Head`s Lines Chalk off the blackboard

Bulletin . . .
WINTER 2004
Summer
examination
successes
Yet again, our pupils gave us cause for great celebration in August. At A-level, 70 % of
all papers taken were awarded grade A and 90% were awarded A or B grades, placing
the school second in the country in the Independent A-level League Table. At GCSE
94.2% of all papers were awarded A* or A grades placing the School third in the
Telegraph, Times and Mail national League Tables.
Over two-thirds of the year gained three or more A grades. Four awards were received for gaining one of the
top five marks nationally: Georgia Ellis (Biology), Nemira Gasiunas (English Literature), Katie Cornthwaite
(General Studies) and Katherine Hedley (Physics). Thirty-six awards were received for gaining one of the top
five marks nationally and in Geography, Madeline Clare gained the top mark and received a special silver medal
at a ceremony held in London in November.
Head’s Lines
As the end of an extremely busy but hugely
enjoyable and successful term accelerates
towards a close, this Bulletin gives a snapshot
of the range, breadth, and depth of activities
and opportunities of this wonderful school.
Following one of our Open Days in November, a
prospective parent wrote ‘I am most impressed with
Withington Girls’ School – there’s a certain
gentleness of spirit and self-effacement evident here
that we haven’t found elsewhere. Delightful’.
Subsequent to the Lower Sixth Presentation Evening
last week, a current parent wrote ‘the evening itself
was a wonderful testimony to the tremendous work
the school does and to the ethos it represents’. That
evening celebrated not only outstanding GCSE
success, but also the extra-curricular commitments
of our pupils, both in and out of school. This term a
Entente Cordial
THE Entente is still extremely Cordiale
according to Withington girls, praising their
French hosts on returning from their eight-day
exchange trip to Paris.
A regular excursion for over a decade now, the trip
saw 14 Upper Fourth girls, joined by 15 boys from
Manchester Grammar School and four members of
staff, warmly welcomed at the Franklin Jesuit School
in the French capital’s 16th Arrondissement.
“It’s a very academic establishment,” said Withington
French teacher Mrs Elinor Chicken, who travelled
with the party, “with a tremendous location with
views of the Eiffel Tower.”
new Young Enterprise Company has been formed,
pupils have raised money for charities through a
range of events and activities including the hugely
successful Fashion Show, they have delighted
audiences with ‘Women of Troy’, enjoyed many
musical and sporting successes, impressed at a Model
United Nations Conference, prepared for a Mock Trial,
debated with a local MP, presented memorable
whole-school Assemblies, and so much more. It
remains a huge privilege and pleasure to be Head of
such an exciting school. There are many events still
to come in the remaining days of this term, not least
the Advent, St Ann’s and Junior School Concerts, the
Rotarians Christmas Party and, of course, the House
Carol Competition.
All members of the school will certainly be ready for
their Christmas break and it is a pleasure to send
Seasons Greetings to all readers of this Bulletin.
exchange pupils from October 28th to November 5th.
The English host families took them as far afield as
London during the remaining half-term days and an
impromptu Hallowe’en Party was enjoyed by all
pupils. Through the exchange the girls enjoyed a real
taste of Manchester visiting the Museum of Science
and Industry, Quarry Bank Mill, the Theatre of Dreams
at Old Trafford, the Imperial War Museum North and
the City Art Gallery. Topics in their lesson
programme at Withington included The Beatles,
Salsa, Aerobics and a Christmas carol.
The sad farewells at Manchester Airport testified to
the particular success of this year’s exchange and
confirmed its future.
On two mornings the girls and boys were given
lessons especially devised by the French teachers at
Franklin including Music and German. Excursions
took them on the famous Bateaux Mouches plying
the River Seine, to the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre.
