Financial whiz-kids - Withington Girls` School

MARCH 2010
Editor: Mr Ray King
Tel: 07768 022 082
Head’s Lines
Financial whiz-kids
Six Lower Sixth Economics students have won the prestigious
Financial Mail on Sunday Breaking the Mould Apprentice
Challenge competition. WGS joined three other teams to
compete for prizes totaling £6,000 on March 1st at Park Lane’s
glittering Intercontinental Hotel. The girls carried off the £3,000
prize having beaten some truly impressive teams in the heats to
get to the finals and face the Apprentice judges led by Margaret
Mountford, Lord Alan Sugar’s right-hand woman in the BBC’s
television series.
The challenge for the WGS team - Jayana Patel, Elise Varley, Alex
Davis, Nicole Jessé, Gabby Westington and Shruti Chaudhary
- was to invent, cost and bring to market a game, either board
or computer, to teach personal finance in schools and to make
it fun and enjoyable. Royal Bank of Scotland’s MoneySense, who
supported the Apprentice Challenge and whose own financial
education programme is now in 60% of Britain’s secondary
schools, said it was really pleased to be able to support a
competition that encouraged enterprise in young people and
empowered them to think for themselves how they would like to
deliver financial education in a really innovative way.
Short films of the finalists, shot by Financial Mail on Sunday’s
photographer and creative director, Cathy Hassan, together with
their business plan formed the basis of Margaret Mountford’s
final decision. The teams were required to submit to some
gruelling questioning in Margaret’s very own Apprentice
boardroom.
Lisa Buckingham, editor of Financial Mail on Sunday says:
‘Faced with the task of devising and bringing to market a game
that will make teaching personal finance in the classroom fun
as well as educational, the WGS team Money Minded wowed
the judges with their ingenuity, understanding of the issues,
their creativity and mastery of business and finance.’
The girls have decided to donate £1500 of their prize money
to School’s 100 Plus Bursary Appeal. Clare Flynn, Development
Director, said “This is incredibly generous of the girls. They have
done very well and should be proud of themselves.”
I have been asked many times over the past
term if I am looking forward to/what am I going
to do during my retirement. The fact is that
much of the time I am too busy to even think
about it – this Bulletin, like all others, points
to the breadth, depth, and non-stop nature
of the events and activities at Withington. I
cannot really imagine not being part of such
a wonderful, busy, happy community although
the prospect of grandmotherhood in August
is extremely exciting, as are the plans for six
months’ voluntary work in Uganda in 2011.
The snow and consequent school closure of
January seem dim and distant and the recent
physical signs of spring have been most
welcome. British Summer Time resumes on the
first Sunday of the Easter break and by the time
that the clocks go back again in October, we
will have had floodlighting installed around our
outside all-weather sports facilities. Over this
holiday, the Gym will be transformed into a dual
purpose gym/dance studio and over the summer
break a Fitness Suite will be installed on the
Sports Hall Gallery. I am thrilled that all these
projects will be completed before my successor
commences her Withington headship.
I do hope you will enjoy the snapshot of school
activities provided in this bulletin; as you will
see, we have had a great deal of fun this term
alongside daily teaching and learning of the
highest quality. I wish all readers a happy Easter
break and very much look forward to seeing you
all between now and September.
Forging Links
Two Lower Sixth Formers were taken to the site
of the Olympic Village by javelin gold medallist
Tessa Sanderson and met former Olympic
champion decathlete Daly Thompson.
Natasha Harwood and Julia Rose accompanied
Mrs Janet Pickering to the 100 Group
Headteachers’ Conference open to 50 influential
Heads from each of the State and Independent
sectors. The theme was social mobility and
keynote speakers included Stephen Timms,
Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Vince
Cable, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman
and Conservative Shadow Education Secretary
Michael Gove alongside representatives from
leading schools, academies and universities.
In addition to visiting the Olympic site, host
and guest pupils joined together to rehearse
and perform two choral pieces to great
acclaim from their Headteachers and posed
thought provoking questions to a panel of
educationalists and politicians. It was a
tremendous day that served to forge friendships
at all levels and the girls subsequently
presented a whole-school Assembly on The
Social Mobility Imperative.
More trophies
Hannah Redhead of LVIG and sister Michaela
of LIVY won the U17 Vocal Duet at the Heaton
Mersey Festival. Michaela also won the U13
Vocal Solo class and both girls won several
classes in the Speech and Drama section,
scoring the highest marks in the U14s and U21s.
Earlier in March, Michaela won her individual
classes in the Burnley Speech and Drama
Festival and scooped the two premier trophies
of the festival, the George Fenton and Annis
Watson Award for the U19 Shakespeare classes
and the Lawrence Herbert Trophy for best
overall performance.
Onwards and upwards
Liberté Egalité Fraternité
Following on from last year’s successful mathematical initiatives with
MGS, William Hulme’s and Manchester Academies, 20 Lower Fourth
pupils visited Manchester University on February 12th.
Sixteen Lower Sixth girls accompanied by Head of History, Ms Jane
Maher, and Mrs Sharon Burney flew to Paris during the February half
term for a tour of the city’s revolutionary heritage. The French Revolution
is a key topic of their A2 history studies.
Sarah Richards writes:
“On the trip, we learnt a lot about different types of numbers, including
Prime numbers and Fibonacci numbers and came to understand lots
more about Maths in general. We also learnt about the origin of these
numbers and how to calculate them. Later on in the day, we were able
to mix with students from the other schools and share our mathematical
ideas, which was great fun.”
In May, Year 10 pupils from the four schools will be visiting Oxford and
Cambridge Universities and on April 15th an enrichment workshop for
Sixth Formers will be run by two third-year undergraduate students
from the University of Manchester. Our Head of Mathematics, Mr Kal
Hodgson, will also be delivering a Sixth Form lecture encompassing
creative ways of solving mathematical challenges on April 27th.
These initiatives have also extended into Science when, just before
the end of last term, Lower Fourth Scientists attended a Christmasthemed event at MGS. Pupils from the four schools were divided into
mixed groups and set the task of devising a method for Santa to deliver
presents more quickly and efficiently by simply dropping them down
the chimney, rather than having to squeeze down - and then up - the
chimney of every house himself. They used raw eggs to simulate delicate
Christmas gifts, and set about designing and constructing a container
that would provide protection when dropped from the height of the
average two-storey house. All eight groups were successful in their task
and the winners were awarded Periodic Table mugs.
