WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL Charity Numbor". 1158226 Company Limited by Guarantee Number: 09083954 ANNUAL REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 CONTENTS PAGE GOVERNORS, OFFICERS AND ADVISERS ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS STATEMENT OF GOVERNORS. RESPONSIBILITIES 16 AUDITOR'S REPORT 17 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES 21 BALANCE SHEET 22 STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 23 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 24 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 GOVERNORS, OFFICERS AND ADVISERS Governors, Charity Trustees, and Directors The Govemors listed below are the charity trustees of Withington Girls, School at the current time. Mr M J Pike LLB {Chair) . Mr C M Poston BSC, FCA (Finance Governor) . Dr J P Allred MB. ChB, MRCGP, DRCOG, DFFP" Mr A H Chicken BA. MEd. FRSA h_ Mr M J Griffin Mrs D M Hawkins DL JP LLB Dr R Dev-Jairath MBChB, MRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, DPD, FHEA # Prof D Leigh, Bsc Pho Cchem FRS FRSE FRSC MAE - Dr L Maynard Atem PhD - Ms M S Michael BA, PGCE - MrA R Pathak BSC. Mr H P Sinclair Mrs S J Stuffins BA, MSC, MRICS Mr M Torevell BA Hons {Cantab), ACA # (resigned October 2023) Member ofthe Finance and General Purposes Committee Member of the Education Committee # Parent of a pupil curre.ntly at Withington Girls, School Member of the Remuneration Committee The Governing Board took the decision to establish an Education Sub Committee from September 2023. Th8re w8r8 no other chang8S Wlthin th8 Goveming Body during the year. Senlor Leadershlp Team Headmistress Deputy Head Pastoral Deputy H8ad Acad8mic Assistant Head Assistant Head Academic Assistant Head Pastoral Director of Sixth Form Head of the Junior School Bursar and Clerk to the Governors Bursar and Clerk to the Governors Mrs S J Haslam BA Ms J Baylis MA Mr T B8nnett MA Dr S Madden PhD Mrs Esther Suttle MA Mrs Julia John50n BA, NPQSL Ms Elizabeth Robinson MA Ms B Howard BEd Mrs A Cohen LLB (Resi9ned 318t August 2024) Mr R Granl (Appointed 2nd September 2024) WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Registered address Wellington Road Fallowfield Manchester M14 6BL Website www.wgs.org ADVISERS: Auditor Crowe U.K. LLP 3rd Floor, Sl George's House, 56 Peter Street MANCHESTER M2 3NQ Bankers National Westminster Bank PIC 669 Wilmslow Road Didsbury MANCHESTER M20 6NW Lloyds Bank 223 Finney Lane Heald Green Cheshire SK8 3PY Insurance Brokers REICH Insurance Brokers Medal House 197 Chapel Streel MANCHESTER M3 SEQ Solicitors Veale Wasbrough Vizards Orchard Court Orchard Lane BRISTOL BS1 SWS WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS The Governors present their annual report for the year ended 31 August 2024 under the Charities Act 2011, together with the audited accounts for the year, and confirm that the latter comply wilh the requirements of the Act, the Trust Deed, and tho Charilies SORP 2015. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION The Charity was founded in 1890 as a charitable trust and was registered with the Charity Commission under charity number 526632. On 1st September 2015 a transfer of assels took pla￿ from this Charity to a new charitable company (company number 09083954 and registered charity numb8r 1158226), which was set up by the Governors (as Trustees) to receive the assets of the Charity and the undertaking of Withington Girls, School as part of an 'incorporation proc8SS" to modernis8 th818gal structure of the Charity. The Transfer Deed provided for all of the Charivs unrestricted assets and liabilities to be transferred to the new charitsble Company. The land and buildings, considered by the Charity Commission to be permanent endowment, remain within the charitable trust. The charitsble company is the sole corporate truslee of the Charity. On 9th December 2015, the Charity Commission made a "linking direction" which formally delermined that the Charity (number 526632) be "linked" with charity number 1158226. This means that the I￿0 charities are registered under a single registration number and that the Governors can produce a single set of accounts for the reporting and linked charity. As a result of the linking direction. the Charity is now registered under number 1158226-1. The Withington Girls, School Governors and Senior Leadership Team are listed on page 1. Particulars of the Charivs address and professional advisers are given on page 2. STRUCTURE. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing Document The Charity is governed by its Trust Deed dating from 1890 which was amended by a Scheme dated 8th August 1985, a further Scheme dated 29th January 2004 as amended by Resolution dated 16th March 2015 and by Order dated 18th August 2015. The Company is govemed by a Memorandum and Arlicles ofAssoGiation which were amended by a special resolution dated 22nd June 2015. Recruitment and Training of Governors The power of appointing new Governors is vested in the existing board. Governors are generally appointed to fill a vacancy and to provide suitable skills, knowledge and experience as the board requires. While consideration has been given to the establishment of a Nominations Committee to recommend appointments to the Goveming Body. il has been decided that the current practice of involving the whole Governing Body in the recruitment of Governors is preferable. The Headmistress and Chair of Governors meet prospective new Govarnors prior to ratification by the Governing Body. WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Following appointment, new Governors are inducted into the workings of the Charity by the Headmistress and Bursar. All Governors are invited to atlend external training courses and are invited to join School Committees and attend School events. A programme is in place to enable Governors to visit Academic and Support Departmenls and attend departmental m8etings Ihus gaining enhanced knowledge and understanding of the life of the School, as well as satisfying themselves that the practice in School is in line with