Host French families treated their guests to all sorts
of French experiences and everyone had a very happy
time. The French girls were in England with their
The distribution of the GCSE awards was as follows:
Geography:
Madeline Clare, Elena Strbac,
Sophie Tang, Caroline Wilde, Fleur Ferguson;
History:
Rachel Cassidy, Joanna Nicholson,
Sonya Passi, Philippa Roper, Katrina Limond;
Mathematics:
Rachel Cassidy, Katrina Limond,
Elena Strbac;
French:
Rachel Cassidy, Zahra He-Li, Katrina Limond,
Katherine Lynas, Anika Majithia, Kerry O’Herlihy,
Lauren Richardson, Jennifer Stones,
Rachel Heydecker, Sonya Passi, Philippa Roper,
Hayley Sivner, Caroline Wilde, Katie Combes,
Rosalind Whiteley, Harraj Panesar;
Spanish:
Rachel Cassidy, Zahra He-Li;
English:
Rachel Cassidy;
English Literature:
Sophie Atkinson, Kerry O’Herlihy, Sonya Passi,
Hayley Sivner.
As can be seen from the above, Zahra He-Li, Hayley Sivner and Kerry O’Herlihy gained two awards, Sonya Passi
and Katrina Limond three, and Rachel Cassidy is congratulated on the remarkable achievement of gaining five
top candidate awards.
In The Financial Times Special Report on the combined achievements of the top Independent schools,
Withington was ranked fifth and in November’s Sunday Times Parent Power, which again ranked the UK’s State
and Independent School by combined A-level and GCSE performance, Withington was thirteenth – the top UK
school in the North. As can be seen from the articles herein, such outstanding achievement is not achieved at
the expense of extra-curricular breadth.
Chalk off the blackboard
THE phoenix risen from the ashes of the
devastating fire that tore through parts of
the School in the summer of 2003 is now
fully fledged and flying.
Three maths classrooms destroyed in the blaze
are now fully reconstructed and are bigger and
better equipped than before. Insurance cover
funded the replacement of the rooms, but the
school itself has borne the cost of providing the
extra space.
Two rooms have had high-tech interactive
electronic whiteboards installed and the third will
follow in the New Year. The days of chalk and
duster are definitely numbered.
The boards are linked with computers via
ceiling-mounted electronic projectors enabling
staff to illustrate mathematical problems using
graphical and statistical software packages and
their own innovation and enthusiasm.
Use of interactive whiteboard
Head of Maths, Judith Willson says: “The new
technical equipment is a wonderful asset with which to
enhance our teaching and the girls’ understanding.”
Classes no longer have to decamp for short periods to
the computer suites and the pace of teaching has
accelerated significantly through using the interactive
facilities.
Summer music
course 2005
Advance notice - course running
1st to 5th August 2005
Fashion Show
IT was the sassiest,
classiest, strutting
catwalk spectacular
in South Manchester.
Withington’s girls swapped their school bags for
glad rags in a bid to raise over £5,000 for
Barnardos and Hope for Children.
Vibe – an east-meets-west fashion show
organised by 19 members of the Upper Sixth at
Withington Girls’ School – featured dance
routines specially choreographed to showcase
latest clothes lent for the occasion by more than
two dozen local and leading national retailers.
Models and technical crew were drawn from
every year from the Third Form to the Upper
Sixth and ten boys were ‘borrowed’ from
Manchester Grammar School to highlight
menswear.
Following on from the success of last year’s course,
we will be running another creative music week this
Summer. Open to boys and girls between the ages of
8 and 13 the course is being run by Tim Chatterton
and Rebecca Thompson from the Northern Chamber
Orchestra. The children will be exposed to a rich and
diverse range of music including music from China
and India. For further enquiries please call Penny
Willis at the School.
Fun club 2005
25th-29th July 2005
8th-12th August 2005
Fun Club will run for two weeks again this
year – one week either side of the Summer
Music course.
Run by our own PE teachers, both weeks will keep
your children busy, entertained, and fit during
the holidays. For further enquiries please call Penny
Willis at the School.
Quizzical
FOUR girls from the Third and Lower Fourth Forms
participated in the Times Educational Supplement
‘Kids Lit Quiz’ at Lymm High School in November.
There were about 20 teams vying for awards and the
girls acquitted themselves really well. They won one
round and two girls also won individual prizes.
