The construction of a new facility for Withington Girls’ school in Greater Manchester will include a hub area where pupils can socialise as well as a roofed courtyard area.


Expected to be completed in times for the school’s 125th anniversary celebrations in 2015, the £4.5m junior school building in Fallowfield will feature a wild-flower grass roof, and will allow a considerable increase in the number of pupils the school can accommodate as well as providing state of the art facilities.


Headmistress Sue Marks said: “Withington Girls’ School has a heritage of vision stretching back to its foundation by a group of leading Manchester families in 1890.


“The new junior school and hub will help to ensure that Withington remains at the forefront of girls’ education nationally in the way our founders intended, offering exceptional opportunities for personal development - academic, cultural, sporting and social - and encouraging independence of mind and high aspirations.


“I am delighted to announce that, from September 2015 onwards, our means-tested bursary scheme will be extended to include junior girls coming into years five and six.


“This will be in addition to the senior school bursary programme which currently helps around one-in-six senior girls with the fees, according to each family’s needs.”