the policies approved at the start of each academic year. The annual Strategy Day for Governors and the Senior Leadership Team provides an opportunity to discuss strategic developments. Organisatlonal Management The Governors, as the Trustees of the Charity, are legally responsible for the overall management and control of the School 2nd meet at least four times a year. The work of monitoring the implementalion of most of Iheir policies is primarily carried oul by the members of the Finance and General Purposes (F&GP) Committee who meet in advan￿ of each Governors, me8ting. The F&GP Committee approves the budgets and finalises the audited accounts and annual report for approval by the Goveming Body. The F&GP Committee works under the Chairmanship of the Finance Governor of the Gov8rning Body. The Education Committee was established in September 2023 to allow for greater scrutiny and involvement of Governors in the academic development of the School. The Remuneration Committee determines the salary levels for the Headmistress, the Bursar, the Deputy Head Academic and the Deputy Head Pastoral. Nominaled members of the Governing Body attend meetings of the Health & Safety Committee, Safeguarding Team (with the Deputy Head Pastoral and School Health Lead) and Learning Support Team. The day to day running of the School is delegated to the Headmistress supported by the Senior Leadership Team. The Headmistress, Bursar, Deputy Head Academic, Deputy Head Pastoral, Assistant Head and Head of the Junior School attend Governors, meetings. The Headmistress and Bursar attend meetings of the F&GP Committee. The Headmistress, Depuly Head Acad8mic and Head of the Junior SGhool attend the Educalion Committee meetings. The Headmistress is a qualified Team Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The Bursar is a member of the Independent Schools Bursars, Association {ISBA), and the Headmislress is a member of the Girls, Schools Association (GSA). The School is a member of the Heads, Conference (HMC) and the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (AGBIS}. WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Risk Management The Governing Body is responsible for the management of the risks faced by the School. Detailed considerations of risk are delegated to the Finance & General Purposes Committee, who are assisted by the Senior Leadership Team. Risks are identified, assessed, and controls established throughout the year. A formal review of the Gharity's risk management processes is undertaken on an annual basi5. Govemors extract the most significant risks which are summarised in an Executive Summary from the Risk Register. The Executive Summary is reviewed at each F&GP meeting and all risks are reviewed annually in detail. when the likelihood and impact of each is risk is considered using a risk rating. The top ten risks include strategic, financial, operational and reputational risks. The key controls used by th8 charity include: Formal agendas for all Committee and Board meelings Comprehensive strategic planning, budg8ting, and management accounting Established organisational structure and lines of reporting Fomial written policies Clear authorisation and approval levels Vetting procedures as required by law for the protection of the vulnerable. Through the risk managemenl processes established for the School, the Governors are satisfied that the major risks identified have been adequately mitigated where necessary. It is recognised that system5 can only provide reasonable but not absolute assurance that major risks have been adequately managed. OBJECTS, AIMS. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Charitable Objects The objects of the Charity as set out in the Articles of Association as amended on 22 June 2015, shall be to advance education for the public benefit by the provision and maintenanGe of a girls. school, where boys may be admitled to the Preparatory Department, and by ancillary or incidenlal educational activities and other associated activities for the benefit of the community- School Ethos The School aims to creale an environmenl in which all pupils are supported and encouraged to reach their full potential, academically, socially and personally. True to our founding principles, we are a schoolwhere the pleasure of learning 15 Its own reward. Thewithington ethos recognises that understanding the value of leaming and knowing howto leam sustains and enriches us throughout our lives. The golden rule of respect for self, re5peGt for others and personal responsibility underpins our school Community where diversity is celebrated, teamwork valued, and every pupil is encouraged to play their part, older pupils and alumnae providing inspiralional role models. Combining a wealth of extra-curricular activities with an exceptional academic experience, each girl has the opportunity to develop her talents, skills, interests and character, as well as a strong sense of responsibility which extends beyond the classroom and into Ihe wider world. WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Alms and Intended Impact The speclflc alms and objectlves of the School are: To sustain an innovative and inspiring place of learning where our pupils grow into resilient, independent lifelong learners. curious and passionate about their world To nurture our pupils, personal development and character, promoting respect and responsibility, enabling our pupils to Ihriv8 and to meet Ghalleng6 confidently, compassionately and collaboratively To support a diverse, inclusive and open-minded school community and to work in partnership with local. national and international organisations for the benefit of our pupils strategies to Achieve the Objoctlves The School has sustained the quality and expertise of teaching and support staff through carefvl r8cruitment and ongoing support and staff development. Safeguarding of pupils is overseen by the team of Designated Safeguarding Lead {DSL>, who is the Deputy Head Pastoral and their Deputies IDDSLS), comprising the Assistant Head PastoraS. Director of Sixth Form, the Deputy H8ad of th8 