| Motto | "The home of excellence" |
|---|---|
| Established | 1891 |
| Type | State Comprehensive |
| Religion | Non-Denominational |
| Headteacher | Patsy Kane |
| Specialism | Business, Enterprise and Sport |
| Location | Whalley Range Greater Manchester United Kingdom |
| Local authority | Manchester City Council |
| Gender | Female |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Colours | Purple |
| Website | www.whalleyrange.manchester.sch.uk |
Whalley Range 11-18 High School is an all-girls school located in Whalley Range, Manchester, England. It is a specialist business, enterprise and sport college.
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The school was founded in 1891 and was bought by the Education Committee of the Corporation in 1908 when it provided places for 300 girls. A few yars later it was extended by the purchase of Alder House and the number of places was increased to 370. Girls were then admitted at the age of six and the curriculum allowed for education up to the matericulation standard and modern languages were well catered for.[1] It became a grammar school in 1944 and a comprehensive in 1967. It was until 1939 at a site in Withington Road, adjacent to College Road.[2] The present building was built in 1939 in the Neo-Georgian style (architects: City Architects) and it was extended in 1962 and 1997.[3]
Whalley Range 11-18 High School is a multi-cultural isuburban girls’ comprehensive school in south Manchester. The school gained specialist status as a Business and Enterprise College in September 2002, was re-designated in 2006 and achieved a second specialism as a Sports College from April 2007. It is also a Hub school for Business and Enterprise and provides support and training for schools across the north west.
The school has nearly 1,700 students currently on roll, with 300 students in the 6th Form. There are 200 staff, both teaching and non-teaching. The school is over-subscribed. An Ofsted inspection in March 2007 identified some areas of good practice. The numbers of students achieving 5 or more A*-C passes at GCSE have risen from 16% to 64%. ‘A’ Level and GNVQ courses have been extended and exceed national averages in some subjects. The school has been described by the Daily Telegraph as "one of Britain's top state schools".[4]
The TV Station
Launched in September 2001, Range TV is the school's in-house television station. Every room in the school has its own TV, and staff and students tune in to programmes that bring the school together.
Media Expertise
The staff who run Range TV are available to assist students with the technical requirements of a range of courses. These include Media Studies, Music and Performing Arts.
Range Radio was opened by a former student of the school, former MP Estelle Morris, on 6 July 1999, and is housed in a custom-built studio in one of the quadrangles. This allows staff, students and visitors to see into the studio from the surrounding glass corridors. The studio is equipped with industry-standard equipment. The school is one of the first High Schools in the country to be allocated its own frequency by Ofcom, allowing listeners to tune in to the broadcasts using their own standard radios. Students who prove themselves over a period of time and build up their broadcasting skills to a high level are given the opportunity to host their own regular weekly slot during the Lunchtime Show when one becomes vacant. The station is at the centre of many related projects including school drama productions, concerts, speciality programmes and interviews. All students are encouraged to get involved with the station.