WGS Bulletin Winter 2022

Withington’s senior and junior pupils gathered with children from six Greater Manchester primary schools in the spectacular setting of Manchester Cathedral on Tuesday 29th November to perform together in a celebration of music and poetry as part of an inter-school partnership project known as Manchester Sings.

Around 230 children arrived at the Cathedral on buses from Whitefield Community Primary School, St Luke’s CofE Primary (Bury), Broadfield Primary (Oldham) and Manchester schools, St Kentigern’s RC Primary, St Margaret’s CofE Primary, Wilbraham Primary and WGS, to sing as a massed choir for the first time.

All participants donned colourful t-shirts for the occasion and performed a harmonious and uplifting medley of songs, interwoven with poems written by pupils, inspired by the theme ‘We’re all in this together’.

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Dear Readers

Welcome to our final bulletin of this year as we look back on a very successful Autumn Term which has seen our pupils, staff and school community achieve so much. It has been such a joy to be able to run our vast range of activities fully in person once again and this term has come to its close with an uplifting and inspiring programme of special events across both the Junior and Senior Schools. Thank you to all parents for your support - we have very much enjoyed welcoming you into school to share these special occasions and seeing the Withington community spirit so strong.

In this bulletin you will read of excellence, commitment and endeavour in the classroom and beyond - our pupils, supported and encouraged by our staff, have made superb progress this term both in their studies, and in developing their skills and character through their many co-curricular activities, clubs and societies, competitions, partnership work, and charitable fundraising, much of it led by the pupils themselves with staff support and guidance. At Withington we go the extra mile - regularly - and that is evident not only in the sheer range of achievement and activity but in the spirit in which it is initiated and enjoyed. Whether it be in music, sport, drama, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model United Nations, House events or one of the other very many projects you will read about here, our pupils and staff demonstrate time and again what can be achieved with great teamwork, creativity and optimism.

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Pupils of different ages, former and current pupils, staff and parents, friends and partners of WGS from across Manchester and beyond have worked together on projects ranging from understanding young people’s wellbeing and reflecting on democracy in our city; the Withington-led ‘Manchester Sings’ schools event in the Cathedral; Withington’s very own Strictly Come Dancing celebration to support our partnership project in The Gambia; the fantastic series of WGS Christmas concerts; inspirational Careers and Visiting Speaker talks; PTA events for pupils, staff and parents. This term we have also continued our work to raise the profile of our Bursary programme at WGS which currently supports one in six of our pupils and we are determined to grow to one in five.

It is this empowering and supportive culture which sees our pupils fulfil their true potential and broaden their horizons so that they can make their positive difference in our world. Earlier this month we were delighted to once again be named the Sunday Times Northwest Independent Secondary School of the Year, for the fourth consecutive time. Congratulations to all pupils, staff, parents, governors and trustees whose commitment in all arenas of school life makes this fantastic achievement possible.

Next term we are very much looking forward to meeting our prospective Withington pupils and to all of the opportunities the new year brings. In the meantime, I wish all of our readers and all in our school community a very Happy Christmas and an enjoyable festive season. All good wishes for the New Year.

The hour-long event, organised for the third time since 2019 by WGS, was a heart-warming experience for the audience of families, friends and invited guests, who included Greater Manchester’s Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Diane Hawkins DL JP, the Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester, Councillor Donna Ludford, and Manchester Cathedral’s Reverend Canon Nigel Ashworth.

Withington’s Director of Music and organiser of Manchester Sings, Mrs Gilly Sargent, who has led rehearsals at each of the schools over the past few months, praised all involved for their effort and commitment.

“ Watching these children, some as young as seven, practising so hard, enjoying their music and growing in confidence has been truly inspiring. It’s been wonderful to see these primary school pupils from different parts of Greater Manchester performing as one with such passion and energy at this magnificent venue in the very heart of our great city. As always, this has been a musical journey for all those taking part. Music is such a powerful force for good - everyone has a voice, every voice has a song,” she said.

The theme was reflected not only in the selection of seven songs but also in the readings, which had been written by the children themselves to reflect their own personal thoughts and experiences.

With the title Musical Harmony one Year 5 pupil had written, “People are the instruments of this world. Everyone has a role to contribute, we are stronger together when we listen and help one another. Together, we can overcome any challenge,” while another Year 5 child, referencing the much-loved Manchester bee, had ended his poem with the words, “The Manchester way, the bees help the hive. Like we help each other. We’re all in this together.”

Mrs Ria Drabble, a Year 5 teacher at Broadfield Primary School, who has worked alongside Mrs Sargent with three different classes since the project was launched in 2019, said:

“Manchester Sings provides our children with an invaluable opportunity to be part of something so much bigger than themselves. They feel an enormous sense of pride when they attend Manchester Sings, pride at representing both their school and their town. They see themselves as part of a larger community, working with a common goal, and they get to feel the exhilaration of performing to a large crowd of people. Over the rehearsal period, it has been an absolute pleasure to see them grow in both confidence and enthusiasm for the music we have rehearsed.”

Broadfield pupils also spoke of their involvement in the event.

“I really enjoyed Manchester Sings - my favourite song was We’re all in this together,” said Stephen, whilst Falak said, “Manchester Sings was a lot of fun, and I liked singing with the other schools as a big team.”

Funds raised during the event and via online donations go to help the Booth Centre and Wood Street Mission.

We are grateful to Beaverbrooks Jewellers for their sponsorship of Manchester Sings since the inaugural event in 2019.

MRS SARAH HASLAM Headmistress

A MUSICAL MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ST ANN’S FESTIVAL OF LESSONS & CAROLS

Those members of the school community who were able to attend the traditional Festival of Lessons & Carols held at St Ann’s Church in Manchester on Monday 5th December will no doubt make every effort to include this wonderful event in their festive calendar in the future.

The music is the highlight of the service, whether listening to the exquisite vocal performances of the Withington Senior Choir, made up of both pupils and staff, or singing the traditional carol selection along with the choir.

Set in the middle of Manchester, with the buzz and activity of the Christmas fairs in its immediate vicinity, on entering St Ann’s you are transported to a place of calm and tranquillity.

Between the musical interludes, the seven lessons were read by pupils Saleha Omar (Year 12), Head Girl Georgia Campbell, Erin Saramanayaka (Year 11) and Emily Edge (Year 10), Mrs Menzies, Mrs Haslam and Mrs Val Jones, a trustee of Wood Street Mission.

The members of the Senior Choir, under the guidance of Withington’s Director of Music, Mrs Gilly Sargent, brought a sense of joy to their performance of the songs: Mirabile Dictu, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, May the Lord Bless You and Keep You, When a Child is Born and This Little Babe. This, combined with the fine acoustics of St Ann’s, makes for a very special and memorable choral performance.

A collection in support of St Ann’s Church and the Wood Street Mission was held, and we thank all who came along to enjoy this highlight of Withington’s festive musical offerings.

SENIOR CITIZENS’ CHRISTMAS TEA PARTY

In the words of that popular Christmas song, it certainly was ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ when Withington was again able to open its doors to our friends from the local area for the Senior Citizen’s Christmas Tea Party and Concert.

After a break of two years due to the pandemic, when the Christmas Tea Party was transformed into a pre-recorded ‘virtual’ event, we were delighted to welcome back many familiar faces to an evening of music, raffles, gifts and an abundance of festive cheer.

It was all hands on deck during the lead up to the event: a multitude of gifts were donated by parents and staff, the Arts Centre was decorated, presents wrapped, musical performances rehearsed, a selection of sandwiches assembled, tables decorated, raffle prizes packaged and, finally, a team of Sixth Form students were on hand in festive costumes to welcome our guests.

Around 150 visitors arrived to enjoy the evening which included a range of musical delights and plenty of sing-along opportunities, the highlight being, as always, the 12 Days of Christmas, with actions!

Withington’s Director of Music, Mrs Gilly Sargent, became Festivities Director for the evening, conducting the Senior Orchestra, who played magnificently throughout the concert and introducing speciality performances such as the Senior Choir performing Mirabile Dictu and When a Child is Born, pianists Jennifer and Natalia Mei performing Fiddle Faddle as a duet and the Musical Theatre Ensemble performing highlights from Les Miserables and Waitress.

After enjoying sandwiches, cakes and hot drinks served by staff and Sixth Form students and being entertained by our talented Folk Ensemble in the Hub, it was time for the second half, which featured a new act, Withington’s very own ‘Rat Pack’. Led by Chemistry teacher and Head of Year 11 Mr Mark Williams along with our talented support staff - Mr Joe Walsh, Mr Andy Lockett, Mr Sam Easton and Mr Jonathan Bean - the group performed the everpopular Golden Oldies with the audience singing along and clearly enjoying their renditions of It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, White Christmas and Let it Snow.

A number of our guests were winners of a festive hamper in the raffle draw and each was presented with a gift from Withington by our Sixth Form helpers while singing the final festive songs. We are so grateful to the support of our parents and staff in providing these gifts, which we know add the finishing touch to a wonderful event that is much appreciated by our guests. Thank you to all involved on your contribution to a very successful event.

SENIOR SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CONCERT

The Senior School Christmas Concert was a triumph, full of wonder and entertainment as audiences were treated to no less than 10 ensemble performances, five sing-a-longs, three different choirs, two orchestras, one stage band and lots of mince pies.

The diversity of musical skill was truly impressive and there was a wide variety of styles to enjoy from traditional carols and festive favourites such as Jingle Bell Rock, to a collection of classical, soul and folk tunes. There was a real sense of festive cheer and celebration, no doubt due to the fortune of being able to come together for this event once again.

CONSECUTIVE

SUNDAY TIMES ACCOLADE

Withington is celebrating being named Independent Secondary School of the Year in the North West in the prestigious Sunday Times Schools Guide, Parent Power.

We are named as the Independent Secondary School of the Year in the North West for 2023 based on our A Level and GCSE public examination results in 2022, and we are among the top 30 independent schools across the UK. This is the fourth year in a row that Withington has been recognised as the top independent school in the North West in The Sunday Times Schools Guide.

The award is testament to our exceptional pupils who simply love learning and our dedicated staff who are always there to support and inspire them.

STAFF CULTURAL & LANGUAGE ENRICHMENT

Withington was fortunate to receive Erasmus funding from the European Union for a staff language and cultural programme to enhance our understanding of other cultures and languages.

Under the theme of ‘Empathy, Enrichment, Enhancement’ 20 members of staff took part in 29 mobilities to participate in immersion training courses in France, Spain, Italy and Germany. The courses included five half days of language lessons, cultural visits to local sights and guided tours by local experts, language and cultural quizzes designed to increase knowledge of

MRS FABIOLA COTTON Head of Design Technology:

By the time we were on our way back to the airport on the second trip to Lucca, it was lovely that we all had made that much progress that we could chat with the taxi driver. The same applied to ordering food and drink - nailing down the language that is most useful and everyday is essential! Everyone could do this on their own and enjoy the jovial atmosphere the Italian waiting-on staff provided. We soon absorbed the Lucca pace of life, especially to make time for coffee, cake and aperitif!

MS JOCELYN ARSCHAVIR Junior School Teacher:

It was great to travel to mainland Europe this summer for the first time in three years. In Lucca, Italy, I learned beginners’ Italian, building on my knowledge of French. With colleagues, I visited concerts, art galleries and the walled city of Lucca and increased my knowledge and cultural appreciation of Italy as a country, following on from short visits to Italy when younger. Learning a language and having new experiences is a welcome refresher and I can also use this as an example of lifelong learning to my pupils, many of whom speak several languages and learn others.

the local area, sessions on teaching methodology and the opportunity to develop links with schools in the target country.

The project involved as many different departments as possible with both teaching and non-teaching staff participating to ensure maximum impact on the life of the school. Of the 20 participants, only five were language teachers and the other teachers were from 11 other academic departments ensuring a European dimension and influence across a broad range of subjects.

MRS KATHRYN CARTER Cover Supervisor:

We had a fantastic week in Santander. The city is beautiful, the people were friendly and the weather was great. Three hours each day were spent on language classes and in addition we had some methodology sessions and opportunities for cultural activities. It was so brilliant to be immersed in the language and culture of Spain again and to enjoy learning for learning’s sake. I was also able to establish links with colleagues from other schools. The trip gave me back confidence in my own language ability and I so appreciate having been offered this opportunity.