Junior School and th8 School Health Lead. Academic Heads of Department in the senior school report to the Deputy Head Academic who is supported by the Assistant Head Academic. The Heads of Year report lo th8 Deputy Head Pastoral who oversees pastoral arrangements for pupils and staff in senior school. The Assistanl Head oversees the Co-curriculum and Cowordinates the School's programme of events. The Head of the Junior School is responsible for its day-to-day running supported by a Deputy Head. Our Ethos The School is a registered Gharity and charitable company which seeks to benefit the public through the pursuit of its stated aims. Fees are set at a level to ensure the financial viability of the School and to provide a first-class education to our pupils. The School welcomes pupils from all backgrounds. Ent￿nCe examinations. interviews, and references from candidates, current schools enable the School to select pupils who will best benefit from the full range of opportunities on offer. W8 ar8 an equal opportunity organisation and are committed to a working environment that is frse from any form of discrimination. We will make reasonable adjustments to meet the individual needs of staff or pupils. The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils and expects all stsff and volunteers to share this commitment. A Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection was carried out by the ISI in February WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 2022. The Inspector5 found that the quality of the pupils, academic and other achievemenls is "Excellent" as is the Quality oflhe pupils, Personal Development. The Inspectors found thal pupils, "academic achievements are outstanding. as shown by the attainmenl of all groups of pupils" and that pupils'consistently perform to an eX￿pIl0nal1Y high level" ISI visited the School in September 2022 and found that all Independent School Standards were m8t. Parenls are given regular information about their daughters, social and academic progress through parents. evenings, half-termly progress grades, and written reports. Regular contact with parents is mainlained throughout the year with a weekly email setting out the activities for the week ahead, Parents, Breakfasts, infomial contscts, termly Bulletins and the annual Newsletter. Trained Sixth- form pupils act as Peer Supporters for younger pupils, assisting the School's pastoral t8am in creating an environment where every child can feel valued and safe. Access Policy The School greatly values the denominational, Cultural, and social diversity of its community. It is important to the School thal access to the education it offers is not restricted lo those who can afford to pay fees. There is an established bursary policy and this, together with various Community Iniliatives, contributes to a widening of access to the education offered and the facilities available. Means-tested bursaries are available in the Junior School (for entry into Years 5 and 61 and the Senior School (for girls from age 11 to 18). Junior School bursaries were first offered from September 2015. Bursary Policy The School's bursary awards are available to pupils who meet the entry requirements and are made solely on the basis of parental means or, to relieve hardship where a pupil's education would otherwise be at risk, for example in the case of redundancy. In assessing parental means a number offaGtors are laken into consideralion including family income- inveslments- saving5,' Opportunity to generate additional inGome- and family ¢irGumstan¢es (for example, dependent relatives). The School receives funding for bursaries from the WGS Trust (Charity number 505207) and from several other charitable twsts. The bursary awards range from 100/0 to 100•/0 remi55ion of fees. A small fund supplements bursary awards to support academic school trips, individual instrumental lessons, LAMDA lessons, unifonn and equipment. Information about fee assistance through bursaries is provided to all parents of girls applying to Ihe Senior School and Years 5 & 6 in the Junior School. The exislence of means- tested bursaries is publicised through advertisements in the press and promotional materials. Details of the bursary policy and how to apply are also on the School website. The success of the bursary scheme is illustrated in the review of activities and achievements section of this report. Other Policies on Asslstance Timely financial planning is often the key for many parents who are hoping to send their daughters to the School and flexible payment arrangements are available to fund educational costs through regular Gontributions. WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Family Discounts Policy To underline the value placed on continuity forfamilies. a discount of£100 per term, for the second and any subsequent siblings is offered. Scholarship Policy The School does not offer scholarships of any type. COMMUNITY INMATIVES The School enjoys strong links with the local community, and staff and pupils participate in local. national, and international initiatives. Comprehensive details of all the School's partnership work can be seen on the Schools Together website: chool t elh A summary of the activities undertaken for the year is shown below: Partnerships with Local Schools SHINE Together Edueational Programme Withington Girls, School has organised and deliv8red a successful. community-focus8d series of Saturday School courses since 2007. The WGS SHINE Tog8th8r educational programm8 is aimed at able students in Years 5 and 6 at maintained primary schools in and around South Manchester. The aim is lo increase pupils, love of leaming, boost self-esteem in the Classroom, and provide opportunities for academic growth and developm8nt. The programme provides, free of charge, specialist teaGhing in a range of courses and over the years subjects on offer have included Art, Science, Computing, Creative Writing, Design & Food Technology, Classics, Spanish, Drama and Musi¢. Girfs and boys from local state primary schools are invited to come to Withington on a Saturday moming