THE new head teacher at Bury Grammar School Girls has spoken about her plans to help her pupils "make their mark in the world".

Jo Anderson has taken the reins from Bobby Georghiou, who retired at the end of the last academic year after 12 years.

Founded in 1884, Bury Grammar School Girls (BGSG), cherishes its tradition of "education free thinking", producing high achievers and alumni including Victoria Wood and Victoria Derbyshire.

Mrs Anderson said: "I see absolutely no difference in what today's young men and women should want to achieve or expect of themselves and I believe both girls and boys deserve the same rigorous approach, though it might be fair to say that teenage girls really do thrive on praise, encouragement and personal attention to boost their confidence which enables them to go on and make their mark in the world.

"I want to give our girls the freedom to explore, the freedom to take risks, the freedom to make mistakes and above all I want them to have a go and not just to wonder what if. Education is a once in a lifetime opportunity and they must grasp it."

Mrs Anderson, who is originally from Leicester, studied modern foreign languages at Leeds University, ultimately going on to take a MEd in secondary education leadership.

She began her career at Leeds Grammar, moved to Queen's School Chester as head of MFL, where she taught across the age range from five to 18, then on to the all-boys Manchester Grammar School, and then to The King's School in Macclesfield as principal of the Girls' Division.

Mrs Anderson said: "I think it is important I have taught boys and girls from the reception class in primary school up to A Level classes and that I also have experience of understanding the aspirations of today's young people, what motivates them to succeed and the expectations placed on them."

Mrs Anderson wants to prepare the girls at Bury Grammar School for leading roles in the community and has already established a new Aspire Programme, which features inspirational speakers, including Phil Collins, a columnist with the Times and a speech writer for former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

She said: "In the first four or five months since appointment as headmistress, I have been incredibly impressed by both the teachers and the girls. Together they have always achieved phenomenal results, but it's not through a sheer, unrelenting slog with their noses always to grindstone.

"Academic success has been resulted from the wonderful relationships between staff and pupils and how this fosters a happy, creative atmosphere in which the girls can flourish not just academically but as importantly outside the classroom, on our sports' fields, in our orchestras and on the stage, and I want to maintain and, if possible, develop even further this creative culture."