Manchester High School for Girls

Manchester High School for Girls

Motto	Today's Students, Tomorrow's Successful Women
Established	1874
Type	Independent
Headmistress	Claire Hewitt
Location	Grangethorpe Road Manchester M14 6HS England
Local authority	Manchester
DfE number	352/6030
DfE URN	105592
Students	c. 950
Gender	Girls
Ages	4–18
Logo	Ivy leaf
Website	manchesterhigh.co.uk

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

The school currently enrols over 930 students and is under the direction of Head Mistress Claire Hewitt: Mrs Hewitt took up the position in January 2009 and is the 10th Head Mistress in the school's history.

History

The School was founded in 1874 by nine men and women who were prominent citizens of Manchester: it was first established in Chorlton on Medlock (a new school was built in 1881 in Dover Street: the building still exists and is occupied by the University's School of Social Sciences).^[1] The founding group included Prof A. S. Wilkins, Harriet and Robert Dukinfield Darbishire and Edward Donner (afterwards Sir Edward Donner, Bart.)^[2] The first headmistress was Sara Burstall who had been educated at the North London Collegiate School.^[3]

In September 1939 the school was evacuated to Cheadle Hulme and by 1940 a new school building was under construction at Fallowfield. However the new buildings at the Grangethorpe Road site (still unfinished) were destroyed by bombing on 20 December 1940. In 1941 the school moved temporarily to Didsbury and by 1949 a new building at Grangethorpe Road began to be occupied. The move into the new school was complete by 1952. The Grangethorpe site had been from 1882 to 1936 occupied by a large private house and gardens which were in use from 1917 to 1929 as a military hospital.

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 onwards.^[4]

Preparatory department

MHSG has a 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.

The Senior School

MHSG's curriculum includes traditional disciplines such as Latin and use of ICT resources. Pupils are also tutored in areas such as Mathematics, Sciences 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 practice rooms and several classrooms, including one with space for orchestra rehearsals. Tuition is provided by over 25 specialist instrumental teachers. A flood-lit, all-weather hockey pitch, tenniscourts, netball courts and swimming pool all provide facilities for all-year-around sports.

Forms

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

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma

From September 2010, Manchester High School for Girls is offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma for study at Sixth Form. The two-year course will run independently alongside the usual A Level curriculum.

Its introduction supports the school's strategic aim to ensure MHSG remains a centre of educational excellence, which stimulates and challenges bright, able girls. The IB Diploma will further develop the school's international activities and ensure a global dimension to learning.

MHSG was awarded International Baccalaureate (IB) World School status in April 2010, and is the first girls' school in Greater Manchester to offer the globally recognised IB Diploma.^[5]

Curriculum

The curriculum contains English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, History, French, Religious Studies, Music, Latin and Art (which deviates into Fine Art or Graphics in Y10). These subjects are taken in Y7, Y8 and Y9 when students choose which subjects to take for GCSE.

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 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 the school environment.

Uniform

Uniform consists of a plain black A-line skirt, a cream, open-necked shirt and a black blazer with the school logo on the left breast. The uniform is worn by students from year 7 to year 11. In Sixth Form, students may wear their own clothes, but there is a strict dress code that enforces the wearing of suits or very smart clothing.^{[citation needed]}

Notable former pupils

See also: Category:People educated at Manchester High School for Girls

• Dr Susan Atkins, Service Complaints Commissioner for the Armed Forces since 2007
• Julia Bodmer, discovered the details of the Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) with genetic differences causing transplant rejection, and was married to Sir Walter Bodmer, who was the first Professor of Genetics at the University of Oxford, Chancellor of the University of Salford from 1995 to 2005 and Principal from 1996 to 2005 of Hertford College, Oxford
• Catherine Chisholm (1879–1952), GP and paediatrician: the first woman to study medicine at Manchester Medical School; also the school's medical officer (1908–38). She retired in 1948 having founded the Manchester Babies' Hospital (afterwards the Duchess of York Hospital) in 1914.^[6][7]
• Myrella Cohen, Britain's third female judge in 1972
• Carolyn Davidson, Joint High Commissioner (with her husband) to Zambia since 2008^[8]
• Louise Ellman, Labour MP since 1997 for Liverpool Riverside
• Philippa Esdaile, zoologist
• Judy Finnigan, television presenter
• Clara Freeman OBE, the first woman to be appointed to the Board of Marks and Spencer^[9]
• Adrienne Fresko CBE, Director of the Foresight Partnership
• Kathleen Gordon CBE, Director from 1948–68 of the Royal Academy of Dancing
• Kathleen Hale, artist and children's author, best remembered for the Orlando the Marmalade Cat series
• Sally Hamwee, Baroness Hamwee, President from 1995 to 2002 of the Town and Country Planning Association, and former Chairman of the London Assembly until 2008
• Mollie Hardwick, author
• Lucy Higginson, Editor since 2002 of Horse & Hound
• Maud Jepson (born Mary Winifred Maud Jepson) (1902–1977), illustrator and author of bestselling books: Biological Drawings with Notes (around 2 million copies sold world-wide), Anatomical Atlas, Illustrated Biology. Her books were continuously in print from 1930s to 1970s.
• Hilda and Mary Johnstone, historians^[10] (Mary was afterwards Mrs Thomas Tout)
• Victoria Kloss, communications officer for Manchester City F.C.^[11]
• Sunny Lowry, one of the first British women to swim the English Channel
• Merlyn Lowther, the first woman Chief Cashier of the Bank of England from 1999 to 2004
• Joyce Moseley OBE, Chief Executive since 1999 of Catch22 (charity)
• Adela Pankhurst, campaigner in the Australian suffragette movemment
• Christabel Pankhurst, campaigner in the British suffragette movement
• Sylvia Pankhurst, campaigner in the British suffragette movement
• Evelyn Rose MBE, cookery writer^[12]
• Sue Turner, Controller of Children's Programmes 1972–78 at Thames Television
• Clare Venables, theatre director
• Elfrida Vipont (Elfrida Vipont Brown), children's author