to take part in this exciting programme of themed courses, allowing them to learn fresh skills and make new friends. Classics Programme The Latin department has a long-running partnership with a local maintained primary school. Withington Sixth Form Pupi15 deliver Latin lessons in a fun and entertaining way to Year 5 pupils over a 9-week period. These lessons introduce the children to v0￿bUlary, grammar and mythologiGal stories. Science Communicators Science Communicators is a mutually beneficial partnerships programme having a positive impact on local primary and secondary schools. We have expanded this year to also support Manchester Hospital Schools. The audience are given the opportunity to observe and experience science activities they would not ordinarily have access lo, in terms of subject expertise and specialisl resources. WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Our studenls also benefrt. enormously from the process. They develop and demonstrate key valuable skills.. organisation, collaboration. and Gommunication. In order to commend this. a Gold Crest Award from the British Science Association is awarded to all successful participants (1000/0 Feedback from these events (stsff and sludents) is indicative of their Suc￿Ss. Students are engaged, curiosity sparked, aspirations raised, and staff are able to draw upon the learning in future curriculum links across all 3 Science disciplines. Activities included- Flash-bang Chemistry shows to KS2 and 3 pupils from 4 different Schools Required practical workshops with KS4 pupils to foGUS on assessment criteria in preparation for examination The production of an interactive video and instructions, alongside resourGes to support coverage for transient Hospital School pupils. Manchester Sings Our exciting musical partnership, Manchester Sings, first took place in December 2019 and is now an annual evenl in the School's calendar. The inaugural evenl involved six maintained partner primary schools from across Greater Manchester and in 2021. this expanded to seven schools who performed alongside our Senior Choir and musicians. The project brings together hundreds of children from across our region to celebrate music and recognise the power of Gommunity. The children come logether al Manchesler Cathedral after weeks of rehearsals - the event itself is the first lime they all perform together. The festival of song is a fundraiser for the Booth Centre and Wood Street Mission, both of whom are long-standing charity partners of the school. Future Focus The partnership with Manchester Academy goes from strength to strength. The inaugural Future Focus ConferenGe took place in 2022, with the aim of equipping young women with 'soft skills. in orderto succeed and flourish in Iheir future. This was the first in a series of conferences to inspire young women with confidence, develop self-esteem and improve mental health. Identity Maps Year 4 pupils take part in a Schools Linking programme with a local maintained primary school. Pupils from bolh schools explore identity and belonging in creative and parlicipatory ways. 10 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Community Based Initiatives Duke of Edinburgh Awards From Year 9, the majority ofour students embark on the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Participants volunteer in their communtties, make a positive contribution to SOGiety and demonstrate social responsibility- This programme culminates in a challenging expedition, which encourages the pupils to work as a team and practice the ouldoor skills that they have learned along the way. Citizenship Day This annual evenl is an opportunity for pupils and staff to think carefully about their roles as citizens in a variety of communities. Pupils undertake a variety of community projects, and the aim of the day is for pupils to gain a better sense of their roles and responsibilities as citizens both locally and globally. Senlor Cltlzens, Chrfstmas Party The Christmas Party for local senior citizens is one of the highlights of the festive season. More than 200 Senior Citizens enjoy musical performances and a tea party prepared by pupils and staff. This is a wonderful occasion where links are forged across th8 generations. Withington Foodbank With great support from par8nts. pupils from both the Junior and Senior School organised a midsummercollection forthe local Fallowfield and Withington Food Bank. By replenishing theirstocks, it was hoped that they would be able to alleviate the significant issue of holiday hunger for those in need in the local area. TheJunior School's harvest collection was donated to the Fallowfield and Withington Food Bank again this year. With this being such a local charity, Year 5 and their teachers delivered the goods on behalf of the Junior School. Summer Activities forthe Local Community The School was able to run summer activities for children in the local community for the first Iwo weeks of Ihe holidays. Mulli-sports, Theatre. and Art courses were delivered. Over 100 pupils took part, and the School received fantastic feedback from both parents and children. Other Withington Staff have attended various Cluster Meetings. on a range of academic and pastoral subjects within GSA, HMC, and olher professional networks. The School is a long-standing member of ISTIP (the Independent Schools, Teacher Induction Panel> and hosts a day's training each term for this group. In the region of 30 Newly Qualified Teachers {NQTs) attend the workshops which are delivered by teachers from the School. The School also supports the programme for PGCE students in conjunction with the University of Manchester. 