Penwortham Girls' High School

South Ribble Secondary Schools Street Dance Competition

Posted on June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 by Michelle Murray

The South Ribble Secondary Schools Street Dance Competition took place at Wellfield High School on Thursday 30th April 2026, bringing together talented dancers from across the area for an exciting and energetic event.

We were incredibly proud to see such a strong turnout, with many students (particularly girls) stepping up to represent their schools with confidence and style. Our own dancers have shown outstanding dedication, rehearsing tirelessly since January. Their commitment, teamwork and passion for dance have been truly inspiring and they were a real credit to the school throughout the competition.

The team competed in two routines. All dancers took part in the Intermediate Dance 2 category, performing to the iconic Usher track “Yeah,” delivering a routine full of energy and precision. For their second performance, dancers were given the opportunity to choose their level, competing in either the Beginner or Advanced category. This allowed them to challenge themselves and showcase their individual strengths.

There were also some fantastic individual achievements. Petra S competed in the Beginner category and secured an impressive 1st place in a straight final—an incredible accomplishment. Matilda B delivered a standout performance, earning a callback from the semi-finals to compete again in the Advanced Dance 3 category, where she went on to take 1st place—an outstanding result!

Every single dancer performed exceptionally well, demonstrating confidence, skill and determination.

We are immensely proud of all of you. Well done, Eva M, Jessica F, Matilda B and Petra S!

Mrs Naylor

Curriculum Leader for Performance, Sport and Health

Featured on BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme

Posted on June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 by Michelle Murray

Last week, our Year 10 Student Leadership Team featured on BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme. Earlier this month, students were delighted to speak with Sheila Dillon about the Government’s proposed overhaul of England’s school food standards.

The discussion explored plans to improve school meals by reducing fried foods, puddings and processed meats, while increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables served to pupils. Our students shared their perspectives on school food and the important role it plays in supporting health, wellbeing and learning.

You can listen to the programme here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002ww0l

Mrs Cattanach

Associate Assistant Headteacher

Annual GCSE Exhibition

Posted on June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 by Michelle Murray

Join us at the Penwortham Girls’ High School Annual GCSE Exhibition and celebrate the incredible creativity and talent of our students!

Come along to explore a fantastic showcase of student work from:

🖌 Art

📷 Photography

🛠 Design Technology

🍴 Food Preparation and Nutrition

📅 Open to Year 10 & 11 Parents/Staff/Governors on Monday 6th July

🕞 3:30pm – 5:30pm

📍 Extended Dining Room, PGHS

We are so proud of the hard work, imagination and dedication shown by our GCSE students and we would love for you to come and support them.

Mrs Mitchell

Head of Art, Design and Technology

School Build Photo of the Week

Posted on June 9, 2026June 9, 2026 by Michelle Murray

2nd June 2026

Life Skills News

Posted on June 9, 2026June 9, 2026 by Michelle Murray

Year 10 students recently took part in their second session of the year with visiting specialists from The Key Charity, focusing on the important topics of consent and personal boundaries in relationships.

The workshop provided students with the opportunity to explore what healthy relationships look like, how to recognise and communicate boundaries, and why consent is a vital part of all interactions. Through guided discussions and practical activities, students were encouraged to think critically, ask questions, and reflect on real-life scenarios in a safe and supportive environment.

Having experts from The Key Charity deliver this session was particularly valuable. Their experience and knowledge brought a fresh and engaging perspective, helping students to deepen their understanding of complex issues with clarity and confidence. External sessions like this ensure that students are receiving accurate, up-to-date information from professionals who specialise in this field.

This session also strongly complements the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum delivered in Life Skills lessons. By reinforcing key messages and expanding on classroom learning, the workshop helped to consolidate students’ understanding and provided additional insights that enrich their overall education.

Feedback from students and staff has been very positive, with many highlighting how informative and thought-provoking the session was. It is clear that these workshops play an important role in supporting young people to build respectful, safe, and healthy relationships.

Overall, the visit from The Key Charity was a great success, and we look forward to continuing this important partnership in the future.

Miss Lindsay

Life Skills Co-ordinator

Year 8 German – Come Dine With Me Comic Strip Project

Posted on June 9, 2026June 9, 2026 by Michelle Murray

This half term, our Year 8 German students have been working on an exciting and creative project with Frau Gill inspired by the popular television programme Come Dine With Me.

To begin, students learnt and practised a range of German vocabulary linked to food, meals, cooking and expressing opinions. Through a variety of speaking, listening, reading and writing activities, students developed their confidence in using the language and applying new vocabulary in different contexts.

As part of the project, students listened to clips from a German version of Come Dine With Me. This gave them the opportunity to hear authentic German being spoken and helped them to identify key words and phrases they had been learning in lessons. They particularly enjoyed comparing the German programme with the UK version and spotting similarities and differences.

The highlight of the project was creating their own Come Dine With Me comic strips. Students worked hard to plan their stories, write dialogues in German and illustrate their characters and scenes. They included descriptions of meals, opinions from the guests and even some of the dramatic comments that make the television programme so entertaining! We even met Launische Linda!