MISS LAUREN GORMAN Junior School Teacher:

I was lucky enough to go on two trips. I learnt lots of French phrases at the Normandy Language School and I was really encouraged to put them to use. As there was such a range of languages spoken by my fellow students the common language we all shared was French. Being in the classroom but as a student again was really rewarding and it gave me an insight into how my students might feel. It’s reminded me of my love of learning, and I have continued to study the language.

As a direct result of this programme we have been able to launch an Italian Club as part of our extra-curricular offering. The club is open to all pupils in Year 6 and above for Italian speakers of any level.

Many thanks, Vielen Dank, Grazie mille, Merci beaucoup, Muchas gracias to Madame Menzies for her leadership of the project.

MEET OUR DEPUTY HEAD ACADEMIC

Tom Bennett joined Withington Girls’ School in the new post of Deputy Head Academic in September 2022. Here, Tom reflects on what attracted him to the role, his first term at Withington and offers a taste of his future plans for ensuring Withington’s pupils continue to be offered the best possible educational experience.

Withington is a fantastic school, and I knew that from my very first impressions of the place. My interviews took place back in February/March 2022, and it felt a very thorough process, but one which seemed set up to showcase all aspects of life at Withington, with absolutely nothing to hide. I was given the opportunity to speak with teaching colleagues, the SLT, groups of pupils, observe lessons, and lead discussions, and it all gave the impression of a confident, joyful school, and that immediately drew me into the place. Suffice it to say, my initial impressions haven’t changed since! My previous ten years’ teaching experience have all been in boarding schools, and the change from Sedbergh School, in the Yorkshire Dales, to metropolitan Withington was quite a contrast, but the school shares so many similarities with a school I previously worked at, Wycombe Abbey. To be back into the academic girls’ environment, with the excitement and the energy that brings, with the high aspirations, the dedication and the genuine love of learning, it really has been a fabulous first term.

My role as Deputy Head Academic is fundamentally to ensure we’re teaching the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons. Clearly, our stellar examination results this Summer, and the recognition that we have received from the Sunday Times as the best North West Independent School for the fourth consecutive year, show that something is going right here! And my observations in my first term absolutely concur with this. One of the reasons I was appointed, and one of my core goals this year, is to support our wonderful teaching staff to connect with the very best researchevidenced teaching and learning pedagogy available, and to incorporate this into our classroom experiences. Our teachers are just wonderful, and so much excellence is already on show, as evidenced in the findings of this year’s Education Quality Inspection by the ISI. I’m just grateful to

be able to work on helping us all develop even further, building on the cutting edge research that is available to develop our teaching and learning even further.

Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, I moved to Swansea, when I was only two, with my family, probably why I never really picked up the northern accent! After five years in Wales, we eventually moved to High Wycombe, where I passed the 12+ exam to join the Royal Grammar School. After school, I went to St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where I studied Geography. Teaching has always been a dream of mine, and what better to teach than the subject which encapsulates everything that our future citizens of this world need to know about our planet? I trained as a teacher at the Royal Grammar School, and spent the first eight years of my career there, before moving across the valley to the prestigious Wycombe Abbey School as Head of Geography, and latterly as Director of Digital Learning. This was my first taste of the independent sector, and of boarding schools. After five years at Wycombe Abbey, I was drawn to the Hills of the North, and took up the role of Deputy Head Academic at Sedbergh School, in the fells of Cumbria. There I helped the school thrive during lockdown and remote learning, as well as taking on a very new challenge to me: fell running!

Some may ask: what is the challenge for a role like mine in a school as academically so successful as Withington? My answer is simple: to push us all on to even greater heights, to create a world-class education at Withington, and to enable all of our pupils to achieve the very best in their time here, to set them up for success in their lives in the best way possible. I’ve got a passion for cutting-edge teaching and learning, based on the very best research out there, working with pupils and teachers to unlock the most effective learning strategies. I love technology, and we have come so far with its use in and out of our classroom, but I want to make sure we are always using the best tool for the job, and often that will be the good old-fashioned pen and paper, and my job is to ensure we are all equipped to make those decisions. And I am really interested in making sure that all girls get the personalised support that works for them, and at Withington, at our scale, with our people, we can make that happen. I’ve got exciting plans and ideas for development in the future, for a full review of what we’re teaching and at what time, and for what reasons, ensuring we are setting the girls on the best possible trajectory for success, and for continuing to make Withington the number one choice for all girls in our region, showing how we go above and beyond our outstanding examination results, adding that spark and that shine to all our pupils.

HAPSOC - BE CURIOUS!

Every Tuesday at second lunch HAPSoc meet in the Lecture Room with an enthusiastic set of students. There is a wide variety of subjects that are discussed with the majority of the session being organised and led by the Sixth Form. They have covered many historical and political issues and it is a valuable opportunity to both broaden and deepen your knowledge. All from Year 9 and above are welcome!

We thought the table below, which reflects what we have delivered this term, shows what a variety and breadth of topics we have covered. We welcome presentations from interested students so if you have a topic you would like covered and want to deliver a presentation please email either Mrs Air or Mrs Wallis.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

... Bella Smart , 12E, on her selection to the Leeds Rhinos Netball U19 Squad. Leeds Rhinos Netball are one of 11 teams in the national Netball Super League and deliver the Performance Pathway in Yorkshire for England Netball. Players are selected with the view to produce Competition Squads capable of winning all matches, and to progress through the Leeds Rhinos Netball structure to the Super League team.

ARTS AWARD

DISCOVER Juniors

BRONZE Year 7

SILVER Years 8 & 9

RAF CAREERS TALK

On Tuesday 1st November, we welcomed Flt Sgt Neal Strickland and Sgt Amanda Edwards from the Royal Air Force to school to talk about the careers and pathways offered by the RAF. They spoke of the benefits of the training on their own personal development and the readily available access to opportunities that allow those in the RAF to try new things and be lifelong learners.

In September, we launched our new Arts Award theme, and this term we have been making artwork all about animals. The girls began by reflecting on what art forms they had already experienced and what creative projects they would like to participate in going forward. We then literally got stuck in, with lots of messy glue and pretty decoupage papers. Our artistic pupils decorated three-dimensional safari animals which are now on display in the Junior Hall. We then moved on to woodland creatures and put together bookmarks depicting mice, owls, badgers, foxes and more. The girls have also observed the work of artist Franz Marc and they have used oil pastels to depict colourful horses in his style. We have all enjoyed drawing rare breeds of sheep in black biro pens just like the artist Henry Moore and everyone has found the work of Abigail Brown fascinating, especially after we got the watercolours out and replicated some of her work. During our Arts Award courses, it is important that we make time for evaluating and sharing project outcomes with others, and our groups of artists were happy to discuss their artwork with their peers towards the end of the course. Our Arts Award Discover programme is now complete for this academic year, and we will be embarking on a brand-new Arts Award Explore course in January. Certificates for the Discover programme will be issued in the new year to our 65 hardworking students.

Our new cohort of innovative and gifted Year 7 pupils have produced a wonderful range of colourful and highly decorated sketchbook pages since we began in September. They have created striking title pages using imaginative zentangle patterns and they have collated lots of images and design ideas for a textile piece. Recently, they have completed a silk painting using metallic pens and vibrant inks. We will display these in embroidery hoops and record and reflect on these artworks in sketchbooks. Our students have also enjoyed preparing sketchbook pages with watercolours and have used these as backgrounds for research into the tapestry artist, Marta Rogoyska. Here at Withington, we are able to view one of Marta’s tapestries first-hand. The Centenary Tapestry that hangs in the main staircase was woven by Marta and our group have spent time analysing this textile piece along with a series of preliminary designs. Our future classes will involve planning and delivering a Skills Share, taking part in an exhibition trip and making a range of crafts. We look forward to a very creative and informative 2023.

Our Arts Award Silver students commenced the Arts Challenge section of the course with enthusiasm and with plenty of exciting ideas at the start of this term. This part of the programme has involved our pupils identifying their artistic strengths and highlighting areas in need of development within their personal practice. At the start of the project, our artists considered different themes, subject matters and styles of visual art before putting together mood boards, compositional plans and written reflections. As a group, we have worked our way through lots of different printmaking processes and techniques. These included printing with polystyrene, mono-printing with gelli plates, screen printing with stencils and dry point etching. After completing all the masterclasses, our artists chose their favourite printing method, and they compiled an action plan for the rest of the Arts Challenge. The cohort have been tasked with creating a final piece using one of the printing processes and we plan to display these artworks collectively in the new year. As ever, each portfolio is looking fabulous, and we can’t wait to continue with more inspiring and imaginative art activities next term.

FUNMATHS ROADSHOW

The FunMaths Roadshow led by the Maths Outreach Team at the University of Liverpool visited Withington on 2nd November to deliver workshops for pupils in Years 6, 7 and 8. Each group carried out a carousel of maths activities that required the use of key skills including problem solving and analytical thinking. The tasks included building blocks, creating shapes, finding patterns, domino challenges, solving puzzles and deciphering chess moves. The Junior pupils did their activities in the Junior Hall with the help of Sixth Form volunteers. The Seniors worked quickly in small groups through the different tasks, collecting stamps upon completion of the activity before moving on to the next.

Partnership Packing

We were delighted to help Manchester City Council as part of our Partnership programme by preparing 5,000 leaflets about waste and recycling to be delivered in our local area. Thank you to all the pupils who volunteered their time.

Pupils were offered the opportunity to take part in this years’ UK BEBRAS Computational Thinking Challenge 2022. Once again, all pupils in the Junior School took part, and we were incredibly impressed with their performance.

Many congratulation to Dora Tsoi (Transition), Peggy Fang, Mandy Lin and Emma Robertson (Form I) who were best in school in their age categories.

62% of the Juniors placed in the top 25% nationally.

35% of the Juniors placed in the top 10% nationally.

Santa’s Letters

Pupils in Years 9 and 11 have been acting as Santa’s elves in replying to over 160 letters written by local primary school children from St Teresa’s Primary School and West Didsbury C of E Primary School. We had a great time assuming elf personalities and hope the children enjoy receiving their letters in the run up to Christmas.

20 of the Upper II pupils who took part were placed in the top 10% nationally and have been invited to take part in this years’ Oxford University Computing Challenge where they will face puzzles based on problems that Computer Scientists often meet.

Year 7 pupils, along with a number of pupils from other year groups, stepped up to the challenge.

Many congratulations to Trinity Yu, Noor Abdulwahab, Aamina Bux, Inaaya Khatri (Year 7), Kody Li (Year 8), Katya Dickson, Sophia Khan (Year 11) and Daisy Button (Year 12) who were best in school in their age categories.

58% of the Seniors who took part were placed in the top 25% nationally.

29% of the Seniors who took part were placed in the top 10% nationally and, like the Upper II pupils, have been invited to take part in this year’s Oxford University Computing Challenge.

MRS CLARA EDGE Partnerships Coordinator

MR ANDREW SNOWDEN Head of ICT

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

... Francesca Pye, 13L, on winning the U21 Ballroom competition (Foxtrot, Quickstep, Tango and Waltz) at the Supadance National Finals in December. Francesca and her dance partner, Theo, also came third in the U35 Foxtrot round. 21 dance schools from across England competed at the Finals in Blackpool.

Dof E

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues to be extremely popular within school. With 37 participants, we have the largest group of pupils registered for the Gold Award that we can remember in recent years. This represents more than 50% of the Year 12 cohort. The scheme is extremely well thought of by potential employers and university admissions tutors, since it allows participants to demonstrate so many key skills such as teamwork, responsibility, resilience and personal organisation.

Earlier in the term than usual, due to a change in additional university admissions assessments this October, we set off on the last day of September for the Gold Practice Expedition to the Yorkshire Dales. Leaving school early we could see from the weather forecasts that we were due five to six hours of torrential rain from lunchtime. Consequently, the DofE team reorganised their plans for the day so that the group travelled directly to their camp site at Malham and pitched their tents whilst the weather stayed dry. As the first raindrops started to fall, each group set off on their walk with a mountain leader. Practising navigation using a

map and compass, section timings and route planning, each group worked with their leader to improve their expedition skills. The teams were surprisingly cheerful when they arrived back, but very wet. Using their Trangias, each team made hot chocolate and soon warmed up. Luckily, we had brought a large box of newspaper with us so walking boots could be stuffed to try to soak up the worst of the water overnight, and wet outer clothing was optimistically hung up to dry in the minibus and covered area.

