Since its foundation in 1890, Withington has remained relatively small and now has around 750 pupils, with over 160 in both the Junior Department and Sixth Form. This size allows a friendly, intimate environment together with a broad and balanced curriculum. Withington provides a wide range of opportunities for girls, helping them to achieve their potential, academically, socially and personally. Withington attracts pupils from a wide geographical area and from many different social and cultural backgrounds, producing a diversity in which the school rejoices.
The School’s A level and GCSE results have been consistently outstanding. Girls who gain a place as a result of the entrance examination normally take GCSE/IGCSE examinations in 9/10 subjects, followed by 3 or 4 A levels. An exciting and varied Enrichment programme offers Sixth Formers courses such as mindfulness, financial literacy and leadership skills. In addition to the Enrichment Programme, which all Sixth Formers follow, many also complete an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Studies are directed towards encouraging a love of learning for its own sake, frequently going beyond the confines of the examined curriculum, as well as towards the ultimate goal of university entrance, including Oxford and Cambridge (9% of the cohort in 2024).
The School enjoys excellent facilities including a purpose-built Junior School building, a central, enclosed ‘Hub’ area at the heart of the school and an expanded and refurbished suite of university-standard Chemistry laboratories, all of which were completed in 2015. During 2018, a significant new sports facilities development was completed, reflecting the school’s ongoing commitment to the promotion of physical activity for girls, one of the school’s founding principles. In 2019, the outdoor netball courts and all-weather pitch were resurfaced to a high specification, bringing Withington’s sports facilities to an excellent standard across all areas. A project to extend and refurbish the ground floor dining area and create additional space in a first-floor extension that incorporates a new conference room, pastoral offices and a learning support centre, was completed early in 2022.
Withington fosters all-round development and the girls’ academic studies are complemented by an extensive range of over 100 extracurricular activities. Music is strong and very popular; there is a comprehensive range of choirs and orchestras, involving all age groups. Drama also thrives with regular productions including original works. Girls play a variety of sports, including hockey, lacrosse, netball, rounders, tennis, athletics and football. Pupils are selected to represent county and national squads and there are regular sports tours within Europe and further afield such as the USA and South Africa. In addition to fixtures with other schools, pupils compete in a variety of sports within the School’s House system. The four Houses, named after Withington’s founders, also provide a focus for dramatic, musical and other activities.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the Young Enterprise scheme, Model United Nations conferences, voluntary work in the local community, science, mathematics, linguistics Olympiads and a wide range of academic extension activities, residential activity weekends, foreign trips and local fieldwork all feature prominently in the School’s provision. Numerous extracurricular clubs and societies include: musical theatre, African & Caribbean Society, engineers club, computer coding, drama tech club, Arts Award and chess. Awareness of the wider world is encouraged and girls have a strong sense of social responsibility, participating in many fundraising activities. Sixth Formers use their holiday time to participate in community projects in The Gambia; others participate in expeditions (to Malaysia and Borneo in 2016, Sri Lanka in 2017, Kenya in 2019, an 18-day expedition to Morocco in 2023 and Costa Rica in 2024). Preparation for life after school starts early and involves a programme of careers advice, work experience and UCAS application guidance. Older girls work with younger girls in numerous ways, through the House system, extracurricular activities, peer support and mentoring.
Visitors are warmly welcomed and Open Days are held in the Autumn term. A number of means-tested bursaries are awarded annually together with awards from several external Trusts. Entrance at age 7–11 is by Entrance Assessment/Examination, held in January, together with interview (11+ entry only) and a reference from current school. Admission to the Sixth Form is by interview and is conditional upon GCSE results. For entry at other points, please don’t hesitate to contact the Admissions Team for further information.