The highlights included visits to the former royal apartments and the
Opera at the Palace of Versailles, the Musée Carnavalet in the Marat area
and doomed Queen Marie Antoinette’s cell in the Conciergerie.
The party tasted the local Parisien hospitality, dining on escargot at the
famous Chartier Restaurant in Montmartre.
Dancing through the Decades
The fourth WGS Dance Competition in aid of Maua hospital in
Kenya took place on Monday 1st March. Organised by Mrs Buckley
and Mrs Robinson, this year’s theme was Dancing through the
Decades with each Year group representing a decade. Over £2,200
was raised, bringing the total sent directly to Maua over the past
8 years to £10,000 to assist former Withington pupil Dr Claire
Smithson in her work with HIV/AIDS patients at the hospital.
The event began as a Form charity event when Mrs Buckley was an
Upper Fifth Form Tutor but it so captured the imagination of the
girls Mrs Buckley has run it as a biennial school event ever since.
This year was the best ever for atmosphere and quality of dancing.
Upper Sixth Geographers aided by the Lower Sixth group helped
organise and present an inclusive event involving nearly every girl in
the School.
Form UVW’s very skilful and enthusiastic representation of the
1970s with their own 70s band won the Senior Cup whilst the
winners of the Junior Cup were LIVW with their colourful and lively
demonstration of dance in the 1960s. There was a winning Form
for each decade as well as certificates for Most Entertaining, Best
Teamwork and Most Effective Costumes. The judges, who included
professional dancers, a model and dance teachers had to work very
hard to reach their decisions and the winning teams were loudly
applauded.
Bank of England
Competition
Another team of A-level economists pulled off
what Mr Stephen Boddy described as a ‘superb
achievement’ in gaining runners-up spot in
the Manchester heats of the Bank of England’s
Interest Rate Challenge.
Shadowing the Bank’s key Monetary Committee,
the team was charged with recommending an
interest rate setting based on a presentation
of their assessment of the UK’s economic and
inflationary outlook. They were praised by the
judges for their excellent research skills and
their ability to work well as a team having
tackled some very difficult questions from the
Bank’s economists and produced a presentation
on the UK economy that was interesting,
accurate and incisive.
During the judging, a very brave team of teaching staff caught the
spirit of the 1920s by dancing to the musical overture from the film
Chicago to an Arts Centre standing ovation, the highlight being Mrs
Pickering, disguised in a black wig, taking the part of Roxy.
The finale saw five Sixth Form girls performing spectacular
individual dances ranging from modern ballet and tap to street
dance and a range of traditional dance from the Ukraine,
Ireland and India.
Lend me your ears
The Manchester Classical Association Latin and
Greek Reading Competition, held this year at
MGS, involved over 90 pupils from 11 North
West schools. In a series of keenly fought
competitions, Withington girls won four of the
six sections and came second in a fifth. Vidya
Ramesh, Sara Heirati, Charlotte Ward, Zara Tso
and Camilla Henfrey all won their sections and
Rebecca Livesey came second in both the Latin
and Greek Sixth Form sections.
Spring Fair
The always popular and enjoyable PTA Spring
Fair, held this year on March 13th, raised more
than £2000 towards PTA funds. Other School
fundraising projects also had a very successful
morning: The Gambia group raised £260; the
World Challenge Tanzania girls slaved all
morning car washing and raised more than
£300 and the Young Enterprise groups also did
brisk business.
Mrs Pickering said: “I feel the school really
is blessed with its PTA Committee and I have
greatly appreciated the time and commitment
of its members throughout my Headship; this
will not be my final thanks to them all but it
really does come from the heart.”
Towards the light
We are delighted to report that Manchester
City Council has granted planning permission
to install floodlights to illuminate the School’s
outdoor sports facilities.
The floodlights will open up many more
opportunities to continue winter sports practice
and to host Home matches on dark winter
afternoons. They are designed to target their
illumination directly onto the sports pitches
below with very little overspill; this will
minimise impact on the amenity of nearby
homes and be much more energy-efficient too.
Big Bang
D of E
Four Sixth Formers and 18 girls from the Third Form to Upper Fourth
accompanied Mrs Ruth Lindsay-Dunn to the Big Bang Fair staged at
Manchester Central, formerly G-Mex.
Fifty-eight Lower Fifth girls completed the second practice walk for their
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award in late February, trekking from Marple
to Hayfield. The final practice is scheduled for April and the actual D of E
Bronze expedition will take place in June.
The party attended a live performance of the BBC science programme
Bang Goes the Theory, taking front-row seats which enabled several
of the girls to participate in interactive features. They also went to see
Withington’s Gold CREST Nuffield Bursary student Neha Passi who was
exhibiting her work with the Cardio-Vascular Research Group at the Fair.
On the last weekend of term, seven groups (37 girls in total) completed
their Silver practice walk, in unusually fine conditions, from Chapel en le
Frith to Whaley Bridge.
Mesmerising
The Lower School’s production of Susan Cooper’s comedy The Demon
Headmaster involved cast of 50 pupils from the Third Form and Lower
and Upper Fourth.
The play tells the story of a young foster daughter who starts at a
new school where all the pupils appear to be strangely well behaved.
She discovers that the headmaster is hypnotising the children during
assembly as the first step in world domination.
Kay Holcroft produced a mesmerising performance in the title role and
the entire cast deserved their rousing applause from the audience of
parents and friends in the Arts Centre.
Question Time
John Leech, Member of Parliament for
Withington, was quizzed by AS-level Politics
students on a range of issues from MPs’
expenses to university tuition fees during a visit
to the School in March.
Mr Leech detailed how he entered politics as
an enthusiastic volunteer, then becoming a
councillor at Manchester Town Hall before
winning the seat for the Liberal Democrats in
the 2005 General Election with a swing of 17%
from Labour.
He spoke about his work in Parliament as a
member of his party’s transport team and in the
local constituency.
Spelling Bee
Withington’s Third Form quartet of Katyann
Harris, Rishen Khattar, Frances Li and Alice
Hickie came within an ace of winning the
Spelling Bee competition staged at the Parrs
Wood Entertainment Centre.