The weather cleared overnight and by 9am on Saturday most groups were packed up and ready to leave. Two different routes were chosen with three teams walking each route. After each team had checked their route and the check points with the DofE team, they set off in blustery but dry weather. Although there were a couple of heavy showers during the day, the windy weather meant that all arrived at the camp site dry and cheerful, although a little footsore. Some of the groups made excellent progress and arrived into camp in very good time. After they put up their tents and had a drink, it was pleasing to see them helping other teams as they arrived to

erect tents and make hot drinks to share - real team spirit was demonstrated.

On Sunday morning most tents were packed away by 7.30am and teams were keen to get off. All teams had checked their routes and were away by 8.45am. The weather was chilly but dry and sunny and all teams hiked up to the top of Ingleborough and down into the village of Ingleton to end their expedition.

The DofE team commented on the pupils’ enthusiasm, good humour and eagerness to learn and practise new skills. Each team worked well together, and the girls were very supportive of each other throughout.

The teams were very well supported throughout by Tim Deighton, Al Griffiths and their team of mountain leaders, many of whom have worked with the pupils through the earlier Bronze and Silver expeditions.

We are very grateful to the WGS staff for their continued support of the DofE scheme, particularly Mr Bean for driving the minibus and Mrs Menzies, Mrs Cohen and Mrs Haslam for giving up part of their weekend to accompany the expeditions.

HISTORY TALK

On Tuesday 27th September, we were thrilled to welcome Dr Aditya Ramesh, Presidential Fellow in environmental history at The University of Manchester, to speak to Year 10 to 13 pupils interested in studying history or politics at university. Dr Ramesh examines built environments in India in a colonial and postcolonial context and spoke to pupils about studying history at university, understanding the discipline of history, making the most of university and the importance of lifelong learning. It was an inspiring talk for all.

PrideSoc at Withington provides a safe and inclusive space for pupils to talk about LGBTQ+ issues and celebrate the rich contributions that LGBTQ+ people make to society.

PrideSoc launched with a whole school assembly on National Coming Out Day on 11th October which is a time for those in the LGBTQ+ community to take the opportunity to be open about who they are to their friends, family, and the world. In the assembly, pupils heard about what Pride is and how the LGBTQ+ landscape has changed over the years from the 1969 Stonewall riots to the 2022 banning of conversion therapy. The assembly also highlighted key individuals from the LGBTQ+ community including Oscar Wilde, Alan Turing and the Greek poet Sappho.

At the inaugural meeting, pupils considered what PrideSoc should be like and what guidelines should be in place to provide a welcoming environment for all. The group is led by three teachers and a Sixth Form committee help with planning different themes and topics for each meeting. They also help ensure that all views are respected and act as a friend and ally to younger pupils.

The Sixth Form committee said: “It’s really great to see pupils in every year group coming together to celebrate something that is really important to a lot of pupils. We’re delighted by the attendance so far and we’re excited to see how it grows. There is a fantastic, positive atmosphere at the meetings!”

The group has since decorated their meeting space with LGBTQ+ flags and handmade crafts in the assortment of colours that feature on the array of flags which represent the plethora of peoples that form the wider LGBTQ+ community. In doing so, pupils from across the year groups worked together to make these colourful decorations that symbolise diversity and inclusivity. PrideSoc hope to run a charity event later in the school year and welcome all members of the school community to contribute to discussions and make suggestions of topics to explore.

The staff members leading the group spoke with The Proud Trust, a Manchester based organisation that supports LGBTQ+ young people. They shared best practice and resources on how best to deliver PrideSoc at Withington.

COMMEMORATING HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

None of us thought that the first week of the new term would end with our nation coming to terms with the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 8th September. The following morning, in form periods, pupils and form tutors spent time reflecting on the life of the Queen. They did so with great maturity and respect. The atmosphere around school, though more subdued than usual, was one of mutual encouragement, kindness and a recognition of the significance of this historic moment. On Monday 12th, we gathered as a community in our Junior and Senior School assemblies to celebrate the Queen’s life, her extraordinary service to her country, and her example to us all. School was closed on Monday 19th September for the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Greater Manchester, Mrs Diane Hawkins DL JP who is a WGS Governor and former pupil, attended the State Funeral of the Queen and led the Proclamation of King Charles III in Manchester on Sunday 11th September.

LANGUAGE SUCCESS

During the week beginning Monday 7th November, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) National Language Competition took place. Throughout the week, our Year 9 pupils completed a variety of fun, immersive, language-themed challenges on a virtual platform to score points. Well done to all our Year 9 students who participated in the Competition. One WGS team came sixth out of over 3,000 teams and 14,000 pupils competing nationally. Congratulations to Zoe Werner, Coco Uhunmwangho, Evie Yuen and Natalia Mei who scored an impressive 98% and picked up 8,485 points.

CLASS OF 1960

We were very pleased to be able to get together with some of the Class of 1960 on Zoom in September. They had contacted us to see if we could help them arrange an online reunion, as several of them live abroad and due to Covid in 2020, they had missed celebrating their 60th anniversary of leaving Withington. We had photos from their time at school and from the present to share with them and they helped us to identify the teachers in a staff photo from 1961! It was lovely to be able to help them to catch up with each other.

TRIPS & VISITS

This term we’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting out and about and welcoming visitors to school.

On their first Withington trip in September, Transition went with Form I to Stockport Plaza where they had a wonderful time seeing Cressida Cowell, the author of How to Train your Dragon and Which Way to Anywhere. With seats up high, they had a fantastic view as Cressida talked them through her thought process before writing a book and about her early childhood. The girls imagined what special power they might like to possess and were set the task of creating their own dragon. Cressida said her one piece of advice for academic success is read, read, read. Visits to the countryside were enjoyed by both Upper II and Form I. The two year groups individually visited Crowden in the Peak District where they learned more about the landscape. Upper II enjoyed a great day out and were fortunate to have glorious

weather which meant they were able to appreciate views of the rolling hills whilst eating their lunch. They learnt to read maps and compasses, identify different rocks and plants, and understand how mountain climates change as you ascend.

On their day in the countryside, Form I were set a number of tasks to investigate rivers. These included: measuring the temperature and flow of the water along with the width and depth of the river. They also climbed up hills to get a good view of the scenery around them as well as looking at the geographical features of the local area on a map. Ultimately, the trips provided the girls with the opportunity to explore and enjoy the British countryside whilst educating them on how we can protect it.

We welcomed the Young Shakespeare Company back for their 26th visit to the Junior School at WGS on Friday 7th October. In the interactive performance

of Macbeth, the girls shouted words of encouragement for warring nobles, waved flags in battle scenes and spoke lines from the play itself. The play began with the girls greeting King Duncan: “All hail King Duncan, King of Scotland!” Volunteers sprang onto the stage with the actors to be standard bearers, trumpeters and King Duncan’s son, Prince Malcolm. We learned about Macbeth, his ambition, dastardly action and his guilt. It was great to see their full participation and enthusiasm for Shakespeare.

On Thursday 3rd November, both Transition classes enjoyed a sunny walk into Withington village to supplement their Geography curriculum. They looked at the different services available in Withington such as shops, cafes, places of worship, pharmacies and estate agents. They noticed council run services such as refuse removal and recycling, and were surprised to see that a bare Christmas tree was already in

place in the centre of the village. They also conducted a traffic survey and had a look at the mural of Marcus Rashford before walking back to school.

Lower II visited Ordsall Hall in Salford to learn more about life in Medieval times. They discovered what people wore, how they lived, where they slept and what they ate. The girls had a go at cooking in the kitchen, mixing together herbs with a pestle and mortar.

Form I were delighted to welcome Olaf the Beardless, a 9th century Norse raider, trader and settler from the British Isles, on Monday 14th November. The girls had a memorable day learning about the origins and culture of Vikings. They were immersed in what would have been the day-to-day life of a Viking and heard stories of voyages and adventures in long boats. They had the opportunity to handle a variety of artefacts and tried on traditional Viking clothing. The session ended with a battle re-enactment between the

Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons. It was a wonderful way in which to bring the curriculum to life.

The Junior School took part in a Grime Investigation delivered by Tom from Mad Science in conjunction with United Utilities. The girls learned about the impact items that we flush down our toilets and drains can have, and how major blockages within our sewerage system occur because of this. Not the most pleasant of topics but one of vital importance and illustrated in a fun and memorable way.

The whole Junior School were thrilled to see Cinderella in Pantomime at Stockport Plaza. They had lots of fun participating in the show. It was the first school panto trip for Transition, Form I and Lower II and we’re so glad to see what is always a cherished event at the end of the Autumn term resume.

The Scholastic Book Fair returned to Withington in the week commencing Monday 26th September. It was a great opportunity to see popular and new books first hand. There was time to browse for all classes and those who attended the Family Breakfast were also able to see the available books.

NUTRITION

Transition, Form I and Lower II enjoyed a talk from Ellie, one of Holroyd Howe’s nutritionists. They discussed the importance of healthy eating and of including the seven macronutrients in their daily diet, helping them to build their bodies and maintain good health. Ellie also tried to impress upon them how important it is to try foods that are less familiar; our Food Explorers programme is another way in which we try encourage the girls to become a little more adventurous with their choices too.

SCHOLASTIC LIVE EVENT

In October, Form I thoroughly enjoyed an inspirational talk from Hughie Higginson and Freddie Xavi, Pride of Britain winners and authors of Friends Are Amazing, an inspiring picture book celebrating the importance of friendship. The talk included top tips on how to be an amazing friend. They also spoke about Freddie’s leukaemia and how they have raised more than £250,000 for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital where he is being treated. There is now a copy of Friends Are Amazing in the Junior Library.

PTA FAMILY FUN NIGHT

It was a great delight to welcome our girls and their families to our first PTA event of the year, the Junior School Fun Night on Saturday 1st October. With entertainment by Louby Lou, the North West’s number one female clown, it was a fun and lively evening for all. Thank you to everyone who came along.

THE ZOCHONIS LABORATORY

Our Senior School Head of Science, Dr Smiles, invited Transition to the Zochonis Chemistry Laboratory for a special introduction to this particular branch of science. They learned about chromatography and chemical reactions and had great fun whilst learning a lot too. Mixing baking powder with vinegar and watching the reaction taking place caused great excitement.

THE ASSIST GROUP

On the penultimate day of the term, the girls in Transition walked to the Methodist Church Hall to entertain the ladies and gentlemen who attend the Assist Group there each Wednesday afternoon. They sang and danced to their songs from the Christmas show, along with a number of other Christmas favourites. Their efforts were very well received and the organisers are keen for us to visit again - we would be delighted to do so!

ANTI-BULLYING WEEK

We welcomed a theatre company based in Scotland to present the performance ‘Hope’ along with workshops for Lower and Upper II ahead of Anti-Bullying Week. The afternoon was extremely thoughtprovoking and conveyed some very important messages. These discussions were continued in class. The following Monday, at the start of Anti-Bullying Week, all in the Junior School donned an array of odd socks in multiple colours, patterns and sizes, in recognition of the fact that we are all different and unique.

junior journal...

LIGHTS, , ACTION!

The Christmas Show was a real celebration of all in the Junior School and a wonderful way to wrap up a busy and enjoyable term. Every child is fully involved and they are such valuable experiences for them; performing in front of an audience, learning how to place themselves on stage and how to project their voices in a proper theatre setting as well as working as part of a team. Both halves of the show were fantastic and the girls should be very proud of all they achieved.

FUNDRAISING

HARVEST

Our Transition classes led a superb Harvest assembly before an audience of parents and guardians. They sang their hearts out, read some beautiful descriptive poetry on the theme of autumn colours and dazzled us with their knowledge of deciduous trees, and why they lose their leaves in winter. They did exceptionally well and all after such a short time as members of our Junior School.

Thank you for the generous donations to our harvest display; we received an amazing array of goods. The donations were taken to the Fallowfield and Withington Food Bank by Mrs McCulloch and her class. At the Food Bank, they had the opportunity to see, and hear, first-hand how our families’ generosity will help those in need.