The School has a thriving alumnae network with regular events and many alumnae offering help and inspiration to current pupils. The School engages in a number of partnership projects with local State schools and has strong links with the local community. Withington has earned a number of accolades from The Sunday Times Schools Guide; ranked first for academic results in the Northwest in the 2024 and 2022 editions, named as Northwest Independent School of the Decade in the 2021 edition, Northwest Independent School of the Year for 2012, 2020 and 2023, and Top Independent Secondary School of the Year nationally 2009/10. Withington was the Financial Times Best Value Independent Day School in 2012 and was ranked as the best value independent school in the country by The Daily Telegraph in June 2023, based on an analysis of results in public examinations and fees. Consistently featured in the annual Tatler Schools Guide of the top independent schools in the UK, Withington was named as a Runner-Up for Public School of the Year 2015 by Tatler.
Fees per annum (2024-2025). Senior School: £18,065, Junior School: £13,795, including VAT from January 2025, lunches and insurance. LAMDA, individual instrumental music lessons and Arts Award are charged separately. Before- and after-school care are not charged.
Charitable status. Withington Girls’ School is a Registered Charity, number 1158226. It aims to provide an exceptional quality of opportunity, to encourage independence of mind and high aspirations for girls from 7 to 18.
Governors & Staff:
¶ Alumnae
Board of Governors:
Chair: Mr M Pike, LLB
Mr C Poston, BSc, FCA (Hon Treasurer)
Dr J Allred, MB ChB, MRCGP, DRCOG, DFFP
Mr A Chicken, BA, MEd, FRSA
Dr R Dev-Jairath, MBChB, MRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, DPD, FHEA
Mr M Griffin
¶Mrs D Hawkins, DL, JP, LLB
Prof D Leigh, BSc, PhD, CChem, FRS, FRSE, FRSC, MAE
Dr L Maynard-Atem, MSc, PhD
Mr A Pathak, BSc
Mr H Sinclair
¶Mrs S Stuffins, BA, MSc, MRICS
Mr M Torevell, BA, ACA
Headmistress: Mrs S J Haslam, BA Lancaster (English)
Deputy Head Pastoral: ¶Ms J M Baylis, MA Manchester (English and Drama)
Deputy Head Academic: Mr T Bennett, MA Cantab (Geography)
Head of Junior School: Mrs E Clark, BA Nottingham Trent (Childhood Studies)
Assistant Head: Dr S E Madden, PhD Newcastle (Biology)
Director of Sixth Form: Ms E K Robinson, MA Cantab (Classics, Enrichment)
Assistant Head Pastoral: Mrs J Johnston, BA MMU (*Art)
Assistant Head Academic: Mrs E Suttle, MSc Manchester Metropolitan University (English)
Interim Bursar: Mr R Grant
Academic Staff
* Head of Department/Subject Lead
Mrs C Air, BA Oxon (*History)
Mrs L Berry, BA Manchester (*Drama)
Ms S Bickley, BSc Durham (Mathematics)
Miss A Boston, BSc Birmingham (Physical Education)
Mr M Boyle, BSc Wales (Biology, *EPQ)
Miss H Brown, MA MMU (Art)
Miss K L Browning, BA London (Geography)
Mrs K Carter, MA Oxon (Languages)
Mrs J Carter, BSc Leeds (Physical Education)
Mrs A Clark, MA Manchester (*English)
Miss R Cleasby, BSc Edinburgh (Chemistry)
Mrs R Corner, MA Exeter (Drama)
Mrs E Corrigan, MSc Durham (*Biology)
Mrs F Cotton, BA Heriot-Watt (*Design Technology)
Mr A Cumberford, BA Oxon (*German)
Mrs D Da Silva, BA Portsmouth (Design Technology)
Mrs Z Dent, MA Durham (Music)
Mrs N Douglas, BA Durham (English)
Mr C Eccles, MSc Manchester (ICT & Computer Science)
Mr K Eckersall, BSc Leicester, MA Durham (Chemistry)
Mrs C E Edge, MA Leeds (English, Partnerships Coordinator)
Mrs R Fildes, MA MMU (Art)
Mrs S E Fletcher, BEd Brighton (Mathematics)
Mr C Forrest, MPhys Manchester (Physics)
Dr Z Hawke, PhD Edinburgh (Biology)
Miss L Hegarty, BA Sheffield (*French)
Mr M Houghton, BA Oxon (Classics)
Mrs J C Howling, MA Cantab (*Classics)
Ms E Hudson, MA Manchester Metropolitan University (English)
Mrs A Humblet, BA University of Dijon (Spanish)
Miss R Hylton-Smith, MA Goldsmiths (Music)
Ms L Johnson, BA Manchester (*Physical Education)
Mrs V Kochhar, BSc Exeter (Mathematics)
Mrs N Kimpton-Smith, BA Durham (History, Religious Studies, Politics)
Ms A Kusznir, Dip Mech Moscow (Mathematics)
Mr C Lambert, BA Sheffield (English)
Mr R Latham, BA Durham (*Religious Studies)
Mrs K Levene, BA Liverpool John Moore’s (Design Technology)
Mrs R Liptrott, BSc Liverpool (Science)
Miss E Lowe, MA Edge Hill (Physics)
Mrs K Michael, MA Open University (*Physics)
Mrs N Morgan, BMus Lancaster (Music)
Miss K Mottershead, BA Brighton (Physical Education)
Miss A Noya, BA Santiago de Compostela (*Spanish)
Mrs D Odeyinde, BSc Queen’s Belfast (Learning Support)
Mr A Pargeter-Davies, MSc Open University (*Mathematics)
Ms M Parker, BA Durham (Physical Education)
Mr A Parry, BSc Manchester (Mathematics)
Dr L Pitts, PhD Leicester (Chemistry)
Mrs S J Rigby, BA Nottingham (*Learning Support)
Mrs K Roberts, BA London (History)
¶Mrs S Roberts, MA Manchester (*Physical Education)
¶Mrs Z Rowley, BA Nottingham (Religious Studies)
Mrs G E Sargent, BMus London (*Music)
Ms A Siddons, BA Bath (German)
Miss J Simonet, ESMOD Lyon (French)
Dr J Smiles, PHD Manchester (*Science, Chemistry)
Mr A Snowden, BSc Warwick (*ICT)
Miss J Southern, BA Newcastle (*Geography)
Mrs R Statter, BSc Warwick (Mathematics)
Mrs J Stockton, BA Leeds (English)
Mrs Z Taylor, BA MMU (Art)
Dr E L Terrill, DPhil Oxon (Mathematics)
Miss R Thorpe, BSc Manchester (Biology, *PSHCE)
Mrs N Toubanks, BSc Manchester (*Economics)
Miss K Turpin, BA Warwick (Spanish)
Mrs A Walker-Holland, BMus Birmingham (Music)
Mrs J C Wallis, BA Leeds (*Politics, Deputy Head of Sixth Form)
Mrs N Watson, BA Leeds (*Food & Nutrition)
Miss F Whiteley, BSc Lancaster (*Psychology)
Mr M Williams, BSc Manchester Metropolitan University (Chemistry)
Junior School:
Ms J Arschavir, MA Liverpool (Year 4)
Mrs S Birch, BEd Edge Hill (Year 3)
Mrs L Cordrey, BA York (Deputy Head of Juniors)
Mr M Dunn, BSc Sheffield (Year 5, Junior School Coordinator of Assessment and Pupil Tracking)
Mr N Goodwin, BA Manchester (Year 4)
Miss L Gorman, BA Edge Hill (Year 4)
Mrs A Harris, MSc MMU (Year 6)
Mr J Lazenby, BA Liverpool (Year 6)
Mrs B Lowe, BSc Northumbria (Year 3)
Mrs K McCulloch, MA Manchester (Year 5)
Executive Assistant to Headmistress: Mrs L Thomas, BSc Sheffield Hallam
Head of Futures: Ms N Kober, BSc Bristol
Librarian: Mr D Whelan, BA MMU
Archivist: Miss H Brown, MA MMU
Development Director: Mrs L Dowdall, BSc Leeds
Director of Admissions and Marketing: Mrs C Dow, BA Witwatersrand
Office Manager: Ms S Kennedy, BA Manchester
Director of Digital Services: Mr A Lockett, BSc Bradford
Site Manager: Mr M Morris, NEBOSH