Having emerged through the Withington rounds
as the best in their year at spelling aloud, the
team was leading at the half way stage of the
contest against nine rival North West schools.
In the very hard fought ‘sudden death’ final
the girls lost narrowly to the team from the
Manchester Grammar School, finishing in
overall second place. “They did very well and
put in a confident performance,” said teacher
Miss Nadine West.
Chemistry Assembly
Dr Lorraine Earps, who took over as Director of Studies at Withington in January
2010, visited Junior Assembly on February 12th. Dr Earps, who is also a teacher of
Chemistry, enthralled the Juniors by presenting Chemistry as magic. With the Harry
Potter theme tune playing in the background, water was made to change colour and
texture and indoor fireworks lit. All the Junior girls were very excited and inspired by
their introduction to the world of Chemistry.
Poetry Visit
David Horner, our regular guest poet, paid his annual visit to the Juniors on Thursday
March 4th. He read some of his poems in Assembly with much hilarity and audience
participation.
Each class had a session with David, focusing on story-telling with a twist. Upper II
produced story pizzas; Lower II put traditional tales in skeleton books; Form I followed
the story of Mr Fox in booklet form and Transition drew a story map of Ma Liang and
the Magic Paintbrush. It was, as usual, an inspirational day of creative writing and we
look forward to David’s next visit.
Junior PhilSoc
On Monday March 8th, Upper II joined with Year 6 MGS boys for a PhilSoc meeting
held in the WGS Arts Centre. Dr Cristina Vilela, teacher of Biology and Chemistry
at Withington, gave a fascinating presentation on the topic of Genetics. Using
the theme Discovering the Recipe for Life, Dr Vilela enthralled the young audience
with her explanation of the facts about genes and DNA. Did you know that if you
unravelled all the DNA strands in the human body that there would be enough to
reach the moon and back 800 times?
There was a variety of activities with the pupils popping balloons representing nuclei
- and searching behind their seats for the correct ‘facial features’ to match to the
DNA profiles presented by Dr Vilela. The talk was pitched at just the right level for
these young enquiring minds and led to a very deep discussion back in the classroom
about the ethics of cloning.
Time Travellers
On March 23rd the Junior School welcomed some ‘16th Century’ visitors from Ordsall
Hall. Four members of the Radclyffe household spent the day in Junior classes
involving the girls in Tudor life and activities. Sessions included music, studying Tudor
artefacts, costume and craft.
Junior Young Enterprise
Junior girls worked with the Sixth Form Young Enterprise company ‘SOS’, helping
them with their research into producing a Road Safety leaflet.
Golden Mathematicians
Congratulations to the nine Upper II girls who were awarded Gold level in the National Primary
Maths Challenge. They represented the School in the finals on February 3rd when all girls
received final certificates and well done to Meg Roseman who achieved a Bronze Medal.
Bexwyke Lecture
On March 16th, nine girls from Lower II attended the Bexwyke lecture at Manchester
Grammar School. Introduced in 2008, the lecture is aimed at pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.
This year’s theme was Roman Times and the girls began the day taking part in a series
of workshops culminating in group performances of the story of Romulus and Remus
along with pupils from MGS and other local Junior Schools. After lunch, the theme was
architecture when, after learning about Roman architectural styles, the children formed
into groups to construct either a pantheon, a coliseum or an aqueduct using bottles,
straws, wood and paper.
A lecture from Caroline Lawrence - author of the million-selling, award-winning Roman
Mysteries, now a CBBC TV series – followed. Ms Lawrence shared the secrets of how
she uses archetypal characters to create the heroes for her best-selling books and how
her simple seven-point plot structure allows her to write more than two books a year.
Caroline also talked about how Roman artefacts give her fun clues for her mysteries.
There was also a question and answer session after the Lecture.
The girls thoroughly enjoyed the day out and, aside from all the activities and the
interesting talk, also enjoyed the lunch and travelling to and from MGS in the minibus.
World Book Day
World Book Day, a global event, was marked in the Junior School by an Assembly
given by Transition pupils. Each girl dressed up as a character from a book and gave
a short talk about the book and character they were representing. Mrs Lowe joined
in too, dressed up as a most convincing Cruella de Ville from 101 Dalmations. The
audience, including parents, staff and the rest of the Junior School, were hugely
impressed by Transition’s wonderful costumes and entertaining and informative
presentations.
Drama Club End of Term Show
On March 19th, the Junior School Friday Drama Club treated an audience of
parents, staff and friends to a spectacular end-of-term production which, as always,
showcased the dedication of their teacher, Imogen, the fun they have and the girls’
dramatic talent. The first play, by Transition and Form I was a shortened modernised
version of Annie and the second was Fairytales R Us by Lower and Upper II. Well done
to all the girls who took part.
Dance
On March 22nd, the Dance Club took Junior Assembly. They explained all about the
different dances they had learnt and showed us the various styles. Thank you to Emily
Goddard and the Senior girls for all their hard work.
Manchester Cross Country League
Girls across the Junior School in Transition, Form 1, Lower II and Upper II took part in
the Manchester Cross Country League. Two teams were entered and they ran the race
as a relay. In true Cross Country style the weather was wet and the course was very
muddy. So much so that one of our girls lost her shoes! Both teams did extremely
well and the B Team won their race.
Winmarleigh Hall
Edale
PGL Winmarleigh Hall is a great fun-packed activity centre with an exciting challenge at
every turn. Each minute flies by without you knowing, since you are having so much fun.
There are activities like the giant swing or the climbing wall or even zip wire that helps
you conquer your fear of heights or the team challenge which helps you improve your
teamwork skills. The staff are friendly and encouraging and help to get you where you
are meant to be whether you are lost or trying to accomplish a task. The quad bikes were
great and were probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Just the same with the giant
swing - though you feel like you left your stomach behind on the first swing, you enjoy
the rest of the way. After you have fitted your harness on the zip wire, you never want to
leave the platform but once you were off, you loved it. All of these activities were great
and so was the food and we can’t wait till our next activity trip!