• Unidentified alumnae^{[citation needed]}
  • The first woman student at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
  • The first woman to be awarded a First Class degree in history at Oxford University
  • The first woman to become a solicitor

The school in 1929

The headmistress wrote in 1929: "The pupils number about 600, of ages ranging from 10 to 19. The general aim of the school is twofold: first to develop in the pupils a general capacity and vigour both practical and intellectual; and second to provide such advanced teaching as shall fit a number of the girls to proceed to the universities ... Physical culture, both in drill and gymnastic work and in games, is an important feature ... The choice of activities open to the girls—societies, lectures, expeditions, etc.—is great ... Medical supervision, which is in the hands of an experienced woman medical officer, is an integral part of the organisation ... The average school attendance ... is in the neighbourhood of 94 per cent." -- M. G. Clarke.^[13] Note:- the medical officer was Dr Catherine Chisholm (see above, Alumnae)

References

1. ^ "Manchester High School for Girls". Ardwick Heritage Trail. http://ardwickheritagetrail.co.uk/manchester-high-school-for-girls/. Retrieved 13 May 2011. 
2. ^ 100 Years of Manchester High School for Girls, 1874–1974. Manchester: Manchester High School for Girls (compiled by K. L. Hilton)
3. ^ "Papers relating to Miss Burstall". Manchester High School for Girls. http://www.mhsgarchive.org/article_218.php. Retrieved 2009-09-12. 
4. ^ "Manchester High School Girls Archive". Manchester High School. http://www.mhsgarchive.org/index.php. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
5. ^ "Manchester High School for Girls". IB World Schools. IB. http://www.ibo.org/school/006300/. Retrieved 13 May 2011. 
6. ^ "Catherine Chisholm". http://www.mosi.org.uk/media/612328/dr%20catherine%20chisholm%20(large%20print).rtf. Retrieved 2009-05-14. 
7. ^ Mohr, Peter D. (2003) "Dr Catherine Chisholm (1879–1952) of the Manchester Babies' Hospital", in: Manchester Memoirs; vol. 140 (2001/02), pp. 21–30
8. ^ "Our High Commissioner to Zambia". Foreign and Commonwealth Office. http://ukinzambia.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-high-commission/our-high-commissioner/. Retrieved 2011-07-19. 
9. ^ Andrew Davidson; Clara Freeman (interviewee). "It's challenge in spades for Marks & Spencer's first female executive director as she attempts to dig retail stores out of trouble". Management Today. http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/407066/Andrew-Davidson-interview-Clara-Freeman---Its-challenge-inspades-Marks--amp-Spencers-first-female-executive-director-sheattempts-dig-retailers-stores-trouble-continuingher-efforts-build-level-playing-field-fo/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH. Retrieved 2011-07-19. 
10. ^ 100 Years of Manchester High School for Girls, 1874–1974; pp. 39–40
11. ^ "Founder's Day celebration". Manchester High School for Girls. 2010. http://www.manchesterhigh.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=208. Retrieved 2011-07-19. 
12. ^ "Evelyn Rose obituary". Independent (The). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/evelyn-rose-730323.html. Retrieved 2011-07-19. 
13. ^ The Book of Manchester and Salford; written for the British Medical Association. Manchester: George Falkner & Sons, 1929; pp. 107–08

• 100 Years of Manchester High School for Girls, 1874–1974. Manchester: Manchester High School for Girls (Contributions by 16 women associated with the school, compiled by K. L. Hilton)

Coordinates: 53°26′49″N 2°13′16″W / 53.447°N 2.221°W / 53.447; -2.221