The girls were Rebecca Livesey, Fiona Muir,
Lucy Prendergast and Neha Passi. They all really
enjoyed themselves and the School hopes to enter
again next year.
Throw-over
Head of French, Mrs Yorke Menzies is
making a speedy recovery after a serious
riding accident.
An enthusiastic and experienced horsewoman, she
was thrown when her horse reared, suffering four
fractures of the pelvis.
The chief sponsors were Beaverbrooks, the high
street jewellers and clothes were donated by
Steranko, Vicky Martin, Xpose, Yasmin Gill,
Republic, Unique Collections, Henri Lloyd,
All Saints, Hurleys, Khadijah Amin, Chaos,
Andaaz Sarees, Flipside's Wildside, Coast, Fatface,
Industry, Dialogue Box (Selfridges), Pastiche,
Designs by Ollie, Alankar Sarees and Pumpkins.
It’s the night the traditionally academic let their
collective hair down and have a (well-dressed)
ball. Last summer a quarter of the Upper Sixth
might have won places at Oxford and Cambridge,
but as Vibe demonstrated: girls, they wanna
have fun.
Sixth Former Lucy Wright, from Hale, one of the
organisers, said: “It’s always a terrific night and
this year, with the eastern flavour, was better
than ever.”
We are sailing
WITHINGTON’S ‘navy’ set sail in a variety
of boats – canoes, picos, catamarans,
toppers and wind surfers – at the Rockley
Watersports Reserve near Bordeaux in
France in July.
Girls from the Upper and Lower Fifth and the
Sixth Form flew with five members of staff from
Manchester Airport to the French city via
Gatwick and completed the journey to the
campsite by coach.
Each day was crammed with activities, expert
tuition, great fun and inevitable drenchings as
the girls learned how to right overturned boats.
One of the main highlights was the scaling of the
highest sand dune in Europe, the Dune de Pyla
which offered incredible views from its summit.
Later that same day the itinerary included thrills
and spills at the local water park, Aqualand.
See you in court
She is out of hospital, convalescing at her mother’s
home, and marking pupils’ work and test papers.
She will return to School next term and meanwhile
we are most grateful that Mrs Barbara Livesey has
been able to cover all Mrs Menzies’s French lessons.
Early in December the Sir Rhys Davies Schools’ Mock
Trial Competition held in the impressive surroundings
of Manchester Crown Court in Minshull Street will
give a number of Upper and Lower Sixth girls the
opportunity to do just that.
Nine Upper Sixth students have met every Monday
lunchtime this term to prepare and consider the two
cases that Withington is presenting against 11 other
independent schools in the North West - and they
have had the benefit of two real barristers who came
into School to listen and give their expert legal
advice.
Withington
on the web
LOOK out for a redesigned Withington Girls’ School
website early in the New Year. The pages will contain
updated information about the Senior Club and news
of the School and its students, past and present.
The address remains the same:
www.withington.manchester.sch.uk
Photograph courtesy of Manchester Evening News
ANYONE having anything to do before my Lords
the Queen’s Justices, draw near and give your
attendance….
Lower Sixth students will attend as jurors on the day
and observe the proceedings – to see whether they
would like to take part in 2005 as barristers and
witnesses. Two members of the Lower Sixth have
entered the associated Court Reporting Competition.
It is rocket
science
TWELVE girls with a particular interest in rocket
science attended the IEE Christmas lecture at Salford
University in November given by local rocketman
Steve Bennett, who formed the
Starchaser company, based in Hyde,
with a mission to provide commercial
space flights. There were workshops
on rocket-related activities and
a presentation on the
development of the
Starchaser rockets
and engines.
The Duke of
Edinburgh’s Award
Trojan women
IT sounded like the perfect recipe for making
a crisis out of a drama.
For not only did ten girls in the Lower Fifth give
themselves just one week to devise, script and
rehearse a play, they chose to base their production
on an ancient Greek tragedy.
THE Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues to be extremely popular at Bronze level with over 60 members of the
Lower Fifth attending weekly sessions. These girls planned and carried out their first practice walk in Lyme
Park in October and are now being trained in preparation for the second day walk on February 27th.
