12 September 2014

The first full week of term has been as busy as ever for Bolton School.

We are still learning of some of the exciting achievements of our students over the summer months. Year 12 pupil Dominic Walker has won two medals in national swimming competitions! He took part in the ASA National Youth Championships, where he won gold, and the 2014 School Games, where he came away with bronze - a fantastic achievement in both cases.

Year 13 pupils Lydia Hounat, Natasha Hall and Rachel Fines spent 30 hours over the summer assisting a research project with Liverpool University. They searched Google Books for digital copies of books in French on the subject of India. This was a fascinating opportunity for them to increase their language skills, and an interesting project to take part in.

Last weekend, the First football team travelled down to Chigwell to compete in the ISFA Sixes Tournament. After excellent play from the Bolton School boys throughout the day, they achieved third place in the tournament, and won the Plate competition! Read the full match report here.

Monday saw the return of the boys' SPACE sessions. The Sixth Form enjoyed a talk from Old Boy Barry Nightingale, who imparted his 'Life Lessons' to them in the Great Hall. Meanwhile, Year 7 learned more about Lord Leverhulme and the many traditions of the Boys' Division in the Arts Centre.

The Year 9 boys enjoyed a rather more hands-on experience in their first SPACE session of the year. They travelled down to the Bolton School scout hut, Brookside, where they took part in a tree survey led by representatives from the RSPB. This was a great opportunity for the boys to learn more about the natural world around them.

Tuesday saw pupils gather for Whole School Photographs. The Junior Boys' School (Park Road), Boys' Division Senior School, and both Junior and Senior pupils in the Girls' Division congregated to take part in a tradition dating back to the late Victorian period. It was quite a spectacle to see the whole School brought together!

On Thursday evening, students, teachers, parents and friends gathered in the Girls' Division Great Hall for Presentation Evening. The Guest Speaker was Lesley Ainsworth, who gave a incisive address about change, choice, and the importance of developing skills beyond the academic.

Left to right: Head Girl Jessica Melling, Mrs Griffiths, Chairman of Governors
Mr Griffiths, Guest Speaker Lesley Ainsworth, Headmistress Sue Hincks,
and Deputy Head Girls Ananya Baksi and Khamillah Mohammed

The Girls' Division is looking forward to hosting the annual Girls Go Gold Conference next week! Girls from schools around the country will travel to Bolton School to take part, while still more will visit St Catherine’s Bramley for the Southern Conference. With keynote speakers Jenny Meadows and Helen Glover, and a host of expert speakers and workshop leaders including former England netball captain Tracey Neville, the event has been a sell-out for months, and promises to be a very special day for everyone involved!

You can preview an online version of the Girls Go Gold Programme by clicking here.