11 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Free Use of Facilities The School makes its facilities available to the following groups free-of-charge as part of its role in supporting the community. The Association ofLanguage Learners SAT College Board for US university entrance examinations The School is a centre for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM} examinations which are held ￿lce a year in School. Other Use We hire our outdoor facilities to a local children's lacrosse team of which some of our pupils are members a5 well as hosting an England Lacrosse training weekend. We hire our Arts Centre theatre facilities to a local school for their annual awards event and accommodate a local youth theatre company for rehearsals and performances. withGambla The cultural and educational exchange programme with The Gambia has been running since 2003 and a group of Year 12 pupils visited the country in the Autumn term. There are huge benefits for those pupils taking part in the y8ar-long fundraising initiative culminating in a week- long stay with a Partnership school in The Gambia. Our pupils interact with Ihe local community and spend time on renovalion work at the school, as well as teaching the primary-aged children. This is a wonderful 18arning experienc8 for all involved as ev8ryon8 involved18arns from each other. WGS works with local community groups in the country, as wèll as a local health cenlre and the benefits ofthe support we can provide are social, economic. cultural and environmental. Charity Fundraising All pupils engage in charity fundraising throughoul the year for local, national, and international charitable organisations. Each form in the Senior School runs a charity event al various times throughout the year, and the money raised goes lo their chosen charity. Money was raised for a variety of Gauses, including local charilies very close to Wilhington. Parent Teachers, Assocffiation (PTA) Current parents play a vital role on the Parent Teachers Association Committee which raises funds for School 8quipment and organises social events for all parents. The PTA is very grateful for the hard work of committee members particularly those involved in the sale of sustainable uniform. Parents also offer invaluable support in the extracurricular programme inGluding assistsnGe with work placements, mock interviews for university candidates, and careers advice. Junior and Senior School parents have provided talks to pupils about their Gareers. 12 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 REVIEW OFACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE FOR THEYEAR Pupil numbers and fees This year the School averaged 744 (2023- 719) pupils. There were 156 (2023- 157) girls in Ihe Junior School and 588 (2023.. 562) girls in the Senior School. The School is over-subscribed for entryatage 11. The fees for the academic year 2023124 were set by the Governors at: Junior School £11,013 Senior School £14,676 Academic Outcomes The publi¢ examination rèsults days in the Summer were, once again, trulyjoyous occasions, with our pupils celebraling their superb achievement5. At GCSE, 54.5/0 of results were al Grade 9, with 81.2 % at Grade 8 orabove. OurA Level results were also excellent, with 40.70A being graded A., and 76.8 /0 graded A or above. We were very happy indeed to be able to welcome pupils, and their parents, to Ihe School on GCSE Results Day, for Year 11 and on A Level Results day for our Year 13 pupils. These two days provided opportunities for the pupils to be congratulated on their hard work and commitment over the last two years. Pupils very much appreciated being at School for these special days and to celebrate their achievemenls with friends and family. The School was delighted that our Year 13 pupils would be going on to study at some of this country's finest universities, pursuing a wide range of subjects, from Engineering. Geography. Mathematics, Computer Sciènce, and Dentistry to Natural Sciences, PPE, and Medicine. 77/0 of our Upper Sixth UCAS applicants gained entry into their Firm Choice university, and 94 /0 gained entry into their Firm or Insurance Choice, including seven to Oxford or Cambridge, sixteen to study Medicine or Dentistry, and eight to study Law. Incluslon and Dlverslty Alongside our fellow GSA and HMC schools, we are proud to be further developing our inclusion and diversity strategy which will allow us to reflecl in depth on the inclusive culture of our school and to ensure that èveryone benefits from the strenglh and SUGGess that a positive, active approach to inclusion brings. The School has committed to an embedded, strategic approach which will enable us to conlinue to reflect on the inclusive culture of our school. This continues to be an ongoing focus, and our EDI Leadership Group continues to develop and implement our EDI Action Plan. 13 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Facilities The School continues to invest in its buildings, grounds and facilities and an extensive schedule ofexternal and internal maintenance and decorating took place during the summer holidays. The main school boilers have been replaced and the Food and Nutrition room has been completely refurbished. Information Technology As part of the School's ongoing IT strategy, we continue to invest in the IT infrastructure and hardware. The School has completed an upgrade to the Wi-Fi system, and the replacement of hardware continues on its normal cycle. The School has completed a new website, launched in the Summer Term, better promoting the values and ethos of the school and acting as the main marketing tool for pupil recruitment. Cyber security continues to be a priority to the school and several of the systems used have received significant upgrades throughout the year. Regular phishing tests and stsff training are undertaken to protect the systems further. Environmental Initiatives: Cutting the 'carbon footprint. The School community continues to promote sustainability, and the instsllation of more efficient boilers contributes lo this. The School has also introduced a salary sacrifice scheme for some colleagues to enable them to lease an electric vehiGIe. The Eco Society continues to be active in School life we have been recognised continuously since 2010 as a Green Flag School. The Award r8cognises the efforts oflhe School's'Eco' groups in creating and communicating a school 'e¢o-code' in which all pupils and staff cooperate and undertake to play their part. Details of Bursary Awards - Policy into Practice In addition to financial support received from other Educational Trusts, the School receives financial support from the WGS Trust (Charity Number 505207} for means-tesled bursaries. (Details of the WGS Trust are provided in Note 12 on page 33 of these accounts.) The value of bursaries from the WGS Trust for 2024 was £858,340 (2023: £735,315). The value of bursaries from other awarding bodies for 2024 was £118.349 {2023.' £141.012}. The totsl value of bursaries for2024 was therefore £976,689 (2023: £876.327) representing 90/0 of fee income in 2023124 {2023.' 