SPORT

NETBALL

We have been extremely impressed with how the Junior girls have shown great talent and versatility in our netball squads. They are keen to play and learn in all year groups and do so with great enthusiasm and determination.

CROSS COUNTRY

REMEMBRANCE DAY

We marked this special day throughout the week. On Monday, Katie, one of our Sixth Formers shared the very personal story of her relative, Tommy, who served in the First World War. She did this beautifully and the girls were enthralled by the story she told.

Mrs Lowe, our History Coordinator, also delivered an assembly and brought to the girls’ attention the different ways in which people remember those who have lost their lives during times of war, both in this country and around the world. Finally, we held a two-minute silence at 11am on 11th November with all Junior pupils and staff present.

We raised £147.60 for the Poppy Appeal.

We have had some tough fixtures, with excellent interceptions, strong defence and amazing shooting. The girls always kept motivated and work as a team. We’ve played mixed boys and girls teams and our girls have been enjoying playing in combined year group teams and making new friends. Everyone has been thrilled with the results they have achieved and the girls are looking forward to more challenges to come. Big thank you to all our great players.

Cross country continues to be popular with many of our girls who participate in different competitions. At the AJIS Cross Country event on Friday 1st October, they all performed extremely well but special congratulations must go to Lizzie Air in Lower II who came fourth in the Year 5 race and to Rose Codling who came fifth in the Year 6 race.

Congratulations also go to the athletes who took part in the Manchester Harriers & AC Primary Schools Cross Country League which takes place in Wythenshawe Park. Well done to Brontë Lowe for coming fourth in her race and Rose Codling for coming 14th in hers.

LACROSSE

Our Lower and Upper II lacrosse A and B teams finished as winners and runners up, out of the ten teams taking part in the Manchester Schools’ Pop Lacrosse tournament. Congratulations to all who took part. The games were fast and furious, and they adapted their field lacrosse skills to the Pop Lacrosse game very well.

CHILDREN IN NEED

To celebrate Children in Need, the Juniors held a non-uniform day and there were some colourful outfits and an abundance of Pudsey ears. Instead of a standard donation, small change was brought in to run a coin race that took place in the Junior Hall.

It was a battle of the Houses, Hunter v Williams, who competed to see which could make the longest line and which produced the line with the highest monetary value.

The Junior School raised £404.37 for Children in Need.

A huge thank you to all our parents and guardians for your continued generosity!

FOOTBALL

On the evening of Wednesday 30th November, a group of Upper II girls were selected to play in a 6-a-side tournament at Chorlton High School. This was a fantastic opportunity for them to play some friendly matches and apply the skills they have developed in their Friday morning football sessions. They played six matches of which they won two, drew two and lost two. The tournament was a great success; the girls had fun and were excellent ambassadors for the school. Well done to all those who took part and thank you to Mrs Marsland for coming along to cheer them on.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

... Maira Rana, 13C, on the publication of a second article in The Financial Times. The article discusses the challenges faced by Maira and her peers in applying to study medicine at university, a topic continued from her first piece in the broadsheet that also focused on accessing Higher Education.

The Financial Times is the latest publication to feature Maira’s work. Her first few bylines were in Metro, the UK’s highest-circulation freesheet newspaper. Maira has also made appearances on BBC and local stations to discuss the topics on which she writes.

A CAPITAL WEEKEND

A Level English pupils had a thrilling few days in the capital enriching their understanding and appreciation of culture and literature. They attended a fantastic workshop on Black British Literature led by Sandra Agard at the British Library where they saw some original drafts of a Wilfred Owen poem, a William Blake poem as well as some Virginia Woolf and Angela Carter annotated drafts. Also on the agenda was a visit to the Tate Modern between matinee and evening performances at The Globe of Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest.

MOCK TRIAL

After many weeks of hard work, honing both their acting and legal skills, Withington’s Lower Sixth Mock Trial team had the chance to showcase their talents at Minshull Street Crown Court on Saturday 26th November. This year’s two cases were, as they always are, highly entertaining. The first dealt with an alleged ‘abstraction of energy’ by the Defendant, Vic Frankenstein, whilst the second saw Ollie Twist accused of stealing from Beadle Bumble. Our team was comprised of Prosecution barristers Lorna Abbott and Karen Ayodele, Defence barristers Janani Velayutham and Rosa Littlewood, witnesses Mahnoor Akhtar, Safiya Fazuan, Anya Gupta and Sonali Koku Hannadige, witness co-ordinator Ronita Ghosh, Court Clerk Eliza Towers and Court Usher Elinor Claymore. We also took with us two reporters - Chloe Jiang and Larissa Karski – and we are delighted that they were crowned overall winners of the Court Reporter competition. There was a fabulous atmosphere at Minshull Street on the day, where 11 schools battled it out in some hard-fought cases. Whilst they faced some strong competition, the hard work of the Withington team paid off and they won two out of three cases. Everyone gave impressive performances, with barristers remaining cool, calm and confident during the cross-examination of some rather awkward witnesses, and with our witnesses giving very convincing performances (who could ever believe they were guilty?)! As always with Withington, there was a real sense of team effort and everyone pulled together and played their part, both in the preparation beforehand and on the day itself. The pupils were a genuine pleasure to spend time with and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We are very grateful to Joshua Bowker and Betsy Hindle from 18 St John Street Chambers for supporting the girls throughout the preparation and for giving us an insight into what life is really like for a criminal barrister. We look forward to welcoming this year’s team back to support the 2023 team next autumn.

Coordinators

MRS KIMPTON-SMITH & MRS AIR Mock Trial

ART WORKSHOPS

CHARACTER CREATION

Judging this year’s Ruth Bayley Illustration Competition is illustrator and author Emmeline Pidgen (Emmeline Illustration), who ran two workshops, one for Year 12 A Level artists and a lunchtime session for younger pupils. They were tasked to create a character based upon three random words and had a go at blind contour drawing which is the practice of drawing without looking at the paper. The theme of this year’s Competition is ‘Labels’ and pupils have been invited to interpret the concept however they wish. We look forward to seeing all the wonderful creations. WGS alumna Ruth Bayley, a successful illustrator of many children’s books, left a generous gift to Withington in her will and the annual illustration competition was set up in her memory. We would like to thank the executors of her will for their continued support.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Imogen Hackett, a student undertaking a degree in special effects make-up and hair design, led an illusion body paint session for Year 12 artists during which they created a design on the palms of their peers. Imogen also hosted a lunchtime class for younger pupils focusing on how to create the effect of cuts and bruises to the skin. Models for the sessions included GCSE and A Level Drama students, keen to see how special effects make-up can be used to enhance dramatic productions. What was produced was incredibly realistic.

A LEVEL MIXED MEDIA

Ian Murphy, a British Fine Artist best known for his mixed media oil paintings of architectural places, visited Withington to run a workshop for our A Level artists. The Year 12 pupils enjoyed a full day mixed media and painting workshop, exploring a range of techniques and development strategies. Ian challenged the pupils to work quickly and to try new things with their work. He talked about his process of working and what he has learnt throughout his career. The new skills and techniques were implemented to create a finished piece in a short space of time and will be used in subsequent work.

A team of four Year 8 pupils have once again entered the CyberFirst Girls Competition - a cyber security competition run by the National Cyber Security Centre (part of GCHQ). The competition encourages more girls into the exciting world of problem solving, creativity, team working and applying knowledge to real world situations, in the context of Cyber Security.

We were very proud to see our team - Ceci Chan, Celia Lam, Kody Li and Emma Parsons - placed in the top ten of independent schools. They have qualified for the independent schools final in the new year.

They should be incredibly proud of themselves; they are the only team outside the South of England to qualify for the final. Well done!

MR ANDREW SNOWDEN Head of ICT

DRAMATIC TIMES...

The Doctor Will See You Now

For their Component Two examination, our Upper Sixth and Lower Sixth A Level Drama and Theatre students were required to devise an original piece of theatre in the style of a practitioner from a prescribed list in the specification. Our Upper Sixth students Eliza Bransby, Emma Docker, Leila Shakoor and Lower Sixth student Shenara McGuire selected to create their work in the style of John Godber. In preparation for the Upper Sixth A Level devised piece, the students researched the work of John Godber, and discovered that Godber frequently sets his plays in the North of England and often incorporates multi-roling into his plays for example in Bouncers, Shakers and Teechers. They also found that he focuses on working class characters in everyday locations and situations and his plays often have an underlying socialpolitical message beneath the comedy. The students took inspiration from his plays and style and developed The Doctor Will See You Now, a play set in a Northern GP Surgery.

The Doctor Will See You Now focuses on the many characters who attend the GP surgery during one busy day, with the four students multi-roling as the busy receptionists, and the patients, and doctors we meet. The performance combined exaggerated comedy, stylised movement sequences and tackled the many issues facing our struggling NHS. Following two postponed performances, due to student and staff illness, the piece was eventually performed to a packed drama studio of family, friends, students and staff on Friday 9th December. It was a truly fantastic performance, and really shone a light on the many difficulties currently facing the NHS and patients in the UK. The students should be extremely proud of themselves, as I am very proud of them!

The Glass Menagerie

On Tuesday 4th October, GCSE Drama students from Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth watched the wonderful Tennessee Williams play The Glass Menagerie at the Royal Exchange where it had been reimagined for the unique in-the-round theatre setting. We study this play as our set text for A Level, so it was a real treat to see this beautiful, yet tragic production in our hometown. The Glass Menagerie is a poetic and bruising portrayal of a family on the brink of change and this intimate and intense memory play explores the complex web of love, loyalty and trauma that binds families together. For Section B of the Component One AQA A Level exam, the students are required to present their ideas as a designer, performer, and director in relation to a selected extract of The Glass Menagerie so seeing this play produced offered the students great insight into how to approach the text in performance. The direction by Atri Banerjee was truly superb, and he developed it for a modern theatre using a range of simple devices whilst really managing to hold on to the core of what the play is truly about.

Blood Brothers

On Wednesday 2nd November, all Lower Fifth Drama students attended a matinee performance of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers at Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Set in Liverpool, Blood Brothers tells the story of twin brothers separated at birth, whilst also tackling prevalent social and political issues.

Watching this production live proved beneficial to the class, as Blood Brothers is the set text in Component One of the GCSE Drama course; experiencing a live performance of this play supported us in our understanding of the play from the perspective of a designer, performer and director, which is a significant element of both the subject and the GCSE course.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance which allowed us to narrow our focus onto staging, lighting and the play’s plot itself. The musical numbers were also popular and memorable amongst the Lower Fifth and, overall, the performance has aptly introduced us to our GCSE set text.

MARIA KHAN 10Y

MRS LUCY BERRY Head of Drama

A State of Collapse: GCSE Devised Performances

On Friday 25th November, our 20 GCSE Drama students performed their original devised performances for their Component Two Devising Theatre Unit in the Drama studio in front of a very supportive audience of friends, family and staff. There was a real buzz in the studio for the staff and students alike, as the Upper Fifth

I Do

The first piece was entitled I Do. Written and performed by Megan Ballantyne, Daisy Simpson, Ellie Bayes and Saanvi Jairath, the piece successfully achieved the group’s aim for the piece to be a socio-political commentary on the issues arising from the pressures of committing to the institution of marriage.

Gambling

groups explored a variety of themes and issues within their work. They had based their work on a variety of stimuli that they were introduced to in a number of workshops. The Paper Birds Theatre Company were in school in June 2022, and they led a workshop exploring protest, girls’ education and Malala Yousafzai. The Drama

Fear

The second piece entitled Gambling was written and performed by Ruby King, Adhyavi Gupta, Alyssa Mehta and Sophia Babalola. The students focused on gambling in modern society, and cleverly weaved comedy into the piece through the This Morning segments, whilst also delving into the problems and issues around gambling.

The third piece called Fear was written and performed by Nishi Panwar, Ella McManaman, Zixi Guo and Zoe Tower. Incorporating physical theatre and verbatim material, the piece explored how our fears change as we move through life, from the monsters under the bed, to the fear of losing loved ones and not being able to support our families due to the energy crisis.

students also had a workshop on Slam Poetry, and a session exploring marriage. Each group was inspired in very original ways and approached the devising process tackling the issues they felt most passionately about.

