Editor: Mr Ray King Publicity Officer Welcome to ! Mobile: 07768 022 082 The school extended a very warm welcome to the following key members of staff who took up their posts at the start of this term. Biology Field Trip

The Upper Sixth Biologists had an early start to the new school year, spending the final week of the holiday on the Biology Field Trip. The girls spent their time at a residential field centre outside Betws y Coed in North Wales, studying the range of beautiful and diverse habitats in the area. Sunny days were spent in ancient woodland, freshwater streams and in the sand dunes at Harlech. AUTUMN... 2006 The week culminated in a very wet mountain day looking at conservation issues in the National Bulletin Park of Snowdonia.

Mr Ian M Arriving back at school after such a busy and tiring week, the girls had the satisfaction of knowing eary has joined us from cKenna arrived fro a Vilela, who has joined the Remarkable Results! h N m ristin Head’s Lines Miss Niam Q the Dr C that their A2 coursework was complete. r Transition Form ueen’s School, Che from St Bede’s College as ou ster, to teach Biology staff, came to Dear Readers or girls just Religious and Gen in Molecular OUTSTANDING performances in A-level and GCSE examinations in 2006 confirmed Withington’s status as Teacher, in charge of Juni eral Studies. A keen Lisbon, and gained her PhD on careers. climber, walker chester, barking on their Withingt and singer, he ran t Biology at the University of Man one of the top five schools nationally. As ever, it has been a pleasure to em English football team he ary is also co-ordinating at Queen’s and m here she taught and also worked as a welcome new and returning pupils and Miss Ne Mr Syrus ay join w A 100% pass rate at A-Level with 95.1% of all papers awarded A and B grades, saw the school placed oss the Junior School. in coaching our bu scientist. teaching acr stars. dding soccer research third in the Daily Telegraph National League Table and a record-equalling score of 94.4% of GCSE papers staff at the start of a fresh academic gaining A*/A grades secured fifth position. year and the School is once again The A-level achievement means that every Sixth Former holding a conditional university offer is able to go buzzing with activity, both in and out of Lacrosse in Prague the classroom. Many of our Upper Sixth to the University of her firm choice. This year’s leavers are entering top Universities across the UK to study a wide range of courses; 18 out of a total of 82 will be joining Oxford and Cambridge Colleges. leavers returned for a special afternoon Withington’s senior Lacrosse squad chalked up a string of impressive victories before securing fourth place tea on 13th September – an opportunity overall in an International Tournament in Prague in July. The excellence of the collective results included many notable individual achievements in both A-Level and to catch up on recent news and views GCSE examinations. A total of 14 pupils received Top Candidate Awards and their 20 Awards covered ten Encouraged by a ‘play your best and have fun’ team talk from Miss Day, Withington took on the before taking up their University or gap- different subjects. tournament favourites, the Czech Republic, in the first match and ran out surprise 10-9 winners. year places. Details of their outstanding Hannah Darke was amongst the Top Ten who achieved the highest overall marks in Drama and Theatre The next match was equally close, though this time Withington lost a tough encounter with the A-level results, together with those at Studies in the first year the subject was offered at Withington at full A-Level. Americans from the Institute of Notre Dame (IND), Baltimore, 6-7. GCSE-level of this year’s Lower Sixth, are Thirteen GCSE candidates gained one of the top five marks nationally: given herein. Following a sightseeing tour to Wenceslas Square in the centre of Prague, Withington came face to face with Hong Kong and then The Alice Ottley School (Worcester) and rattled up convincing victories of 11-1 Eleanor Morris (French, German and Mathematics), Alex Caulfield (History and Mathematics), Melissa This Bulletin also gives a flavour of the and 10-0 respectively. Hussey (History and Mathematics), Maral Rouhani (German and Chemistry), Sophie Allweiss (English many successful trips, in-school Literature and Mathematics), Charlotte Hughes (Spanish), Meng Ying Dong (Mathematics), Becky Foxler The latter stages of the tournament, however, proved more difficult. Withington’s close 2-3 semi-final activities, and individual pupil (Double Award Science), Olivia Atkinson (History), Lucy Green (History), Lucy Jones (French), Laura Cress defeat by the Czechs was followed by a 5-7 upset against IND in the play-off for 3rd place. achievements over the summer weeks. M (English Literature), and Neda Taghinejadi (Mathematics). rs Zoë Goldman ishing A- Mr David C has joined us r Stephen Boddy is establ ritchlow, our new Art The imminent launch of our new website new head of C as the M A Tech Overall 62 girls, 78% of the 79-strong year group, gained all A* and