The finished comic strips showcased not only the students’ growing German language skills but also their creativity, humour and imagination. It was fantastic to see students using their vocabulary independently and taking pride in presenting their work to such a high standard.

Well done to all of Frau Gill’s class for their enthusiasm, effort and excellent work throughout this project. We look forward to seeing more of their creativity in future language-learning activities.

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for MFL

Year 9 Students Win the Runshaw Philosophy Cup!

Posted on June 9, 2026June 9, 2026 by Michelle Murray

Congratulations to our Year 9 Philosophy Team which included:

Menaal A S

Lucy B

Alyce C

Gabby D

Ivy G

Erin H

Rosie J

Amelia N

Alice T

Tess W

The team were crowned champions of the Runshaw Philosophy Cup after an outstanding day of philosophical debate and discussion.

Competing against five other schools, including several Year 10 teams, our students demonstrated exceptional critical thinking, teamwork and communication skills throughout the tournament. The competition challenged students to analyse complex philosophical issues, present well-reasoned arguments, respond to opposing viewpoints and defend their ideas under questioning from a panel of judges.

Throughout the day, students explored a range of fascinating philosophical questions, including whether near-death experiences provide evidence for life after death, whether artificial intelligence could ever possess a conscious mind, whether the universe is the result of design or chance, the ethics of eating animals, whether virtual reality can provide a meaningful life and whether belief in miracles is reasonable.

Success required students to think on their feet, communicate clearly and work collaboratively, often responding to challenging questions without the aid of notes. Our Year 9 team impressed the judges with the depth of their reasoning, the quality of their arguments and their ability to engage thoughtfully with complex philosophical ideas. The judges commented on how prepared and well-rehearsed they were and they stood out for their positive commentary that they gave to other teams.

After coming top in the group stages, the team progressed to the final, where they delivered another excellent debate performance and secured victory to become Runshaw Philosophy Cup Champions.

To defeat five other schools, including older and more experienced Year 10 competitors, is a remarkable achievement. The students represented the school superbly and should be extremely proud of their success. Congratulations to all involved on bringing home the Runshaw Philosophy Cup!

Mrs Tattersall

Head of RE

Year 9 Engineering Success

Posted on June 9, 2026June 9, 2026 by Michelle Murray

This year, our Year 9 students took part in the Primary Engineer Leaders Award—an exciting national STEM challenge that invites young people across the UK to answer the question: “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” The competition encourages students to identify real-world problems and design creative, innovative solutions, helping them to develop vital skills in problem-solving, design, and communication. This competition has given our students a unique opportunity to think like engineers and engage with the real challenges and possibilities within STEM.

We are delighted to share the fantastic results from our Year 9 cohort: 67 Passes, 60 Merits, 21 Distinctions and 6 Shortlisted entries. The shortlisted entries are especially noteworthy. These outstanding designs advanced to the final round of judging, where they were reviewed by VIPs from the engineering world — an incredible achievement in itself.

We are especially proud to announce that Izzy R won the regional award for Year 9 students with her innovative design for a watch that helps monitor anxiety. The watch detects changes in the wearer’s body, such as an increased heart rate, which may occur before a panic attack. It then provides a range of suggestions and coping strategies to help reduce anxiety and support the user’s wellbeing. Amelia M received a highly commended award for her design of a pressure cuff, inspired by a relative who had suffered a stroke and experienced persistent pins and needles. Motivated to find a way to ease this discomfort, she created a cuff that gently pulses, helping to relieve the tingling sensation.

In recognition of their outstanding achievements, Izzy and Amelia recently attended a special awards ceremony at the University of Lancashire celebrating their success. Congratulations to them both on their remarkable success!

Mrs Goodwill

Teacher of Science

Cover Supervisor Job Vacancy

Posted on June 8, 2026June 9, 2026 by Michelle Murray

Required: 1st September 2026
Application Deadline: 12 noon on Friday 19 June 2026

Please download the application pack below. The application form and supplementary information is available to download on the vacancies page.

Cover Supervisor Recruitment Pack

Download (pdf)

Year 10 Historians Explore 19th Century Industrial Britain at Saltaire

Posted on June 2, 2026June 2, 2026 by Michelle Murray

In July, Year 10 historians from Penwortham Girls’ High School will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire to support their study of 19th century industrialisation. The trip will include a workshop at Hoyle Court, where students will analyse primary evidence to explore key issues such as overcrowding, poor sanitation and pollution during the Industrial Revolution. Students will then visit Saltaire to see how Sir Titus Salt’s model village aimed to improve living conditions through better housing, clean water and community facilities.

This visit provides an excellent opportunity to bring GCSE content to life and deepen students’ understanding of both the challenges and developments of the period. Any Year 10 History students who have not yet signed up must do so as soon as possible.

Mr Herbert

Associate Assistant Headteacher and Curriculum Leader for History