Mental Health

The fourth piece called Mental Health, written and performed by Lilli Rosenblatt, Anika Ramesh and Zaynab Chowdery, explored the mental health crisis faced by a large proportion of young people in society today, and through a mix of styles, it tackled the different causes, symptoms and issues faced by victims with poor mental health.

Blame

The final piece entitled Blame was written by Evie-Rose Pietkiewicz, Poppy Winnard, Sreya Das, Maya Chudley and Sophia Betesh. It was inspired by the recent case of a British boy who was the subject of several court hearings between April and August 2022, after he was found unconscious and subsequently considered to have suffered brainstem death. The piece questioned ‘who was to blame’ after it was suggested that he had taken part in the ‘blackout challenge’ seen on Tik Tok.

All the students produced wonderful, hard-hitting performances of which they should feel immensely proud.

...Pako Elseehy, 12L, on joining the British Fencing Athlete Development Programme (ADP) which is designed to support the development of athletes who have the attributes to move up the Pathway to success at senior international level, specifically Senior World Championship and Olympic level.

Entry and ongoing participation in the ADP are based on several factors including attitude, commitment, performance standards and trajectories. Pako has joined the Athlete Development Programme at just 16 years old - 15 is the earliest that an athlete will be considered for admission.

In joining the ADP, Pako is able to attend national Development Camps which bring together the country’s best fencers and top coaches with the aim of equipping athletes with the tools to become successful, self-sufficient athletes

Pako continues to take part in competitions and has had a successful term, winning gold in the U17 Girls Foil at the Youth Series Final held at The Manchester Fencing Centre on Saturday 12th November, and placing second in both the Lancaster University Winter Women Open Foil and Liverpool Women

on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th December respectively.

FESTIVE BAKE OFF

On Friday 2nd December, we welcomed multi award winning cake artist, Rosie Dummer who is known as ‘Rosie Cake Diva’, from Channel 4’s Extreme Cake Makers to judge the annual WGS House Festive Bake Off. As always, we were not disappointed by the creativity and quality of the entries and Rosie was particularly impressed with the effort and technique our bakers had shown. After much deliberation Rosie chose the highly commended and winners for each of the categories. We congratulate all those who participated for their time and efforts.

HARRY POTTER CLUB

The Harry Potter Club continues to be popular, particularly with our Year 7 pupils. They meet every Thursday lunchtime in the aptly decorated space - the Room of Requirement. All attendees of the club are sorted into a Hogwarts House and awarded points earned through playing games as well as kind behaviour. To celebrate the end of term, Mrs Suttle, Head of English, and Emily Edge who helps run the activity hosted a ‘Yule Ball’ which you might be aware of from the fourth Harry Potter book and film, The Goblet of Fire. At the WGS Yule Ball, attendees dressed as their favourite characters from the franchise - Harry was of course in attendance, as was Hermione (Mrs Suttle), and Hedwig, Harry’s owl. Sirius Black was there, wearing his Azkaban Prison number, so too was Nearly Headless Nick and Rowena Ravenclaw. The pupils drank hot chocolates and ate cookies whilst playing an assortment of games and taking part in House karaoke. Trinity Yu and Emily Zhang had kindly made origami snitches for their friends.

MRS KERRY LEVENE Teacher of Design Technology

BREAKING THE TENNIS GLASS CEILING

It was a great pleasure to welcome Denise Parnell (Class of 1979) back to Withington in November to speak at a Senior School assembly.

Denise is an alumna who is truly breaking through the glass ceiling in her chosen field. A former professional tennis player, Denise is now the number two in the Referees team at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. She is in charge of both the Qualifying Tournament and the No 1 Court during the Championships. In tennis, the referee is the person responsible for all aspects of a tournament, including the conduct of players, coaches and spectators and for the draw. The referee is also the final authority on all questions of tennis law and the sole authority on the suspension of play due to weather and other concerns. They are also present on court in the event of a medical ‘timeout’, to explain procedures and regulations to the player and trainer and ensure that there is no unfair advantage.

Denise holds the highest qualification awarded, ITF (International Tennis Federation) Gold Badge Referee, a position held by only 13 women out of 60 Gold Badge Holders. During her career, she has officiated at the Olympic Games in Athens and, since the year 2000, has been designated as Referee of a variety of international events in 43 countries. She is still one of just a few female referees working at ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) events. A real high for Denise was being awarded Referee of the Year 2021 by the Association of British Tennis Officials and the LTA. In addition to her officiating, Denise runs her own consultancy business, working with two hightech companies who provide scores and statistics and advanced TV graphics. There was a definite moment of shared experience felt around the Arts Centre when Denise described to current pupils that having to sort a problem out on court with a top player was nothing in terms of nerves, compared to when she sat the entrance test for Withington!

Denise went on to tell the students how she has persevered in her goals; first to be a professional tennis player and then in her journey to become one of the foremost referees on the professional tennis circuit. In 2021, Denise was appointed Referee of the pre-Wimbledon event at the Queen’s Club - the Cinch Championships. This was the first time ever that a woman had been appointed as Referee of a Men’s Professional Tour event anywhere in the world. She also shared with pupils that not one of the Grand Slam tournaments has yet had a woman as the number one referee and that being the number one referee at Wimbledon is the goal she is aiming one day to fulfil. Drawing her presentation to a close, Denise urged the girls to go after their own goals. She told them that Withington prepares them well to believe they are capable of fulfilling their ambitions, that they should always aim towards the light and not be afraid to break through any glass ceilings that they may encounter.

We can’t wait for Denise to reach her goal of becoming Wimbledon’s number one referee and will certainly be cheering her on from Withington!

MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD

At the end of September, 14 pupils took part in the Mathematical Olympiad which is open to young people across the UK and consists of five challenging problems. Of the five questions, two are answer-only and three require full written solutions. The time allowed is 2.5 hours.

Congratulations to all participants, and very well done to those pupils who have gained a certificate of Merit or Distinction.

DISTINCTION:

Sonali Koku Hannadige,

SENIOR MATHS CHALLENGE

In early October, 37 pupils from Years 12 and 13 took part in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. The Senior Mathematical Challenge is a 90-minute, multiple-choice challenge that encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems.

The problems on the Senior Mathematical Challenge are designed to make students think. Most are accessible, yet still challenge those with more experience.

Well done to everyone who took part in the challenge.

Chen, Safiya Fazuan & Amelia Hinduja

Y12 BRONZE: Yusra Khaliq, Shriya Reddy, Holly Siewe, Esha Mishra, Gayatri Mandal, Hufsa Haq, Chloe Chiu, Avani Rao, Pako Elseehy & Kaiya Matharu

Y13 GOLD: Grace Lu, Ranvitha Chaparala

Y13 SILVER: Chloe Tsang, Mariam Hussain, Zofia Jenkins, Ananya Pureti, Phoebe Heath & Rose Richardson

Y13 BRONZE: Aisha Slater & Penny Hirst

Those who gained Gold were invited to participate in the second round of the challengethe Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo Challenge which took place on 16th November.

It is a 60-minute Challenge consisting of 20 problems.

Unlike the Senior Mathematical Challenge, the answer to each Senior Kangaroo problem is a positive integer less than 1000. Achieving a high score requires engagement with the problems, without the benefit of five options to choose from.

Congratulations to all the participants. Well done to Grace Lu for achieving a Certificate of Merit.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

... Sofia Ahmed, 9X, who won the 50m freestyle race and set a new record for her age group at the Trafford Metro Swimming Club Championships on Saturday 10th December.

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY!

Congratulations to Miss Marjorie Hulme who celebrated her 100th birthday in November. Mrs Haslam and Mrs Lesley Dowdall, Director of Development, were very pleased to be able to visit Miss Hulme to convey the best wishes of all at Withington. They passed on birthday messages from former pupils and staff in a card designed especially for the occasion. Miss Hulme was also delighted to receive a card of congratulations from the King and Queen Consort - surely still one of the first people to receive one.

Miss Hulme was Headmistress of Withington from 1961 until the end of the Autumn term 1985. When she left Withington, a farewell song was written for her by alumna Sasha Johnson Manning (Class of 1981). This was recreated and recorded for Miss Hulme by the current Senior Choir, with the words modified to reflect the fact it was her special birthday. They also recorded a rousing version of ‘Happy Birthday’. Miss Hulme was very pleased and touched when she listened to them.

Having attended Girton College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a Rowing Blue, Miss Hulme became a teacher, eventually taking up her post as Headmistress at Withington. During her time here a number of significant building projects were undertaken, beginning with a new Dining Room and including the Arts Centre, still very much in use and recognisable today.

But perhaps Miss Hulme’s lasting legacy to Withington was the creation in 1976 of the WGS Trust in response to the impending abolition of the Direct Grant Scheme. When the governors decided that Withington should become an independent school, it was Miss Hulme who had the foresight to realise that something was needed in order to maintain the founding ethos of the school; that Withington should remain a community centred on equality and opportunity, regardless of a pupil’s social background and financial situation.

Today, the Bursary Fund continues to uphold those aims and it is our ambition to move from one in six to one in five Senior School students receiving means-tested bursary support: equivalent to an additional 10-12 bursary students. To support these bursaries in perpetuity will require donations totalling over £2 million. We are extremely grateful to all our current donors for their support in helping to realise this ambition.

Over the years, countless girls have benefitted from all that a Withington education has to offer and have gone on to flourish in their chosen professions. In honour of Miss Hulme’s 100th birthday and the instrumental role she played in creating the bursary fund at Withington Girls’ School, we have decided to rename it the Marjorie Hulme Bursary Fund.

ART BENEFITS FROM AD LUCEM FUND

Thanks to donors to the WGS Ad Lucem Fund, which helps to support and enhance learning for all pupils in the school, the Art Room has welcomed some great additions during the Autumn term. The new art table provides the perfect area for group work and practical demonstrations. The department has also introduced tablets equipped with specialist digital art software for use by A Level artists.

Happy Birthday and thank you, Miss Hulme!

SUMMER FUN!

During the summer holiday, we ran a variety of summer camps. We welcomed Withington pupils, their siblings, the children of WGS staff and other boys and girls from the local community to participate in a multi-sports camp, art or dance sessions. The summer camps have been particularly important these past two years in providing an opportunity for children to catch up with activities, in particular sporting ones, that they had missed out on due to Covid. We were happy to be able to offer places to 10 pupils from Ukraine this year on our multi-sports camp and staff were delighted with how well the children integrated and noted how much confidence the children gained in their spoken English abilities over the week.

LEARNING ABOUT THE LAW

On 7th December, alumna Elahe Youshani returned to Withington to speak to pupils about how our justice system works in England and Wales. Elahe is a Barrister at 18 St John Street Chambers, practising in the fields of Personal Injury and Employment Law. She left Withington in 2001 and studied Law at the University of Manchester, where she was awarded the Emily Simon Scholarship.

She presented to a packed Lecture Theatre of students currently studying the Liberty and Justice Unit in PSHCE. Elahe talked them through the different stages of the justice system, helping them to understand that everyone has a right to a fair trial and that it is down to the law to ensure that this happens.

Mrs Amanda Collard, Head of PSHCE, said:

“The Year 10s found Elahe’s talk very inspirational, enjoyed learning about different careers within the law and welcomed the opportunity to ask Elahe questions at the end of the talk. I would like to thank Elahe for giving up for her time to come in and speak to our Year 10 pupils during their PSHCE lessons.”

MOCK INTERVIEWS

On Friday 4th November, the Upper Sixth pupils applying for Medicine and Dentistry were given the opportunity to prepare for university interviews by taking part in mock interviews organised by the Development Team.

We were extremely grateful to the alumnae, parents, former parents and those in the extended Withington community who gave so generously of their time, both to interview the students and to give them extremely useful and insightful feedback afterwards. Each pupil had two interviews and all of them thought it had been an extremely worthwhile exercise:

“It was so useful; I now know the areas I need to work on to improve.”

“It was great to be able to have that experience with someone who had already been through it.”

“I found it incredibly helpful - it made me realise that it is more like a conversation, and I need to respond to what I’m being asked, rather than saying everything in one go!”

“I feel so much better having had these mock interviews ahead of any actual interviews that I might have.”