9 /0 There were 98 pupils in receipt of bursaries for Ihe year to 31st August 2024= three in the Junior School and 95 in the Senior School. This equates to 170/0 of pupils in Senior School and 2 % of pupils in Years 516 ofthe Junior School receiving support. Twenty-five pupils in the Senior School benefited from a full bursary and Iwenty-one pupils in the Senior School oblained a bursary worth 800/0 or more of fees. In the Senior School, therefore, 250/0 of Ihe bursaries were worth 1000/0 of the fees and 21 /0 of the bursaries wer8 worth 800/0 or more of Ihe fees. 14 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Fundraislng Perfomance The focus for our fundraising activities is to increase funding for means-tested bursaries. The Marjorie Hulme Bursary Fund is integral to Withington Girls. School, consolidating our vision and ethos to create a warm community centred on equalily and opportunity, irrespective of a pupil's race, religion, social background and financial posilion, ensuring that Withington retains its posilion as a true centre for excellence open to all. Philanthropic income totaled £617,461 in the year to 31 August 2024 which marks a near doubling from the previous year. This was largely due to a legacy bequest of over £282,000 from the husband of a former Withington pupil. We held Withington's second Giving Day in March 2024. It is testament to the genarosity of our Withington community thal, over the 36 hours of our Giving Day, we raised more than £84,000 for the Marjorie Hulme Bursary Fund, allowing us to continue to provide future pupils with th8 opportunity of a Withington education regardless of financial circumstances. It was a real team effort. with students and staff taking part in challenges in school to unlock matched donations. We wer8 also joined by former Lionesses Jill Scott MBE and Rachel Brown-Finnis, inspiring pupils during the fundraising challenges and with their insights and experiences as elite sportswomen. We are extremely grateful to all our donors for their support and generous donations. The running costs for the Development Office have been borne equally by the WGS Trust and the School. In the year ended 31st August 2024, the direGt Gosts for each were £109.90612023: £118,438). The School's Approach to Fundraising The School employs an in-house Development Team to carry out fundraising on its behalf. The Director of Development reporls directly to the Headmislress. A professional fundraising consultancy is engaged to assistwith a bionnial telephone campaign and Giving Days. The WGS Trust (Charity 505207) was registered with the Fundraising Regulator in October 2017. Registration is optional for charities which spend less than £100.000 on fundraising each year and, as a result, there was no requirement for the WGS Trust to register at that time. The Trust's voluntary registration is evidence of its desire to follow best practice. The Trust also follows the Institute of Fundraising's code of practice and we have published our own Fundraising Code of Practice. The Development Team can confirm that all activities comply with the requirements of the Fundraising Regulator, thal of the Institute of Fundraising's Code of Practice and our own Code of PractlGe. Careful monitoring of the activities of Ihe Development Office is carried out by Govemors of the School and Trustees of the WGS Trust. The Director of Development submits reports on fundraising activities to Governors and Trust88s. There have been no complaints about fundraising activities in the year to 31 August 2024 (2023- NIL). 15 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 FINANCIAL REVIEW AND RESULTS FOR THE YEAR As an educational charity, pupils, parents have the assurance that all income of the School is applied for educational purposes. The results for the year show net incoming resources of £68,322 (2023: outgoing resources of -£261,055). Expenditure on fixed assets for the y8ar was £352,462 (2023.. £87,815). Govemors have critically appraised the School's financial position, as a resull of the costwof-living crisis, the imposition of VAT on school fees and the ongoing economic uncertainty and have taken appropriate measures to limit the fee increase for parents in the 2024125 year as far as possible. RESERVES In formulating their reserves policy. Ihe Governors are committed to ensuring that the School has sufficient level of reserves to enable it to meet its objectives. which have been described earlier in Ihis report. The level of reserves is regularly scrutinised with these objectives in mind. The Governors, aim is that the School should have sufficient free reserves to support the value of one term's payroll costs for teachers. which equates to approximalely £1.2 million. The School has retained reserves of £14,775,777 at 31 st August 2024, which are considered to be appropriate for the objects of the School to be maintained. The free reserves, as at 31 st August 2024, are £816,099 {2023'. £500,239), calculat8d as the value of Net Assets less Fix8d Assets. Governors and the Senior Leadership Team consider that the School is a Going Concern and is able to meet its obligations as they fall due. The School's policy is to build up free reserves to the desirable level by annual operating surpluses. FUTURE PLANS The Board approved the School Development Plan in June 2022. A review of these strategic priorities took place in June 2024. The current strategic priorities are as follows.. To sustain an innovative and inspiring place of learning where our pupils grow into resilient, independent