By A Hariprasad
On March 15th, Transition and Form I packed their brightly coloured suitcases full to the
brim and headed off on an adventurous one night residential trip to The Peak Centre,
Edale. The Centre was taken over by the youngest WGS girls and true to form, they
behaved impeccably and had a wonderful time. They had the opportunity to have a go
at circus skills, the climbing wall, mini-orienteering and making jewellery and jewellery
boxes. Working and mixing with girls outside of their usual peer groups enabled new
friendships to develop and the disco and pyjama party ended the trip with a blast!
Doña Rosita
Japanese Club
Spanish playwright Francisco Garcia Lorca’s testing work Doña Rosita
– the story, set in Granada at the turn of the 19th Century, of a young
woman who discovers her lover has married someone else – was chosen
as the AS examination piece.
Japanese Club this term extended to Junior and Senior pupils. As well as
learning some Japanese language, the girls also learnt about Japanese
Art and Culture such as origami, anime and manga; Ms Rie Yoshioka
(Rie-sensei) who taught the classes was thrilled and impressed with the
progress made by all the girls who attended.
It was performed in the School’s Drama Studio by Emma Lau, Alexandra
Lingwood and Laura Clayson. “It was a very moving interpretation,” said
Drama teacher Mrs Catherine Jones.
The whole of Upper II also spent two days this term learning about Japan
and its language with Ms Yoshioka.
Sure start
Withington’s young entrepreneurs made an
impressive start to this year’s Young Enterprise
competition with both 11-strong companies
– ‘SOS’ and ‘Plan B’ - gaining plaudits at the
Trafford Centre trade fair and at the Dragons’
Den session at the Manchester offices of
accountants Ernst & Young.
The ‘SOS’ project involves the design,
manufacture and sale of road safety packs
for small children including high-visibility
armbands, whistles and leaflets setting out
essential ‘dos and don’ts’. The ‘Plan B’ team
has produced jewellery and ‘kits’ of beads for
customers to make their own. Both companies
hosted very professional looking stands at
the Trafford Centre where ‘SOS’ were named
runners-up in the ‘Best Overall Company’
category out of more than 40 competitors.
Both Withington companies impressed the five
professional judges in the Dragons’ Den Contest,
‘SOS’ securing second spot and a £25 prize out
of 24 contenders and ‘Plan’ B being ‘highly
commended.’
Vietnam revisited
On March 17th, 15 Lower Sixth girls travelled
to Bolton School to attend an assembly given
by Kim Phuc. Kim’s village of Trang Bang came
under attack by South Vietnamese planes
carrying napalm in 1972. An iconic photograph
of a severely burned nine-year-old Kim running
away from the attack was instrumental in
changing attitudes towards the Vietnam War.
Kim has subsequently set up the Kim Phuc
Foundation and visited the UK to talk about her
experiences and her charity work. Our historians
had the opportunity to ask Kim questions at the
end of her assembly and were extremely moved
by her talk. Kim’s visit was arranged, in part, by
former pupil, Dr Sindy Newman.
Snow Time
January 2010, captured by Mr Mark Morris,
Premises Manager.
Gambian adventure
Withington’s sixth expedition to The Gambia in December 2009 left the
UK’s freezing weather far behind for the hot climate of West Africa. Led
by Miss O’Neal, the trip was very successful and fruitful, with all the
girls and staff finding the experience both rewarding and enjoyable.
Throughout the week, the girls worked hard and formed a very effective
team. Their painting of Pat’s nursery school in the hot conditions was
a real tribute to their efforts and commitment and they managed to
redecorate all three rooms plus the outside of the building in just one
day. WGS had originally funded the building of this much-needed
facility and are now helping to set up an Adult Skills Centre.
The girls also helped to collect the eggs produced by the ‘Withington
chickens’, funded last year, and launched a new project at Illiassa, where
the girls taught the local women how to knit. The girls who taught a
lesson at the nursery school were also very impressive and resourceful
and gave the children a wonderful experience.
All of the girls really threw themselves into the week’s activities with
enthusiasm, energy and good humour. Not even the breaking down of
the jeep, or the delays due to the tide, could dampen their spirits and
they all adapted to the African way of life very well.
Withington United
Musical Magic
Almost 40 girls – many first timers from the Upper Fifth – made up
Withington’s delegation at the Stockport Grammar School Model United
Nations over the weekend beginning March 19th.
Withington’s extraordinary wealth of musical talent throughout all
the School’s year groups was amply demonstrated in the Spring Term
Informal Concerts.
Despite this being their first ‘big’ conference they entered into the spirit
of the event and contributed enormously to the framing of resolutions
and in committee debates.
DIXIELAND GIRLS
An Informal Concert
Tudor Hall, with a delegation of older and more experienced participants,
all from the Upper Sixth, were declared overall winners, but Withington
swept the board with 22 individual awards including Best Delegate for
Charlotte Ward.
Earlier in the term Ms Maher took 22 girls to the Bath MUN Conference
where they represented Brazil, Iran, Morocco and Sudan.
Dixieland Girls with Ruth
Evans, Lyn Racz and Simon
Leach provided a fantastic
evening of entertainment
with solos, duets and trios
featuring clarinets and
saxophones and the finale
- an ensemble involving all
pupils - was outstanding.
Brazil was Highly Commended and both Sudan and Iran won
Commended Delegation awards. Ms Maher said: “It was a great
achievement overall with 12 of our 22 delegates winning individual
awards in what was probably our best overall performance in a
conference outside the North West.”
Tongue twist
Alison Coxon of the Lower Sixth has been
selected from more than 400 candidates,
representing 36 schools, who took part in the
Advanced UK Linguistics Olympiad in February,
as one of just 12 to progress to the second
round. This will be held at the School of English
Literature, Language and Linguistics at the
University of Sheffield and enable a team to be
chosen to represent the UK at the International
Olympiad being staged in Sweden in July.
Seventeen Withington girls from the Upper
Fourth to Upper Sixth entered the Advanced
test, a challenging paper requiring logical skills
in the analysis of the structure of language; and
three further Upper Fourth girls took part at
Foundation level.
Dr Anne Maisey said: “We are delighted with
the performance of all our participants.”
2010
Thursday 28th January
Centre
From 6pm in the Arts
Strings Brass
Schoolstrader.com
School community trading online is booming
and for those of you who have not yet given
it a go, www.schoolstrader.com, the free-ads
website for school communities, is the place to
start.