A grades. DT from Henbu conomics at Withington. nician graduated at prompts me to welcome parents and School, Mac ry High Level E is clesfield. Mrs G f St Catherine’s, Oxford, h University in Pottery and Ceramics a Pearl von Herder achieved A* GCSE results in Russian and German taken one year early and Meng Ying excited ab oldman is graduate o nd Senior Club members to contact the out introducin as at Shelley College, runs ceramics workshops for Dong gained an A in A-Level Chinese two years early, having obtained an A at AS last year and A* at GCSE aided d g computer- previous post w special School by email. Messages sent to esign into the C oddy will also teach needs children. DT Curriculum. Huddersfield. Mr B in 2004. Angela Li, who arrived in the UK only two years ago, achieved A grades in AS Chinese and office@withington..sch.uk hy and General Studies. Politics, Philosop Mathematics a year early. will be forwarded to the appropriate Continued inside. member of staff. Just before the start of term, fourteen paintings that constitute the inaugural works in The Bain Art Collection were hung in various locations around the School. Miss Bain was Headmistress of Withington Girls’ School from 1938- 1961 and the Collection, named in her Mrs Fletcher’s maternity leave honour, was made possible by the sale - she is due to give birth to of a painting by her personal friend, the twins in October – is being acclaimed Scottish artist Anne Redpath, covered by two members of given to the School by Miss Bain. The official opening of The Art Collection staff. Mrs Sylvia Morris joins takes place on October 5th and parents us from Altrincham Girls’ to DO CALL US [BEFORE WE CALL YOU!] and friends of the School will be invited W ta Johnson ithington is no teach Maths and Mrs Phillipa Pupil absence: Please would all parents use 0161 249 3476 to inform the school of pupil absence before 8.30am on each day of absence. to a viewing at the end of the School rt-time teacher Mrs Jacin w a family affa Pa the Bursar’s Assist ir for For contact after school please use these numbers: Senior Late Room: 0161 249 3492 Junior Late Room: 0161 224 1077 day. Full details will be sent separately he English department in ant Mrs Penny Frankland, a specialist at joined t er her husban Willis and e Spring term from Furth d Terry, who ha but please note this date in your diaries. middle of th careers a s switched rounders, netball and fford. A graduate of St fter 30 years in We look forward to welcoming you not Education in Tra manag food productio trampolining joins us on, she taught at ement to becom n Mary’s College, Lond Afte e the school’s Withington Girls’ School, Wellington Road, , Manchester M14 6BL. only to this event but also to all other Boys and has r-School Co-or following appointments at Bury Grammar School for dinator. Tel : 0161 224 1077 Fax : 0161 248 5377 activities throughout the term, including a passion for the theatre. Altrincham and Loreto. Email: [email protected] Web: www.withington.manchester.sch.uk PTA and Senior Club AGMs and Registered Charity No. 526632 Founders’ Day. Some of our top award candidates End of an era Continued from front page. Shine Senior girls Special congratulations also go to Rachel Kean of the Lower Sixth who scored the top mark in Philosophy Who says school’s out for summer? Who says school’s out for summer? Withington is to open one of its new science labs to 26 gifted and Introducing… Withington’s new Head out of all the students on a prestigious Harvard Summer School. talented children from local state primary schools. Girl, Brigette Manion (centre) and her Jessica Brush of the current Upper Sixth took part in a Smallpeice Trust four-day residential course during Withington was abuzz with Sport, Art, Music and even Japanese. two Deputies, Leanne Royle (left) and the summer and also undertook a Nuffield Bursary Research placement at Manchester University. Hannah In partnership with the government initiative Excellence in Cities, Alice Wright. Woods of the Lower Fifth took part in a Smallpeice Trust Aerospace residential course at RAF Cranwell and In August, the most successful tennis camp yet staged at the school climaxed three weeks of intensive the school successfully applied to the educational charity SHINE for Kristina Milanovic is the proud holder of an Arkwright Scholarship. summer holiday activities for boys and girls across the community. funding for Saturday morning Science classes starting in October. Congratulations also go to Catherine Slater and Emily Harding who were involved in the five-star-rated In July and early August, the school staged the ultimate music challenge - more than 100 boys and girls, The classes for 10-year-old boys and girls, delivered by specialist Black Comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and to Charlotte Paul for tripping the light fantastic in the played and composed during two week-long music courses, directed by Tim Chatterton and Rebecca teachers from Withington and local maintained schools, will run Palace Theatre’s production of South Pacific. Thompson of the