Manchester High School for Girls

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Manchester High School for Girls
Established	1874
Type
Headmistress	Christine Lee-Jones
Students	900+
Location	Manchester, England
Website	Manchester High School for Girls

Manchester High School for Girls is an independent daytime school for girls and a member of the Girls School Association. It is situated in Manchester, United Kingdom. The school is regarded as one of the top ten independent day schools based on A-level results.

The school currently enrolls over 930 students under the direction of Head Mistress Christine Lee-Jones who will step down at the end of 2008 after a ten year tenure. The New Head Mistress Designate is Claire Hewitt who will take up the position in January 2009. Mrs Hewitt is currently Headteacher at King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth, Lincolnshire. ^[1].

1 History
2 Preparatory
3 The Senior School
4 The Sixth Form
5 Curriculum
6 Notable Alumnae
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

The School was founded in 1874 by nine men and women who were prominent citizens of Manchester. Having settled into new buildings at the Grangethorpe Road site in 1940, a sudden re-location occurred when the site was destroyed during World War II.

The school archive, under archivist Dr Christine Joy, is one of the most extensive in the country, attracting a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and contains material from the mid-19th century. ^[2].

[edit] Preparatory

MHSG has Preparatory Department for girls aged 4 to 11 and many progress into the Senior School. Prep pupils benefit from a close community which includes a purpose-built infant section, two assembly halls and a fully-equipped playground and gardens. There are also specially designated areas for Mathematics and Science, a music room, library and two computer-suites providing multi-media facilities.

In 2006, the school introduced the teaching of Mandarin to girls in Years 3 and 4.

[edit] The Senior School

MHSG has a varied curriculum which includes traditional disciplines such as Latin and extensive use of ICT resources. Pupils are taught in smaller groups in a range of areas such as Mathematics, Science and Art and Design Technology.

MHSG is a multi-cultural school embracing many faiths. Assemblies are organised by Sixth Form students and include Christian, Hindu and Sikh, Humanist, Jewish, Muslim and Secular themes.

A purpose-built Music House has 12 professional standard practice rooms and several classrooms, including one with space for orchestra rehearsals. Tuition is probided by over 25 specialist instrumental teachers. A flood-lit, all-weather hockey pitch, tenniscourts, netball courts and swimming pool all provide opportunities for all-year-around sports.

[edit] The Sixth Form

MHSG's Sixth Form offers AS Level and A Level courses in around 25 subjects.

[edit] Curriculum

The curriculum contains English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, History, French, R.S. (Religious Studies), Music, Latin and Art (which deviates into Fine Art or Graphics in Y10). These subjects are taken in Y7 until Y9 when students choose which subjects to take for GCSE.

Uniform consist of a plain black A-line skirt, a cream, open necked shirt and a black blazer with the school logo on the left breast. Please note that school jumpers may not be worn even in cold weather. The uniform is worn by students from years 7-11. In Sixth Form, students can wear their own clothes.

There are four forms in each year, M, H, S and G and students placed in these forms remain in that form until Sixth Form.

Within the first month of the school year, new Year 7 senior school students go on a trip to the YHA Lakeside Outdoor Activity Centre on the bank of Lake Windermere. During this trip, students participate in activities such as archery, orienteering and team challenges. The point of the trip is to allow students to make new friends and meet teachers outside of the school environment.

[edit] Notable Alumnae

Sylvia Pankhurst - Campaigner in the United Kingdom suffragette movement
Adela Pankhurst - Campaigner in the Australian suffragette movemment
Christabel Pankhurst - Campaigner in the United Kingdom suffragette movement
Louise Ellman, politician
Kathleen Hale - artist and children's author, best remembered for the Orlando the Marmalade Cat series
Sunny Lowry, first British woman to swim the English Channel
first woman to study medicine at Manchester University
first woman to be awarded a First Class degree in history at Oxford University
first woman to become a solicitor
first woman student at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
first woman executive of Marks and Spencer
first woman Chief Cashier of the Bank of England
Judy Finnigan - Television personality