Education News

Activities week at Manchester Grammar School

Every year, pupils at The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) take part in Activities Week during the summer term. All teaching stops and every pupil chooses to do a week-long activity. Pupils enthusiastically take up the opportunity to explore and experience a variety of activities, including watersports, cricket, drama, natural history, cooking, art, mountain biking, computer science and martial arts, to name just a few… Life beyond the classroom is one of the special things about MGS and it is a key part of what the school is about. Activities Week offers pupils the chance to challenge themselves, develop teamwork and leadership skills, make friends and have fun!

Busy bees at Withington Girls’ School

As Withington Girls’ School’s academic year neared its close, the penultimate week of the summer term was action-packed, with pupils and staff immersed in a busy schedule of activities and events.

From a wonderful production of the musical comedy Sister Act for around 100 senior citizen guests – one of four Withington performances of the show held that week –to an extensive whole-school programme of community-based initiatives during Withington’s annual Citizenship Day, the focus was on giving back to the community, teamwork and pushing personal comfort zones to make a positive difference to others.

Under this year’s Citizenship Day theme of ‘Bee the Change’, chosen to illustrate how small behavioural changes can create lasting impact, Withington’s pupils participated in a range of activities both in and out of school. In the most extensive collection of external projects undertaken since Citizenship Day was first introduced as part of the school’s PSHCE curriculum in 2005, vol unteering work included environmental improvements, gardening, painting, writing, team building, reading and litter picking to provide practical help to a variety of local causes and charities.

One of the end-of-term highlights for many was Withington’s Sister Act, the school’s first large-scale production since the pandemic. The performing arts extravaganza, filled with drama, high-energy dance routines and rousing disco and soul music, saw nearly 100 cast members, musicians and production teams rehearsing over many months to deliver a fun and uplifting show, which was also enjoyed on one afternoon by senior citizens from across south Man chester. Local community groups and care home residents had been invited to a special matinee performance – complete with a delicious interval afternoon tea – and from the rapturous applause, the rhythmic tapping in time to the music and the glowing feedback after the event, the production went down a treat with Withington’s VIP audience.

Earlier in the same week, based on a comparison of school fees with public ex amination outcomes, Withington had been named by The Telegraph as the ‘best value independent school in the country’. “This is, of course, only one measure of the education a school provides, but we are de lighted to see these outstanding achievements of our school recognised,” said Withington Headmistress Mrs Sarah Haslam.

Paying tribute to the Withington School community, Mrs Haslam continued that as the end of the academic year approached, there had been many high points, with so much to celebrate and share.

“What a super week it was. We are immensely proud of our pupils, who consistently demonstrate a strong sense of community spirit and who, in this year’s Citizenship Day projects, worked so well both in teams and as individuals, drawing upon their talents, care and creativity to make a positive differ ence. It was a pleasure also as part of the day’s events to welcome in our senior neighbours to watch Sister Act – they were absolutely thrilled with their afternoon at Withington. And what a joy it was for us all to see Sister Act come to life on our stage on three evenings during that week. How to sum up this exceptional production? Joyous and uplifting for performers and audiences alike, the four performances will live long in the memory. The quality of the show was superb, the spirit of the production and the atmosphere in the Arts Centre in spirational. We all felt we had been part of something very special indeed.”

Whole School Open Events

THURSDAY 2ND & SATURDAY 4TH NOVEMBER

If you wish to attend these events or be kept up to date on other opportunities to learn more about a Withington education please call 0161 249 3371 or email admissions@wgs.org

Means-tested bursaries available at key entry points from Year 5.