The Brass & Strings concert
with Becca Thompson, Tim
Chatterton and Simon
Leach featured pupils from
Transition to the Sixth
Form in a wonderfully
varied programme
affording a fantastic
opportunity to perform.
Schoolstrader has a vibrant independent section
covering most independent schools across the
UK, including us.
Thursday 25th February
2010
From 6pm in the Arts
Centre
Head of Music, Mrs Gillian Sargent, said: “The thought and preparation
that goes into these evenings is a real credit to our instrumental staff.
They are themselves fantastic performers and inspirational teachers.
We are very lucky to have them at Withington Girls’ School.”
Parents, staff and alumni can trade with each
other free of charge - everything from musical
instruments and houses to ski gear and holiday
homes.
The site has appeared in The Sunday Times, as
a Top 50 website in The Daily Telegraph and
online in Which.
Big Schools’ Birdwatch
Having made bird feeders last term, all of
Upper II were keen to find out which birds visit
the grounds of Withington. On January 28th,
they took part in the Big Schools’ Birdwatch
organised by the RSPB and plodded down in
wellies to the wild area at the end of the field.
Groups of three or four took turns to watch
over the space of an hour and all saw a variety
of species.
Going for
Withington’s Eco-warriors are urging the
School community to think in terms of greater
sustainability ahead of a proposed bid for
Eco-school status. Of the three levels - Bronze,
Silver and Green Flag – it is hoped the School
can attain at least Bronze status by the end of
the year.
Carrying on the work of Mrs Lamey, Dr Vilela
and Mrs Howling have been encouraging the
girls to switch off lights by getting each Form
to appoint a monitor to check that lights are
off as they leave. The team raised awareness of
the Copenhagen Summit in December with a
whole-school assembly and, to show solidarity
for the ‘Wave’ movement supporting action
against climate change, girls were permitted to
have their nails painted blue for a week,
Trees of Knowledge
Tree for All is a campaign recently launched
by the Woodland Trust aimed to give children
the chance to understand Nature and the
power to care for it. It enables young people
to take action today that will reap benefits for
their children and grandchildren – a thriving
landscape teeming with life.
Mrs Pickering eagerly signed up for the free
pack of saplings which were even more
enthusiastically planted by our Junior pupils
under the watchful guidance of our Grounds
Manager Mr Laurence Bradley.
Junior girls made bird feeders which were hung
at the far end of the field and in January, took
part in the Big Schools Birdwatch, ‘twitching’
for an hour in shifts. Junior girls have also
assisted in planting tree saplings donated by
the Woodland Trust in the School grounds.
New bins have been bought specifically for
recycling paper. Although our waste is recycled,
some was contaminated by other products so
this should make a big difference. Plastic cups
are now recycled in the dining room.
The team is also tackling food waste and there
are plans ahead to look at growing herbs and
some vegetables in School, building a log pile
to encourage biodiversity and discouraging the
drinking of bottled water.
The aim is to form an Action Group of
parent, student, SMT, governor and teacher
representatives. The Eco-warriors had a stand at
the Spring Fair and some enthusiastic parents
have already signed up for the group.
Gym Display
This year’s Gym Display, featuring the winners
from the Gym Competition held on February
5th, provided its audience with a brilliant night
of entertainment as Junior and Senior girls
demonstrated amazing flexibility, agility and
imagination as they performed their gymnastic
and dance routines.
The Gym Competition left the guest judge, Mrs
Flatman from the PE department of Manchester
High School for Girls, with a very difficult
task in choosing medal winners. Had all the
excellent gymnasts gone on to perform at the
subsequent Gym Display, the audience and
participants would not have got home until
past midnight!
Lord Mayor’s show
Manchester’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Alison
Firth, who also represents Withington Ward
at Manchester Town Hall, addressed a full
Assembly before being quizzed by WGS Politics
students and mingling with ‘Tudor’ characters
during Junior History day when she visited the
School on March 23rd.
At the Assembly, the Right Worshipful Lord
Mayor outlined many of her duties during her
year of office including attending community,
awards, musical and sporting events; receiving
overseas delegations from around the world and
greeting seven members of the Royal Family in
her ambassadorial role for the city.
Councillor Firth, who spent over 20 years
as a teacher, said: “I was impressed by the
penetrating questions from the Junior girls and
the magnificent facilities at the School.”
Final Push
120th Anniversary Reunion
The Appeal target now stands
just shy of £1.7 million. This is
wonderful news and our sincere
thanks go to all those who have
supported Bursary Appeal and
helped us to get closer to our
target of providing 100 plus
means-tested Bursary places
every year. With a significant
boost from new donations in
the last couple of months, we
are closer still…
Saturday 19th June will host a grand reunion for all Alumnae, their families and guests. The event will commence at 10.30am and will
incorporate a host of activities throughout the day, including year specific gatherings and a special celebration three-course dinner in the
evening for Alumnae.
We now need 90 people to
donate £30 per month – just
the wine with your meals or a
trip to the cinema. If you could
set up a standing order in this
way we would hit the Appeal
target this year. Please contact
the Development Director,
Clare Flynn on 0161 249 3491
for more information or ask at
Reception for a Gift Form.
Gerry Yeung, Governor and
Chair of the Bursary Committee,
said “Please consider supporting
the Appeal as we move towards
this momentous goal”.
As well as the opportunity to catch up and reminisce with old friends and teachers, old girls are invited to take part in The Ultimate House
Competition and enjoy tours of School before a sumptuous Afternoon Tea. There will also be exhibitions from the School Archives, and a
traditional Rounders match! Activities for children will be on offer and, weather permitting, lunchtime picnics on the playing fields.
During the course of the day, all leavers from 2001-2009 are invited to a ‘Withing10n’ party for Janet Pickering before she retires as Headmistress
and receptions will also take place for the 2000, 1985 and 1960 Year Leavers to celebrate their Anniversaries. In addition, a reunion for the ‘Lost
Boys’ of WGS and their classmates is planned in the morning for those who attended Withington between 1940 and 1946.
All former pupils and staff, their guests and family are warmly invited to join us at this very special event, with tickets going on sale after Easter.
For more information, or to express your interest in attending, please contact the Development Office here at School or visit the Alumnae pages
of the school website.
