90 years sees an end of an era

This year sees, Wirral Grammar Girls School turn 90, along with Wirral Grammar School For Boys - they both opened in 1931. The current headteacher Mrs Cogan has been headteacher at Wirral Grammar School for Girls since 2001, that's 21 years. During this time Mrs Cogan has helped take the school up to one of the highest performing schools on the Wirral. The school first opened in 1931 when the Head teacher was Miss Chambers. Mr Loveland who is deputy head at Wirral Girls has worked at the school since 1988. Both Mrs Cogan and Mr Loveland are retiring at the end of the 2022 school year after working together to build the school up to where it is now. Young Reporter Helen had a chance to interview Mrs Cogan along with Mr Loveland 

Helen: The physical infrastructure of the school has changed over the years, what is your favourite part of the school that was not here when you arrived? 

Mrs Cogan: “The school was a very old building. I came and agreed a plan for the new school with a budget of £11 million and a goal to complete it in 3 years. During the construction we had mobile classrooms that I called the ‘village’ on the field. It was hard to run a school and a building project. I don't think I had a holiday in the first three years of being headteacher because I wanted to make sure all the building was being done to the correct standard. My favourite part of the school now is the atrium, it originally wasn’t going to be included in the building but now it is used by so many girls.”

Helen: What is your greatest achievement whilst being at Wirral Grammar? 

Mrs Cogan: “I have employed over 180 staff members since starting, and I have created an outstanding school with a happy environment.”

Helen: Was your goal always to be a headteacher and was it a big step up from teaching? 

Mrs Cogan:“I started teaching at a grammar school in 1977 and the headteacher at that school said that he could see me becoming a headteacher and that really gave me confidence. After that many of the other headteachers I worked with said that they could also see it in me.”

Helen: What has been your favourite school trip that you have been on? 

Mrs Cogan: “Auschwitz, it was heartbreaking seeing all of the terrible things that happened but seeing it through the eyes of the girls that went on the trip showed how it was worthwhile visiting and eye opening for them.”

Mr Loveland: “The RS A-level trip to Rome. I helped set the trip up when it first started, lots of things happened. We even got to see the pope one year and someone got pick-pocketed! It felt that there were certain things that Rome could give you to help the pupils cultural knowledge and you get to work with the pupils not just in a classroom but in a different country. 

Helen: What plans do you have for the future?

Mrs Cogan: “Travelling. Travelling to places like Jordan, Australia and Canada for a year and then get a dog, a golden retriever.”

Mr Loveland: “I want to start a YouTube channel, mostly academic videos and due to the COVID pandemic and being at home all the time I have become quite good with technology. Nothing might not come from it but I still want to do it, even if it is just my kids who watch it! I am also involved in my local community so I want to help with something like a foodbank.”

Helen: What are your hopes for the future of Wirral Girls?

Mrs Cogan: “That it remains a top school on the Wirral. That it not only has outstanding education but also it stays a place where girls want to go to.”

Helen: Being a headteacher at a top school must be stressful, how do you manage this? 

Mrs Cogan “I try to stay upbeat, I'm not afraid to make mistakes- I learn from them”

Helen: What is the most unexpected experience that has happened to you whilst being at Wirral Girls? 

Mrs Cogan: “ A man fell through the roof! When all the building work was getting done at the school I told the builders I don't want anyone working on the roofs above the girls or teachers but one day I had a teacher run into my office screaming because a man had fallen through the roof. I calmed the teacher down and told her we were going to go back to the classroom to get the girls and when we walked in we sang ‘It's raining men’ (by The Weather Girls) to help calm the situation and it helped. There was a man's leg coming through the ceiling. We calmed the girls down and we got them all out of the classroom safely. It is a funny memory. 

Helen: Do you have anything you want to say to the current and future Wirral Girls and other girls on the Wirral? 

Mrs Cogan “Believe in yourself and be resilient, you know that is my favourite word. Do not be afraid to make mistakes and most importantly be kind.” 

Helen also got a chance to interview Mr Loveland, the deputy head and a RS teacher at Wirral Girls: 

Helen: How long have you worked at Wirral and were you always an RS teacher?

Mr Loveland “I started in September 1988, I taught a range of subjects and I originally joined Wirral Girls as Head of RS. I have taught History, Latin, Sociology, English and Classical Civisation.”

Helen: What is your funniest memory at the school?

Mr Loveland “It is actually from a school trip to Rome, one of the students got very drunk. We visited a church and the pupils went into the church shop. One student purchased a bottle of 90% alcohol to give to her dad. The teachers at the time were completely unaware that she had bought the alcohol. At 11pm that night I had a group of pupils come and get me because the student had drunk some of the alcohol to try it and was black out drunk. She was vomiting all night and I stayed up to make sure she was okay. The funny thing was that in the morning she was completely fine but I was exhausted from being awake all night. That day we went past the palace and some guards that were wearing all of their fancy clothes and we managed to get her to stand between them and we took a photo of her with the guards!”

Helen: Mr Loveland takes nearly all the photos for the school that can be seen online, on the website or along the walls in all the corridors. What got you into school photography?

Mr Loveland “In 2004, I bought a camera with my money and tried it in school. It was my first camera. The school has a very social environment and  I learned to recognise the audience and now how to get the best photos of people.” 

Helen: What have you enjoyed most about being an RS teacher and deputy head at Wirral Girls?

Mr Loveland “I have been able to teach my subject for 38 years to people who want to learn it. I am very blessed to work in such a good environment. Being a deputy head here is a joy, it’s both a bit of telling off and helping other people both staff and students.”

Helen: What do you plan on doing in the future?

Mr Loveland “I want to start a YouTube channel, mostly academic videos and due to the COVID pandemic and all the time at home I have become quite good with technology. Nothing might not come from it but I still want to do it, even if it is just my kids who watch it! I am also involved in my local community so I want to help with something like a foodbank.”