3 July 2015

Though the end of term draws near, there are still plenty of exciting events going on throughout the School. Last Friday, Bolton School hosted the Bolton Children's Fiction Award Ceremony. Over 600 pupils from local schools attended the event, where they enjoyed sessions with the attending authors and became the first to learn that Tom Hoyle's book Thirteen was the winner for 2015!

On Saturday, all areas of the School came together for the Foundation Family Festival - one of the events arranged as part of the 100/500 Year Celebrations. This was a fantastic occasion which was very much enjoyed by all those in attendance. There was something for all age groups, and plenty to see and do - from watching pupils abseil down the clock tower to a bird of prey exhibition, human table football, a tin can sculpture and much more!

The School also hosted the launch of the Bolton Sports Alliance this week. This initiative aims to deliver high quality Physical Education, School Sport and recreational activities for Bolton. The inaugural meeting was attended by World, Commonwealth and European Champion Beth Tweddle MBE, who gave a short presentation at the meeting to highlight the broader opportunities available via the Alliance's associate providers.

Summer sports fixtures are well under way, and perhaps the most prestigious of these is the annual match between the 1st XI Cricketers and a team from the MCC Club. This was a great opportunity for the boys, and they learned much from the experience despite an unfortuante loss on this occasion.

Meanwhile, the U14s cricket team progressed to the Lancashire County final against Manchester Grammar School. The Bolton School boys put in an excellent effort and came away champions! They will now progress to play nationally in the U15s tournament next year.

The annual Year 5 Science Festival brought together pupils from schools in the local area for a fun day of scientific descovery themed around sport. The children worked in teams of four and enjoyed a carousel of activities, including chemistry, biology and physics tasks. The children all agreed that they had a fantastic time and learned something new over the course of the day.

Pupils from both Divisions recently attended the Greater Manchester Chemquiz: a competitive and fun day of chemistry for secondary school pupils in the area. The Girls' Division team worked really well together and particularly enjoyed the quiz. The Boys' Division team came in second place after they were narrowly beaten by just 0.07%!

The Junior Boys raised an amazing £5,653.10 through this year's Fun Run! They decided to split the money between two charities this year, and recently presented the cheques to representatives from Cancer Research UK and Derian House in a special assembly.

Old Girl Anna Stuttard has been given the Distinguished Friend of Oxford Award! This prize fomally acknowledges individuals who have acted as exceptional volunteers for the wider benefit of the University. She was praised for her wisdom and commitment in ensuring that Oxford's research meets the highest ethical standards.

Find out more about this week's 'Inspiring Mind', Old Girl and Bolton School Governor Dr Sheila Fisher. After leaving the Girls' Division, Sheila consultant surgeon specialising in cancers of the Head and Neck; she has recently been asked by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority to Chair the Committee on Safety of Devices through a period of transition, and is also Chair of one of the Health Research Agency National Research Ethics Committees. She gives a fascinating insight into her Bolton School experience as part of the School's commemorative '100 Inspiring Minds' project.