22nd February 2013

Old Girl of Bolton School, author Kate Long, has written a follow-up to her best-selling 2004 novel, The Bad Mother’s Handbook, which was later made into a one-off hit TV show starring comedian Catherine Tate. Her new book, Bad Mothers United, is out on the 28th February 2013, and catches up with characters Charlotte, Karen and Nan, who are back and as hilariously catastrophic as ever. Kate had not intended to write a follow-up but was contacted by scores of readers who loved the book and wanted to know what happened next. The books are set in the fictional town of Bank Top, based on Blackrod, where Kate grew up. Another Old Girl, former High Court Judge Dame Janet Smith, has been declared one of the UK's most powerful women in a BBC survey. A panel of judges compiled a list of the country's 100 most influential females for Radio 4's Woman's Hour. The list was made up of women who have the greatest impact on British politics, society, culture and the economy.

Pitching a business idea in public is no easy ride, but 'Saddle Up', a joint team of Sixth Form Girls and Boys at Bolton School, showed nerves of steel as they delivered a highly engaging presentation which enabled them to race to victory in the inaugural Joint KPMG Enterprise Competition. As in past years, all the teams produced highly innovative ideas and compelling presentations which provided a real headache in terms of choosing an overall winner for the Dragons’ Den judging panel of delegates from KPMG, BT and Rivington Associates. After much deliberation, congratulations went to the winning team of Saddle Up, with their memory foam bike saddle and waterproof pouch for valuables.

Congratulations go to our Year 10 Boys’ Division volleyball players who returned to the Bolton Town Volleyball Championships for the second year, after taking the title in their debut season last year. Both teams played well with one team remaining unbeaten in five games to make the final and finish as runners up. They will now go on to represent the Borough for the second consecutive year in the Greater Manchester Games in May.

Also this week, Sixth Form AS and A level Mathematics students from the Girls’ Division and Boys’ Division enjoyed a lunchtime presentation on ‘Mathematics in the Digital Age’. The talk was given by Dr Terence Etchells, from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the Liverpool John Moores University. And Year 2 pupils had great fun dressing up as characters from traditional stories and attending a Traditional Tale Ball, including a banquet and dancing!

8th February 2013

Stunning and colourful landscape artwork, provided by Year 6 pupils at Bolton School Boys’ Division, is currently offering a dramatic and eye-catching wall of art in the busy Upper Hall of the Market Place Shopping Centre in Bolton town centre. The landscape paintings were created as part of the Year 6 Art curriculum in the Junior School and the exhibition will run for the whole of February - go down and have a look!

In School this week over 80 year 4 girls from 21 local primary schools took part in our annual Just4Girls Science and Maths Day. The experience provided them with an opportunity to enjoy a range of traditionally 'male' subjects in a new and fun way, and was aimed at linking science and maths together. Throughout the day there were sessions in Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Bolton School Boys’ Division are double swimming champions of Bolton! The boys triumphed in the Bolton Schools Town Gala by beating close rivals Canon Slade School and winning both the Junior and Intermediate age groups. It was a suberb end to a superb tournament, in which the teams reached the finals in every event. Well done to all! Also this week, Old Boy and former Chairman of Lancashire County Cricket Club Committee, Geoff Ogden, led former pupils in a special lunchtime presentation to Bolton School’s first national cricket champions.

Fourteen Year 7 girls showed nerves of steel as they competed in front of the whole year group in a French Spelling Bee Competition. The pupils were competing for the chance to represent the Girls’ Division at the regional final, to be held at Manchester Metropolitan University in March. And the Boys’ Division English Department Lecture Competition came to an end with year group finals held in the Great Hall at lunchtimes and watched by the whole year group. Over Christmas, English teachers asked the pupils in years 7 to 10 to prepare a presentation on an interesting topic to present to their classmates. Teachers chose the best pupil in each class to go through to the finals.

Bolton School Junior Boys were treated to a performance with a difference this week when they were visited by music duo 'Travelling by Tuba'. There was a strong emphasis on audience participation as the whole school was given an exciting presentation tracing the history of the tuba, and demonstrations of weird and exotic examples of musical instruments from all over the world. While Thursday at Hesketh House was International Day 2013, with a host of activities to celebrate everything German. All girls came off timetable to spend a day filled with cross-curricular activities, exploring the food, language and culture of Germany and researching interesting German facts.

1st February 2013

Dr Elizabeth Sidwell CBE, the Schools’ Commissioner who is charged with raising standards and leading the expansion of the Government’s academy schools programme, visited Bolton School this week after receiving an invitation from the Headmaster of the Boys’ Division, Mr Philip Britton. Mr Britton, having met Dr Sidwell at a number of conferences, decided to offer her a personal invite in order that she could learn firsthand about the many ways that the School engages with local schools. Some independent schools have chosen to sponsor a local academy but Bolton School has pursued a policy of engaging with as many different schools in the area in as many different ways as possible. Pupils and staff at Bolton School were joined by teachers and children from a number of local schools to give a series of short presentations demonstrating the wide range of local partnerships.

Girls and boys also enjoyed a visit from the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester this week. There was a large lunchtime gathering in the Boys’ Division Great Hall as historians, school academic societies and interested parties of all ages assembled to hear George Almond CBE, the current presiding Sheriff, relate a history of the position and explain his role in today’s world.

Successful children’s author Joe Craig came in to Bolton School to talk to pupils in both the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions about life as a writer. Joe spoke to the Year 7 girls and boys about how he became a writer and the process he goes through to write his books. Joe is best known for the Jimmy Coates series of books, described in several reviews as 'The Bourne Identity for kids'. He explained to the pupils how to turn an idea for a story into an actual book and gave them some valuable tips on becoming an author including what the vital components for a story are and even how to plan a story in ten minutes. At the end of each talk Joe’s books were available to buy and he even signed them for the pupils.

And Year 10 pupils in the Girls’ Division presented a cheque for over £1,200 to the North West Air Ambulance charity, raised through their annual Christmas Post Charity Event. The money was raised over four days at the end of last term, starting with a special assembly where each form group performed a ten minute themed assembly to generate interest in the fundraising efforts they intend to carry out over the following days. Girls chose topical themes such as 'I'm a Celebrity' and 'X Factor' for their presentations, to encourage other students to support them in their fundraising which includes selling cakes and sweets. A representative of the NWAA came into school to receive the cheque from the girls.