Withington Girls' School

Infobox School2
name = Withington Girls' School
motto = " Ad Lucem" (Latin: "Towards the light")
established = 1890
type = Independent
head_name = Headmistress
head = Janet Pickering
city = Fallowfield
state = Manchester
country = England
pupils = 760 (approx.)
free_label = Founders
free = C.P. Scott and Simon Herford
website = [http://www.withington.manchester.sch.uk www.withington.manchester.sch.uk]

Withington Girls' School is an independent day school and provides education for girls between the ages of seven and eighteen.

Traditions

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

Withington is a school that has a number of distinctive features. In essence it retains the founding governors’ commitment to high academic standards, where love of learning is seen as its own reward and a broad curriculum includes extra-curricular as well as the formal taught curricular provision. From beginnings in the junior department, where the younger girls are bright and keen to learn, the school aims to produce confident, thoughtful young women who show great independence of mind and continue into higher education. [ [http://www.isinspect.org.uk/reports/2001/1335_01.htm Independent Schools Inspectorate - Report on Withington Girls School 2001] ]

The school is situated in Fallowfield, Manchester, United Kingdom.

Its aims

The founders of the school stipulated that:

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

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

Present day

Withington Girls’ School was founded in 1890 by a group of eminent Manchester families who wanted the same educational opportunities for their daughters as were already available for their sons.

Founders' Day is celebrated in the autumn term when all members of the upper sixth receive a book to recognise their contribution while at the school.

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

On joining the school, girls are assigned to one of the four houses Scott after Charles Scott (blue), Lejeune after Louise Lejeune (red), Herford after Caroline Herford(Green) or Simon (yellow)

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

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

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

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

The school suffered a serious arson [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/66/66239_schools_count_the_cost_of_arson.html attack] in August 2003.

Notable alumnae

* Judith Chalmers, English television presenter
* Sarah Foot, mediaeval historian
* C. A. Lejeune, author
* Flic Everett, journalist
* Christine Rice, opera singer
* Esther Rantzen, television presenter

References

External links

* [http://www.withington.manchester.sch.uk School website]

News items

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3601126.stm Girl beats cancer in 2004]
* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/121/121663_head_hails_heroes_of_school_inferno.html Thanking firemen in June 2004]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2911059.stm Academic success in 2003]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3112668.stm Arson on August 22 2003]