BE—IS

3. General Statement of Accounts for the Year ended 31st December, 1907. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. & s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 615 4 7 Management— Office salaries .. ..200 0 0 Government grants for sites, building, fur- Teachers' salaries— niture, &c. ... .. .. .. 61 15 4 Main School.. .. .. .. 3,788 5 2 Government capitation— Preparatory School .. .. .. 190 0 0 For free places .. .. .. 410 6 8 Examiners'fees .. .. 2 2 0 Under Manual and Technical Instruction Other examination expenses .. 8 11 0 Regulations .. .. .. 13 15 0 Scholarships .. .. .. .. 15 0 0 Current income from reserves .. .. 3,578 19 10 Prizes .. .. .. .. 30 6 7 School fees— Class material .. .. .. .. 31 10 9 Main School.. .. .. .. 1,091 8 6 Printing, stationery, advertising, and books 91 2 5 Preparatory department .. .. 190 0 0 Advertising (Preparatoiy School) .. 210 0 Interest on current account .. .. 20 10 4 Cleaning, fuel, light, &c. .. .. 63 4 9 Maintenance of classes for manual instruction .. .. .. .. .. 52 15 8 New works .. .. .. .. 13 8 6 Repairs, fittings, &c. .. .. .. 235 16 4 Miscellaneous—lnsuranoe .. .. 19 9 3 Other expenditure— Inspecting reserves .. .. .. 130 16 9 Interest on Loan of £5,000 .. .. 200 0 0 Grants to Sports Fund and cadet corps .. 85 0 0 Expenses connected with endowments .. 13 12 3 Rent of playground .. .. .. 63 11 2 Sundries .. .. .. .. 49 2 0 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 695 15 8 £5,982 0 3 £5,982 0 3 G. W. Eussell, Chairman. A. Ceaceoft Wilson, Eegistrar. Examined and found correct.— J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-General.

CHEISTCHUECH GIELS , HIGH SCHOOL. Staff. Miss M. V. Gibson, M.A.; Miss C. K. Henderson, B.A. ; Miss M. Bell-Hay; Miss F. Sheard, M.A. B.Sc.; Miss K. Gresson, M.A. ; Mrs. C. V. Longton, M.A.; Miss E. T. Crosby, B.A. ; Miss G. E. Greenstreet, 8.A.; Miss M. F. Barker, M.A. ; Miss L. E. Bing, B.A. ; Sergeant-major Farthing; Miss N. Gardner; Miss A. Rennie; Miss H. L. Smith ; Miss E. Easterbrook ; Miss E. Burns. 1. Report of the Lady Principal. , As was anticipated, the school-work this year has been carried on under very considerable difficulties, owing to the extension and alteration of the building. In the first term the classes were held in the old part of the school, which was more crowded than ever, and, and in spite of all possible arrangements made by the architect and builder, there was much unavoidable disturbance. Oral lessons had frequently to be absolutely suspended. The Exhibition traffic passing the doors added to the general distraction. During the months of February and March advantage was taken of the nearness of the Exhibition, and the special concessions made for school classes, to pay several visits during school hours to the more specially educational courts. The classes visited these in rotation, and the officials in charge gave up a great deal of valuable time explaining the various exhibits, their kindness making the Exhibition visits both enjoyable and instructive. The foundation-stone of the extension of the building was laid by the Hon. George Fowlds-, Minister of Education, on Thursday, the 28th March, in the presence of the Chairman of the Board of Governors, several members of the Board, the Lady Principal, teaching staff and pupils of the school, and a few visitors, including Mr. Charles Lewis, M.P., and Mr. A. E. G. Rhodes, former Chairman of the Board of Governors. At the beginning of the second term it was necessary to move some of the classes. Two fairsized rooms were obtained in an empty house in Chester and classes'were carried on there. This necessitated a good deal of passing to and fro on the part of girls and teachers, and a con-. siderable shortening of the teaching-time in consequence, but as the winter was fortunately a dry one no-more serious inconvenience was incurred. By the beginning of the third term the new staircase and two of the new class-rooms were available, and were put into temporary use while the other alterations were made, and the build ing was finished shortly before the close of the school year. When the furniture and fittings are provided the school will have a fine assembly hall, five large class-rooms and four smaller rooms ('accommodating in all some 240 pupils), a science-room, and a small library. In addition to wide corridors and a fine double staircase with a dividing handrail, two fire-escapes have been provided from the upper floor. The ventilation, heating, and lighting arrangements nrp all made on modern-hygienic principles, and dual desks are provided. There is not yet sufficient cloak-room accommodation, "and the playground is wholly inadequate, being barely larger than the dimensions of the asphalt tennis-court, and shut off from the sun by the large brick building: on the north. These are serious defects, especially in a girls' school, and call for improvement at as early a date as possible, as the evils will be doubled during thp winter months.

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