A YEAR of hard work both inside and outside the classroom has been celebrated at Bury Grammar School Girls.

For the school held its annual prizegiving night last week at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

The headteacher, Bobby Georghiou, spoke about the pupils’ exam success, which resulted in pass rates of 99.4 per cent at GCSE and 100 per cent at A-level.

Particular praise was given to pupils Hetty Demain and Prianca Sawney, who were seriously ill during their GCSEs.

Mrs Georghiou highlighted the many achievements made by the pupils, including winning the Salters Chemistry Challenge, Rotary Bury Young Chef competition, and the Rhys Davis Mock Trial competition.

She also spoke about their success outside school, such as long jumper Abigail Irozuru, who hopes to compete in the 2012 London Olympics, and Heather Sellars, who raised £20,000 by swimming the English Channel. As well as the pupils, Mrs Georghiou paid tribute to the teaching staff.

She said: “Our teaching is led by talented and hard working heads of department who patiently put together all the information required by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, while never neglecting the day job — overseeing the quality of Education in their subjects which they all love with a passion.

“And parents, what daughters you have. The inspectors gave particular praise to them and it is worth quoting here because I believe it to be special. Of the girls, they said: ‘They work outstandingly well together in class, with concern to mutual rather than individual success’. No wonder then we are such a very good school.”

The evening was attended by pupils, parents, school governors, and members of the boys’ school.

They were joined by guest speaker Janet Pickering, headteacher of Withington Girls’ School, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury, Cllr Sheila Magnall and Mrs Liz Pepper.

Some of the prizewinners

Jessica Owen, Arkwright Scholarship; Jessica Owen, Pavilion Prize for Designer Potential; Florence Buckley, Broxap Fine Art Prize; Ellice Rigby, Edith Reed Music Prize; Rebecca Moorhouse, Food and Nutrition Prize; Alexandra Stott, Elsie Farraday Prize for Creative Textiles; Rosie Leach, Alexandra Moore Poetry Prize; Henrietta Demain, McDonald Prize for Character; Anna Wakefield, PE Prize; Rachel Catterall, Prize for Creative and Artistic Achievement.

Philippa Scott, Mellor Scholarship; Lahari Ramuni, Calrow Exhibition; Aadhithya Anbahan, Sophie Greenhalgh, and Alexandra Griffiths, Kay Leaving Exhibitions; Georgia Copp Barton, Jessica Rennie, Lucy Schofield, Dorothy Lester Prizes; Nicola Gillard, Art Prize; Katherine Hampson, H T Farrar Prize for Biology; Sabrieh Borini, Business Studies Prize; Phillippa Jackson, Samuel and Elizabeth Lord Prize for Chemistry; Jennifer Fogg, Daisy Orme Prize for Classics; Caitlin Parr, Design and Technology Prize; Lauren Jay, Economics Prize.

Grace Teer, Sonia James Prize for English Language; Jessica Marsi, James Ramsden Prize for English Literature; Alexandra Stirzaker, Eleanor Pemberton Cup for French; Lucy Roberts, Henry Webb Memorial Prize for Geography; Eleanor Pickstock, IT Prize; Charlotte Scrivens, Julie Ashworth Memorial Prize for Physical Geography; Robyn Silkstone, Neild Prize for History; Sophie Cowgill, German Prize; Jessica Shepherd, Sarah Alcock Prize for Mathematics; Ashleigh Mullen, Mathematics and Statistics Prize.

Charlotte Benger, Music Prize; Elizabeth Ullathorne and Ailsa Vines, Physical Education Prize; Ellen Shaw, Politics Prize; Elizabeth Turgut, Psychology Prize; Jenny Reddiough, Religious Studies Prize; Alexandra Welsby, Spanish Prize; Rebecca Bailey, Drama and Theatre Studies Prize with English Language and English Literature; Aadhithya Anbahan, Cecil Heap Memorial Prize for General Studies; Charlotte Benger, Choir Prize; Philippa Scott and Katherine Hampson, Orchestra Prize; Alexandra Welsby, Dorothy Lester Travel Scholarship.

Soraya Hassan, Canon Smith Prize for Service to the School; Charlotte Scrivens, Centenary Trophy for Service to the School; Chandni Bhabhani, Geoffrey Gray Award for Achievement through Determination; Alexandra Stirzaker, Diana Award; Heather Sellars, Rochdale Childer Award; Heather Sellars, Bury Grammar School Girls Lifetime Achievement Award; Kate Jason, Victory Trophy; Jennifer Healey, Deputy Sports Captain’s Prize; Kate Jason, Sports Captain’s Prize; Alexandra Welsby, Deputy Head Girl’s Prize; Kate Maxwell, Head Girl’s Prize.