lifelong leamers, curious and passionate about their world To nurture our pupils, personal development and character, promoting r8spect and responsibility, enabling our pupils to thrive and to meet challenge confidently, compassionately and collaboratively To support a diverse, inclusive and open-minded school community and to work in partnership with local, national and intomational organisations for the benefit of our pupils Approved by the Governing Bod of behalf by.. ithington Girls. School on 1.7..3..gs. and s igned on its Mr Malcolm Pike Chair of Governors 16 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 STATEMENT OF GOVERNORS, RESPONSIBILITIES The Governors (who are also directors of Withington Girls, School for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Annual reportofthe Govemors, which includes the strategic report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the Governors to prepare financial statements for each financial year in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Stsndards and applicable law). Under company law Ihe Governors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources. including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Governors are required to.. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently. makejudgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent., state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed. subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements., prepare the financial statements on the going concem basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that Ihe charity will continue in business. The Govemors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with ￿asonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them lo ensure that the financial statements Gomply with the Companies Act2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assels ofthe charity and hence for laking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularilies. Financial slatements are published on the Gharity's website in accordance wilh legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination offinancial statements, which may vary from legislalion in olher jurisdictions. The maintenance and integrity of the charills website is the responsibility of the Governors. The Governors, responsibility also extends to the ongoing integrity of the financial statements contained therein. Statement as to dlsclosure of Informatlon to auditors In sofar as the Governors are aware at the time of approving our Annual Report of the Govemors.. there is no relevant information. being information needed by the auditor in connection with preparing their report. of which the group's auditor is unaware, and the Governors, having made enquiries of fellow directors and the group's auditor that they ought to have individually taken, have each taken all steps that helshe is obliged to take as director in order to make themselves aware of any relevanl audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information. On behalf of the Board of Governo Mr Malcolm Pike Chair of Governors Date j7.3. Lf 17 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE GOVERNORS OF WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Oplnlon We have audited the financial statemenls of Wilhington Girls, School ('the charitable Gompany'l for the year ended 31 August 2024 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including signif5cant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and Uniled Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FinanGial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in Ihe UK and Republic of Ireland (Untted Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In our opinion the financial statements: give a true and fair view of the stste of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 August 2024 and of its income and expenditure, for the year then end8d', have been properly prepared in accordanGe with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. and have been prepared in accordance wilh the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Basis for opinion We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) IISAS (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditorfs responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the 8thical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC'S Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. Conclusions relating to going concern In auditing the financial stalements, we have concluded that the Governors, use of the going Goncern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropfiate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continu6 as a going concern for a period of at least ￿e1ve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Governors with respect to going concem are described in the relevant sections of this repori. Other Information The Governors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other Ihan the finanGial statements and our auditor's report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does nol cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly staled in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. OLtr responsibility is to read the other information and. in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the finanGial statements or our knowledge obtained in 18 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE GOVERNORS OF WITHINGTON GIRLS, SCHOOL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 the audit or olherwise appears to be materially misstaled. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to delermine whelher this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements Ihemselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a malerial misslatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 In our opinion based on Ihe work undertaken in Ihe course of our audit the information given in the Governors, report, which includ&s the directors, report prepared for the purposes of company law. for the financial year for which the financial statements ar8 prepared is consistent with the financial statements. and the directors, report included within the Governors, report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Matters on whlch we are requlred to report by exceptlon In light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors, report included within the Governors, report. We have nothing to reporl in re5ped of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report lo you if, in our opinion: adequate and proper accounting records have not baen kept. or th8 financial stat8ments are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns., or certain disclosures oftrustees, remuneration specified by law are nol made. or we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audrt-, or the Governors were not entitled to prepare the financial slatements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies, exemptions in preparing the Governors. report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report. Responslbllltles of Govornors As explained more fully in the Governors, responsibililies statement set out on page 16, the Governors (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of Company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statement5 and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. and for such internal control as the Govemors det&rmine is necessary to enable the preparalion of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or e￿Or. In preparing the financial statements, the Governors a￿ responsible for assessing the charrtable company's ability to continue as a going concem, disclosing, as applicable, matters related lo going concem and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternalive but to do so. 19 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE GOVERNORS OF WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Audltor's responslbllltles for the audlt of the financial statements Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misststement. whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordan￿ with ISAS (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economiG decisions of users taken on Ihe basis of these finanGial Statements. Details of the extent to which the audit was Considered Capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations are set out below. A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at.. www.frc.org.uklauditorsresponsibilities. This description fomis part of our auditor's report. Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting Irregularlties. Including fraud Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We id8ntified and assessed the risks of material misstatement of the financial stat8ments from irregularities, whether due to fraud or error, and discussed these b@￿een our audit team members. We then designed and performed audit procedLbres responsive lo those risks, including obtaining audit evidence sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. We oblained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the charitable company operates. focusing on those law5 and regulations that have a direct effeGt on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in Ihe financial slatements. The laws and regulations we considered in this context were the Companies Act 2006 taxation legislation together with the Charities SORP (FRS 1021. We assessed the required compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items. In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on th8 financial statem8nts but compliance with which might be fundamental to the charitable company's ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. We also considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the charitable company for fraud. The laws and regulations we consid8red in this context for the UK op8rations were The Education (Indèpendent School Standards) Regulations 2014, Employment legislation and Health and Safety legislation. Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non (28) ASSUMPTIONS 31StAugust 2024 lo QQt annum 31stAugust 2023 /0 annum 3151 August 2022 /0 annum Rate of discount 4.90 6.03 4.45 The discount rates shown above are the equivalenl single discount rates which. when used to discount the future recovery plan contributions due, would give the same results as using a full AA corporate bond yield curve to discount the same recovery plan contributions. 37 WITHINGTON GIRLS. SCHOOL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 16. TPT RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS - GROWTH PLAN SERIES 4 This pension scheme has been offered to Support Staff from 1st April 2016 following the closure of the CARE Scheme. Growth Plan Series 4 is a Defined Contribution ("DC") pension arrangement where the contribution rales are determined by the employer. A number ofoptions are made available to members lo invest the contributions paid into the Plan by members and employers. If a member does not make a decision where to invest their contributions, a "default" fund is made available. The defautt fund for Growth Plan Series 4 is a Target Date Fund that is provided by an external investment manager, AB {formerly known as Alliance Bernstein). The Employer contribution rate 15 10.6°/o and the Employee is able to make any contribution from 1 % upwards subject to the limits in place with HMRC. There are 72 members of the Growth Plan Series 4 as at 31 August 2024 {2023.' 80 employees). 17. CAPITAL COMMITMENTS There were no capital commitmenls at 31st August 2024 {2023. NIL) 18. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS 2024 2023 Financial assets measured at amortised Cost (al 4,754,346 1,993,620 Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost (b) 1554,377} {527,715} Net financial assels measured at amortised cost 4 199 689 1465 905 19. OPERATING LEASES The future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operaling leases are as follows.. 2024 2023 Plant and Equipment Less than 1 year Between 2 and 5 years Over 5 years 8,154 18,800 9,161 38