Keep in touch!
“Dream big – you can afford to at somewhere like Withington!”
says one Old Girl in her Census. Thank you to those of you who have already completed
the inaugural WGS Alumnae Census, sent out last Autumn. The Development Office
is busy updating our records with your updated information and anyone who has not
yet submitted their census is encouraged to do so as soon as possible. If you have not
received your copy, or require any assistance with completing the form, please contact
Laura Holderness on 0161 249 3494, or at [email protected].
Old Girl survives
Chilean Earthquake
A Withington Alumna now based in Chile contacted School
recently to assure us of her safety following February’s
devastating earthquake, which measured 8.5 on the Richter
scale. Nicola Gordon [1975], wrote that “On the first night after
the quake, I slept with my torch and a rucksack with my camera
equipment and warm clothing, in case of another quake, and
indeed the aftershocks keep on coming”, and sent us a number
of photographs she had taken of the devastation along with her
personal account of the disaster, which can be read in full on
the School website.
High-Flying Former Pupils speak at Alumnae Event
WGS Online
At the time of going to print we will be holding our first Withington in the City ‘Audience with...’ event for Alumnae, at the
City of London School for Girls. We welcome Sarah Smith [née Christiansen, 1986], and Laura Carstensen [née McRoberts,
1979], who are speaking informally to Alumnae and their guests about their diverse and interesting careers, followed by
a canapés and wine reception. The event is a great opportunity to meet up with old friends as well as to hear these two
inspirational women speak about their experiences and careers and balancing demands of family life.
Withington Onwards, our Alumnae Association,
is now fully online - on Facebook, LinkedIn and
Twitter! Keep in touch with School and fellow
Alumnae with our online social networks, and
get the latest news, views and event info –
instantly:
For more information about the future ‘Audience with...’
o take part as a speaker, please contact Laura on 0161 249 3494
Add: Laura J Holderness
Join: Withington Girls’ School Alumni - group
Rebecca meets Jesse Jackson
WGS Alumna Rebecca Usden was in the presence of a Civil Rights legend
recently when she was part of a delegation that played host to the
Revd. Jesse Jackson as he spoke at the Cambridge Union. Rebecca, who
left Withington in 2009 to study Social and Political Science at Murray
Edwards College, Cambridge, was one of a group of students responsible
for escorting Rev. Jackson during his visit, and accompanied him on a
trip to the American WWII cemetery in Cambridge. Rebecca says “It was
an amazing experience”.
What would Withington be like if 1 in 5 chairs in the classroom were
empty? Without you or your friend?
Add: Development Office – Withington Girls’ School
Join: Withington Girls’ School Alumnae - group
Since the launch of the 100 Plus Bursary Appeal in 2005, we have raised
almost £1.7 million towards ensuring that over 1 in 5 girls in School can
attend on a Bursary place. It is our aim that by August, we will reach
the Appeal target, ensuring that over 100 girls per year will receive
Bursary support at Withington.
Follow: @WGSAlumnae
Girls in the Senior School are invited to enter a special competition for
the Bursary Appeal called Withington Without the ‘I’ to raise awareness
about the Appeal and to celebrate the Bursary scheme to date. Open to
all girls in the Senior School, a winner per year will be announced after
the 19th April who can then take up a fantastic prize of a party for 10 at
the Yang Sing Cathay in the Trafford Centre.
Ogden Prize
To enter the competition, girls are invited to submit a piece of artwork
(no larger than A3), or a piece of creative writing (500 words or less),
or both, which considers the theme of Withington Without the ‘I’. What
would School be like without our 1 in 5 Bursary girls? What experiences
would we miss out on, what memories would we lose and how would
our School be different?
The deadline for entries is Monday 19th April, when a winner from each
year group will be chosen. The winners will see their pieces reproduced in
future Bursary Appeal brochures, as well as enjoying their fantastic prize,
which has been generously donated by Gerry Yeung, School Governor
and Chair of the Bursary Appeal Committee.
Good Luck!
2009 leaver Jessica Ballance has been awarded
the Ogden Prize for outstanding performance
in her Geography A-level examination. Jessica,
currently on a gap year before taking up her
place at Jesus College, Cambridge in October,
secured a remarkable 595 UMS marks out of
600 in the exam.
The prize has been awarded by the Greater
Manchester branch of the Geographical
Association. Mrs Julie Buckley, Withington’s
Head of Geography received the Certificate
and Book Token on Jessica’s behalf at the
Association’s Herbertson Memorial Lecture at
Manchester University on February 10th.
Welcome to Withington!
Mr Paul Newbold is teaching Geography
covering the maternity leave of Miss
Kaeren Browning. Mr Newbold, a
Geography graduate from Coventry
University, plays guitar and is an avid
Manchester City fan. A former pupil of
The Kingsway School, Cheadle, he had
been teaching at Ibstock Place School,
Putney in West London, before taking up
his Withington post.
Emily de Vere is our new Art and
Design Technician; Emily studied Three
Dimensional Design (Wood, Metal and
Ceramics) at Manchester Metropolitan
University and has run numerous
ceramic, art and mosaic workshops in
hospital and community settings, had
her work exhibited in London and a
number of private commissions.
The School welcomed several new members of staff at the start of term.
Miss Nicki Maddern has joined the staff
as Form I teacher, providing maternity
cover for Mrs Helen Stallard. Miss
Maddern spent most of last year in
Madrid, teaching Spanish children who
were learning the British curriculum in
English. She has also travelled in Costa
Rica, undertaking voluntary work, and
spent a month in Rome learning Italian.
Prior to that Miss Maddern, taught in
Essex for five years.
Welcome to the World!
The School has also welcomed back
Mrs Catherine Jones who is providing
maternity cover for Mrs Jen Baylis
in the Drama department. Mrs Jones
is back at WGS after a short interval
having covered a previous maternity
leave in the English Department. Mrs
Jones is a graduate of the University
of Manchester and taught at Bolton
School Girls’ Division before coming to
Withington.
Mrs Emma Othen (formerly Jewell),
who is an old girl, has rejoined the
school on a part-time basis to cover
the maternity leave of Mrs Robinson
in the Classics Department. She gained
a Classics degree, M Phil and PGCE at
Selwyn College, Cambridge, and has
since taught in Coventry, Liverpool, and
at Stockport Grammar School. As a
keen singer, Emma looking forward to
the musical events and opportunities in
school.