Euripides’ Trojan Women, written in 415 BC,
dramatises the timeless subject of women’s response
to war.
Interest also remains high among the Upper Fifth with over 20 girls hoping to carry on to Silver Award.
A new initiative this year is the offer of direct entry to the Award Scheme at Gold level to meet demand from
new entrants to the Lower Sixth. Some of these girls went on their first training walk in November and coped
very well with icy and muddy conditions walking between Chapel-en-le Frith and Whaley Bridge in the Peak
District. They will join with the other Gold participants to carry out expeditions next summer.
Under the guidance of professional director Paul
Warwick from the Leeds-based Unlimited Theatre
Company – winner of two Fringe Firsts at the
Edinburgh Festival – the girls sought to relate
Euripides’ ideas to the context of modern conflicts.
The girls were given a free hand to 'go where the
play led them' with their interpretation, and they
explored the ritual of contemporary theatre alongside
the issues of the play. Paul Warwick, co-Director and
Producer of the play said: "The group that I have had
the pleasure of working with this week have
astounded me with the intelligence, rigour,
professionalism and emotional honesty which they
have brough to each and every session".
The excellent production was enacted at both a
matinée and evening performance at the School on
November 27th.
Direct Entry Gold training walk. (Arshiya Mastan,
Se-Ye Oh, Josephine Wong)
United Nations
THIRTY-three girls from the Sixth Form played
their parts as delegates to the Model United
Nations – a conference session organised each
year by Cheadle Hulme School.
This year the Withington students represented Saudi
Arabia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Canada, Sweden, China,
Australia and South Korea, having prepared and
researched their respective positions on a range of
policy issues.
Talks covered political, social and economic matters
including ecology and the environment, the Middle
East, the Security Council and human rights.
By taking part, delegates are required to develop
their skills in research, planning, teamwork,
debating and public speaking.
The following girls from Withington won awards:
Chloe Mattison ‘Commended’ for her work on the
Political Committee; Rachel Cassidy ‘Highly
Commended’ Political; Kerry Turnbull ‘Highly
Commended’ Social and Economic; Alexandra
Patrick ‘Commended’ Ecology and Environment;
Lucy Kinder ‘Highly Commended’ Ecology and
Environment; Prudence Buxton ‘Commended’
Security Council.
Lauren Wild also had the honour of co-chairing
the Middle East Committee.
’Miniluv’ at Lyme Park (Lucy Green, Hannah Woods, Olivia Atkinson, Kristina
Milanovic, Jill Richens, Celina Aggarwal, Jemima Heap)
Ceramics
Lower II, Upper II and Third Form girls have
been enjoying Ceramics classes after School
on a Wednesday afternoon. Taught by Diane
Connell, former Head of Art, the classes
provide a wonderful opportunity for the girls
to explore clay-making in a fun environment
at the end of a busy School day. A set of
9 classes for the Spring Term will start on
12 January 2005.
Ceramics is also available to parents and friends of
the School on a Wednesday evening from 6.30 pm
to 8.30 pm.
BBC Fame Academy
Jazz-loving Imogen Lewis Holland, from
Didsbury, plays such a mean slide trombone
that she’s landed a coveted BBC Fame
Academy bursary and the prize of a handcrafted brass instrument.
But Imogen, a member of the Upper Fifth, is also
a gifted violinist, playing on the front desk of
second violins for the Hallé Youth Orchestra and
for a local chamber orchestra.
And she’s passed through for the final set of
auditions for the National Youth Orchestra....with
both instruments.
Tim Chatterton, who has taught Imogen trombone
at Withington since she started playing the
instrument six years ago, said: “She’s an all round
prodigious talent.”
So which will it be – strings or brass; classical
or jazz?
Courtesy of South Manchester Reporter
Uganda, Easter 2005
LOWER Sixth pupils Sarah Parr and Jane
Hooper, accompanied by Miss McKenzie, are
travelling on a joint Withington Girls’
School/Manchester Grammar School trip to
Uganda in East Africa at Easter, organised by
Mr Hand, Head of Physics at MGS.
