Loreto’s football 1st team and 2nd team both took part in the end of season play-off games recently. The 1st team had a daunting away trip to league winners Darwen College. In front of a partisan crowd, and on a difficult pitch, Loreto made a nervous start and were a goal down after five minutes. It was time to show some fighting spirit and team work. The team’s response was fantastic and by half time we were in front 2-1. The crowd was silenced and we came out for the second half full of confidence. Unfortunately we switched off for a couple of minutes and were punished once again. 2-2 and the crowd had found its voice again now. The Loreto team was instructed to be patient, to keep playing controlled football and to let class show through. Ten minutes to and some tactical substitutions paid off when Damani Holness went through on goal and smashed the ball into the top corner to make the score 3-2 to Loreto.

After recent changes to the reporting of hate crimes by Greater Manchester Police, Loreto’s Debate Club recently tackled the controversial motion ‘Hate crimes deserve a higher sentence.’ This debate was the first semi-final of our debating competition.  Speaking for the motion were Ruth Delahunty and Grace Ferris, who had earned their place by winning a debate on the value of the jury system. Opposing them were Imogen Fox and Rowan Gourlay, who had previously persuaded the judges that tax avoidance was morally wrong.  All four students are currently in their Lower Sixth year, and the debate was skilfully chaired by long-standing debate club member Jake Hurfurt.

An interesting and unusual new dimension has been added to the departure of our upper sixth students. As well as the normal range of activities a wide range of talented upper sixth performers took part in the Loreto TV upper sixth leavers’ show in the Media Studio. In front of a large and appreciative audience the show was hosted by magician Katherine Gammon and stand-up comic Tom McManus (aka Robson Eric), both veterans of the Loreto Showcase talent show, who also performed their own acts.

Drama and Performing Arts students were lucky to take part in a workshop led by Commedia Dell’Arte and mask specialist, and founder of ‘Learning Through Theatre’ Cheryl Parmenter.  During the workshop the students were given an insight into the history of mask performance and looked at the stock characters of First and Second Zannis, Arlecchino, Pantalone, Il Capitano (the captain), Il Dottore (the doctor) and the Immorati (the lovers) . Students explored the stance, voice and character of each archetype and even had a go at creating a Lazzi , an improvised scene that is usually secondary to the main plot in a commedia play.

Students and staff flew to Munich earlier this year, for the now annual IT Department trip.  After last year’s trip to a frozen Budapest in February, we had decided to go a bit later in the year and hopefully benefit from more clement weather, but it was not to be, and we had a very cold and snowy week again. Our accommodation was a youth hostel close to the centre of Munich, and it was the best yet, very appropriate for the student group with a games room and lounges. 

The Green Fingers gardening group started in September 2011 for students on the Pathways to Independence course, to learn how to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables in an organic garden. Since starting over thirty five students have used the greenhouses and raised beds to learn how to prepare seed trays, sow seeds, nurture healthy plants and enrich the soil; the importance of regular watering, and how to adapt with the changing seasons so their plants flourish.

Two Loreto students, Amrin Nahar and Ffion Roberts, recently had the opportunity to travel down to London as part of a CAFOD organised initiative aimed at raising awareness of world poverty. The objective was to team up with other young people for a series of lectures and discussions at CAFOD headquarters before moving on to the Houses of Parliament. Ex Whalley Range High School pupil Amrin takes up the story:

The Travel & Tourism Department had its annual residential trip abroad recently. Santa Ponsa in Majorca was the picturesque location chosen, close to many resorts and attractions. 

The trip was blessed by sunny weather, and the range of activities on the itinerary included a trip on a tourist train to the lemon groves in the traditional Spanish town of Soller. 

As part of the development of Manchester’s largest skate facility, Projects MCR and Loreto College have come together to create a workplace training programme for current and former Pathways students in the form of a café.

A2 Drama and Theatre Studies students recently performed their very own self-penned devised drama pieces to a packed house.

The students, who have been developing their work in a theatrical style of their choice for eight weeks, performed in the purpose-built Ellis and Kennedy Theatre. 

Members of the audience were impressed at the range of styles and high quality of the work shown. The styles showcased included theatre of the absurd, theatre of cruelty, black comedy, farce, storytelling theatre and heightened realism.

Loreto Men’s U17 and Women’s U18 teams embarked on a five hour journey to Stratford in East London to play in the National Championship Final for their respective age groups. At the start of a long, hard season the teams competed in regional leagues, where they both emerged as overall winners. They then moved on to national knockout rounds (play-offs) before proceeding to the national semi-finals, played over two legs, home and away.

Students from Loreto’s History Department were treated to their own ‘private open day’ with Manchester University’s School of History. The students were given introductory lectures by Dr Paul Oldfield showing them what life would be like if they were to study History at Manchester and they then experienced their own lecture on The Remembrance of War by Dr Max Jones.

Earlier this year students set off for the Pathways department’s annual residential week at Bendrigg Lodge in the Lake District.

Whilst there, students undertook a variety of exciting outdoor and indoor pursuits, such as climbing, canoeing, caving and abseiling. They worked in teams and independently to bravely take on challenges and overcome fears, as well as having a great deal of fun and making new friends.

The History Society recently welcomed Professor Oldfield from Manchester University to discuss “Beers, Books and Brawls” in relation to the Medieval University.

The talk described the positive influences Medieval culture has had on our society as several of the changes made during the 12th Century Renaissance movement are still in practice today.

Professor Oldfield highlighted the background, the issue of conflict, tensions, students and characteristics of Medieval universities in depth.

Twenty seven Loreto Students attended a Cambridge residential at the prestigious university as part of the Cambridge Consortium scheme, for which Loreto is the North West hub. This scheme aims to encourage state school applicants to the university and offers a variety of residential opportunities and guest speakers, in addition to master classes.

Loreto celebrated World Book Night by giving away copies of books from this year’s list. Seventy five students received special edition copies of the ‘The Reader’ by Bernhard Schlink,  ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes and ‘ Why be Happy When You Could be Normal?’ by Jeanette Winterson. 

Miss Smith, Ms Clancy and Ms Barker were among 20,000 World Book Night volunteers who, in total,  gave out 500,000 books to share the joy of reading and promote literacy.

Students from Loreto have achieved the college’s best ever performance in the Institute of Ideas Debating Matters competition.  Having previously won their qualifying round, they competed against the best schools and colleges from across the North West and North Wales.  The team won their first debate and went on to a nail-biting second debate, losing narrowly to the eventual champions, Withington Girls’ School.

The History Society was delighted to welcome back Richard Dashwood for yet another fascinating talk, this time on the topic of D-Day, one of the most important events of World War Two.

Richard took us through the different stages which made up the invasion: Operation Neptune (the naval cross channel phase), Operation Fortitude (the deception of the Germans, fooling them into thinking the invasion would be at Pas de Calais) and, finally, Operation Overlord, the codename famously given to the invasion in its entirety.

Drama students have completed their Presentation of an extract of a play for their examinations.

Performed in the Ellis and Kennedy Theatre, over three evenings, audiences witnessed a range of styles, plays and staging configurations.

Using the influence of a theatrical practitioner, students had the challenge of realising and interpreting a play with full set, costume and lighting. 

A group of dedicated geographers were delighted to meet up with BBC documentary star Professor Iain Stewart, at an event held at the University of Derby.

Professor Stewart has presented numerous documentaries on volcanoes, earthquakes, climate change and how the planet works, as well as being Chair in Science Communication in the School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth.