WGS Summer Bulletin 2023

ONE AMAZING SISTER ACT!

HEAD’S LINES...

Dear Readers

Welcome to our final Bulletin of this academic year, one which reflects many of the activities and achievements of this summer term, bringing what has been a very successful year to a close. The final weeks of summer term at Withington are always very special and none more so than this year. Following many months of anticipation, our two superb shows, the Junior School’s Mary Poppins Jr and the Senior School’s Sister Act brought such joy to all, performers and audiences. The exuberant feel-good nature of the shows, uplifting singing and dancing and the outstanding quality of the productions meant that the shows did not disappoint, and we were thrilled to be able to bring these fantastic experiences to our pupils, their parents and the wider Withington community after the restrictions of recent years. Congratulations to all and you will, I am sure, enjoy the photographs and reviews here in our Bulletin.

Simply outstanding, joyous, uplifting, magical and fun!

These were just some of the many glowing reviews from audiences and performers alike following Withington’s recent production of the wonderful upbeat musical comedy Sister Act.

Staged during the penultimate week of term across three evenings, with an additional afternoon matinee performance for our local senior citizens, the show closed the School’s academic year on a high note, delivering the feel-good factor aplenty, whilst at the same time celebrating powerful themes of sisterhood, support and care for one another that lie at the heart of Withington’s ethos.

This term has seen many valuable and memorable events from our whole school Citizenship Day with this year’s theme, ‘Bee the Change’, chosen by our pupils, to an array of House events across Juniors and Seniors, including Sports Days and our Year 7 ‘Play in a Day’ with entertaining performances nurtured and directed by our Sixth Form, to Year 9 in action on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, to our own Model United Nations Conference, ‘Speak Up!’ Festival and Art, DT and Food Exhibitions which saw many of our pupils engaging with the issues of our time and with creativity and the arts. The way in which our pupils not only expressed their Continued...

...Head’s Lines, continued...

thoughtful ideas through various media but also listened, reflected and supported each other as they did so was a credit to them all and to their school.

In June we were delighted to be recognized by The Daily Telegraph newspaper as the best value independent school in the country. Their analysis, which compared fees with public examination results, saw Withington placed number one nationally and, whilst this is only one measure of the education a school provides, we also know that such success is the result of the outstanding dedication of so many, not least the staff, and I would like to congratulate all staff, pupils and everyone in the Withington community on this accolade.

As the new academic year beckons, we very much enjoyed welcoming pupils and their families who are joining us in September to our induction days and this was, as always, a bittersweet end to the term as we bid farewell to our pupil and staff leavers. Our Year 13 have been superb throughout their time in the school and it was a pleasure to share our leavers’ dinner and our final assembly with them, both events of great importance in the Withington calendar of traditions. Warm thanks also to the staff colleagues who have left us this term for all that they have given, and we very much look forward to keeping in touch with them and with our former pupils as they join our thriving alumnae network. With three school trips overseas this summer, to Berlin, Morocco and South Africa, and our summer camps taking place at school, there is always some rewarding Withington activity taking place but for now, I wish you all happy reading and a wonderful summer break with rest and relaxation. Thank you for your support of Withington this year and I look forward to seeing you in September.

With best regards

MRS SARAH HASLAM Headmistress

The first large scale Senior School production since the start of the pandemic, Sister Act involved almost 100 members of our school community as the talented cast, musicians, stage set designers, production teams and other volunteers worked hard over many months of rehearsals to deliver a magnificent show.

Based on the 1992 film Sister Act and set in 1970s Philadelphia, the storyline centres around disco club singer Deloris Van Cartier who, after witnessing a shooting, finds herself in protective custody hiding away in a convent. Struggling to settle into life in her new home, Deloris’ passion for music shines through, securing her a leading role in the convent choir which then helps her bond with the nuns and changes the sisterhood’s dynamics. In the process, she discovers her own inner strength and as the tale unfolds and the rejuvenated choir begins to gain widespread attention, the former aspiring disco

diva is ultimately able to help to save the convent community from their threatened eviction. Withington’s Sister Act production was a skilfully choreographed combination of suspenseful drama, high-energy dance routines and uplifting Motown-inspired mood-boosting music that had audiences clapping, tapping and dancing in their seats and afterwards attracted many positive comments including praise from WGS Headmistress, Mrs Haslam, who said the show ‘will live long in the memory’. Thanking everyone involved and parents also for their support, she described Sister Act as an ‘exceptional production’:

“ The quality of the show was superb, the spirit of the production and the atmosphere in the Arts Centre was inspirational. We all felt we had been part of something very special indeed,” she said, as her words were echoed time and again by our audiences, our senior citizen guests and by the performers themselves.

Matinee guest Bernard, aged 84, from Downing House - who had previously been a director in amateur theatre for more than 50 years - was one of around 100 Senior Citizens who also enjoyed Withington’s Sister Act. “The girls have done themselves proud. It was a brilliant show with a fantastic atmosphere,” he said.

Participation in Withington’s major productions is traditionally a whole school experience bringing together pupils with a shared interest in performing arts but also providing enrichment opportunities for them beyond the curriculum, enabling pupils from across our year groups to work together and to get to know each other. Feedback from those involved in Sister Act speak of new friendships having been formed with pupils they may not have known previously on a personal level - and it has also helped to build confidence and develop a range of life-skills including team work.

ANNA Year 13

I could not have imagined a better way to conclude my Withington journey than with this magnificent production. The memories will forever be deeply treasured.

TANNISHTHA Year 8

It’s been such a fun experience and I’ve made so many precious memories and friends I never thought would happen. I will definitely look back on it later as one of my fondest memories.

ANUSHKA Year 9

Sister Act has led me to so many new friendships that would never have been forged without it. I’m so thankful to have been part of it and to have made the memories that I did.

Withington’s Director of Music, Mrs Sargent, and Head of Drama, Mrs Berry, paid tribute to the entire Sister Act team, writing in the event programme:

“ This musical has been a joy to work on both on stage and backstage. All those involved have enjoyed putting their imagination and creative spirit to the test and so many moments of sheer pleasure and achievement have been enjoyed along this musical journey.”

Mrs Sargent described Withington’s Sister Act as ‘inspiring’ and ‘memorable’:

“It has once again demonstrated to us all, the magic and power of music. But behind the glitz, the glamour and the pizazz delivered with such energy and gusto during the show, there was also a powerful message that came through loud and clear; that music has the power to really make a difference and to unite.”

“

Mrs Berry added:

The talented students in this cast have worked extremely hard to deliver a magnificent show that has exceeded expectations and will live long in the memories of those who were able to come along to watch. From the rehearsals held over many months beforehand, to the four live performances on stage, their imagination, creativity, enthusiasm and boundless energy really shone through. We have been warmed by the very positive feedback we have received from our audience guests who told us how much they had enjoyed the show, with many adding that they left us feeling joyful and uplifted.

In the true spirit of Sister Act , sisterhood has been celebrated throughout the whole production process with new friendships having been forged across the year groups and cast members having grown in confidence within the support network that developed as the weeks went on. It has been

a real pleasure to work with everyone who has contributed to Sister Act and we are truly grateful also for the help and ingenuity of the production team. We hope that all of those involved have developed key life skills throughout this process - perseverance, dedication, teamwork, confidence and creativity whilst making memories that will be treasured.”

In keeping with Withington’s commitment to sustainability and the environment, the Sister Act stage set was made in-house and primarily from recycled materials, including outdated display boards. Costumes were hired from Molly Limpet’s Theatrical Emporium and were intrinsic in helping transport the cast and audience to the era.

Sister Act was staged in Withington’s Arts Centre on the evenings of Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th June and the matinee for senior citizens was held as part of our Citizenship Day events on Wednesday 28th June.

POPPY Year 10

Doing Sister Act has been such a good experience and has resulted in friendships between year groups which wouldn’t have happened without it. I am very glad to have been part of it and am sad that it’s over.

LUCY Year 8

Sister Act has been a great experience and I have made friends with so many people from other years that I wouldn’t have ordinarily talked to. Everyone was incredible in the performances and backstage they were all so kind and supportive.

MARGOT Year 9

Sister Act has been an amazing experience and has brought everyone in the show closer together. We all made so many friendships from all year groups and we had such a fantastic time.

Music by ALAN MENKEN Book by CHERI & BILL STEINKELLNER Lyrics by GLENN SLATER

CARTER BEANE

WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL CITIZENSHIP DAY 2023

COMMUNITY BUZZZZ

AT HOME...

DESERT ISLAND DISC...USSIONS

Year 7 pupils participated in a morning of team building activities which encouraged them to collaboratively discuss and solve hypothetical dilemmas in creative ways. The room was swarming with ideas as they worked on a ‘Stranded On A Desert Island’ activity which inspired them to think outside the box whilst debating the importance of 15 items, including objects such as a mirror, two boxes of chocolate and a can of shark repellent. After discussing their ideas within small groups, they then shared their final rankings with the year group. Following this activity they reflected on the importance of teamwork and what qualities contribute to a successful team.

A TRULY TERRIFIC TALK

Melanie Bryan OBE DL, an award-winning entrepreneur, delivered a talk to the Year 8 students detailing the process of receiving an OBE from Princess Anne for her services to Social Enterprise and Women’s Enterprise. Bryan described how she spoke to Princess Anne for the better part of six minutes- how un-bee-lievable! She described the etiquette required when meeting the royal family and that it was necessary to curtsy, which she found very di cult to do in high heels! She believes that everyone can make a positive di erence and that, if we all did so, the cumulative e ect would be amazing.

SWARMING WITH ACTIVITY

Gardening, singing, painting, writing, team-building, reading, litter-picking and more:

WGS Citizenship Day 2023 really had it all!

Established in 2005 as part of the PSHCE curriculum, Citizenship Day was created to promote knowledge and understanding of current issues, as well as a sense of community. This year, the theme for the day is ‘Bee the Change’ - a sentiment that acknowledges our ability to make small changes ourselves which can have a lasting impact as well as acknowledging, through the symbol of the bee, our city’s unique flavour and needs. The focus of many of our external projects this year is gardening and sustainability. It became so apparent during lockdown how very important and valued our outdoor spaces are and we hope today that our gardening work in various locations will add some colour and have an impact on the lives of our local residents.

This year saw the largest range of external projects ever attempted on a WGS Citizenship Day. Year 9, 10 and 12 pupils were involved in a large range of community development projects in our local area. They have visited local primary and secondary schools, parks, children’s centres and even a football stadium to engage in activities such as painting, gardening, reading and litter collection. Some of our Year 10 pupils have also been involved with supporting our Junior School with their Citizenship Day activities and learning British Sign Language. Please see inside this publication for further information on individual projects.

Based in school for the day, pupils in Years 7 and 8 have worked on a number of di erent projects. This morning they had sessions on inclusion and team building as well as hearing from Melanie Bryan OBE about the British Honours system. In the afternoon, all girls had the opportunity to be creative and to produce artwork to brighten up the Deaf Society Centre and to decorate the School dining room for the afternoon tea party for our local senior citizens.

We are delighted that a large number of our local senior citizens came into school to see our fabulous production of Sister Act this afternoon. They were also treated to some delicious treats at the tea party prepared by some Year 10 girls and the Food and Nutrition Department. A large cast of pupils from all year groups are involved in Sister Act and we are sure that it will be an unforgettable performance.

Our Juniors have also enjoyed an action-packed Citizenship Day and have participated in an array of activities. They too have learnt about the Honours system in the UK and have heard about the work of Tay Jiva MBE as well as enjoying debates about who should be awarded honours and why. Some year groups have focused on gardening and neatening up our allotment whilst others have written poetry about the importance of community.

Buzzing around all of these activities, has been the media team who have been recording the day. They have interviewed, watched, joined in with and written about everything that has been done today; they are witness to all of our successes. Like the bees Mr Salter talked about in assembly this morning, WGS pupils really have spent their day “labouring for others”.

The Junior school was buzzing with an array of exciting activities being enjoyed by all year groups. Transition put their creative hats on and brainstormed ideas for helping the community which they then turned into mind maps. Form I and some Senior School pupils joined forces to create presentations on inspiring individuals, including PowerPoints and raps. Both Lower II and Upper II researched CBEs, OBEs and MBEs, with Upper II having the opportunity to listen to an insightful talk from Tay Jiva MBE. They learned about the hard work required to receive an award and the resilience displayed by the recipients.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

Today, selected Year 10 pupils attended a British Sign Language workshop given by Sara Shaukat. The pupils showed a great deal of respect, asking many insightful questions and actively participating. The session covered sensitivity towards those who communicate through British Sign Language, encouraging our pupils to Bee the change The pupils thoroughly enjoyed learning the British Sign Language alphabet, and by the end of the session felt more confident in their ability to communicate with the wider community. The experience proved to be challenging, but rewarding, and we hope our pupils continue to use the skills they learnt today in future. Also, to brighten up the Deaf Centre, pupils in years 7 and 8 have spent time today creating artwork.

PULLING THE RIGHT STRINGS

In preparation for Citizenship Day, several students participated in a harp designing competition, hosted by the Art Department. Our Lower Sixth Art students painted the winning designs from every Key Stage onto four electric harps, where they will be displayed in the music hub once painted and strung. One student remarked how, “the biggest challenge we faced was the proportions of the designs”. Despite these challenges, our students persevered and thrived in true Withington fashion, creating bee-utiful artwork.

A 13-strong pupil-led Media Team created this newspaper that excellently captured the spirit and jubilation of the day.

BEYOND...

A. BEE.C

Eager to do their part to help the community, several students departed school this morning to help at various local children’s centres. The students took on a variety of roles, including painting the benches outside and cleaning up litter. When asked about their roles, they admitted that they found the work challenging but fulfilling and that they were happy to help. The students also partook in some gardening, brightening the outdoor areas and helping to make sure their community looked the best it could. Their bee-haviour was excellent throughout the day.

PARK LIFE

Pupils from Year 9 and 12 have spent the day painting, gardening and tidying up at Fletcher Moss and Fog Lane Parks. Lockdown showed us all the importance of going outdoors and the value of keeping parks and green spaces clean and we hope that our work today will add value to these beautiful parks. The two groups of Withington pupils used their teamwork skills and got to work litter picking, planting, painting benches and helping out around the area. Not only is the park now cleaner and brighter but the pupils also enjoyed spending a day out in the fresh air.

MASTERING THE SCIENCE SYLLA-BUZZ

Year 12 pupils embarked on a visit to Manchester Academy, passing through Platt Fields Park to do some litter picking en route - a way of helping both the environment and the local community. Upon arriving at the school, they received moderation training on how to apply mark schemes. They had a wonderful time in the Manchester Academy Science Department and were able to practise their scientific knowledge.

COLOURING IN CRINGLE

Our enthusiastic Year 10s set o on a 45 minute leisurely walk to Cringle Fields where they needed to get creative. Their task was to spray paint a mural of the name of the park. Community is at the centre of Citizenship Day and so brightening our shared spaces is incredibly rewarding. Using spray paint was a particular highlight for many of the pupils as this was their first time experimenting with this medium. At the end of the activity, the girls left the park with smiling faces, full hearts and a sense of pride in their new masterpiece.

BEE-LIEVE IN READING

Students from Year 9 and 12 visited Old Moat Primary School, where they worked with Year 5 and 6 during their Reading Festival. The children participated in a variety of activities: discussing their favourite children’s books, drawing new front covers for them and writing book reviews. The girls then worked with pupils to perform poetry readings in small groups to the rest of the year, as well as doing some one-on-one reading with them. Children’s books donated by Withington pupils were sorted and stocked in their school library. The primary children were very welcoming and enthusiastic, and the experience proved to be beneficial for both them and our helpers. Another team of Year 9 and 12 pupils acted as teaching assistants at St Kentigern’s Primary School.

SISTERS BY MY SIDE...

The day started o in the F&N room with pupils from Year 10 working hard together to create mouthwatering baked goods to serve in the interval of the much-anticipated school play: Sister Act. In a bid to be more environmentally friendly, students tried to minimize the amount of food waste generated whilst baking and, wherever possible, produce was locally sourced. The menu included: delicious pear and

ginger cake, lemon drizzle cake with homemade lemon curd and delectable chocolate dipped strawberry topped scones which were very much enjoyed by over 100 senior citizens watching the show. The Year 8’s stained-glass windows were used as decorations for the afternoon tea tables. The whole audience thoroughly enjoyed both the matinee performance of Sister Act and the tasty tea.

“Excellent performance, very well rehearsed”

DUNCAN

“It was really great and everyone was very talented”

BARBARA

“Didn’t know the plot but I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for act two.

The food was brilliant”

PHIL

“Enjoying the play, excited for act two and the cakes and sandwiches were fabulous”

WENDY

They worked in groups to capture photographs, write news stories, and interview pupils, teachers, guests and community groups.

BIOLOGY CHALLENGE

In May, all Year 10 students took part in the Biology Challenge. This consisted of two 25-minute multiple choice papers taken online with questions set on the GCSE curriculum but also going beyond the specification. We are delighted that so many of our students achieved awards this year, with 53 awards in total. This included six Silver awards and 15 Bronze awards. Special mention must go to Joy Zhu and Maisa Farrukh who both achieved a Gold Award, placing them in the top 5% of all students who took part in the competition. Very well done to all who took part.

ENTERPRISING DAYS

Across two days in June, our Lower Fourth and Lower Fifth pupils became innovative business owners in a ‘Launchpad’ workshop led by Young Enterprise. They began by choosing a business to buy, detailing the costings needed and then applying for a business loan. In many cases their loan was rejected; a useful lesson in understanding why a bank might be reluctant to lend ten times the value of the business. “It certainly gave me better understanding financially as I realised the costs of starting up a businessone of the primary costs being the staff.” This then led to some more creative ideas.

After completing a personality quiz to determine their strengths, pupils delegated tasks to ensure their team played to the strengths of its members. “It helped me understand how sometimes you will need to work with people who you have never met before and work as a team by finding out each other’s strengths.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

... Sofia Vega-Hidalgo, 8X and Annabel Mayo, 7Y, who represented the Tensworth North West Team in the UK Lions U13 National Hockey Tournament held at Nottingham during the weekend of the 15th and 16th July.

The next session was spent on product development, event planning and marketing. Careful market research was completed to inform pupils before they finalised their pricing. The day culminated in each group presenting an ‘Elevator Pitch’. “I really enjoyed the elevator pitch, where we got to tell everyone about our company within a minute. This allowed us to learn how to summarize key points and how to persuade people, which could be very useful in our future jobs”

Throughout the day, pupils developed their confidence in expressing their ideas, delegating tasks, using their initiative and showing resilience if their loan was initially declined. This has given them more focus for their future:

“I have discovered that I would like to develop my innovation skills and ideas. In order to do so, I will keep myself updated with daily news and technology so I can gain more knowledge, and therefore be able to think of more creative ideas that can be used in everyday life.”

Young Enterprise looked carefully at the way each team worked together and made the following awards:

Teamwork: BBQ Smokebox (Y10) & Hi-Tech (Y8)

Innovation: Green Leaf (Y10) & Everything Party (Y8)

Marketing: Saturn Sips (Y10) & Un Petit Café (Y8)

Elevator Pitch: Study and Sip (Y10) & Seventh Heaven (Y8)

Business of the Year Award: Urban Mama (Y10) & Milky Way (Y8)

The days were very interactive and pupils appreciated the chance to do something different:

“I enjoyed having the freedom to come up with our own ideas and being able to present them to everybody else at the end. Also the fact that we learnt some useful skills for the future.”

MRS ELIZABETH CORRIGAN Head of Biology

ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR

In April, former WGS parent, Richard Bate, a partner at leading UK law firm, Weightmans, presented an online Estates Planning Seminar for members of the Withington community, including parents, alumnae and staff. The seminar, which was very well-received by those attending, was held to coincide with our newly produced publication for those considering making a gift to Withington in their Will.

Gifts in Wills are invaluable in helping us to continue the school’s aims to provide talented girls with the opportunity to shine through all that a Withington education can offer, irrespective of financial situation. The brochure can be viewed by clicking the image or, if you would like a printed copy, you can request one in confidence by contacting Lesley Dowdall, Director of Development, on ldowdall@wgs.org.

XI V

Withington held its annual Model United Nations on Sunday 2nd July. Under the theme of ‘Modernity’, delegates from schools including Manchester Grammar School, Manchester High School for Girls, Cheadle Hulme School, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys and Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, represented countries from across the world and engaged in debates in different committees to earn accolades. The day was a great success and was exceptionally organised by the Executive Committee. Well done to all involved.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

... Laura Parsons, 10X, on a very successful regatta at Budworth Sailing Club. On the experience, she wrote:

“

In May, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in a regatta at Budworth Sailing Club in the presence of HRH Princess Anne, the president of the Royal Yachting Association. Despite the lack of wind and torrential rain that came in only minutes before the start, all 15 sailors lined up ready to go. It was a difficult race for all, and a mistake with one minute until the starting gun, left me starting in 14th position. Throughout the race, my strategy, focus and determination enabled me to climb up through the fleet, and cross the line in second place overall. I was amazed at my performance, and even more excited that this positioning would mean that the Princess Royal herself would present me with the award. It was an honour to meet such a distinguished member of the sailing community and I felt she had genuine interest in the club and my experience in the sport. This experience taught me how important perseverance is even when success seems impossible, and that taking risks and pushing yourself beyond your limits can lead to incredible outcomes.”

Click the image to visit the Legacy section on our website.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

... Sofia Vega-Hidalgo, 8X, who performed in the orchestra on violin in a new staging of Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde that featured author Lemn Sissay OBE. Sofia took part in two sold out shows that formed of the programme of events at both the Manchester and Leeds International Festivals.

EMILY SIMON LUNCH

The Emily Simon Society is made up of friends of the school who have pledged to leave a gift in their Will to Withington. This year, the annual Emily Simon Society lunch took place on Wednesday 7th June. After lunch, guests were treated to a lovely afternoon’s entertainment, having been kindly invited to attend one of the final rehearsals of the Junior School’s show, Mary Poppins JR, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

RESTAURATEURS FOR THE DAY

In June, the Food and Nutrition Department welcomed Simon Shaw, Chef Patron of El Gato Negro and Carlos Gomes, who is also Head Chef at one of Simon’s other restaurants, Canto.

We recognise that today’s donors continue to play an instrumental role in continuing the founding ethos of Withington to offer educational opportunities to all girls who have potential, despite economic circumstances, and to provide all our pupils with the best educational experience possible.

In April, we launched the 1890 Circle. This honours those donors who, over the years, have made a significant contribution to this founding ethos by making gifts totalling £50,000 or more. At a lunch at school, a plaque was unveiled by two current Sixth Form Bursary Ambassadors and donors were presented with a specially commissioned picture of the school created by alumna, Alex Sykes (Class of 2021).

We would like to express our thanks to all our donors, without whom 1 in 6 of our Senior School students would not have the opportunity to attend Withington.

The Year 10 GCSE pupils uncovered the recipes of some of the most popular items on Simon’s menu at Habas - a Middle Eastern influenced restaurant in Manchester. They learnt about the importance of food preparation in restaurants and use of ingredients, in addition to different culinary skills such as a hack to de-seed a pomegranate and how to create flavoured oils.

The group gained a real insight into the behind-the- scenes work in the restaurant trade, made their own pitta breads and hummus, and enjoyed sampling all the tasty meals including a lentil dish that has been a core staple on Simon’s various menus since 2005.

This was Simon’s first workshop in a school and we are very grateful to him and Carlos for sharing their expertise. On his visit, Simon said: “It was a real pleasure to come and share our journey with you at Withington and to share some of our recipes and demonstrate some of our dishes. It was great to see the pupils really invested and enjoying the session. We were made to feel so welcome by everyone at the school. A great day had by all and we look forward to seeing you sometime soon.”

VISIT TO BETH SHALOM

In June, all Lower Fifth pupils travelled to the National Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire. The Centre is also known as Beth Shalom, meaning ‘House of Peace’. Whilst at the Centre, students were able to explore the Memorial Gardens, the main exhibition and hear the testimony of a Holocaust survivor.

The Memorial Gardens contain white roses that each represent a family or individual who lost their lives during the Holocaust, and whilst they were not in bloom when we visited, our students were able to get a sense of the number of roses planted there. One of the most moving parts of the day was contributing to the ‘living’ memorial for the children who died in the Holocaust. In Judaism, mourners put stones on graves rather than flowers, and the Centre invites all guests to add a stone to the pile at the front of the garden, so that it will one day have 1.5 million stones; the number of Jewish children who died in the Holocaust.

The museum guides students through the events leading up to the Holocaust, so that they get a real sense of what pre-war Jewish life was like and how that was systematically taken away. Students have studied the Holocaust in Religion and Philosophy lessons this year and have learnt about the life of Leon Greenman, who has a section in the museum due to his work on Holocaust education before he passed away in 2008.

The final part of the day was hearing the testimony of Steven Frank, who survived the Holocaust with his mother and two brothers. Born and living in Amsterdam, Steven’s family were secular Jews and decided to stay in the Netherlands at the outbreak of the Second World War. His father was betrayed by colleagues and died in AuschwitzBirkenau, but Steven and his mother and siblings were sent to Theresienstadt camp in 1943 and remarkably all survived. They were flown to Britain in 1945 and managed to reunite with his mother’s father.

Despite all the terrible difficulties that he experienced in his early life and the loss he would have seen around him, Steven maintained that he has ‘no room for hatred’ in his heart. This was a very moving message for the students.

We are immensely grateful to a friend of Withington who sponsors our annual visit which is incredibly valuable and important. The students approached the trip with sensitivity and maturity, asking thoughtful questions and being superb ambassadors for the school.

MISS DIANA BRUCE Head of Religious Studies

JUNIOR STEM CLUB

In September 2022, Year 12 science students were invited to support the running of our STEM Club. STEM Club took place during one lunchtime period each week and was open to pupils from Lower and Upper II and the Third Form. The Lower Sixth Form students were able to share their passion for STEM by planning and delivering a series of wonderful STEM activities for the younger pupils. Both Mrs Harris, Form I Teacher, and I were present to support the Sixth Form students in the preparation of fully risk assessed activities and in their delivery.

The Lower Sixth students planned a range of fabulous activities from designing protective layers to prevent an egg breaking when it is dropped from a height, to making chromatography butterflies. The students were even able to demonstrate some ‘shocking’ experiments using the Van der Graaf generator.

Congratulations to all the students for planning such a vast range of stimulating activities and also to the pupils who actively participated.

MR KIRK ECKERSALL Teacher of Chemistry

FOOTBALL FUN

On Tuesday 18th April, we were fortunate to be invited to Manchester City’s home, the Etihad Stadium, for a training session to promote diversity in women’s football. We did lot of drills with professional coaches and then were joined by two players from the Manchester City Woman’s Football Team: Bunny Shaw and Demi Brookes. Bunny is a forward who has scored the most goals for her national team, Jamaica, and Demi is a Lioness. The players then held a question-and-answer session, which was inspiring as they told us about how they overcame challenges to succeed at such a high level. It was an amazing experience to be able to train with them and we were delighted to have the opportunity to be there.

ARTS AWARD

We have had an active and dynamic Summer Term across all three of our Arts Award programmes and we are very happy to announce that we are listed as a Trinity Champion Centre for a second year in a row. We are now in the process of assessing 52 Arts Award Explore portfolios from the Junior School, 10 Bronze sketchbooks produced by our Year 7 group and 12 Silver portfolios that have been completed by Year 9 students who have come to the end of their two-year programme. The books will be moderated during the summer holidays, with the aim of having the certificates ready for the Autumn Term.

EXPLORE Juniors

Our inventive and happy bunch of Junior Arts Award students have been working hard to complete their Landmarks themed Arts Award Explore portfolios. Recently, our artists have used their imaginations to design and decorate 3D houses using acrylic paints and posca pens. The houses are brightly coloured and totally unique. Each house is also a little bit special, as you are able to remove the roof to reveal a secret landscape inside. Alongside this project, we have been observing the work of land artists and our groups have ventured outside to have a go at making collaborative temporary artworks out of colourful and tactile pebbles. The girls have also made their own natural collages in response to the work of Andy Goldsworthy, and they have completed lovely watercolour and pen drawings depicting the front of our school. To complete the course, our artists have enjoyed the opportunity to share their work with each other, writing complimentary and positive comments in each other’s books. We are now looking forward to planning and delivering another exciting Arts Award Discover programme for the Autumn term, which will be open to all Junior pupils wishing to take part.

BRONZE Year 7

We were delighted to host a lovely Arts Award Bronze exhibition in the Art Studio during the Summer Term, to celebrate all the inspiring work that our young artists have produced. We have been very impressed by the attention to detail in the Arts Award Bronze portfolios. These jampacked sketchbooks demonstrate everyone’s eye for detail and creative flair. The portfolios showcase work that has been produced during our textile projects. They also include informative artist research pages, descriptive and enlightening reviews from our trip to The Lowry and pages dedicated to the successful Skills Share projects where our pupils had to organise and present their own art lessons to each other. During the exhibition, our artists also presented vibrant mini canvases depicting atmospheric sunsets, and these paintings completed their individual displays nicely. We have had a fantastic and enjoyable year regularly meeting up with our Arts Award Bronze cohort and we are most hopeful that the girls will wish to continue their Arts Award journey in September and join us for the Arts Award Silver programme.

SILVER Years 8 & 9

It was wonderful to see so many visitors attend our Arts Award Silver exhibition. Our artists enjoyed the opportunity to present their framed prints that they produced during the Arts Challenge section of the course, as well as their beautifully composed portfolios. We are proud of the dedication that our Arts Award Silver students have demonstrated throughout the course - and we have been impressed at the outcomes from the printmaking project, where students have experimented with a range of printing techniques before deciding on their own action plan and seeing the project through to fruition. The artists have also spent time reflecting on the experiences of the Withington alumnae who gave their time to the group by sharing insights into their work in the creative industries. We look forward to working with the pupils who will be progressing on to their second year of the course when they will be planning and delivering a special creative enterprise project. For those who have now completed their Arts Award Silver course, we wish them the very best for a creative and artistic future.

AVIKA RAO & TALIAH NOUREIN 8W

LEARN WITH THE LORDS

Our Learn with the Lords this year was with Baroness Helen Newlove, who has been a member of the House of Lords since 2010 and is currently serving as the Deputy Speaker. The most compelling thing about the event was hearing about the circumstances that pushed Helen in the direction of becoming a Lord and the bravery she has shown since then.

Her path towards becoming a Lord was tragic and incomprehensible as it followed the death of her husband, Gary Newlove, who was murdered by a group of youths after he attempted to stop them from vandalising his car. Following this unthinkable event in Helen’s life, she displayed admirable resilience and determination by doing everything within her power to tackle the root causes of what happened to her husband. She told us of the incredible amount of work she has done in this area - tackling the increasing problem of drinking culture in the UK, campaigning for harsher sentences for serious offenders and improved support for victims of crime (due to the lack of support she and her family received after her husband’s death), which led to her setting up up Newlove Warrington in 2008. This considerable amount of influential work led to her being offered a seat in the Lords, which she told us was a great surprise and honour. This preceded her major and notable achievements of being appointed Victims’ Commissioner and then Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.

The Baroness answered our questions with pleasure, sincerity and wit, as she told us of what her day-to-day life looks like as a Lord and the close friends she has made during her 13 years in the chamber. She expressed how she has played a part in bringing about change from within the House of Lords, and that it has much more influence than people may think.

Overall, having the opportunity to speak with and learn from Baroness Newlove was a memorable, informative and moving experience. She was lovely to talk to and we greatly admire her achievements and character.

LARISSA

MEDIEVAL ADVENTURERS...

Year 7 had a fantastic day exploring Conwy and Rhuddlan castles and stepping back in time to uncover life in a medieval castle. Two coaches set off from Withington on what was a rainy morning but by the time the groups arrived at their first location, the clouds had cleared. One coach first stopped at Conwy and the other at Rhuddlan before swapping destinations in the afternoon. The groups wandered around the walls of Conwy, captivated by the views overlooking the River Conwy. At Rhuddlan, the group explored the remains of what was once a grand stronghold, as well as the landscape surrounding the ruin.

Reflecting on the people that had walked those same steps, and considering the conversations and decisions of bygone eras, the trip brought to life the medieval world for pupils who could envision the rich history around them.

STEM OLYMPICS

On Tuesday 16th May, eight Year 9 pupils went to The Grange School to take part in the STEM Olympics. They did us proud and epitomised the meaning of a STEM ambassador. Alongside a fantastic aptitude for the challenging activities that they were confronted with, they also demonstrated the values encouraged in this year’s STEM week: cooperation, empowerment, resilience and leadership. 22 teams took part and represented schools from across the North West. The two teams from Withington won four of the six events, including aerospace engineering, forensic science and rat dissection. The competition was close but one of our teams was crowned overall winner and the other, due to their success, were highly commended. Congratulations to the Sofia Ahmed, Emily Blackwell, Beth Franks-Townsend and Zoe Werner (Highly Commended), and Charlotte Allinson, Jessica Bent, Giorgia Chatterton and Evie Jiang (Winners).

DR JO SMILES Head of Science

KARSKI 12C

Participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at any level requires considerable dedication and commitment, particularly to the volunteering aspect of the award. Our pupils have assisted charities that support elderly people, worked at foodbanks, helped to run school holiday camps for children, spent time in charity shops, on hospital wards, in health centres and places of worship, and helped on site here at school.

Between April 2022 and March 2023, Withington pupils spent 2,769 hours volunteering to help members of their local community or work to help improve the environment. The social value of these hours equates to £13,318. We are incredibly proud of the contributions all of our pupils make not only as part of the DofE Awards. Very well done indeed to all.

INSPIRING FUTURES AT

In keeping with this year’s theme Inspiring Futures, Withington’s Founders’ Day celebration - held at Manchester’s prestigious Bridgewater Hall on 2nd May - was a joyful occasion filled with motivational speeches, wonderful music, poignant readings and heartfelt tributes also to the school’s 2023 Ad Lucem Award winners.

The annual event, a popular fixture in the WGS calendar since 1925, once again saw pupils, staff, parents, alumnae, governors, trustees and friends gather together as a whole school community to commemorate Withington’s foundation 133 years ago, reflect on our pupils’ many activities and achievements over the past 12 months and bid a formal farewell to our outgoing Year 13 leavers. Themes of determination, strength and adaptability resonated throughout the afternoon, through the insights shared by speakers as well as the stories of the three deserving Ad Lucem Award holders. Guest speaker for the occasion was Dr Louise Maynard-Atem, a Withington Class of 2004 alumna and current governor of the school. After presenting this year’s leavers with their chosen books - a tradition she remembered well - Dr Maynard-Atem went on to speak with great passion of her ‘non-linear’ career which, she said, had been inspired by her time at Withington. She outlined her journey from her WGS days to studying Chemistry to post-graduate doctoral research level, then working in Data and Artificial Intelligence, and culminating in the position she now holds as Deputy Director of Data and Insights

with Central Government, which includes working with the Cabinet Office. Her current role involves responsibility for the Government’s digital output across a wide range of tech areas - and she had the audience captivated as she revealed that the national emergency alert that went out on 23rd April to UK smartphones fell to one of her five teams to execute.

Reflecting on her career, which has seen her win a number of national and tech awards, Dr MaynardAtem attributed her success to the combination of skills, values and knowledge she had picked up during her time at Withington: “The career I have been able to build since is very much rooted in the things that I learnt whilst I was here.” She pointed to knowledge and information gained from her academic lessons; attitudes and values that had fostered curiosity and adaptability which has enabled her to interact and engage with people from different faiths and all walks of life; and to the abilities and skills that go beyond the curriculum, helping to develop her expertise in, for example, problem solving, analysis and clear communication. And looking back at the aspirations she had held during her own school days, Dr Maynard-Atem, accompanied at the event by a group of alumnae friends and members of her family, outlined how her ideas and plans had evolved since she left Withington. Urging current pupils to be open to change, she told them, “This year’s theme is Inspiring Futures and hopefully this small snapshot of the things that I’ve been doing over the past 20 years demonstrates that you can’t predict what’s

going to come next. Be open to those changes and you will be well equipped with the skillset, knowledge and values that Withington gives you to navigate the unpredictable.”

In the Headmistress’s Speech, Mrs Haslam spoke of the blend of qualities that makes Withington such an inspirational place and which had resulted in the school being recognised by The Sunday Times as North West Independent Secondary School of the Decade and named as North West Independent Secondary School of the Year for the fourth consecutive time.

“Such success is not inevitable but is the result of the hard work, imagination, skills and attitude of those who make up our community, present and past, and who create the special chemistry that inspires us all to give of our best.” This applies throughout all arenas of school life, she stressed, as the audience were treated to a large-screen slide presentation showing a wide range of activities and achievements across both Senior and Junior year groups. “There is little that cannot be achieved with a commitment to ongoing learning and to what is right, a commitment to determination, great teamwork, kindness and a willingness to go the extra mile.”

Mrs Haslam also paid tribute to Miss Hulme, an inspirational Withington Headmistress (1961 -1985), who celebrated her 100th birthday in November last year. Miss Hulme had established the WGS bursary fund and, as the school works towards its target of enabling one in five of our pupils to

FOUNDERS’ DAY

benefit from a Withington bursary, this year the Fund has been dedicated in her name. Thanking pupils, staff, parents and PTA, governors, trustees, alumnae and friends of the school for their ‘unstinting support’, Mrs Haslam explained that the founders’ vision and our school’s aims are “as relevant to our world as ever in 2023 and our commitment to our young people and to inspiring fulfilling futures remains undaunted”.

Mrs Haslam then went on to present the 2023 Ad Lucem Awards. Launched in 2021, the Awards recognise alumnae - voted for by pupils - who are role models and whose achievements, outlook and conduct reflects the school’s ethos and values, making them exceptional public ambassadors for the school community. Please read about the Ad Lucem Award recipients on pages 14 and 15.

The final speech of the afternoon was by Head Girl, Georgia Campbell, in which she likened her time at Withington to elements from the 2018 Abbainspired film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again; a perfect blend of stories, music and friendship that had “shaped and inspired my future beyond the school walls,” she said.

On stories, she spoke of the similarities between Year 6 Georgia heading off for her Withington interview and today’s version of herself, “full of anticipation and excitement for the future. What Year 6 me couldn’t have anticipated, however, is the immense level of encouragement and inspiration gained along the way. Though, like many of us, I still have no grand vision for what this next chapter

WADHAM COLLEGE VISIT

of my story will bring, through the experiences and people I have learned from here, I’ve gained the confidence to welcome those unpredictable aspects of life with open arms.”

On music, she spoke of her personal interests, encouraging the audience to throw themselves into their own passions, adding: “I have felt so fortunate to be at a school where I’ve been inspired in my love of music by fellow pupils older and younger, as well as the ever-supportive music staff. It is a love I will undoubtedly take with me wherever I end up, and that is a hugely special thing to be given by a school.”

And on friendship, Georgia described her Year 13 peers as ‘an incredible mix of even more incredible personalities’. “Some of the biggest inspirations of my life so far have been the lessons I have learnt from you all: of kindness, resilience, honesty and humour. We have shaped and inspired each other: both in the individuals we are today, and those we hope to become,” she told her cohort. Recognising also the support of ‘this fantastic school community including inspirational teachers, staff and family’, she added: “Whatever our futures have in store for us, whoever we are inspired by and inspire in return, there could be no better starting point than the foundation we have created here together.”

The afternoon’s event had opened with the Chair of Governors, Mr Malcolm Pike’s speech that included the traditional Recital of Founders. Speaking of the school’s foundation and the way

in which the founders’ vision remains true today, he said: “Dedicated to achieving not just academic success in which it more than excels, but more importantly education in its widest sense, it’s a community in which girls are encouraged to have ideas and imagination, instilling in them a sense of belonging and worth and being part of the Withington family. Something that will give each of them a firm foundation for meeting and embracing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, inspiring them and enabling them to inspire others. It’s a community in which the pleasure of learning is its own reward and where collaboration, personal challenge, inclusion and diversity are the order of the day.”

Praising Withington’s devoted and talented staff, supportive parents and the strong qualities displayed by the pupils, he also spoke of the school’s continued investment in its infrastructure, reaffirming that Withington remains in a strong and healthy position.

Withington’s musicians, as always, are to be congratulated on their wonderful contribution. The choir delivered beautiful uplifting performances of Fields of Gold and Run, and the orchestra performed an inspiring version of a West Side Story ensemble - Sections for Orchestra Music. Readings were Look Out - A Poem of Hope by Philip Ardag, read by Third Form pupil, Rushani Gokulan, and Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr Seuss and read by three Lower Sixth students.

On Monday 10th July, Mrs Dowdall, Director of Development, accompanied five of our bursary pupils on a visit to Wadham College, University of Oxford. The trip was organised by the Bursary Foundation, founded by alumna Jenny Hopkinson (Class of 2005), and aimed to give bursary students from local independent schools the opportunity to find out more about life at Oxford University and to help to raise aspirations for the future.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

... Emily Edge and Orli Garnett, Year 10, and Anushka Krishnan, Year 9, on their involvement in the National Youth Choir’s concert to celebrate 40 years since its founding.

The three pupils performed to a sold-out Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 11th April. There were over 900 singers involved from the various youth choirs - Boys, Girls, Training Choir, Youth Choir and Alumni choirs.

Music included an innovative performance of Thomas Tallis’ Spem in alium, sung by past and present choir members, familiar favourites reflecting NYCGB’s past repertoire and the premiere of a newly-commissioned 40-part work by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Ben Parry.

AD LUCEM AWARDS 2023 GAME, SET AND MATCH!

Huge congratulations to alumna Denise Parnell (Class of 1979), who has been named as the first ever female Championship Referee in the history of the Wimbledon tournament. A professional tennis referee, Denise visited Withington last autumn and shared with students that this was one of her career ambitions. We’re delighted that, from 2024, this will be fulfilled.

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of our Ad Lucem Awards 2023 who received their awards at our Founders’ Day celebration at the Bridgewater Hall on Tuesday 2nd May.

Our alumnae are an amazing group of women, excelling in so many different ways and in so many different areas and the Ad Lucem Awards are a way of celebrating some of these achievements, as well as inspiring current pupils. The recipient of an Ad Lucem Award is 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.

Following nominations from the school community, a shortlisting process in which our Head Girl Team 2022-23 were asked to participate and a final vote by all girls in the Senior School, we are delighted to announce that the winner of the Ad Lucem Award for 2023 is renowned fashion designer, Sarah Burton. The recipient of the Young Ad Lucem Award is Kea Bell and the recipient of the Rose Acton Ad Lucem Award is Susanna Thornton.

BURTON (Class of 1993)

Following her studies at Withington, Sarah Burton studied Fashion and Print at Central Saint Martins School of Art in London. She joined Alexander McQueen in 1996 and was appointed Head of Design for womenswear in 2000. In May 2010, she became Creative Director of the brand, having worked alongside Lee Alexander McQueen for more than 14 years.

Since taking the helm, Sarah has produced critically acclaimed collections with a focus on handcraft, establishing herself as a highly accomplished designer with both artisanal and technical expertise. Today she supervises the creative direction and development of all the brand’s collections: women’s and men’s ready to wear and accessories.

In April 2011, Sarah Burton was revealed as the designer of Catherine Middleton’s wedding dress for her marriage to Prince William of Wales. In June 2012, Sarah was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to the British fashion industry.

The trophies presented to the recipients of this year’s awards were based on designs selected by the Head Girl Team 2022-23 from entries to a competition run by the Design Technology Department. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Zaynah Karim and Annabel Mayo in Year 7 and Evie Jiang in Year 9 on their imaginative and innovative designs.

SARAH

Kea attended Withington from 2009, joining the Junior School in Transition. Throughout her time at Withington she was very involved in multiple events and activities. She was committed to music at Withington and, as a percussionist, was often to be seen behind the drum kit in ensembles. Kea was appointed Head Girl for 2019-2020. She currently studies Film Music Composition at Leeds Conservatoire.

During the pandemic, a time of disruption and challenge for us all, Kea was determined to support her community where she could, becoming a volunteer with the Caribbean & African Health

Network (CAHN) and the Life & Friendship Group Burnage. She also sat in on community board meetings as a young representative for the Greater Manchester Combined Youth Authority, a board that allows young people to use their voices to influence policies in GMCR, and for the CAHN Young People Forum.

In August 2020, Kea was awarded with the Young Person trophy at the Outstanding Social Behaviour Awards (OSBA’s), which celebrates the positive impact people have made to the lives of others in the community. She was also awarded a Young Citizen of the Year Award for the Manchester borough by the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester for her volunteering during the pandemic. The Young Citizen Awards celebrated the kindness, thoughtfulness and actions by young people that made a difference to local communities during that year.

In September 2021, she featured in an episode of BBC Radio 4’s The Listening Project. She was in conversation with another guest talking about their different experiences of education. Kea spoke highly of her experiences at Withington and of the ongoing support from the alumnae network once students move on from school. She also spoke about the importance of bursary provision in independent schools and how, as a WGS Bursary Ambassador, she had had the opportunity to speak to young, bright girls still at primary school and encourage them to think about applying to schools such as Withington.

Indeed, Kea was one of the first Bursary Ambassadors at Withington and continues to be a powerful advocate for bursary provision here, sharing her experiences at events and in publications and helping to raise funds for those who follow in her footsteps.

BBQ BONANZA

Making the most of the lovely weather at the start of June, Year 9 Design Technology and Food and Nutrition pupils worked together to prepare a BBQ meal. There were meat and vegetable kebabs and an assortment of colourful and delicious salads, all prepared fresh by pupils. Mrs Da Silva cooked on the BBQ as pupils learned about food and personal safety when using this method of cooking. Sampling their food in the front of school garden was a real treat after a great lesson.

SUSANNA THORNTON (Class of 1986)

This award was created in memory of alumna Rose Acton who died in 2020. It is presented to a Withington alumna who has displayed the 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, as well as inspire them.

Susanna completed her PhD in Chinese History at the University of Oxford, and later an MBA at Manchester Business School. She then worked for Thomson Reuters in Hong Kong, working her way up to Head of Equities Business, Asia, before returning to the UK and later changing careers to work in TV production, using her knowledge of Chinese and of Chinese history.

One of Susanna’s greatest passions is cycling and when Susanna relocated to the UK from Hong Kong, she decided to do so by bike, alone. She wanted to take the time to adjust from Asia to Europe. It was an adventure, of course, not without risk. She coped with food poisoning and altitude sickness and even experienced a serious physical attack. But Susanna says she focuses on all that was good, “which far outweighs the bad”. Passionate about sport and its power to shape lives and build confidence, especially in girls, Susanna raised enough money through the trip to build a sports centre for street children in Cambodia.

A few years ago, Susanna started riding a Brompton bike (a small-wheeled folder) and then, in 2017, started touring on her folding bike, camping wild. This was prompted by an invite from a Withington friend to attend their fiftieth birthday party.

Susanna decided to ride to the party, taking place in the Netherlands. She chose to ride a Brompton, because it seemed the easiest bike to put on the

ferry, and would be small enough to hide under coats in the hall when she arrived. She found she loved the simplicity of touring on a folder, and now has a successful Youtube channel where she documents her Brompton adventures. She doesn’t go fast. She says that for her “a journey by bike is about going slowly, and stopping a lot, to look at a flower, a bird, a leaf, and have a coffee and a bun.”

Susanna has had serious health battles which she has not allowed to dim her enthusiasm and enjoyment of life. Rather the opposite. Now, more than ever, she says she knows that small pleasures are actually not small at all.

Susanna is a great example of someone who has a curiosity and enthusiasm about life and the world about her. She continues to combine many of the qualities valued in our school community today and embodied in the Rose Acton Award - courage, kindness, humour, resilience and a sense of adventure.

junior journal...

CITIZENSHIP DAY

Our theme this year was ‘Bee the Change’, with a focus on community action and sustainability, concentrating on those who have been recognised with honours. Miss Gorman introduced the theme in an assembly and explained to pupils how the UK honours system works. All pupils then took part in different activities based on this throughout the day.

Transition enjoyed some outdoor learning with Mr Williams and some Year 10 helpers. Despite the wet weather, they worked hard to fill our school allotment with lots of new plants, making sure to label each one carefully. Each pupil was able to plant fruit, vegetables, along with some herbs. The girls also designed signs for the outdoor area and we are very much looking forward to displaying these.

In Form l, Year 10s joined the classes for the full day and together they worked in small groups, to find out more about people who have received honours. Each group created a presentation about their chosen person which included a poem they had written collaboratively. The help and advice given by Year 10s to our Juniors proved invaluable when presenting their work. In keeping with our partnership with senior pupils, Form l were also able to watch the matinee performance of Sister Act

Lower ll were delighted to welcome a special visitor into their classes - a Withington parent who was awarded an MBE in 2019. Ms Tay Jiva delivered a presentation to both classes about receiving her honour and held a questionand-answer session. Equipped with this

new knowledge, the girls then took part in a marketplace activity, presenting their findings to their peers.

Ms Jiva also visited Upper II. They asked many thought-provoking questions and were able to look at the honours system with a more critical eye, exploring its potential downfalls. After break, they met Melanie Bryan who was awarded an OBE for her work in business. They explored the honours system in more depth, as Melanie talked through her personal experiences of being nominated and receiving her OBE. When they returned to their classrooms, they took part in class debates where they argued whether the UK Honours System should be reformed for today’s society.

BIKEABILITY

Our Upper II pupils took part in the Government’s national cycle training programme. The girls learned practical skills and gained an understanding of how to cycle and keep safe on our roads; they put all they had learnt into practice with an enjoyable cycle around our local area.

CULTURE DAY

The Juniors held Culture Day in the Summer Term which was a splendidly vibrant celebration of the wealth of diverse cultures that we have within our school community. Each year group had a different focus - food, language, festivals and traditions - and they took part in activities to learn about how these aspects differ between cultures and peoples across the world. Pupils shared their own cultures with their classmates through specifically crafted presentations; girls and staff alike enjoyed wearing clothes representing their own culture.

SWIMMING GALA SPORTS DAY

Despite the drizzly conditions, the Juniors had a brilliant morning at Longford Park Stadium for their Sports Day. Pupils took part in track and field events, spurred on by cheers and encouragement from the stands. Well done to all and thank you to the many parents who attended.

NETBALL

The Swimming Gala was high in energy and enthusiasm as girls competed in an assortment of races to gain House points. The girls loved every minute of the event and it was brilliant to see those less confident in the water enjoy having a go.

ROUNDERS

Ever a popular summer sport, the Junior girls played lots of rounders fixtures during the term. They have developed their skills and techniques, and their dedication and determination never faltered.

The U9 AJIS Netball Tournament took place at the end of April. The team put in an amazing effort and came away with a bronze medal.

Transition enjoyed playing their final competitive fixture against Pownall Hall School. Held at home, they won 7-3.

ATHLETICS

In May, 20 Junior girls from Years 3-6 enjoyed competing against Manchester High School for Girls in athletics. They tried their hand at rounders ball throw, chest push, speed bounce, long jump, 60m sprint and long distance before finishing with a very close and competitive relay. Withington won with 165 points to 141.

At the AJIS competition in June, the team had some good success in the heats but just missed out on the medals this year. Well done to all who took part.

FOOTBALL

The girls have been enjoying developing their football skills during the term, playing in fixtures against other schools. Our U11 squad played in a football festival held at Stockport Grammar School and came away with one win, one draw and one loss. A Year 5 and 6 mixed team also played Lady Barn House School at home in a friendly fixture.

junior journal...

TRIPS & VISITS

The Derwentwater Independent Hostel near Keswick was once again the destination for our Upper II residential. Located right by the shores of the lake, it is a beautiful spot with stunning scenery. There, we enjoyed three days of ghyll scrambling, rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing, coracle building and archery. The girls had a wonderful time creating memories and reminiscing about their time in the Juniors, whilst looking ahead to their next adventure: Senior School.

Lower II also enjoyed a residential trip this term, visiting the Peak District where they had a fantastic few days. They enjoyed a packed and varied programme of activities: making shelters, learning how to create a fire, and climbing up and abseiling down rock faces, to name but a few. One firm favourite was ‘weaselling’ during which they climbed over rocks and boulders and squeezed through the narrowest of gaps, finally ending up in the ‘Grand Canyon’.

Form I visited Holy Trinity Platt Church which is positioned just on the edge of Platt Fields Park, so close that they were able to walk there. Volunteers, Sarah and Pete, explained what the church building is used for and described key elements such as the beautiful stained-glass windows. The girls were then free to explore, locating items such as the lectern and font. They found out what these items were used for, filling in their own booklets all about the church. The girls very much enjoyed experiencing all facets of the church and our Form and Vice-Captains were even allowed to ring the bell.

Upper II also stayed local, taking part in the annual excursion to Stockport Air Raid Shelters. They toured the tunnels in groups and were surprised to learn that they could accommodate as many as 6,500 people, some of whom would walk from Manchester City Centre to find safety during an attack. After the tour, they visited Stockport Museum to uncover more about life during World War Two. They took part in a range of activities such as a demonstration of household tasks, tried on clothes of the era, and learned about different war precautions, including wearing gas-masks.

Transition enjoyed a trip to the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre. There, the girls started by investigating the sugar content and health benefits of a variety of foods. They then had great fun making their own toothpaste and carrying out a fair test, comparing it to the shop-bought variety. Finally, they had the opportunity to explore the galleries and enjoy an interactive approach to learning about different aspects of science and the history behind it.

Form I had a fabulous time with Thomas Taylor, author of the EerieOn-Sea series. He led a workshop which involved the girls creating a character and story from a scribble, demonstrating that ideas can come from nothing. The girls developed their scribbles into what Thomas calls ‘scribble beasts’. They wrote descriptors for their new characters and began to plan a story about what would happen if their character met someone else’s. Thomas rounded the event off by answering lots of great questions and signing some books.

All year groups enjoyed their session with Lancashire Wildlife Trust at the start of the summer term. They made bird feeders, flower seed bombs and cleared areas in which to sow the seeds of wildflowers. A wildlife camera was set up overnight by Hayley from Lancashire Wildlife Trust which recorded some interesting footage of our local foxes!

Transition and Form I were very enthusiastic about their visits from Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, both of whom visited Withington to teach the girls about the roles of these services in keeping us all safe. The police explained to the girls what they should do in an emergency situation and when to call 999, whilst the firefighters spoke about fire safety at home and the importance of knowing how to ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’ and of having a working smoke detector. There was great excitement when the girls were allowed to explore the police van and fire engine. They heard the sirens, saw the locked-up area at the back of the van and learnt how powerful the hose is on a fire engine.

MARY POPPINS

This was a truly fabulous celebration of our Upper II classes as their time in the Junior School comes to an end. After many weeks of rehearsals, they did a wonderful job acting, singing and dancing to bring the tale of Mary Poppins to life. Our younger girls played their part in an assortment of supporting roles performing in dance and song as chimney sweeps, bees and honey pots, birds and the letters of ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’. It was a fantastically uplifting occasion.

A

production practically perfect in ever y way!

INTERMEDIATE BIOLOGY

OLYMPIAD

In June, all Year 12 Biologists took part in the Intermediate Biology Olympiad. This is an annual competition consisting of a one-hour multiple choice paper taken online. The questions are set on topics that students are likely to have covered at GCSE or in the first year of A Level, but with some additional ideas beyond the specification that require problem solving skills and an understanding of core principals. We are thrilled that two thirds of our students achieved an award, including two Silver and ten Bronze awards. Special mention goes to Rosie Lear and Isabella Chen who both achieved Gold awards, placing them in the top 5% of all students who took part. Well done to everyone who took part.

MRS ELIZABETH CORRIGAN Head of Biology

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

...Uma Abbas, 11W, who has been invited to the National Mathematical Summer School at Leeds University in July. The invitation comes following her excellent performance on the UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Challenge, in which she achieved a Gold award.

CHEMQUIZ

On Thursday 15th June, four WGS pupils went to the ChemQuiz event held at Manchester Metropolitan University to enjoy an amazing day filled with lots and lots of chemistry. It was an extraordinary experience encompassing three main parts and included everything from chemistry quizzes and interesting comprehension sessions to an intriguing lab experiment.

We firstly tested our knowledge on a number of chemistry quizzes which helped us to break the ice and get to know each other better as a team through the fun format of it - there were anagrams, warped pictures of chemistry equipment and even a picture round. Next, much to our delight, we spectated a number of fascinating experiments and answered questions about them - we saw rockets blasting across the room, the elephant’s toothpaste experiment and a number of explosions.

The last main event was the lab experiment, where we were given a scenario and we had to use our initiative along with our prior knowledge and skills to create an experiment to find out which soil and water was best for certain plants to grow. On the whole, this task was our favourite, and we were really pleased with our results. The day concluded with a fun challenge to create the longest sentence using the element symbols on the periodic table and we loved creating hilarious sentences that made us all laugh.

It was a fantastic opportunity to participate in such an incredible event, and apart from gaining more chemistry knowledge, we were also able to meet new people and create new friendships across different year groups.

Of the 19 schools taking part, Withington was placed third. Congratulations to Poppy Button, Harmony Coleman, Anushka Prasad and Elizabeth Tsoi.

DR LUCY PITTS Teacher of Chemistry

CHARITY FUNDRAISING

Withington pupils and staff have been busy this Summer Term raising money for various charities and once exams finished, the school became a hive of activity in the short half term that followed.

Year 8 raised money for Bliss, a charity supporting premature or sick babies in neo-natal care, by having a pink accessory day which raised £120. It was lovely to see some colourful accessories such as hats, hairbands, socks around school. Pupils in Year 8 and Year 10 capitalised on the heatwave by having an ice lolly sale supporting Brainwave and the Brain Charity.

The Gambia Team have been busy raising money in the run up to the summer holiday, totalling approximately £1,700. They donned their sports gear to complete a sponsored 5k at Media City. In the Autumn Term of 2023, this money will be going towards helping and supporting pupils at the Mama Tamba Nursery School in The Gambia which we have supported for two decades.

The Junior School has also been busy, organising a tombola that raised £359 for the Read Foundation, a local charity to Withington that supports education for children in Pakistan. In the final week of term, a Year 6 pupil sold fidget toys to the Juniors and raised an impressive £296. A huge well done to the Junior School.

Throughout last term we have donated weekly to the Fallowfield and Withington Food Bank and Emmeline’s Pantry, and I would like to personally thank families and pupils for their kind donations; it has been very much appreciated as demands on foodbanks rise. This term we have raised a total just below £3,000 including our fundraising for The Gambia and Uganda. Our final total for the year is over £21,500. This tremendous achievement is a tribute to the great efforts of all in our community. Thank you for all your continued support in raising money and helping those in need.

MRS NADINE MORGAN Charities Coordinator

FABULOUS FLORENCE ARTS COUNCIL

At the start of the May half-term, I was delighted to take 24 Lower Fifth and Lower Sixth Form students to Florence, along with Miss Brown, Miss Stoddard and Mrs Taylor. We arrived at our delightful hotel, bathed in glorious sunshine, and headed out to the Galleria Dell’Accademia, situated on the South Bank of the Grand Canal, where Michelangelo’s magnificent statue of David is housed. Whilst ‘David’ may be thought of as ‘the main attraction’, the gallery contains many other masterpieces of Venetian painting up to the 18th century.

Staff and students’ breaths were taken away as we turned the corner and saw the impressive architecture of the Duomo for the first time. After taking many photographs in front of the stunning architecture, we continued with a morning of shopping and lunching around the Piazza della Signoria and the Duomo. The Uffizi Gallery was our next stop with Botticelli’s

‘Birth of Venus’ (showing the goddess of beauty and love standing on a giant oyster shell as she arrives on the island of Cyprus), da Vinci’s ‘Annunciation’ and Michelangelo’s ‘Doni Tondo’. Not only is the artwork within totally stunning, the Uffizi itself is one of the most significant pieces of 16th century Italian architecture, built in the classical style.

Our evening walks to local restaurants started in the sunshine and after delicious Italian meals, we would return home through the busy moonlit streets of Florence. There was certainly a sense of excitement throughout the whole trip. In addition to the stunning artwork and architecture, memorable events included seeing numerous newly-weds exiting the Town Hall in the Palazzo Vecchio to bells and cheers; a bride on the Ponte Vecchio (‘old bridge’) posing for her wedding photographs; the meal on the final evening where we ate al fresco at a table for 28 and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Daisy; and many were thrilled to be able to shop in

‘Brandy Melville’ whilst others made a bee-line for the Lego shop!

Our final excursion was to the magnificent Boboli Gardens from which we were able to take in the Florentine vistas from high vantage points in the Gardens. The Gardens are located directly behind Pitti Palace and were established by the Medici family, who created the Italian garden style that would become a model for many European courts. There, we saw Ancient and Renaissance statues, as well as large fountains, such as the Fountain of Neptune and the Fountain of the Ocean. It was the perfect place to spend our final afternoon in Florence - beautiful and relaxing.

The Lower Fifth and Sixth Form were exemplary students throughout the trip, and excellent company. Many thanks to them, and to my wonderful colleagues, Miss Brown, Miss Stoddard and Mrs Taylor for accompanying the trip.

JULIA JOHNSTON Head of Art

I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Student Arts Council. Everyone has been so welcoming, encouraging and supportive from the start and we have got to know each other so well and learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses so we can work well as a team. By sharing my ideas and listening to others, I have developed better communication, listening and empathy skills.

Some things we have done include: completing a school survey to find out what people like about the Arts at Withington and how they can be improved, and speaking in assemblies to share our findings with everyone. Recently, we went to see Titanic the Musical at The Lowry. I was very excited as this was my first time watching a musical. I loved watching the musical as it was a different way of communicating what was happening in the play and I also got to know everyone in my team more by spending time with them outside of school.

Overall, I have loved my time working as part of the Student Arts Council so far. It has led me to so many new experiences, opportunities, and friendships I wouldn’t have been able to have otherwise. I can’t wait to continue in the new academic year.

MRS

NABEEHA SAQIB 8Y

DRAMA

LAMDA EXAMINATIONS HOUSE PLAY IN A DAY

Across three days in the week commencing Monday 12th June, 109 pupils in Year 7 to Year 10 took their LAMDA examinations in either Acting, Devised Theatre or Verse and Prose, which they had been preparing for with their LAMDA teacher since September. The students performed their repertoire of pieces for the visiting examiners and once more to family and friends, who delighted in celebrating with pupils all that they had achieved throughout the year. On Wednesday 14th July, our Year 7 and Year 8 pupils showcased their work, and following another day of exams, on Thursday 15th June, our older students took to the stage, performing one selected piece from their exam repertoire to a supportive audience.

Our pupils worked so very hard and should be incredibly proud of their progress. I would like to extend thanks to the fantastic LAMDA teachers at Withington, Ms Radcliffe, Ms Lavell, Ms Guest and Ms Paul for their incredible support and exceptional teaching this year. This also marked Ms Lavell’s final week at Withington. Ms Lavell has been an exceptional LAMDA teacher and she has worked tirelessly to support the students in their LAMDA journeys since joining us in September 2021. She brought with her a calm approach, outstanding knowledge and years of experience and we wish her all the best. Ms Hotten will be returning in September to rejoin our team and we look forward to working with her again.

Following an exceptionally busy week with four performances of Sister Act including a matinee for Senior Citizens, the final week of term was kick started by our annual House Play in a Day event. This was an impressive feat as many of the students involved had taken part in Sister Act, but in true Withington style, everyone worked exceptionally hard to put on a genuinely fantastic day. Year 12 House Prefects chose a Greek Myth out of a hat and used this as a stimulus to write a play for their cast of Year 7 pupils. The myths featured were Pandora’s Box, King Midas and his Golden Touch, The Story of Icarus and Daedalus, and Baucis and Philemon.

The Year 7 and Year 12 pupils then all worked together for the morning, blocking and directing the pieces before sharing these in front of the whole school in the Arts Centre in the afternoon. Year 7 worked so hard to learn their lines and cues, and the House Prefects ensured the pieces were directed to an exceptionally high standard. Pupils also handled planning and

running the technical requirements including all sound and lighting. They had attended workshops with Mr Walsh in advance to prepare for this role.

The House plays were judged by three members of staff leaving Withington at the end of term: Madame Menzies, Miss Mackay and Ms Donnelly. Our judges were blown away by the confidence, talent, and excellent quality of each play, and they evaluated the pieces based on the quality of the writing, acting, directing and staging, costume, set and props and the use of sound and light. The judges struggled to choose between the four plays but eventually placed Herford as the winners this year!

Congratulations to all involved in what is always an energetic and fun-filled event. Thanks to our Heads of House: Mrs Levene, Mrs Hetherington and Mrs Carter, Mrs Roberts and Mrs Corrigan, for their exceptional guidance and dedication to ensuring the plays were entertaining, professional, and fun.

MEMOIR OF MOROCCO

Nine pupils and two staff members travelled to Morocco on Wednesday 5th July for an 18-day expedition to experience the diverse and remote landscape of the country’s mountains, coastal areas and cities, and gain a real insight into the life and culture of local communities.

It was an early start to the trip and, after a layover in Lisbon, the group arrived in Marrakech at midday. Checking in to their hotel where they would stay for two nights, they enjoyed cooling down in the pool and acclimatising to the weather. That afternoon, the group took a walk to the markets.

The first full day in Morocco was spent taking a walking tour of the city and participating in a cooking class to learn about Moroccan cuisine. Using the many spices, herbs, vegetables and meats at the core of Moroccan food, the group created traditional dishes and ate what they cooked.

The next six days were spent in the Bougmez Valley. Here, the group discovered what life was like in this rural community and joined the Women’s Association as part of their project work in the area. They made local handicrafts, prepared food, tended the fields, washed clothes and litter-picked around the village.

Once their time in the village was up, the group began a four-day trek in the Atlas Mountains to the summit of Mt M’Goun. Morocco’s third highest mountain stands at 4,071m from where the views span across the Draa Valley and towards the Sahara Desert. On the experience, Alice Nolan, 12E, said:

“

It was a difficult trek but we helped each other throughout and kept a positive mindset which made our final days in Essaouira and Marrakech, riding camels, shopping and surfing, all the more rewarding.”

Dof E

BRONZE

Seventy Year 9 pupils embarked on their Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award Expedition on Sunday 2nd and Monday 3rd July. After arriving at Grindleford Station in Derbyshire at 9am, the pupils assembled into their walking groups and met up with the DofE instructors who checked the teams’ routes which they had prepared in advance. They also checked rucksacks for weight and oversaw their fitting.

The groups walked approximately 24km during the two days, over 9km from the meeting point to Glenbrook Outdoor Activity Centre - their overnight camping destination. Here they set up tents and cooked tea using a Trangia. The wet conditions didn’t dampen spirits and the students all completed the expedition successfully.

GOLD QUALIFYING EXPEDITION 2023

The 32-strong cohort of Year 12 pupils travelled by coach to Pooley Bridge at the north end of Ullswater in the Lake District, at the start of the Summer Term. All were equipped with backpacks containing all that they would need to be self sufficient for the following four days, including tents and Trangias. In cool, overcast weather the groups walked around the lake aiming to finish at the camp site at Glenridding. Some teams went around the longer, but flatter east side of the lake, whilst others opted for the more challenging terrain on the west side. All arrived safely in camp and were able to set up their tents and start to prepare dinner in good weather. The camp site was very quiet and with excellent facilities.

On the second day, most of the groups hiked across Scandale Pass before dropping down into Ambleside, whilst two of the groups opted for a more challenging high-level route across the top of the fells. All the groups then walked up to Rydal Hall for their second night of camping in the sunshine and in the lovely grounds of the hall. Here we were the only group camping and had full use of the excellent facilities.

SILVER

As reported in our previous edition, unseasonal freezing temperatures and predicted large snowfall meant the planned practice expedition to Whithough Outdoor Centre, just beneath Pendle Hill in Lancashire, unfortunately had to be postponed. The scheduled qualifier expedition was instead used as the practice expedition at the end of March.

The WGS staff and DofE team were all very impressed with how much these groups had learned on the practice expedition and we all look forward to a very enjoyable and successful qualifier expedition in September which will feature in our next issue.

The third day was long, hot and a real challenge. The groups walked around Rydal and into Grasmere, then over Grasmere Common before dropping down into Borrowdale and our final camp for the night. All the groups found this a very tough day but were full of enthusiasm and excitement about the views, the landscape and their real joy at overcoming this difficult leg of the expedition.

The final sunny day was a picturesque, easy walk down into Keswick, navigating the west side of Derwentwater.

All groups successfully completed the expedition and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award staff all remarked on how impressed they had

been with the attitude and thoughtfulness of the groups. Throughout the four days the pupils were excellent company, cheerful and demonstrated excellent teamwork skills. Particular thanks must go to Mr Parry for driving the minibus on the Gold expeditions for many years, for his generosity with his time and his excellent and enduring good humour and patience. He will be very much missed by the DofE team next year. Thanks also to Mr Tim Deighton and his team of experienced and supportive mountain leaders, without whom the expeditions would not be possible.

DR SUE MADDEN Assistant Head

Withington hosted the second Future Focus Conference in partnership with Manchester Academy in May. Forty Year 9 pupils from both schools spent the morning at the Whitworth Art Gallery hearing from speakers on various topics.

Debbie Dubois, Head of Production for BBC Sport, spoke about the vital role that strong role models and mentors play in everyday life and the value that can be gained from supporting others. Elizabeth Robinson, Head of Sixth Form at WGS, shared tools and tactics for wellbeing, development, and decisionmaking to help the Year 9 pupils plan and prepare for their future lives.

Sara Talai, Art and Design Teacher at Manchester Academy, spoke of overcoming challenges and the importance of community development and empowerment.

Each pupil received a handbook to work through during the conference. It tasked them with thinking critically about what matters to them, their hobbies and interests, and how their future career options may look. The series encourages pupils from both schools to work collaboratively in groups and engage in discussions together.

HOUSE RESULTS

THIRD FORM CHALLENGE CUP

Our Year 7s have had a busy year for their Houses, competing in winter sports, summer sports, the Year 7 quiz, swimming gala and House plays. The final results are:

1ST HERFORD - 64 POINTS

2ND SIMON - 63 POINTS

3RD LEJEUNE - 61 POINTS

4TH SCOTT - 53 POINTS

SUMMER SHIELD

This term, the events contributing to the Summer Shield were:

Library reading challenges, rounders, tennis, sports day, swimming gala, Speak Up! and House plays.

The final results are:

1ST SIMON - 118 POINTS

Withington’s Festival of Words and Voices welcomed a truly wide-ranging and diverse collection of poems, monologues and drama, some of which had been written by the students themselves. Participating pupils performed their pieces in the morning, and all Senior School pupils were treated to a superb performance by the winners and runners up later that afternoon. The occasion was rounded off by everyone in the Arts Centre taking part in reciting the nonsense poem, On The Ning Nang Nong. Working together in Houses to read different lines of the poem made for a fun and uplifting end to the last full day of term.

2ND HERFORD - 110 POINTS

=3RD LEJEUNE - 107 POINTS

=3RD SCOTT - 107 POINTS

THE WHITWORTH • 10 TH MAY 2023

MUSIC RECITAL

Congratulations to all the pupils who performed at the recital in April. It was a splendid evening celebrating not only musical talent but the hard work and determination that goes into the preparation and practice for such performances.

WARM WELCOMES...

UCAS DAY

Year 12 spent a day off timetable focusing on the university application process and other post-18 options. The morning began with a talk on personal statements and the UCAS cycle by Charlotte Stone, Outreach Officer at the University of Nottingham. Students then completed sessions considering other key elements of this process such as interview skills, the practicalities of how to apply to university, and careers advice from Tiegan Yates, Education Liaison Officer at Edge Hill University. During this session, students considered the pros and cons of post-18 options including employment, higher education, degreelevel apprenticeships and taking a gap year. Overall, the day helped students to think critically about their next step and what options are available.

Ms Lindsay Johnson Director of Sport

Mr Steven Humphrys Teacher of RS & Head of PSHCE

Mrs Emily Lowe Teacher of Physics

Mrs Sally Pym Teacher of Maths

Miss Betty Wilson Teacher of History

Mr Nicolas Aguilera Teacher of Spanish

Mrs Anna Clark Teacher of English

Mrs Shahnaz Bickley Teacher of Maths

Mrs Rachel Flood Teacher of PE

Mr Richard Daniel Senior Science Technician

Mr Richard Edge Teacher of Maths

Ms Kelly Hotten LAMDA Teacher

Mr Nicholas Goodwin Junior School Teacher

Miss Lisa Hegarty Subject Lead French

Dr Lindzai Taylor Senior Science Technician

Mr Jeremy Salter Teacher of Maths

Mrs Yorke Menzies Head of French

Mr Andrew Parry Teacher of Maths

Miss Lily Mackay Teacher of English

Mrs Farah Hafezji Teacher of RS

Mrs Rachel Lavell LAMDA Teacher

Mr Aftab Hussain Teacher of Physics

Mrs Jill Bowie Teacher of English

Mrs Susan Breckell Examinations Officer

Mrs Moazmah Ahmad Teacher of Physics

Mr Adam Fitzpatrick Network Engineer

Ms Sandra Donnelly Head of Economics (Temporary)

Miss Pippa Gibb Teacher of Drama

SOUTH AFRICAN SOJOURN

South Africa was the destination of another international trip during the summer. A group of 26 pupils from Years 10 to 13 and four members of staff departed Manchester Airport on Sunday 16th July to embark upon a combined netball and hockey tour which also included taking in the sights and experiences of Cape Town. Withington played fixtures against Wynberg Girls’ High School, Springfield Convent School, La Rochelle Girls’ High School and Bloemhof School - a school so renowned in South Africa for its sporting prowess that the England Netball team, in South Africa for the Netball World Cup, had been training at their facilities the previous day.

At the start of every fixture, WGS presented the schools with a specially made plaque to commemorate the visit and afterwards, the South African pupils received Withington pencils as a token of appreciation for their hospitality. It was clear that the opponents WGS faced were used to playing together as a team, whilst the WGS side, a mixture of Years 10, 11 and 13, did exceptionally well to hold their own, working well as a team, playing out of position or even in a sport they don’t normally play.

The 10-day trip included many incredible adventures for the group - exploring Table Mountain, surfing at Muizenburg Beach, an Afrikaans lesson, a game drive and whale watching - all with tour mascots, Geraldine Giraffe and Zoe Zebra, in tow. Much to the group’s delight after missing seeing them at Bloemhof School, they spotted the England Netball co-captains Natalie Metcalf and Layla Guscoth whilst picking up lunch at the V&A Waterfront. Miss Mottershead and some of the girls took the opportunity to have a photo with them.

The group went to Cape Town’s oldest township, Langa, where they split into two groups for a walking tour of the area. They visited a creche and a local artist’s studio. At lunch, they were treated to a buffet of traditional food with the addition of some local music. Everyone joined in with the singing and dancing, including a giant conga, and some of them had a go on the traditional instruments. They also visited the Goedgedacht Trust Farm in Malmesbury. This is a charitable trust that works with the local rural communities providing education, support and aid to people in the surrounding area. They had a tour of the farm and were able to taste many of the different things that they grow including herbs, lemons and

olives, although these were olives grown for olive oil and so were not as pleasant tasting as expected. Withington pupils played games, danced and sang with the children, and later that afternoon played netball fixtures against local girls who have been supported by the Trust. Mrs Roberts said:

“ We received the warmest of welcomes, and everybody was quite emotional when it came to saying goodbye, but we were buoyed by the fact that the girls’ fundraising efforts were going to such a fantastic cause.

Withington were the eventual winners of both netball games but the whole experience was more important than the score in the end. We also donated some sports equipment to the trust, including balls and bibs, which were very gratefully received. The whole day was such a fantastic experience and one which will surely stay with both girls and staff for a long time to come.”

Dof E GOLD AWARDS

Eight Withington Class of 2022 alumnae celebrated their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Buckingham Palace in the week of 15th May 2023. During the week, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh welcomed 9,000 Gold DofE Award holders to Buckingham Palace Garden across two days - his first celebrations as the charity’s Patron.

Congratulations to them all.

POETIC PROSE

Two Withington pupils were recognised in the Girls’ Schools Association creative writing competition, which received over 1,000 poems on friendship. Congratulations to Hamna Khan, Year 6, for winning the aged 7-11 competition and Imogen Polley, Year 8, who was the runner-up in the 11-14 years group. The poems were judged by poet Karen McCarthy Woolf on their originality, creative expression, language and interesting use of form. Hamna was invited to the GSA’s Summer Briefing in London at BMA House to perform her poem to an audience of Heads from across the country. Very well done to them both.

HOW TO BE A GOOD FRIEND

A Villanelle

Together is where friends belong.

Good friends lift and cheer us. But remember -

The only way to have a friend is to be one

Be loyal so they can trust you

Listen and offer kind support

Together is where friends belong

Laugh together and make them smile

Be joyful when times are hard

The only way to have a friend is to be one

Accept them for who they are

Celebrate your differences and let them grow

Together is where friends belong

Value their opinions; give your honest ones back

Understand when it is time to be silent

The only way to have a friend is to be one

Cherish all your memories

And embrace opportunities to make many more

Together is where friends belong

The only way to have a friend is to be one

IMOGEN POLLEY Y8

CHANGE THE PEOPLE SURROUNDING YOU. CHANGE YOUR VIEW.

I hate my friends

And you’ll never hear me say

I love my friends

I always say

Be alone

And I won’t

Lend anyone a pad or a tampon

I’ll always

Distance myself

And I’ll never

Hold a conversation with anyone

I try to

Make myself invisible

And don’t

Participate in class

And I always say to myself

I am too scared

And you’ll never hear me say that

I Have a true best friend

*NOW READ THAT AGAIN BACKWARDS*

I Have a true best friend

And you’ll never hear me say that

I am too scared

And I always say to myself

Participate in class

And don’t

Make myself invisible

I try to

Hold a conversation with anyone

And I’ll never

Distance myself

I’ll always

Lend anyone a pad or a tampon

And I won’t

Be alone

I always say

I love my friends

And you’ll never hear me say

I hate my friends

HAPSoc JULIUS CAESAR

On a Tuesday in May, the History and Politics Society (HAPSoc) welcomed Dr Philip Beagon, a former Head of Classics at Oldham Hulme Grammar, to deliver a talk on the controversy surrounding the Elgin Marbles. He gave an insight into the questionable past of the Marbles which were purchased from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in the 17th century. These marbles were part of a collection of Ancient Greek sculptures taken from the Acropolis of Athens. The ownership of these marbles has been a source of much debate; should they return to their country of origin or should they remain in one of the most visited museums in the world? What followed was a lively discussion which allowed pupils to view the issue from an economic, political, and moral standpoint. The talk, one of the most attended of the year, raised the question of who artefacts truly belong to. We all thoroughly enjoyed this and were captivated by Dr Beagon’s inspiring enthusiasm for the topic. On top of this, it was a privilege to be a part of Dr Beagon’s ‘full circle moment’; with one of his first lectures, which happened to be at an all girls’ school, being on this very same topic.

BELLA SMART 12E

This term, HAPSoc has hosted a wide variety of talks on both history and politics, with topics ranging from Anglo-Saxon Britain all the way to the political structure in North Korea. The start of term saw Mr Eccles, Teacher of IT, deliver a fascinating talk on his secret passion, Anglo-Saxon Britain. In delving into this period of British history, he considered the Viking and Anglo-Saxon invasions of Britain and highlighted the significance of the years between the departure of the Romans and the arrival of William the Conqueror in 1066, exploring the theme of Britain as a nation of immigrants.

Other topics covered this term included the rise of the far right online and the totalitarian dictatorship in North Korea, with a talk on the intriguing life of Eliza Hamilton and her political significance bringing the year to a close. This term, we also welcomed a guest speaker, Dr Beagon, who brought Ancient Greece to life, as he combined classics, history, and politics into a riveting talk about the controversy surrounding the Elgin Marbles.

Debates have also been a new addition to HAPSoc this term and have covered topics including the role the monarchy plays in today’s society and whether governments should be held accountable for the crimes of their predecessors. Whilst debating current political issues, we have also explored their historical significance. These interesting and thoughtprovoking discussions have proved a success and we hope to include more stimulating debates next year. We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in making HAPSoc a success this year and invite all pupils to join us next year if they would like to find out more.

LORNA ABBOTT

CLASSICS IN BATH

The Classics Department organised a trip at Easter for 32 pupils from Year 8 and 9 to explore some of the best Roman sites in Britain, looking at baths, amphitheatres, a fortress and towns. Harbaani, Tannishtha, Elspeth, Anjali and Avika (Year 8) have written the following:

On the first day of the Easter holidays, we met at school to embark on our trip to Cirencester, Bath and South Wales. Our adventure lasted one night and two days, and was packed to the brim with excitement and joy from both staff members and students alike. On the first day, we travelled to Cirencester, our first stop where we saw the remains of one of the biggest Roman amphitheatres in the UK and learned how to read a Roman tombstone in the museum. After looking around and buying souvenirs, we hopped back on the coach and went to our accommodation in Bath.

We took a stroll to admire the architecture and explore the streets of Bath, where, to our surprise we found a bubble tea store and a sushi restaurant. A popular souvenir for all of us was the rich, homemade fudge, which even had a student discount, making it all the more inviting! After a restful sleep, we gathered our luggage and set off to the Roman Baths where we tried some of the fresh spring water, which was… interesting! Soon after, we went to Caerleon in South Wales, where we saw another amphitheatre and had fun recreating some exciting gladiator fights, as well as going to a few smaller museums - and met an adorable cat in the gardens! To finish our trip off, we stopped at a service station in Gloucester for a scrumptious meal. We would like to thank Mrs Howling and all the staff who accompanied our journey - we all had a lovely time and made some unforgettable memories.

“

In June, the Classics Department took a group of 14 pupils from Years 9 to 13 (two of whom had finished their A Levels that afternoon!) to see Julius Caesar, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at The Lowry Theatre in Salford. As one Year 13 remarked, the RSC never let you down and this production kept the pupils gripped to the end, with its innovative staging and choreography, black blood and jazz music.

Beth Franks-Townsend and Natalia Mei in Year 9 said:

We had the pleasure of going to The Lowry to see a modern adaptation of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, and it was so interesting and thoughtprovoking to watch. The actors were amazing and conveyed the Roman characters in such an inspiring way and we particularly loved the assassination scene of Caesar and Mark Antony’s speech. Overall, the trip was really interesting and broadened our knowledge of Roman history. Thank you to the Classics teachers for taking us.”

SPORT

What an electric and incredibly supportive atmosphere it was at our Senior School Sports Day 2023! As well as putting their all into their events, students could also be seen and heard giving as much encouragement as possible to each other, cheering on their housemates with specially crafted banners and glitter, lots of glitter.

Three records were broken this year. Congratulations to… Ebube Emeka Mocha (Herford) who threw the furthest out of all year groups and broke an almost 20-year shot putt record by a huge 88cm with a distance of 8.27m.

Emilia Cichocki (Simon) who broke the javelin record from 2017 by 46cm with a distance of 20.36m.

Rafaella Ingleby-Castleton (Scott) who broke last year’s record by 12cm with a distance of 8.79m in the Year 10 Triple Jump. Well done to Matilda Wright on winning the mile in a time of 6 minutes 34 seconds.

It was a very close contest but congratulations to Simon who were the winning House by only one point! Well done to everyone who took part - we even managed to dodge the showers.

The Swimming Gala was a lively and energetic event as pupils competed in various races to gain valuable House points towards the Summer Shield. Teamwork was at its finest as pupils cheered on their Houses in an assortment of races. Well done to all our swimmers.

SCOTT

1ST SIMON - 205

3RD HERFORD - 191

2ND LEJEUNE - 204

4TH SCOTT - 184

ATHLETICS

Congratulations to our athletes who have had a stellar athletics season.

Year 7 athletes were overall winners at Manchester Schools Track & Field Championship, securing a total of ten medals; eight gold, one silver and one bronze.

Year 7 also won the Sale Harriers Competition where they earned seven gold, two silver and one bronze medals.

Year 7 A Team were overall winners at the Manchester Schools Quadkids Athletics Competition and the B team placed fourth of 16 teams.

The joint Year 7 and Year 8 team finished as runners-up with 321 points at the North West Regional B final of the English Schools Track & Field Cup.

The joint Year 8 and Year 9 team were overall winners at the Manchester Schools Track & Field Championship, securing two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

Six Year 9 pupils took part in the Manchester Schools Athletics Competition whilst the

EQUESTRIAN UPDATES

Izzy Caldwell, 10Y, had a very successful competition as part of Team GB in Le Mans at the International Nations Cup. She was placed third in the team test and in the freestyle to music, and fifth in the individual test. Izzy won both the under U18s team and individual sections at the Somerford Premier League Dressage Competition, as well as being shortlisted for the Junior European Team at only 15 - the age for the juniors category is up to 18. Congratulations Izzy.

rest of the year group were on their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition, securing a silver medal in javelin.

At the Sale Harriers Competition, Year 9 finished in third place and secured one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

At the Manchester Schools Athletics Competition, Year 10 won six gold and six silver medals in a variety of track and field events.

UMPIRING ROUNDERS

All four Senior rounders teams progressed to the Manchester Schools Final held at St Bede’s College. The U12s, U13s and U15s won their fixtures to become competition champions and the U14s came away with a silver medal.

Well done to the group of Year 10 and Year 12 pupils who umpired at the National Pop Lacrosse Finals on Wednesday 28th June. The competition was held by England Lacrosse, and the team umpired superbly, brimming with confidence, knowledge and maturity.

TENNIS

The U12, U13, U14 and U15 tennis teams played fixtures away against Cheadle Hulme School, and at home to Alderley Edge School for Girls and Manchester High School for Girls, each time coming away as overall winners.

The U13 team had success in the Lawn Tennis Association Schools Championships, finishing the term as regional champions.

Very well done to Melissa Hargreaves, 7X, on her participation in the Inter Regional Competition held at Vale View International Equestrian Centre in Leicestershire during the weekend Friday June 30th to Sunday July 2nd 2023. At the competition, she finished in the top 10 as an individual. Melissa has also been selected to ride for the North and West of England in her age category and qualified for an event at which she will compete against more senior riders.

BERLIN TRIP

Twenty-three pupils in Years 8, 9 and 10, accompanied by Herr Cumberford, Frau Siddons and Mr Eccles, set off on a whistle-stop tour of Germany’s capital on Saturday 8th July.

After an eye-wateringly early rendezvous at Manchester’s Terminal 1, the group flew to Berlin’s sparkly new Brandenburg Airport before taking the first of many trips on the S-Bahn city railway to check in to their accommodation, in a bustling city hostel. After a quick freshen-up, the group travelled to Potsdamer Platz for lunch, which pupils chose and ordered themselves in German. A huge international dance music festival had taken over much of the city centre, filling the group’s subsequent walk to the Reichstag with exotic sights and sounds. Finally, having made it through the thronging crowds to the home of the German Parliament, the group enjoyed the iconic glass dome that sits above the debating chambers and offers 360-degree views of Berlin’s cityscape.

As the temperatures soared, the group sought shelter under the parasols of a streetside café, where pupils quickly mastered how to order ice creams and chilled drinks. We finished the day by sampling Berlin’s iconic spicy sausage, Currywurst, in a riverside restaurant.

The next day began with a visit to Little Big City - a hands-on attraction with models, holograms and

projections displaying over 750 years of Berlin life. It was unusual to see a miniature world which was so exquisitely detailed, and so unflinching in its depiction of the turbulent past of this city which has so often played a pivotal role in history, and pupils especially enjoyed the interactive elements, such as pulling a lever to bring the Berlin Wall crashing down. Also on the agenda was ascending the 368 metre tall Berliner Fernsehturm (TV Tower). An emblem of Berlin’s modernity dating back to the era of the communist German Democratic Republic, the tower offers incredible views from the highest point in the city which made for a great photo opportunity.

After having lunch and doing some shopping in Alexanderplatz, the group visited Berlin Zoo, where they were enchanted by the giant yet gentle-looking pandas, bequeathed to Germany by the Chinese government as a high-level gesture of détente in 2017. The Panda Garden was officially opened by the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The day continued with a lovely evening meal of schnitzel and potato salad in the Bavarian-style Hofbräuhaus, complete with live oompah band; a few pupils took up the option of dancing along! For those older students who still had enough energy, the evening concluded with a walk along the East Side Gallery. This open-air art gallery

is over 1,300 metres long and is the longest continuous section of the Berlin Wall still in existence. Immediately after the wall came down, 118 artists from 21 countries began painting the East Side Gallery, and it officially opened as a gallery in 1990.

The final day of exploration started with a tour of Berlin’s Olympiastadion - home to the Bundesliga football club Hertha BSC, and host to many top-flight sporting events and concerts. It was originally built for the notorious 1936 Olympic Games, which was intended by the Nazis to be a showcase for their supposed achievements, and an attempt to deflect the wider world’s attention from the awful persecution, injustice and murder which they were already inflicting on many groups and individuals in German society. The tour offered an opportunity to reflect on how the Berlin Olympics’ standout champion, African-American athlete Jesse Owens, undermined Hitler’s evil racist ideology with personal dignity and by the brilliance of his performance. Pupils and staff were also awed by a beautiful chapel covered in gold-leaf which footballers use for spiritual focus before playing games at the stadium.

The group’s next stop was The Berlin Wall Memorial which offers real insight into life during this period of division. By way of contrast, the lunchtime visit to the colourful and sprawling

Mall of Berlin with its jaw-dropping food court was a highlight for many pupils. They proceeded to the German Spy Museum where they viewed unique artefacts from the world of spying, were introduced to the methods of the East German Stasi and heard testimonies from top agents from the Cold War era.

Stopping for a time of reflection at the Holocaust Memorial, the group found the renowned 2,711 concrete blocks to be striking, and as they moved through the site, they learned about the stories of families affected by the persecution and took time to reflect and remember the millions who lost their lives.

No visit to Berlin can be without a photo opportunity at the city’s best-known landmark –the Brandenburg Gate, and this was our final port of call before a visit to a retro fifties-style diner for our evening meal.

Another very early morning flight brought the group back to Manchester after what had been an enriching and thoroughly enjoyable experience for all. The pupils immersed themselves in the city’s poignant history with respect and the combination of memorials and contemporary landmarks underscored the importance of acknowledging the past while embracing the present.

LACROSSE INTERNATIONALS

In our last issue, we noted the strong presence of Withington pupils, past and present, and staff members at the Lacrosse Home Internationals held in Nottingham on 15th and 16th April. There were nine members of the Withington community representing England, Scotland and Wales in both the men’s and women’s tournaments and in all age categories.

Participation in competitions by members of the Withington community continues to be strong. The 2023 European Lacrosse Federation Women’s U21 Lacrosse Championship took place in Prague at the beginning of July and selected for the tournament were Year 10 pupils Carys Bucknall (Scotland), Eva Bowie (Scotland) and Kit Towers (Wales), and alumna Charlie Bell (England).

On their selection to represent Scotland at the European Championships, Eva and Carys said:

“ We loved every moment of being in Prague for the Euros, both playing for and being part of such a tightknit Scotland team. We learned a lot, managed to avoid sunburn, and loved chatting to players from other countries. And we had the best kit!”

JODRELL BANK

Kit Towers said:

“I was honoured to play in the Home Internationals in April. I was also thrilled to be selected for the European squad, the preparation for which involved playing numerous university teams all over the UK and training and playing alongside much older athletes for selection.”

At the end of July, Kit played in the Italia Cup in Lake Como, competing against teams from across the UK, USA and the host nation. In June, Mr Drew Bickerton, WGS’s Lacrosse Coach, played at the 2023 Men’s World Championship in San Diego, California where England placed sixth of 30 teams.

On the World Championship, Mr Bickerton said:

“

This was my first World Championship on the England Senior team and to experience playing against the best in the world is what you dream of. Scoring my first senior goal against Canada was such an amazing feeling, then going on to score three more in three games was incredible.

I’m looking forward to implementing what I learnt at the World Championships - the high-level drills and experiences on and off the pitch - in lessons and extracurricular practices to lead onto even more success for lacrosse at Withington.”

On Wednesday 10th May, the Year 8 pupils visited the world-famous telescope at Jodrell Bank, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On arrival, pupils were first treated to a look inside the Space Pavilion where they learned how the telescope works and how the ‘invisible’ can be seen by using radio waves. There were plenty of interactive exhibits, including listening to the sounds of the Big Bang, and printing live readouts directly from the Lovell Telescope. We then moved to the Space Dome where pupils experienced a film about the depths of space on a huge, curved projection screen. Next, was a fascinating talk by Withington alumna and Education Officer, Lexie Southern, about her career in space physics. Despite the rainy weather, we managed to finally get outside to get a close-up view of the 76m (42ft) radio telescope, one of the biggest and most powerful radio telescopes in the world. I would like to thank Mr Forrest for organising such an interesting and engaging school trip.

KAREN MICHAEL Subject Lead Physics

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

...

Anna Bocharova, 13E, on the forthcoming publication of her second book, The Theory of Balance, published under the pseudonym, Maestra.

The Theory of Balance is a sociopolitical novel about the inevitable fall of a society that has achieved ultimate knowledge, and therefore power. It is a multi-disciplinary work that wraps scientific and philosophical inquiry into a fantastical literary experience, with quantum mechanics serving as the principle on which an omniscient society was built. In the novel, all aspects of the human experience, including emotions, thoughts, memories and the imagination are quantifiable and solid.

Anna began writing this novel in Year 9 and completed it in Year 12. During that same school year is when her first book Flames Cast No Shadows - a poetical anthology - was published and is available to buy on Amazon. Anna has illustrated the covers of both books and has already set to work on her third book: a collection of short horror stories.

To her fellow students Anna said: “My word of advice in regards to balancing schoolwork with other interests is to have a strong sense of priority. This is different for every person and you are the only expert on yourself. Hard work is the key to your dreams, but originality is the lock - and a key without a lock is useless. So work hard, originally.”

MRS

Charlie Bell

Carys Bucknall & Eva Bowie

Chess Grey, Ailsa Stott & Mrs Steph Roberts at the Home Internationals

Kit Towers Mr Drew Bickerton

SUMMER CAMPS

WGS hosted two weeks of exciting activities for children during the summer holidays. In the first week of events from Monday 24th July, the school was a hive of activity with all summer camps running concurrently. On offer this year were Art, Theatre and Multi-Sports, which also ran for a second week.

The Art camp, centred on David Attenborough’s latest TV series, Wild Isles, gave the young artists an opportunity to create a diverse range of artworks in both 2D and 3D. They created sculptures, paintings, drawings, textile artworks and unique crafts such as an aquarium made using recycled materials, learning about the fascinating creatures and landscapes of Britain as they progressed through the course. On the

final day of the three-day course, the artists held an exhibition for family and friends where they displayed all their fabulous creations. With a theme of ‘The Elements - Air, Fire, Water and Earth’ and a focus on Withington’s history, the Theatre camp made for a fun week of singing, dancing and acting. The children took part in a variety of performing arts including script work, physical theatre, stage fighting, creative dance and choreography, creating music and developing sound. With boundless enthusiasm, the actors devised their own pieces of drama utilising the many skills, techniques and styles they had learnt during the process which they showcased to a captivated audience.

The uncertainty of the weather during the two weeks of Multi-Sports did not diminish the fun and enjoyment. There was an extensive assortment of activities on offer to the children which included netball, lacrosse, cheerleading, tennis, badminton, cricket, gymnastics, ultimate frisbee and circuit training. Everyone took the activities in their stride and with positive attitudes and smiling faces, they tried something new. On one of the more unfavourable weather days for outside activities, the children honed their creative skills to design colourful posters about the camp.

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