The students will be working with children in Maama
Jane’s (Mwiri) and Maria’s care (Kamuli) orphanages.
They will also have the opportunity to see brick
making, the Busoga Trust water project, a sugar
plantation, Bujagali Falls and Nile Breweries.
The last 4 days of the trip will be spent in Queen
Elizabeth National Park with opportunities to take
photographs on the equator, cruise down Kazinga
Channel and take game drives to look for elephants,
lions, buffalo and other wild life.
Christmas cards & calendar
A strikingly colourful range of Christmas cards
designed by Third Form girls are proving the
hit of the festive season.
The cards depict composite versions of local
townscape scenes around Withington and Didsbury
after the unique style of the Austrian-born artist
Hundertwasser. The cards comprise three full
panel views and six detail enlargements.
The range is complemented by calendars
and notelets reproducing the GCSE,
AS and A-level work.
The Christmas cards, in packs of nine
individual designs are £3.50; the calendars
£6.50 each and the notelets – eight in four
designs – are £3.50. Special offer packages
containing three packs of cards or notelets or
a combination of cards and notelets are £10.
Cards, notelets and/or calendars can be ordered
through the School Office.
DO CALL US (BEFORE WE CALL YOU!)
Pupil absence
Senior Late Room
Please would all parents use the following
number to inform the school of pupil
absence before 8.30 am on each day
of absence.
Absence line: 0161 249 3476
There is now a direct number to the
Senior Late Room (in the Library):
0161 249 3492
Junior Late Room
This number remains: 07729
805647
Ghyll Head
The Third Forms’ two weekend trips to Ghyll Head House, Windermere, in November provided
some gruelling but exciting challenges for more than 80 girls.
Kenya AIDS programme
IT was a reunion with a difference…about making a difference.
Withington old girl Dr Claire Smithson, now in
charge of the AIDS programme at the Mau Hospital
in Kenya, returned to school in the Autumn Term
both as an inspiring role model for today’s girls and
in order to say “thank you” for UVY’s fund-raising
efforts.
This year £2,800 raised by their Dance Competition
in the Spring went directly towards paying for tests
that patients need to see if they are suitable for
antiretroviral drug treatment at the hospital.
Dr Smithson was candid about the huge AIDS
epidemic afflicting many parts of Africa but positive
about tackling the problem in the immediate area
of the hospital.
She has won the attention of the Kenyan President
and her AIDS unit has gone from strength to
strength, offering treatments that are bringing
hope and enabling many patients to resume fairly
normal lives.
Dr Smithson was impressed by the numerous
changes at school since she left in 1978 and
brought photographs of patients dancing – a
poignant link with the way the school raised vital
funds. Mrs Julie Buckley, Geography teacher and
Head of General Studies says another Dance
Competition is planned, possibly for next year.
Four staff took parties of 42 and 40 girls, respectively,
over consecutive weekends to the Manchester
Schools’ Outward Bound Centre, by the side of
England’s largest lake, for experience of problem
solving, bonding and exploits of derring-do.
Tasks before them included scaling a 70ft tree in
order to descend very quickly on a trip wire; climbing
fells in the driving rain with ice underfoot; navigating
ropes courses and canoeing on the lake.
There was plenty of scope for fun too: on Friday
evenings the girls followed a nightline in the pitch
dark round Ghyll Head House’s 17-acre garden and
Saturday night in the beautiful old Victorian house
involved traditional party games before staff made
hot buttered toast and hot chocolate for each girl
prior to reading a bedtime story.
Lacrosse
FORMER England under-19
Lacrosse international Miss
Rachel Day didn’t take long to
demonstrate her coaching skills
with girls who hope to emulate
her success.
Young
Enterprise
Crime and
Punishment
SEVENTEEN entrepreneurs from the
Lower Sixth are hoping to turn the
expression ‘strapped for cash’ on its head
with their new company, Indulgence set up as part of the nationwide Young
Enterprise Scheme.
GCSE Religious Studies students were treated
to an arresting insight into crime and
punishment during the Autumn Term.
They hope to make a decent profit by summer
with the business which involves customising
bra straps.
