Head Mistress' Welcome
A Manchester High School girl is known for her confidence and compassion. Our pupils are bright and passionate, with a love of learning and they are ambitious for themselves and others. They are kind, caring, well-rounded individuals. They are all of these things and more. Our girls are remarkable.
"An incredibly positive community; promoting hard work, ambition and seriously clever women. Exam results are consistently jaw-dropping and pupils leave the School with the world at their feet." - Good Schools Guide
Manchester High Schools for Girls is an independent day school for girls aged 4-18. We have been empowering girls since 1874 with our pioneering education as one of the first girls’ schools in the UK and the first academic girls' school in the north of England.
Our vision is excellence: to deliver a pioneering, innovative, and dynamic learning experience within a compassionate and caring environment for a needs blind, diverse community where the wellbeing and happiness of every individual and the fulfilment of their potential are our priority. As the School of choice for girls in the North-West, our pupils - like those who have attended the School before them - will go on to be global citizens and courageous motivators of change.
At MHSG, we have educated many women who have gone on to change the world.
We are proud of our reputation for academic excellence, but recognise that our extra-curricular opportunities and caring ethos are equally important in supporting our pupils as they become outward-looking and forward-thinking young women, forging pioneering lives and careers.
Wellbeing is a priority and we help pupils develop an awareness of their own value as well as their responsibility towards others.
We encourage our pupils to develop character; to build resilience, self-confidence, and self-esteem so that they can flourish as individuals.
We encourage them to aim high and be 'risk-takers', embracing the importance of failure and viewing challenges as stepping-stones to future progress. We believe these qualities are fundamental for happiness and success both at school and in the world beyond Manchester High.
Our pioneering alumnae epitomise our approach. From the Pankhurst sisters who fiercely campaigned for women’s voting rights, through to today’s leaders, such as ITV's Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana, co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party and former TIME magazine editor Catherine Mayer, and Principal Engineer at the European Space Agency, Dr. Kotska Wallace, our pupils go on to make a real difference.
Manchester High School for Girls does indeed have a long and distinguished history but we strongly believe an even more exciting future lies ahead and we hope your daughter will be part of it.
ISI conducted a School Inspection of Manchester High School for Girls in April 2024.
It is rare for schools to receive a ‘significant strength’. We are, therefore, delighted that not only have we met all standards required of us as an independent school, but the following significant strength of the School was noted by inspectors:
“Leaders have high aspirations and have firmly established core values that underpin the school. This results in a caring, inclusive and diverse community. Staff are ambitious for the pupils and thread the values of learning, innovation, compassion, wellbeing and individuality through every aspect of school life. This results in empowered and dynamic pupils who flourish.”
The full report can be read below.
Mrs Helen F Jeys
Head Mistress
Click here to read the Head's Blog.
What our students say...
Current Head Girl, Eva, said: "As Manchester High proudly celebrates 150 years of empowering women, we are presented with a perfect opportunity to reflect on the strength and resilience of our school community. United by shared values and aspirations, each individual at Manchester High is encouraged to thrive, facing challenges with unwavering support.
"Ultimately, the power of our community lies in its ability to cultivate mutual respect and understanding, serving as a catalyst for positive change and a platform to exchange ideas, seek guidance and lend a helping hand.
"I am tremendously excited to be a part of something with such a rich history and promising future. The Head Girl Team and I cannot wait for the year ahead focusing on the theme the ‘Importance of Community’.
What our parents say...
We understand choosing the best school for your child can be a difficult decision. Here are some thoughts from our current parents at MHSG, on why they chose us:
Iram Cheema, a Reception parent, said: "We were delighted when our second daughter was offered a place at MHSG. Her older sister had an amazing time learning and making wonderful friends. We were excited as a family as we knew the fantastic experience our youngest daughter would go through.
"I would highly recommend MHSG to any parent with girls as you see their confidence and love for learning flourish."
Karen, a Year 5 parent and MHSG alumna, said: “I very much wanted my daughter to have the same experience as I did, being a pupil myself at MHSG in the 1990s. I wanted her to have the wonderful opportunities, the excellent academic challenges and to make the type of school friends I have: friends who have carried me through my entire life and are still some of the most amazing, intelligent, supportive and exceptional women I have had the privilege to be with.
"To me there was never any choice but MHSG!”
Annabelle Marston, a current Year 8 parent, said: “We knew we didn’t want to send her to the huge local state Grammar School. We looked at a number of independent schools and MHSG fitted all our criteria, from pastoral care, class size, facilities, subjects on offer and extracurricular activities. Our daughter was the only girl from her Prep school in her form, and made lots of friends during the Year 7 Taster Day.
"She has been happy since day one, and we know we made the right decision.”
A Year 11 parent and MHSG alumna said: “We moved our daughter from a local prep school at the start of Year 5 for a variety of reasons, but one was to eliminate the 11+ exam stress in the Altrincham area. Her siblings also moved from their local schools to MGS at the same time, so it made sense to move everyone together and remove the stress of entrance exams.
“Out of all of the single sex schools on offer, I do feel that MHSG empowers the girls to do whatever they want in life, which is something that resonates so strongly with me and my fellow alumnae. MHSG gives you the confidence to do whatever you want, regardless of your sex.
"It never ever occurred to me that I couldn't do something because I was a woman.”
Please view the videos below for testimonials from our former parents, filmed on their children's A-level Results Day in August 2022.
What the reviews say...
"An incredibly positive community; promoting hard work, ambition and seriously clever women. Exam results are consistently jaw-dropping and pupils leave the School with the world at their feet." - Good Schools Guide
Read our Good Schools Guide Senior School Review
Read our Good Schools Guide Prep Department Review