BOOK CLUBS

This term, the WGS Sixth Form Book Club visited Manchester High School for Girls where they discussed the Pulitzer Prize winning book The Shipping News by American author Annie Proulx with A Level pupils from MHSG and Manchester Grammar School. On 30th November, the time had come for WGS to host Book Club and we welcomed pupils from Manchester Grammar School and St Bede’s. Libby Rees in Year 13 led discussions about the classic Emily Brontë novel, Wuthering Heights, which evoked interesting debate and viewpoints. The occasion to meet with our neighbouring schools is always most welcome.

TATLER 2023

We are delighted to feature in the prestigious Tatler Schools Guide once again. We have been included in the publication that regards itself ‘the impartial arbiter of all the best public and prep schools in the UK’ for over a decade. You can find a catalogue of our Tatler reviews on our website and our latest review is below:

Year 10 and 11 pupils met with their peers from Manchester High School for Girls and Manchester Grammar School at MGS on 1st November to discuss the comingof-age murder mystery novel by American author Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing. They will meet again in the new year.

“From the outside, you’d never know this group of red-brick buildings makes up one of the most high-flying day schools in the country. It’s situated a 20-minute drive from central Manchester, down an ‘unremarkable suburban street’; inside, it’s a rabbit warren of classrooms, corridors, modern facilities and ‘lively, diverse and brainy girls firing off each other’. One recent visitor, struck by the energy and joy she encountered at every turn, ‘thought the students might be an earnest, serious bunch, given the academic standards of the school, but laughter was an overriding feature’. And Withingtonians have a lot to be happy about. Each of them has already pipped five other applicants just to be there; and once in, they go on to achieve excellent results both in the classroom and beyond. In one student’s words, ‘We are very ambitious girls with the motivation to get involved in all kinds of activities’ - from sport, music and drama to the wide array of extracurricular clubs on offer. One thing that unites everyone at ‘Withy G’ is an immense dedication to community outreach and to making a meaningful difference. Last year alone, 2,431 hours were spent volunteering, the new ‘Giving Day’ saw the teachers and pupils come together for a 36-hour challenge that raised £70,000 for the bursary fund, and the Upper Sixth spent a week in The Gambia, where Withington has helped to establish schools and a women’s literacy centre.”

N.B. The mention of the trip to The Gambia is a misprint. The latest trip to The Gambia is underway at the time of publication of this Bulletin. An update on the trip can be found on page 31.

STRICTLY WGS...

This year the Gambia team hosted a WGS Strictly Extravaganza in which the willing teachers put on a breath-taking spectacle which amazed the audience. From jives to tangos, to lindy hops to disco medleys, this year’s Strictly had it all. It was an amazing experience to be a part of and the feedback from the pupils and staff was incredible. The King and Queen of the dancefloor this year were Mr Salter, Teacher of Music, and Miss Thorpe, Head of Year 9 and Teacher of Biology, who performed a lively jive with spins, jumps and kicks. The money raised will go towards The Mama Tamba Nursery in The Gambia which The Gambia team will visit this December.

MCGUIRE & GRACE MACNAB Year 12

The hugely popular event helped The Gambia Team raise a fantastic £1,400 from ticket sales and refreshment sales, taking our fundraising total to over £7,000. The 14-strong Gambia Team along with four members of staff are looking forward to the one-week trip departing on Sunday 11th December, the first since 2019. This year we have funded improvements to Mama Tamba Nursery School and associated multipurpose hall. This includes fencing and roof repair work. In addition, we have built a new kitchen area close to the multi-purpose hall which will be used by the school and local community as well as four guest houses to serve as accommodation for visiting Gambian teachers as well as school groups such as ours. We continue our support and sponsorship of teachers at the nursery school, provide much needed stationery as well as continue to develop a feeding programme to ensure the children have enough to eat during the school day. We will also take donations and equipment for other institutions we visit including Illiassa Maternity Health Centre.

SHENARA

MS K BROWNING Gambia trip leader

CHARITY FUNDRAISING

It has certainly been a busy term in school and there has been a flurry of activity in the recent weeks leading up to the Christmas period.

The term began in September with money being raised for Jeans for Genes with an impressive £1,244.64 followed by fundraising efforts of a Year 13 student raising over £850 for the flood victims of Pakistan. We had an unusual ‘Come to school in something other than a backpack day’ and raised £400 for CAR-T therapy at The Christie Hospital. There were some very unusual choices to hold books that day including pillowcases, shopping baskets, instrument cases, wicker baskets, book bags, a fire bucket, bins, a sleeping bag, and even a pet carrier.

There have been children’s clothing donations for the Mamba Tamba Nursery in The Gambia by staff, weekly food donations to the Fallowfield and Withington Food Bank and of course our yearly Harvest food donations for The Booth Centre to help and support the homeless in Manchester city centre. Manchester Sings raised an additional

£310 for The Booth Centre and the same amount for Wood Street Mission to help children and families in need. There was also ‘odd socks day’, supporting The Anti-Bullying Alliance in November, raising £160 and there were definitely some very colourful choices that day!

The Gambia team have just recently set off on their trip and have been very busy fundraising over the past few months. One event I have to mention was the staff ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, involving impressive dance routines from many staff members. This raised an impressive £1,700 in one lunchtime! Congratulations to the winners Mr Salter and Miss Thorpe.

In the lead up to Christmas, WGS has been busy with various activities over the past few weeks, Year 11 raised over £70 for their nativity and that money will help support The Mustard Tree, a local charity supporting the fight against poverty and homelessness. On Friday 9th December there was the lovely WGS tradition of Christmas jumper day with over £1,300 raised for Save the

Children. Year 12 have been putting our brains to the test creating their Christmas family quiz with funds being shared equally between Cheshire East Hospice and The Christie. There has been a Christmas treasure hunt designed by Year 7 to raise money for Make a Wish Foundation. The Senior Citizens enjoyed their Christmas concert and being back in the building to hear the music live this year, it was a really special evening. Thank you to everyone who donated gifts for the concert, it was very much appreciated.

The Junior School have also been busy this half term and have raised money for Christmas jumper day, the Poppy Appeal and an impressive £404 for Children in Need.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to all the gifts, time and money donations that have been made this term and currently the total is £7,631.14.

MRS NADINE MORGAN Charities Coordinator

... Aisha Slater, 13U, on an honourable mention in the Institute of Economic Affairs’ Dorian Fisher Memorial prize. The competition requires entrants to write three essays answering questions, issues or debates in the economics sector. The titles of Aisha’s essays were: Why might rising energy costs be an essential part of a Net Zero policy to climate change; In what sense is information an economic good; Identify an area of economics that you think should be given more attention in the A-Level syllabus and say why this is so.

Aisha attended a lunch on Wednesday 26th October at the Institute of Economic Affairs to collect her certificate. The competition was open to students internationally. There was one winner, three runners-up and ten honourable mentions.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

...

Sahara Carter, 13C, on winning a silver medal at the English Trampoline Championships, held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield in October, along with her Synchro partner, Ella. The pair were the youngest competitors and competed in the ladies synchronised competition, finishing with the highest execution (neatness) score and the highest synchronisation score in the competition.

AD LUCEM AWARDS 2023

Our biennial Ad Lucem Awards return for 2023. Following on from the inspiring nominees and award winners from 2021, we are looking forward to hearing about, and celebrating, the achievements of the amazing women who are part of our Withington alumnae.

As with last time, the recipient of an Ad Lucem Award will be a Withington alumna who has made an outstanding contribution to society, or who acts as an inspirational role model, either in a professional, voluntary or philanthropic capacity, or through their personal endeavours. Their achievements, outlook and conduct will demonstrate that they continue to reflect the school’s ethos and values, making them an exceptional public ambassador for our school community.

There are three categories:

• The Ad Lucem Alumna Award

• The Ad Lucem Young Alumna Award

For alumnae under the age of 30 at the nomination deadline

• The Rose Acton Ad Lucem Award

Named in memory of alumna Rose Acton from the Class of 2010 who died in 2020. Nominations for this award will embody qualities that Rose herself displayed throughout her life and that are valued highly in our school community; qualities such as courage, curiosity, kindness, humour, determination, resilience and a desire to improve things for others. Most importantly, like Rose, any recipient of this award demonstrably inspires and supports those around them to achieve more than they thought they could.

The winners will be announced and the awards presented at our Founders’ Day celebration in May 2023.

Anyone is welcome to make a nomination but please note:

• Nominees shall have attended Withington Girls’ School

• Nominees shall not be current WGS staff members

• Awards may be considered posthumously

• Nominees should be nominated by someone other than themselves

You can make a nomination using the form on our website where you are invited to submit a statement (up to 500 words) to allow a greater understanding of the nominee’s achievements and/or contribution to society. You can also submit any further supporting documentation (press articles, publications, resume of nominee) via development@ wgs.org. Alternatively, you can email development@wgs.org or post your nomination to the Development Team at the school.

The closing date for nominations is Tuesday 31st January 2023.

A shortlist of nominations for each category will then be identified by a selection committee which includes the Head Girl Team. Senior School pupils will then be asked to vote for their preferred nominee in each category. The award trophies for 2023 will be designed by current pupils as part of a Design Technology competition.

If you have any queries, please contact the Development Team on 0161 249 3377 or email development@wgs.org.

WHAT MORE DT TRIP

On Wednesday 23rd November, the Year 10 and 11 GCSE Design Technology classes visited Burnley-based What More UK, a manufacturer of re-usable plastic storage boxes and housewares. We saw first-hand how a product develops from its mould being designed in the computer aided design (CAD) department, the mould milled out in the huge workshop and finally the moulds being used to create products in the injection moulding plant. It was fascinating and really insightful for our pupils to see the theoretical aspects of the course in real life. We are very grateful to What More for facilitating our visit. What More have since kindly sent us a lovely branded plaque that will soon be on display for all to enjoy.

MRS KERRY LEVENE Teacher of Design Technology

A LEVEL GEOGRAPHY TRIP

Just before half-term the Sixth Form geographers travelled to Cranedale, East Yorkshire to carry out four days of physical and human geography fieldwork.

After leaving school early on the Saturday morning we travelled up to Mappleton where we began our investigation of coastal management along this part of the Holderness coastline. Two other locations were looked at, Hornsea and Skipsea, and cost-benefit analysis at each location helped the girls to analyse and appreciate the rapid rate of coastal erosion along this section of the UK coastline. Issues hitherto only read about in textbooks were being analysed in real life.

Sunday saw a sunny, dry day, and we visited the erosion features at Selwicks Bay, north of the chalk headland at Flamborough Head in perfect conditions. The extensive wave-cut platform, wave-cut notches, caves and stacks were all observed, and provided the pupils with real-life examples of coastal erosional features

previously only read about. The processes that create these features were also discussed helping them to understand more fully this section of the A Level specification. In addition, we were also very lucky to spot dozens of seals basking in the autumn sunshine. Their presence certainly created an audience of visitors to the area. Following on from this exciting morning fieldwork the afternoon was spent at South Sands, Bridlington where the process of sand dune succession was investigated involving the collection of primary data using a variety of quantitative techniques.

Monday was a day for human geography fieldwork which was carried out in Scarborough. Our geographers were introduced to more qualitative techniques as we discovered that where we were was explored for its sense of place and the history was uncovered through local artwork. Gathering the data in Scarborough was a delight as the sun shone the entire time and photographs sent to friends

and family from this coastal resort prompted a reply in one case of ‘are you in Greece?’ The Mediterranean feel to the town created by the sunshine was enjoyed by all the Sixth Formers (and accompanying staff too!). Discussion has been had about returning each year for a reunion even when the pupils reach retirement age! It is safe to say that the trip was thoroughly enjoyed by all the geographers who took part. The excellent accommodation and facilities at the Cranedale Centre certainly contributed to the enjoyment of the trip as one Sixth Former put it, ‘we enjoyed a three course meal every night and made use of the unlimited hot drinks’. The fieldtrip was a success, greatly enhancing the pupils’ understanding of coastal geography and the development of Scarborough. I would like to thank Miss Browning for her support and the Sixth Formers who were great company during the trip.

MRS SUE HAMILTON Head of Geography

UNIVERSITY INTERVIEW WORKSHOP

On Saturday 1st October, students applying to university this year had the fantastic opportunity to attend an Oxbridge interview workshop, run by former pupil and Cambridge graduate, Sitara Bartle.