The girls are all members of the Indulgence
board and have appointed a managing director
and company secretary. They are engaged in
sourcing, design, production, marketing and
sales for the company, which has its own
bank account.
Aside from making a profit, the aim is to
develop a range of skills required in the
running of a successful enterprise. The scheme
is competitive too, for the girls’ business
performance will be matched against similar
teams at other schools. Last year Withington
reached the northern final stage.
Guest speaker Detective Chief Inspector Eileen
Scarratt of Greater Manchester Police, mother of
Pippa, revealed the inner workings of policing from
crime investigation to administrative duties, with
reference to recent murder cases in the area.
Crime and punishment - and society’s attitudes
towards them - are key elements in the philosophy
and ethics section of the course.
Netball
WITHINGTON'S U16s were unbeaten in five matches
in the Manchester and District Invitation Netball
Tournament organised by the School in November
and held at Stockport Grammar School.
The Senior team won one match and drew another
and both teams were presented with a trophy
and badges.
[Wednesday]
10th
14th
[Monday]
[Friday]
15th
19th
[Saturday]
[Wednesday]
20th
25th
27th
[Thursday]
[Tuesday]
[Thursday]
Term Starts
Upper V examinations begin
Upper VI examinations begin
Senior and Junior Entrance Examination
(No pupils in school except U5 examinees)
PTA Theatre trip
Upper 5 back in school
Junior School Parents’ Evening
Upper VI back in school
Junior School Parents’ Evening
Junior School Parents’ Evening
4th
5th - 6th
8th
10th
14th – 18th
23rd
24th
27th
[Friday]
[Saturday-Sunday]
[Tuesday]
[Thursday]
[inclusive]
[Wednesday]
[Thursday]
[Sunday]
Gym Competition
Winmarleigh Hall (Upper II)
Parents’ Evening : Lower V Forms 6.30pm
Gym Display 6.00pm
Half Term Holiday
NCO Partnership Concert at School 7.30pm
Parents’ Evening: Lower IV Forms 6.30pm
DoE Walk Marple to Hayfield All day
2nd
8th – 10th
10th
16th
17th
23rd
28th
[Wednesday]
[Tuesday-Thursday]
[Thursday]
[Wednesday]
[Thursday]
[Wednesday]
[Monday]
Parents’ Evening: Lower VI Forms 6.30pm
AS Theatre Studies Production 7.30pm
Parents’ Evening: Upper V Forms 6.30pm
Spring Concert 7.00pm
Spring Concert 7.00pm
Term Ends
Ski Trip to USA departs (Lower IV – Lower V)
4th
6th
[Monday]
[Wednesday]
9th
10th
10th – 11th
11th
12th
[Saturday]
[Sunday]
[Sunday-Monday]
[Monday]
[Tuesday]
French Trip (Lower & Upper V) departs
German Trip (VI Form) departs
Ski Trip returns
Spanish Trip (Lower V – Lower VI) departs
French Trip returns
German Trip returns
Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition
Spanish Trip returns
Summer Term Starts
JANUARY
The former international, who represented England
against Wales and in America, added “It was the
first tournament I have ever taken with the girls
and winning was the most exciting thing ever.”
5th
FEBRUARY
The ’War of the Roses’ encounter– saw Withington
run out winners 3-2 in a nail biting finish.
“It was like Lancashire playing Yorkshire, there were
so many county players in the match,” said Miss
Day. “All the girls knew each other.”
MARCH
The First XII progressed through their four-team
pool and the semi-final before meeting Harrogate
College in the final at Queen Margaret’s, York.
Dates for your Diary
SPRING 2005
APRIL
For Miss Day, the ‘baby’ of the PE
Department since joining the teaching
staff in September, has steered the
school’s U19s to the Northern Schools’ Lacrosse
Championship against formidable opposition.
Summer Term starts
Tuesday, 12th April 2005
For further information contact the School Secretary
Withington Girls’ School, Wellington Road, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL.
Tel : 0161 224 1077 Fax : 0161 248 5377
Email : [email protected]
Registered Charity No. 526632
www.withington.manchester.sch.uk