Manchester High to Open Its First Pre-School
A well-known Manchester Girls’ School is opening a pre-school, for the first time in its 152-year history.
Manchester High School for Girls (MHSG), in Fallowfield, is extending its offering to welcome girls as young as three, from September 2026.
The independent all girls’ school, which boasts alumnae including all three of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst’s daughters, is opening spaces for a select number of pupils.
Head Mistress, Mrs Helen Jeys, said: “We are a proud school of firsts, and this is the first time in our history that we are extending our education to three and four-year-old girls. With strong foundations in place, girls are equipped to grow with resilience, ambition and integrity throughout their educational journey and beyond. As an organisation that believes so passionately in girls’ education, it is an understandable and deliberate evolution for us to offer a pre-school at Manchester High.”
MHSG’s pre-school is set to provide a nurturing, yet academic environment for some of Manchester’s youngest girls, with teaching on early phonics and numeracy skills and a focus on emotional and social development. There will be a maximum of 16 spaces available in the class, and the girls joining will be called the ‘Little Ivies.
Mrs Ruth Anderson is Head of EYFS at MHSG and will be leading the pre-school. She said: “The Early Years are not a prelude to a successful education; these years are the vital foundation.
“The symbolism of the ivy, long associated with Manchester High School for Girls, offers a powerful metaphor for this work. Ivy grows slowly but purposefully, anchored by strong roots that allow it to flourish over time. The pre-school represents those roots: the starting point of girls’ education, where confidence is established, identity is affirmed, and potential begins to climb.”
With limited places available from September 2026, interested families are encouraged to get in touch with the School directly to find out more.
Visit manchesterhigh.co.uk, email registrar@mhsg.manchester.sch.uk, call 0161 224 0447 or find MHSG on social media @manhighgirls.