Sitara began with giving a presentation on all the information we needed regarding the practicalities of the Oxbridge interview, from what to wear to the best way to present yourself. Soon, we became aware of what to expect on the day: how to navigate the unfamiliar, and the different types of questions we could be asked. Sitara’s helpful anecdotes about her experience resonated with us all.

Later, we had the opportunity to interview each other. We were put into groups based upon our chosen degrees and provided with a range of potential questions for each of our courses. A particular highlight of ours was answering the dreaded ‘Would you rather be a seedless or seeded grapefruit?’ question, where we developed the ability to think aloud. It was delightful to see aspiring students come to life under this supportive environment, and we hope to thrive similarly under the pressure of real interviews, Oxbridge or otherwise.

JENNI MEI 13L & SHREYA MEHTA 13C

PTA EVENTS

The PTA was delighted to be able to host events in person for our girls and parents!

Louby Lou had the Junior School girls singing and dancing at the Junior Fun Night and we were delighted with a record turnout. It was lovely to meet so many parents and to be able to provide an opportunity for Withington families to come into school together. The foam gun was fully loaded as you can see from the photos!

We also returned to the Midland Hotel for the annual Dinner Dance.

The opportunity to dress up, meet up and catch up was certainly welcome and we are already planning next year’s event. We hope to see you all there.

DR RASHMI JAIRATH Chair of

GHYLL HEAD 2022

“Ghyll Head is a trip that all of Year 7 attend at the beginning of the year.

It is an adventure to Windermere where you can get in touch with the wildlife of the Lake District.

The reason for this amazing trip is to make new friends, and as it was at the start of the year, many people agree that it helped them with that. This is because we were put into dorms with people we may not have even spoken to before. “It was an amazing experience” said one of the pupils, and “a great opportunity to make new friends” said another.

The activities we got involved in were a night walk, zip line, the lake and the climbing wall. Out of a survey of 10 Year 7s, 40% enjoyed the zip wire the most, 30% liked the night walk the best, 20% preferred the climbing wall and 10% liked the lake activities – but all of them were amazing. The lake activities were in canoes and it was really fun pushing the oars into the water ad watching them spring back up again.

Not only did we have the wonderful Ghyll Head instructors, but we had Sixth Form Peer Supporters to help as well! It was really fun to have them there to play games with us and generally help us out in activities. Without them there, it would not have been the same.”

RUSHANI GOKULAN 7Y:

“In September 2022, Withington’s Year 7 were given the opportunity to go on a journey to Lake Windermere. It was an amazing experience and there were many reasons why they enjoyed it.

Firstly, there were lots of activities to enjoy such as a night walk, the lake, a zipwire and a climbing wall. All of these were “amazing and greatly enjoyable” as described by Year 7 pupils. Furthermore, these activities also played an important part in forming strong friendships.

Secondly, at Ghyll Head there were many responsibilities to be carried out such as putting the quilt covers on, cleaning the dining room and

washing the dishes. These were all done by the Year 7 pupils which boosted their responsibility and authority immensely.

In addition, as the pupils stayed in dorms together this also formed new friendships. One thing that was a challenge for many pupils was coming to this school not knowing anyone. Luckily this was no problem at all on the trip as there are so many activities at Ghyll Head that will help you make friends. Mealtime was a time to sit down and chat with new friends and Peer Supporters. Everyone thought the fish and chips were delicious and the Peer Supporters were described as “very helpful and friendly” by the Year 7 pupils.

Overall, Ghyll Head was an amazing experience for all of Year 7.”

LIZZY CHATTERTON 7Y:

the PTA

“For me, a residential is something I get really excited about, so to have one early in the school year was great. The build up to Ghyll Head was very exciting, especially because we didn’t get to choose our roommates. I was looking forward to meeting lots of new people as well as being with the people I knew. Our group started with the zipline, and we would take turns going until our time was up. Next, we had the ropes course. They were a series of obstacles suspended above the ground which we had to complete holding a cup of water.

Most people spilt theirs and when I went to refill my cup from the bucket of water, there was none left! The last activity we did that day was climbing, and we’d pull the belay for each other as we went up. The Lord Mayor of Manchester came to see us during our session which made it very memorable for everyone. Overall, it was a fun and exhilarating day.

On the whole it was a thoroughly enjoyable residential. I made amazing friends, shared exciting experiences and left feeling that I had achieved a lot. My highlights would be the zipline, racing on the lake and the night we had in the dorm. I loved it there, and I hope everyone who goes there in the future will feel the same way.”

Year 8s had an enjoyable team-building day. We felt that, having changed their form groupings, it was important for them to get to know each other and work in groups with those from their new class. We were lucky to have great instructors from Wise-Up, who encouraged them and guided them to solve physical puzzles and tasks as a group. Unfortunately, this was about the only rainy day in September but it did clear up. As ever, it was wonderful for me and their form tutors to observe them learning to listen to one another and some girls reported how much they had enjoyed working with new people and getting to make new friends.

MRS JO HOWLING Head of Year 8

“My residential started the moment I got on the bus. No one was able to contain their excitement!

“There is a wide range of activities you can take part in, like canoeing, night walk, zip line and climbing walls. Our instructors were very kind and they supported us as well, teaching us new facts or techniques on how to do our activities. They never forced you but respected your opinion and would always encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. The first activity I took part in after we ate lunch was canoeing. Everyone had fun playing games, racing each other, and jumping of

the jetty. Someone even lost their welly and they had to fish it out. I loved water and canoeing so I had no problem jumping into Lake Windermere. The first activity was just the start of all the fun. Over the next two days, we did loads of fun group activities and challenges. Everyone enjoyed climbing up the climbing walls, zipping down the long zip line and just going on a simple obstacle course kept everyone entertained. The climbing wall and zip line was all teamwork and effort while the course was just a little fun you could have. I managed to walk across a really thin piece of wobbly metal that lead to the middle of the course! Ghyll Head was such a nice place and I would recommend to go again. I have to say, this trip was one to remember.”

Year 7 ventured to the Ghyll Head Outdoor Education Centre, a long-held tradition at Withington, in September. The centre is situated a stone’s throw away from Lake Windemere where they spent two days in the fresh air working in teams, taking on challenges and getting to know one another.

The trip was shorter than usual this year due to the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday 19th September. Half the year group visited Ghyll Head on Tuesday and Wednesday and the second group visited on Thursday and Friday.

AVA LIN 7W:

ANAYA MADHAV 7W:

SPORT REPORT

NETBALL

Across all age groups and competitions, our netballers have played incredibly well this season.

The U12s reached the third round of the Sisters n Sport (SNS) cup.

The U12Bs finished second in a netball festival held at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in October. They won all five of their group games and played amazingly in the semi-finals, winning 9-4. The final against Cheadle Hulme School was end-to-end goals with CHS scoring in the last minute before the bell. It was a 9-8 finish.

The U13s are through to the fourth round of the Independent Schools Netball Cup (ISNC) after a 47-10 win against King’s High School, Warwick.

The U14s became Greater Manchester County Champions after remaining undefeated throughout the competition. They progress to the regional round of National Schools.

They also progress to the quarter final of the SNS Cup vs Cheadle Hulme.

The U15s progress through to the quarter finals of the ISNC following a 52-35 defeat over The Grange. They face St Helen & St Katharine in the next round.

The U16s progress through to the quarter finals of the SNS Cup after beating Cheadle Hulme, 42-28. They face North Chadderton in the next round.

The Senior team have played Manchester High School for Girls in the Manchester League, winning 29-18. After an outstanding start to the ISNC with a 72-39 win vs Birkenhead, they narrowly missed out on progressing to the next stage with a score of 40-41 vs Grammar School at Leeds.

HOCKEY

The U13s progressed to the second-round of the Independent Schools Hockey Cup (ISHC) following a 6-0 win over Westholme School. Stockport Grammar School were the team’s next and final opponent after a loss of 2-5 in round three of the Cup.

The U15 squad won their first-round fixtures in both the ISHC and National Schools.

Congratulations to the following players who have been selected for the Manchester Thunder Pathway:

U12 Thunder: Ellen White, Laurel Kelland, Darcey Greenwood, Imeia Grant & Emilia Cichocki

U12 Thunder Pod: Annabel Lama

U13 Thunder: Amelie Bramer & Keziah Cooke

U13 Thunder Pod: Jasmine Sastry & Katie Conway

U14 Thunder: Sophia Howard & Isabel Daniel

U14 Thunder Pod: Claudia McLaughlin & Emilie Claymore

Futures: Zara Smith

U16 Thunder: Louisa Davidson & Emma Gumbley

BADMINTON

Two teams competed at the Manchester Schools Badminton Team Competition in October. The U14s won their age category and the U16 team finished as runners up in a tense final. Well done to:

U14s: Avika Rao, Serena Yang, Monica Polisetty & Pia Syal

U16s: Vivian Tran, Eshaa Rao, Erin Samaranayaka & Nishi Panwar

TENNIS

After winning the North West round at the Team Tennis competition, a national school team tennis event, our U15s competed in the North of Great Britain round in September. They won the round to become regional champions. Congratulations to: Carys Bucknall, Holly Jackson, Eleanor Banks & Emma Gumbley.

GCSE RIVER STUDY SPORT REPORT

LACROSSE

The lacrosse season started with a coaching session from Dwayne Hicks, Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach at Detroit Mercy University in Michigan. Year 8-13 pupils worked on different skills and techniques that they could implement in the fixtures ahead.

Year 7 began their WGS lacrosse journey with a tournament at Moreton Hall in September. There were two wins, a draw and a narrow loss for a team with four players competing in their first-ever competitive fixture.

At the North Schools tournament in October, the first team placed in fourth place with three wins and three losses, and the second team finished in second with four wins and only one loss.

Congratulations to the following players who have been selected for regional clubs:

Lancashire Lacrosse U18: Lottie Franey, Emily Porter & Sophie Porter

Lancashire Lacrosse U15: Henny Peach, Chloe Lowndes, Carys Bucknall, Ava Greenwood, Eva Bowie, Emily Porter, Alice Kaucher, Cara Mooney & Margot Tatton

Cheshire Lacrosse U18: Olive Harou, Abi Lauder & Ayla Kabbani

Just one week into the start of this academic year, 20 Upper Fifth geographers set off for their compulsory physical geography GCSE fieldwork. The destination was Castlehead Field Study Centre, just outside Grange-Over-Sands in the Lake District. The aim was to study downstream changes along the River Eea.

After arriving at the Centre and ensuring everyone had sufficient wet weather clothing, we set off to our first field study site, at the source of the River Eea, high up in the hills. Actually walking to the site across the hills was not entirely straight forward as the undergrowth had grown prolifically over the summer, and one of the Centre tutor’s had to go ahead of us to ‘beat down’ a path so that we could actually reach the river.

Once the river was reached the pupils began their investigation of how the river changes downstream, so time was spent in the river itself measuring the velocity after deciding in groups how best this

could be done. Equipment included tape measures, hydroprops, dog biscuits, stop watches and metre rulers. Field sketches were also drawn, and observations made about the shape of the valley.

These measurements were repeated in the river at our second site as the river flows through Cartmel, but here the river was lower than normal in response to the very dry conditions we all experienced over the summer months. As a result, the measurements were obtained more easily than is sometimes the case and nobody required their spare clothing and footwear.

We were very lucky to have such nice dry weather on the day and our investigations were very successful, showing the girls how velocity changes downstream as well as the river’s cross-sectional area and bedload. We also saw how the river valley changes as the mouth of the River Eea flows out into Morecombe Bay.

MRS SUE HAMILTON Head of Geography

DEMOCRACY DAY

Four Year 9 pupils are part of a steering group overseeing and contributing to the planning of Manchester Youth Democracy Day. Following their involvement in the #BeeWell survey during the last academic year, Evie Jiang, Tia Patel, Sophie RylesDean and Dhaani Singh were invited by the Politics Project to be part of this city-wide event. Withington are working closely with Burnage Academy on the preparation of Manchester Youth Democracy Day. The two schools met virtually with a representative from the Politics Project on Monday 12th December to start discussions about issues faced by the young people of Manchester, which will be explored on the Democracy Day in February.

WELCOMES...

