On the 8th September, the Class of 2015 came back to Withington to say a fond farewell to their friends and teachers at the annual Upper Sixth Leavers’ Reception. This event, organised by the Development Office each year for our newest Alumnae cohort, is a great opportunity for the girls to gather together as a class for the final time. Most of our Upper Sixth leavers have now formalised their future plans and are excited about leaving for university or taking a gap year.

At the event, Headmistress Mrs Sue Marks led a toast to all, saying, “I am delighted to see so many of you here tonight. I am incredibly proud of your achievements, and on behalf of the staff and governors we wish you every success in your chosen path.” Mrs Marks talked about the new Hub and Junior School, and invited the girls to have a look around them. Although the Class of 2015 has witnessed the construction of these new buildings over their last year in School, they will unfortunately not have the pleasure of using the new spaces, so they were delighted to be given the opportunity to glimpse the completed projects.

Development Director Toni Leden also took the opportunity to talk to the newest cohort about the role of development at Withington, but most importantly about why the girls should stay in touch with the School and their Alumnae community. Toni said, “It is a real advantage to belong to a school like Withington, because it’s not just about the experience you’ve had here and the grades you leave with but the life-long contacts which will be able to help you. The Withington Girls’ network is invaluable for your career, and via the Development Office we can help facilitate connections and find the right Alumna to offer you advice, work experience, contacts and mentoring.”

The Leavers’ Reception is the first reunion for our newest Alumnae, and then Withington traditionally waits ten years before inviting them back. But, times continue to change and we now look forward to keeping in touch with our girls more regularly as they progress through University and their first steps on the career ladder.

On behalf of the Development Team, including Toni Leden, Penny Knipe (Development Officer) and our newest member Claire Morris (Development Assistant) all that remains is to wish the Class of 2015 every success and happiness. Please feel free to come back to the School, join an open reunion and stay in touch with us via our Withington Onwards social media channels whenever you can.

Keep in Touch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WGSAlumnae

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wgsalumnae

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/developmentofficewgs

Email: development@wgs.org