in the senior school of which approximately 150 are in the 6th form. Pupils come from all over the Greater Manchester conurbation and Cheshire to attend the school.

The school enjoys close ties with the Manchester Grammar School and has collaborated with them many times in areas such as drama and music. It also enjoys a friendly rivalry with Manchester High School for Girls, and lesser so with Manchester Grammar School.

The school attempts to function in an atmosphere of respect for self and others and without the need for long lists of rules and regulations.

With fewer than 100 girls in the junior school and 540 in the senior, Withington provides a wide range of experience which goes well beyond the classroom, yet retains a friendly, responsive environment which encourages each girl to fulfil her whole potential. This stimulates a high standard of achievement, which is visible from Withington's high status in the League Tables.

The school benefits greatly from the cosmopolitan background which the city and University of Manchester have always provided.

The school suffered a serious arson attack in August 2003, but took this as an opportunity to build new science labs, and 2 years ago also built a new sixth form common room.

Houses

On joining the school, girls are assigned to one of the four houses: Herford after Caroline Herford (green), Lejeune after Louisa Lejeune (red), Scott after Charles Prestwich Scott (blue), or Simon after Henry & Emily Simon (yellow).

Inter-house competitions

There are many inter-house competitions, including

  • house carols
  • house plays
  • house sport
  • Easter term quiz
  • inter-house dodgeball
  • bi-annual summer music competition
  • bi-annual English speaking competition

There is a fierce rivalry between houses, which greatly improves the standard of the above competitions.

Subjects on offer

The following subjects are available for all third form (first year/year seven) pupils:

As the girls move up the school, other subjects are available, including:

Extra-curricular activities

Music

For all years, singing in a choir is available, and for instrument players of any standard there is an orchestra (Middle School Orchestra for beginners and Senior Orchestra for those of Grade 5 or above). There is also jazz band, wind band and the Thursday Singers. There are many concerts throughout the school year, including the Christmas Concert, the Rotarians' Christmas party and the Summer Concert, as well as Founders Day, and many others. All girls are given the offer to have instrument lessons inside school.

Sport

Withington has always encouraged its pupils to stay active. In the winter, girls have lessons in:

  • Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Netball
  • Badminton
  • Trampolining
  • Gymnastics
  • Volleyball
  • Football

In the summer, girls have lessons in:

  • Tennis
  • Athletics
  • Rounders
  • Swimming (third form only).
  • Occasionally quick cricket

Withington houses many county and national players, and a trampolinist - Sasha Carter - who has represented her country at international trampolining competitions.

Drama

There is always a chance for girls to take to the stage and try their hand at acting.

For girls in Third form to Upper Fourth the English department put on an annual play. For girls in Lower Fifth, the drama department does "a play in a week", meaning a week of intense rehearsals, followed by two performances on the Saturday. Last year Withington collaborated with MGS, to put on Singin' in the Rain, which was incredibly successful. There are also a handful of plays dotted around the academic year, available to different age groups.

All girls, of any age, can study drama. Recently, GCSE drama has become available for girls in Lower Fifth to Upper Fifth, and AS and A2 Level has been a long-running success. As part of the GCSE and A-Level specification requires, all students put on a play.

Miscellaneous

All girls from Lower Fifth upwards are given the option to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh award, and Withington has seen many girls go onto Gold level.

Withington also has a very successful Model United Nations scheme, known as WiMUN - Withington MUN, and in 2008 and 2009 were the overall winners of MUNCH - Model United Nations at Cheadle Hulme - a massive achievement. They have also performed to an extremely high standard at other conferences, including Stockport Grammar School, Royal Russel School Internation Model United Nations, and Bath.

Sixth formers are also given the option to take part in the Young Enterprise scheme, under which they start a company, and attempt to make a profit through selling products. This has been very successful, with many companies winning prizes at both regional and national levels.

There are also many clubs which allow students to expand academically, such as

  • Junior Science club
  • Spanish club
  • Robotics club
  • Classics club
  • Philosophy Club
  • Mosaics club
  • Modern languages society
  • Pets club
  • Cookery club
  • Mathematics club
  • Little WiMUN club, a form of Withington's MUN that prepares girls for MUN the next year.

Girls are also given the opportunity to participate in charity societies, including St. Ann's Hospice Young Volunteer Scheme, and Amnesty International.

The school day

At Withington the school day is divided into eight periods, each lasting thirty-five minutes. This is the same for each day, apart from the last day of each school term, where school breaks up at 2:00pm. The first lesson commences at 9:20, and the school day ends at 3:45.

Breaks

There are a total of three breaks during the school day. The first begins at 10.35, and lasts for approximately twenty minutes. The next provides girls an opportunity to eat lunch, and participate in lunch-time activities, including robotics club and hockey club. It begins at 12.05, and ends at 13.10. The third break only lasts five minutes - from 2.30 to 2.35.

Notable former pupils

See also: Category:People educated at Withington Girls' School

References

  1. ^ "The founders of Withington Girls' School". Withington Girls' School. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  2. ^ Independent Schools Inspectorate - Report on Withington Girls' School 2007
  3. ^ {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)
  4. ^ {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

News items

53°26′20″N 2°13′34″W / 53.439°N 2.226°W / 53.439; -2.226

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