We have a long list of Withington Staff birth announcements for this Bulletin! Congratulations go to:
Mrs Sandra Osbourne, Catering Assistant, (a son Bobby Joseph)
Mrs Jen Baylis, Head of Drama, (a daughter, Jessica Susan)
Miss Kaeren Browning, Teacher of Geography, (a daughter, Lola Grace)
Mrs Kate Kelsall, PE Teacher (a son, Joshua Paul)
Mrs Andrea Vogler, Percussion Teacher, (a son, Archie William)
Mrs Helen Stallard, Form I Teacher (had a daughter, Eva Rose)
Mr Simon Leach, Piano Teacher, (a daughter, Katherine)
Mr Kal Hodgson, Head of Mathematics, (a son, Thomas Raphael)
We eagerly await news from Mrs Robinson and Mrs Arthan
Such a
perfect day...
The school’s 12-hour Musathon on Saturday,
January 30th, raised £3145 for the victims of
the Haiti earthquake. The non-stop roundthe-clock programme of music and workshops
involved 249 Withington pupils, members
of staff and a number of highly respected
professional musicians.
Mrs Pickering, echoing the title of Lou Reed’s
1997 chart-topping Children in Need anthem,
said: “It was such a perfect day - an amazing
tribute to the depth and breadth of musical
talent at the School. It was Withington at its
absolute best.”
The event, sponsored by H Wright Greaves Ltd,
the Altrincham music specialists, had been
originally planned as a fundraiser for the Parent
Teacher Association, but the School seized
the opportunity to play its part in helping the
victims of the disaster in Haiti and the bulk
of the Musathon proceeds has gone towards
supporting relief efforts on the shattered
Caribbean Island.
The 12 hours, from 9am to 9pm, were divided
into 15-minute slots during which individual
girls and all the groups and musical ensembles
throughout the school, together with members
of staff, performed a hugely varied repertoire.
Running parallel to the performances before
an audience of parents, families and friends
in the Arts Centre, a series of workshops were
conducted by professional musicians in the
School’s foyer, Junior Resource Room and
Music Room.
Members of the PTA lent their support all day,
providing refreshments, and photographs of
the session were taken, printed and put on
immediate sale by site manager Mr Mark Morris
and reprographics technician Mrs Sharon
Burney, raising further funds.
Business planning
A team of six Lower Sixth Economics students
entered the Manchester heats of the Institute
of Chartered Accountants [ICAEW] competition
at the Midland Hotel on March 19th.
They had to work under pressure to develop a
solution to a challenging business case-study
and deliver a short presentation to the judges.
The task looked at a wide range of marketing,
financial and strategy options and they had
to suggest a detailed long term plan for the
business.
The Withington team did extremely well,
coming in second out of eight Manchester
schools. They worked together impressively as a
team and with a great deal of humour.
Sport Relief
On Thursday March 18th all girls were encouraged to wear their PE kit
into school for the day to take part in our own Sport Relief Mile. Girls
paid £1 to participate and it was a real spectacle to see girls and staff
running, jogging, walking, forward rolling and skipping around five
laps of the field. Well done to everyone who took part – we raised the
fabulous sum of £412 for Sport Relief.
Lacrosse
Withington teams gave sterling performances at the North Schools’
Lacrosse Tournament on February 3rd. The U15 team reached the semifinals only losing out in a closely fought match to the eventual winners
2-3, after having a goal disallowed.
The U14 team won two matches, drew one and lost three, finishing fifth
overall in the competition.
Four Withington pupils have been selected as Lacrosse internationals –
a ‘remarkable achievement,’ says Head of PE, Mrs Mhairi Ferrol.
Tashy Rodgers of the Lower Sixth was selected for the Scottish Senior
squad and her sister Suzy of Lower Fifth, along with Francesca Gray of
Lower Fourth were called up for Scotland’s U19 squad. Sophie Whitehead
of Upper Fifth has been selected for the England squad.
Netball
Physics Lecture
All Senior School girls are invited, with their
parents, to a very special lecture on Thursday
22nd April 2010 from 5 pm to 6 pm. The lecture
is being delivered by Professor Fred Loebinger,
from the University of Manchester, who works
alongside Professor Brian Cox. Further details
will be coming out after Easter but if parents
would like to book their spot please email
[email protected]
On Saturday March 13th, the U15
netball team played in their County
Tournament. They won 3 out of 4
games in the rounds, which took
them through to the semi-finals,
losing out to the eventual winners
of the tournament.
Mrs Fletcher said: “The team played
an excellent standard of netball
throughout the tournament and
should be congratulated on their
achievement.”
Artistic Endeavours...
Pioneering Women
Art trip to Heaton Park
Our very own Headmistress Janet Pickering has been honoured in a
unique portrait commemorating Manchester-born Suffragette Emmeline
Pankhurst and the inspirational women of our time as nominated by
members of the public.
As part of their current Art project, entitled ‘Farmyard Fairground’, Lower
Fifth artists travelled on a crisp and sunny day to Heaton Park to draw a
range animals that live on the park’s farm. The animals included alpacas,
peacocks, Saanen goats and Chinese gander geese. The girls will use their
exciting and expressive drawings to create three-dimensional carousel
sculptures back at school.
The ‘Women Like You’ portrait is on display at the Manchester Art Gallery
until May 9th and includes a photo of Janet Pickering. Her portrait joins
those of former teachers, Miss J Boucher and Miss E Verity, whose photos
were also sent in by former pupils keen to honour their contributions.
Charlotte Newson, the artist responsible for completing this project, led
an exclusive Art Masterclass for pupils on 17 March after her portrait
went on display. Charlotte spoke to the girls about creating this piece of
work which recognises the achievements of women and has captured the
imagination worldwide with messages and photos being sent from all
corners of the globe.
A group of Withington students were also given the fantastic opportunity
of working alongside Ms Newson to create a 5-minute video from photos
of women who have inspired them, using special computer animation
software. This is now on display next to the main portrait in the Art
Gallery.