NCO. for 20 weeks each year for three years. Two week-long Art courses, part of the Govermnent’s Independent State School Partnership Scheme, Rowena Owen, recently retired from the Biology Department, took place with one week being hosted at Whalley Range High School for Girls and the second week at will manage the programme. Withington. It is the first time SHINE has funded an initiative devoted entirely to The Japanese Summer School, funded by government agency Excellence in Cities and led by Mrs Gillian the teaching of Science within its ‘Serious Fun on Saturdays’ programme. Winter, saw 24 of the brightest 12-year-olds, selected from Manchester’s state schools, spend a week Ruth Dwyer, Grants Manager for SHINE said: “We are particularly pleased to be able to use the resources of their summer holidays exercising their brains with philosophy and Japanese Language and Culture. and facilities of a school like Withington which is far more advanced in Junior Science provision than state-sector primary schools.” Congratulations... The end of last term marked the close Congratulations…..to the new Mrs Jane Richard Fye, manager of Excellence in Cities, Manchester, said: “The major plank of our work is to be of an era as the Chair of Withington’s Arthan, formerly Miss Dutton, Biology innovative and creative and to get kids from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education. Governing Body, Professor Katharine teacher, who married estate manager Withington is enthusiastically and wholeheartedly sharing its high-quality resources with Manchester.” Perera, retired from the post after David in Shropshire on August 5th. eight years and has served on the Governing Body since 1995. Professor Perera, who has also retired Rhineland 2006 from the Linguistics Department and from the role of Senior Pro Vice The second week in July saw the first joint Withington Girls’ and William ’s Grammar trip to the Rhineland area of Germany, when 36 pupils from Years 9 and 10 spent an interesting few days in this Chancellor at the University of beautiful part of the “Vaterland”. Manchester, has returned there on a part-time basis to develop a Women in Excursions included a mini cruise on the great river, a visit to a wine cellar, a cable car ride, trips to Leadership project. Germany’s oldest towns, Trier and Koblenz, and a visit to Cochem and its lofty castle on the River Mosel. She said of Withington: “I have enjoyed enormously my time as a member of the Withington Online Governing Body and being Chair of Governors. It’s been a delight to be The school’s new website is being launched this term incorporating associated with the school. interactive features in an easier-to- I have loved talking to the girls and navigate format. coming to listen to their wonderful The site will include a new alumnae musical performances. section enabling former pupils to keep in touch with old friends and there will be Withington is outstanding in so many lots of news and useful online ways, not only for academic information for parents. achievement but also for the way the girls are all encouraged to develop their The web address remains the same: talents and become assured young www.withington.manchester.sch.uk women. I very much admire the way the staff allow them that independence; a good example is the Charity Fashion Show for Battlefields Trip - July 2006 which the girls find sponsors, arrange Duke of Edinburgh’s Award the programme, choreography, sound “Maher and Neal’s Battalion on Wheels” set off for the battlefields of Flanders on July 10th just after term and lighting themselves.” Qualifying expeditions for Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold ended. For five days, 31 girls together with Ms Maher, Mrs Neal and Mrs Finlow visited key sites in the Ypres and Somme area – places devastated by the effects of war between1914 and 1918. Mrs Pickering said: “Professor Perera was and Silver Award took place at both ends of the summer holidays. highly valued for her wonderful skills in chairing meetings, her intelligence, Both suffered from bad weather but the girls coped breadth of vision, calm and consultative cheerfully, as always, despite many paths - and one style and her genuine interest in and campsite – turning into rivers. love of the school. Twenty-four girls (now Lower VI) completed their Chinese Founders’ Day will provide the Silver and 21 (now Upper VI) completed Gold this summer. The school is to offer lessons in Chinese opportunity to give a public expression language and culture during lunchtime of thanks and we are delighted that sessions for both Senior and Junior girls. Professor Perera will be opening our new multi-media Language Laboratory at the Four classes – two on Mondays and two on Tuesdays – each lasting about school on September 29.” 30 minutes, will be led by a qualified Information about our new Chair of teacher from the Manchester Governors, Mrs Elizabeth Lee, and the Chinese Centre. other members of the Governing Body A class for staff will take place after will be published in following editions. school on Wednesdays.