...AND FAREWELLS

SHORT STORIES

This term, the English Department set a short story competition with the theme of ‘dystopia’. There were lots of interesting and engaging submissions, well done to all who took part.

Congratulations to the winners:

Lower School Winner: Meerab Fatima 9X

Lower School Highly Commended: Zoe Werner 9X & Sadie Horwich 8W

Upper School Winner: Eliza Bransby 13U

Upper School Highly Commended: Dalola Kajopaye 11X & Emily Edge 10X

Overall Winner: Meerab Fatima 9X

On Saturday 10th December, 30 Withington pupils participated as delegates, chairs and press in the fifth annual Model United Nations Conference at Manchester Grammar School. The Conference, on the theme of Community, was attended by delegates from 20 schools from across the country. All three of the Withington delegations performed excellently, with our USA delegation sweeping the board in terms of accolades and coming away with the highest accolade, namely the Best Delegation award. This marks the first time Withington MUN have won a conference in six years, and it is a significant achievement, especially in the face of stiff competition. Congratulations to the following Withy delegates who all attained individual awards:

In the Health Committee, Hufsa Haq was Commended Delegate for Italy, and Anequa Fazal was Outstanding Delegate for the USA.

In the Environment and Science Committee, Dalola Kayopaye was Commended Delegate for Italy; Rida Tauqir was Highly Commended Delegate for Cuba.

In DiSEC, Sonali Koku Hannadige was Commended Delegate for the USA.

In Political, Yara Kayali attained Commended Delegate for Italy.

In UniDo, Oonagh Mathur was Specially Commended Delegate for Cuba; Arya Saravana was Highly Commended Delegate for the USA. In Special Committee, Niha Gudena achieved a Special Mention for the USA.

Finally, in Security Council, Sama Beden won Outstanding Delegate for the USA.

MR C LAMBERT Temporary Teacher of English

MRS S DONNELLY Temporary Head of Economics

MRS F HAFEZJI Supply Teacher of RS

MR D SCHICKELE Late Stay

MRS N BAGULEY Operations & Visits Administrator

MR S EASTON Music Administrator

MRS K BLANEY Temporary Receptionist

MRS L O’NEAL

Head of PE

MRS A ADAMS Headmistress’ PA

MISS O SINCLAIR

Temporary

Teacher of Physics

MRS L LEDSON

Head of HR

LEARNING MANDARIN

This term the Modern Foreign Languages Department were pleased to launch a brand new extra-curricular activity offering pupils the opportunity to learn Mandarin. Lessons have been taking place every Thursday lunchtime and are delivered by a specialist teacher from the Confucius Institute, which is part of the University of Manchester. Pupils in Years 6, 7, 8 and 9 have been meeting consistently since November.

THEJASVI JEYAKUMAR in Year 6 has written a report on the club: “Mandarin is a great language and I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to learn it. In Mandarin we have learnt about numbers one to 100, vowels, vocabulary about parents, siblings and greetings. I found the numbers hard, but we would always play a game to help us practise more and Isabel, our Mandarin Teacher, gives a sticker to anybody who tries to pronounce the words. It is fun and very enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone who would love to learn a new language. “Life is about taking chances, trying new things, having fun, making mistakes and learning from it.”

FARAH ALDAWOUD 8Y says:

“I have really enjoyed learning Mandarin this term, it has enabled me to be more curious about other languages. Learning Mandarin means I will be able to socialise with people who speak Mandarin. As well as being able to learn a new language, it has helped me make new friends who have attended the club. I recommend learning Mandarin for anyone who is interested.”

YEAR 9 GROUP DAY

In September, Year 9 were off timetable for a day of team-building challenges. Taking part in a variety of different tasks, they were also introduced to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and some of the activities that are involved in undertaking the Award, including putting up tents. For most, this was their first encounter with such an exercise and, after some initial confusion, the tents were soon propped, secured and made waterproof. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all. An incredible 71 Year 9 pupils (of a possible 83) have signed up to complete the DofE Bronze Award.

WGS IN THE GAMBIA

14 Sixth Form pupils and four members of WGS staff are currently on the first expedition to The Gambia since 2019. They departed from Manchester airport on Sunday 11th December for a weeklong visit to the West African country. Withington has made annual trips to The Gambia since 2004 and in that time, we have supported different initiatives aimed to advance educational opportunities in remote rural locations. Our main project is the Mamba Tamba Nursery School for which The Gambia team have worked hard to raise essential funds.

We look forward to hearing all about the trip and a full report will be available in our next issue.

MEET THE HEAD GIRL TEAM 2022/23

GEORGIA

Georgia came to Withington in Year 7 and has progressed through senior school as a skilled musician. Georgia is studying four A Levels: English Literature, French, Music and Philosophy. Her main hobbies are largely music related and include taking part in Senior Orchestra and Choir, as well as the flute and saxophone groups in school. Outside of school, Georgia has been part of regional and national youth orchestras and spends her Saturdays at the Junior Department of the Royal Northern College of Music. Georgia plans to study English at university next year and has enjoyed leading the Year 10 and 11 reading group, as well as being part of the Sixth Form Book Club with MGS and Manchester High.

Favourite Withington moment:

“My favourite moments at Withington have also unsurprisingly been musical ones: performing with local Manchester schools with the Manchester Sings Choir or putting on a Jubilee Concert for Senior Citizens in the summer. It’s so lovely to be able to enjoy playing with friends whilst also feeling like you’re giving something back to the community.”

DINA

Dina joined Withington in Year 6 and is hoping to study Economics at university next year. Her A Level subjects are Maths, Further Maths, Psychology and Economics. Dina is a competitive swimmer outside of school and she has played an active role in Model United Nations during her senior school years. During Lower Sixth, Dina, along with two friends from Manchester High School for Girls and The Manchester Grammar School, organised a fundraising event for Manchester-based charity Prevent Breast Cancer. The event was a 5K walk in Platt Fields Park with many members of the Withington community taking part, raising over £2,000.

Proudest Withington moment: “Organising and participating in Withington’s first Model United Nations since the pandemic in the Summer Term of 2022 was a fantastic experience and something for us all to be so proud of.”

SWETHA

Swetha has been at Withington since Year 5. She enjoys being part of the Phil-Socrates committee and leading weekly sessions for younger pupils. She has held a role as a Modern Foreign Language Ambassador in which she ran Spanish sessions for younger pupils and thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to share her passion of learning languages. Swetha took part in the Young Science Communicators programme, running a workshop for Year 5 pupils at West Didsbury CofE Primary on genetic inheritance. Swetha volunteers at a primary school and her local GP surgery. She is also a keen singer and enjoys acting too. Her A Level subjects are Chemistry, Biology, Spanish and Philosophy and she hopes to study Medicine at university next year.

Favourite Withington moment:

“One of my favourite memories at Withington was taking part in the Phantom of the Opera. It was a great opportunity to make friends from different years and I have made some of my greatest memories from being part of that production.”

EFFA

Effa joined the Junior School in Year 6 and she has been actively involved in extra-curricular activities. Taking part in the Young Science Communicators scheme, Effa was part of a team that delivered a show to local primary school children and some of our Juniors. In Lower Sixth, Effa also completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. She learnt from this experience the value of teamwork and resilience in moments of uncertainty. In pursuit of a career in medicine, Effa studies Biology, Chemistry and Psychology and in Lower Sixth, investigated ‘The Effectiveness of Dementia Treatments’ for her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Effa has enjoyed sharing her skills in henna art with the school community and loves being able to share her love of her culture with others.

Proudest Withington moment:

“My proudest Withington moment has to be Culture Day. Being able to learn about the diversity present within my community and see the love everyone has for their culture and religion was an inspiring moment for me and many others.”

NANAKI

Nanaki also joined Withington in Year 7 and with the ambition of studying Economics at university, her A Level subjects are Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Chemistry. Since being in Year 8, Nanaki has taken part in Model United Nations, both as a delegate and a chair, and has many fond memories of her time in MUN. Nanaki is proud to be a founding member of Withington’s first Inter-School Economics Society which runs weekly sessions for pupils in Year 9 and above to discuss current affairs. Outside of school, Nanaki is one of the youth members for Cheshire East Council and at weekends, spends time coaching karate.

Favourite Withington moment:

“My favourite memories at Withington have definitely been made at our whole school events, most notably at Withington’s annual Teachers Got Talent event!

It’s always great to see the many talents of our teachers, outside the classroom.”

Head Girl Georgia Campbell and Deputies Swetha Selvarajan, Nanaki Singh, Dina Taher and Effa Tariq bring a variety of experience to the Head Girl Team this year.

Dina, Nanaki, Georgia, Effa and Swetha

AFRICAN AND CARIBBEAN SOCIETY

African and Caribbean Society is a group that looks into the different aspects of African culture and history that have significantly influenced world history and culture. As African culture is often misrepresented in the mainstream media, we believe that it is important for people to be educated about what it is and what it entails. We are a society that aims to bridge the gaps of knowledge between different races and cultures, and we are open to everyone in all years of school. So far, we have had many interesting discussions about:

- Black influence on British and American sports

- The history of African hair and hairstyles

- The portrayal of indigenous African religions in the media, as well as mainstream religions in Africa

In the New Year, we will be holding sessions on:

- The inequality that black women face in maternal healthcare

- Corruption in the political scape of African countries

- Why African countries have remained poor despite being abundant in natural resources

- ‘Diaspora Dilemmas’ and trying to reconnect with your native culture

Sessions take place every other Friday at second lunch in the Politics Room. We welcome everyone to come even if you are not of an African or Caribbean background as we believe it is important to have these discussions with everyone.

KAREN AYODELE 12M, Leader of African and Caribbean Society

DISCOVERING WGS

Our Year 7s have had a busy term discovering all that is on offer at Withington.

On just the second day of term, Tuesday 6th September, Year 7 pupils had the opportunity to try out new instruments and meet new people in the year group outside of their Form in an event known as Let’s Make Music Day. They worked through a carousel of instruments including harp, saxophone and clarinet, guitar, voice, cello, violin and percussion, and the groups differed each time allowing new friendships to form. It was a brilliantly vibrant event as pupils donned their newly acquired House t-shirts and showcased what they had learnt in a triumphant concert at the end of the day. A huge thank you to Forsyth Music Shop for supplying additional instruments for the event.

Also in September, our PE Department led an introduction to winter sports for Year 7s on a Saturday morning. Over 40 pupils, half the year group, attended the session that focused on netball, hockey and lacrosse. This term, there has been a great take up of sport activities by our Third Formers who have actively been attending practices and playing in competitive fixtures. A full overview of this term’s sport is on page 28.

The lively extra-curricular timetable at Withington has introduced new hobbies and interests to our Year 7s who have enjoyed the likes of Art Club, Garage Band, Football, Chess, and STEM Club.

HONOUR FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

This term, we received an honour from The University of Manchester for our long-standing partnership offering teacher training placements to students undertaking a PGCE course at the university. This term, Miss Kitty Tang has been working with us in the Science Department and last year, we took four trainee teachers in a range of subject areas including Economics and Modern Foreign Languages, as part of The University of Manchester’s Initial Teacher Training programme.

Mrs Air, Head of History, who is The Professional Mentor and leads the partnership in school, said:

“ We are extremely fortunate to have our longstanding partnership with the University of Manchester. It is refreshing to welcome trainees into school as they often come with such enthusiasm for the teaching profession and are willing to try new activities with classes from which even the most experienced teachers learn things. The team of Subject Mentors we have at Withington do a fabulous job in ensuring that the profession continues to attract the very best people.”

HOUSE CAROLS

There was an abundance of energy and joviality in the Arts Centre for the annual House Carols event. An event in which pupils in Years 8 and 9 perform a set carol and an own carol, composed by Year 12 House prefects. The own carols were all unique and successful in conveying their individual stories.

There was however a common thread of the Withington spirit, determination and getting through challenges together. The level of musicality and creativity was high and the competition was close. Congratulations to all who took part and to this year’s House Carol Champions - Herford.

PHONING SCHOOL

When contacting the school by phone on 0161 224 1077 please select from the following options to direct your call:

SCHOOL OFFICE

FOR JUNIOR SCHOOL LATE STAY All parents and guardians should inform the school of absence before 9.00am for each day of absence. To request permission for any other absences, parents and guardians should email attendance@wgs.org.