Clare Flynn, Development Director, met with Ms Newson as she was
working on the Women Like You portrait. “I first met Charlotte after
hearing her on Radio 4 Woman’s Hour. She felt privileged to commemorate
the achievements of
women and recognised the
School’s own contribution.
As a former pupil, I
have always known that
Withington pioneered
excellence in female
education, something I
am proud of. The result is
generations of girls who
achieve what they set out
to do and women who go
on to become leaders in
their field. I am so pleased
that Charlotte offered the
girls the opportunity to be
part of such an important
project.”
Streets of Gold
Twenty-one Lower Sixth Economics students
visited the financial centre of London. They
spent time at the London Metal Exchange,
where they watched ‘open cry’ trading of metals
in a frenetic, exciting trading ring. Traders
communicate by hand signals and calling
out buying and selling prices to fix a deal - a
frenzied and high-pressure environment. They
then went to the Bank of England, where they
had a fascinating talk on inflation [price rises in
the economy] and a visit to the Bank’s museum.
This was particularly interesting with displays
on forgery through the ages, a mock trading
room and a real gold bar [worth over £200,000]
that students were able to touch and lift. The
museum also had an interactive session which
enabled them to run the economy by changing
interest rates as part of the Bank’s monetary
policy. The final visit was to the London Eye,
where they could see the pace of economic
change across the London landscape. Students
had a thoroughly enjoyable time and a unique
insight into the financial system and the Bank
of England’s monetary policy.
Castleton fieldwork
On Monday March 15th, all Third Formers
enjoyed the full spectrum of weather from
freezing gale force winds and slight flurries of
sleet to warm doses of early Spring sunshine.
This was a realistic introduction to Geography
outside the classroom and all girls rose to the
challenge of carrying out fieldwork exercises in
less than perfect conditions when they visited
the Castleton area in Derbyshire. Everyone
was armed with a specially designed fieldwork
notebook and the aim of the day was to
discover what makes limestone so distinctive
and why it is an important reason for attracting
tourists to visit the area.
Summer Term 2010
APRIL
12th
13th
15th 18th - 19th
21st
26th
27th
29th
[Monday]
[Tuesday]
[Thursday]
[Sun - Mon]
[Wednesday]
[Monday]
[Tuesday]
[Thursday]
Staff In-service Day (No pupils in School)
Term Starts
Informal Concert (Arts Centre)
6.00pm
DofE Bronze Practice Expedition (Peak District)
Parents’ Evening: Upper IV
6.00 - 8.00pm
GCSE Drama Examination
Time tbc
GCSE Drama public performance 7.00pm (tbc)
Careers Convention 6.30pm
[Sat - Mon]
[Monday]
[Wednesday]
[Thursday]
[Fri - Sat]
[Monday]
[Friday]
[Monday]
[Tuesday]
[Thursday]
[Monday]
[Friday]
[Mon - Fri]
DofE Gold Practice Expedition
May Bank Holiday
Trip to Conwy & Rhuddlan Castles: Third Forms
Summer Concert
Stratford Weekend
Informal Concert (Arts Centre)
Junior School Form Photographs
Lower Sixth Study leave commences
Leavers’ Concert and Dinner Art Exhibition: GCSE and A Level
Junior School examinations (all week)
Trip to Chester Zoo: Third Forms
Half Term
MAY
1st - 3rd
3rd 5th
6th
7th - 8th 10th
14th 17th
18th
20th
24th 28th
31st - 4th
7.00pm
6.00pm
7.00pm
1st
[Thursday]
3rd [Saturday]
3rd - 6th
[Sat - Tues]
5th
[Monday]
5th - 8th
[Mon - Thurs]
6th
[Tuesday]
7th
[Wednesday]
8th
[Thursday]
9th
[Friday]
11th - 15th
[Sun - Thurs]
11th - 16th
[Sun - Fri]
Junior School: Strawberry Serenade
PTA Summer Social
DofE Gold Qualifying Expedition
Sports Day
Lower VI: Talk by Recent Leavers
Work Experience: Upper V
Citizenship Day
House Plays
Music Festival
Term Ends
Trip to Berlin: Upper IV
Trip to Disney/La Rochelle: Lower IV
6.30pm
pm
pm
2.30pm
AUGUST
Senior School Examinations begin: Thirds - Lower V Forms
Thirds - Upper IV Forms Examinations finish
Junior School Trip to Abernant Lake Hotel
Geography Fieldwork Trip, Llandudno : Lower IV
Lower Sixth return from Study Leave
Lower V Examinations finish
Enterprise Day: Lower V
Lower VI: Parents’ UCAS Information Session
7.00pm
Do call us (Before we call you!)
Pupil absence: Please would all parents use
0161 249 3476 to inform the school of pupil
absence before 8.30am on each day of absence.
Alumnae Reunion
Geography Fieldwork Trip: Lower V
Induction Day: New Third Forms
LAMDA Showcase (provisional)
DofE Silver Practice Expedition
Enterprise Day: Lower IV
Work Experience: Upper V
DofE Bronze Qualifying Expedition (West Pennines)
A2 Geography Fieldwork: Lower VI
Swimming Gala
JULY
JUNE
7th
[Monday]
11th [Friday]
11th - 13th [Fri - Sun]
14th
[Monday]
15th
[Tuesday]
16th
[Wednesday]
17th
[Thursday]
19th
[Saturday]
22nd [Tuesday]
23rd
[Wednesday]
24th - 25th [Thurs - Fri]
25th
[Friday]
28th - 2nd
[Mon - Fri]
29th - 30th [Tues - Wed] 30th
[Wednesday]
For contact after school please use these numbers:
Senior Late Room: 0161 249 3492
Junior Late Room: 0161 224 1077
19th
24th
27th - 2nd
[Thursday]
[Tuesday]
[Fri - Thurs]
Results Day: A Level
Results Day: GCSE
Biology A2 Fieldwork Trip
SEPTEMBER
3rd - 5th
6th 7th
[Fri - Sun]
[Monday]
[Tuesday]
DofE Silver Qualifying Expedition
Staff In-Service Day (No pupils in School)
Term Starts
Withington Girls’ School, Wellington Road, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL
Tel: 0161 224 1077 Fax: 0161 248 5377 Email: [email protected]
Web: www.withington.manchester.sch.uk Registered Charity No. 526632