29 March 2018

Pupils at Beech House Infant School showed an egg-cellent level of creativity by decorating boiled eggs for Easter. The Easter Egg Decorating Competition brightened up the school with an eggs-tensive display of the children's creations.

Old Boy Roger Gould, who is also an Executive Governor of the School and former President of the Old Boys' Association, has been selected to receive Maundy Money from Queen Elizabeth II in a special service held on the Thursday before Easter. This tradition, dating back over 700 years, today recognises those who have made a significant contribution to the Christian and local communities.

The Junior Boys welcomed in the new season with their fabulous Spring Concert. One of the final events before the Easter holidays, this special evening showed off the varied musical talents of the boys. There were performances from the Junior Boys' School choirs and ensembles as well as music from soloists, and the evening ended with a medley of Songs from World War I sung by the whole school.

Year 7 pupil Harriet has been invited to attend the England National Water Polo Academy for U14 girls. She has also been selected for City of Manchester teams and will take part in National Age Group Championships.

More videos from the Bolton School Spring Concert at the Victoria Hall are now available. Click the following links to watch: Bamboleo (performed by the Senior Guitar Ensemble), The Overture to the Barber of Seville (performed by the Joint Senior Orchestra), Northern Lights (sung by the Chamber Choir), I'll Be There (sung by the Girls' Division Middle School Choir), Caprice by Bourgeois (performed by solo saxophonist Abigail), and Gershwin by George (performed by the Joint Orchestra).

Pupils in the Boys' Division History Society enjoyed a fascinating talk on the history of the railways from Professor Paul Salveson MBE. He discussed the initial building of the railways and their early development as well as the effects that railways had on the Industrial Revolution. Boys also found out about a special celebration taking place in Bolton to commemorate 50 years since the last steam locomotive pulled out of the train station.

Hannah Bradley, an Old Girl, returned to Bolton School to offer a workshop on conflict resolution to Sixth Form students in the Girls' Division. Hannah is now a Dispute Resolution Solicitor and was able to talk students through various methods for resolving disputes. There was also a chance for students to role play a fictional dispute and try out some of Hannah's techniques.

Year 5 pupils at the Junior Girls' School had fun building their own roundhouse and viking longboats in a special architecture workshop that combined design and technology with mathematics. Working together, they created huge models using nothing more than bamboo poles and elastic bands.

Girls in Year 11 heard from Dr Daly, an Old Girl, on the subject of coping with stress and depression. This helpful PSHEE session offered pupils some practical tips on how to alleviate feelings of stress, from sitting still and breathing to indulging in hobbies or physical activity, and also candidly discussed symptoms of depression and when to seek help.

Children in Reception were given an introduction to Judo as part of the Sport Relief week activities. In addition to footwork games and following traditional Japanese instruction, they learned a Judo pin and were able to try it out on each other.

Charleigh in Year 11 is a young actor who has recently appeared in several episodes of Coronation Street! She has also been in two series of CBBC's Class Dismissed, which in 2017 won the Children's BAFTA for Best Comedy, and played Kayleigh's niece in Car Share.

The Under 13 Netball team has won the Bolton Schools' Netball Tournament. The girls dominated the group stages of the competition before facing a slightly more challenging final, where they nonetheless came out on top.

Looking ahead, the last of the Girls' Division's Evening Enrichment Events will take place on Wednesday 2 May, starting at 7pm. The Poetry Festival promises a celebration of creativity in the school: girls from all age groups will read their own work, followed by a reading from acclaimed poet Simon Armitage.

Boys' Division pupils are preparing to take over the village of Port Sunlight for a day! All year groups from Year 7 to the Sixth Form will be involved in this 'Leverhulme Festival' which will see pupils put on musical and drama performances, historical tours, art exhibitions, a geocache treasure trail and creative family workshops. The event will take place in multiple locations in Port Sunlight on Sunday 1 July.

23 March 2018

This year's Joint Production was Shakespeare's famous tragicomedy, The Tempest. Pupils put on a show filled with both magic and drama, transforming the Arts Centre into Prospero's enchanted island and playing out the story with talent and confidence.

View a gallery of photos from the four-night run here.

Bolton School's senior and junior school pupils were joined by children from several local primary schools for a night of unforgettable music-making at the Victoria Hall in Bolton as they put on a Spring Concert. Local primary school pupils helped Bolton School's musicians to perform two pieces, one orchestral and one choral, and the rest of the evening was filled with performances from the School's ensembles and choirs.

Several musical pieces from the night can be viewed via the following links: The Saga of Fred (performed by pupils from local primaries including Bolton School Junior Schools); A Bolton Suite (performed by the Joint Senior Orchestra and pupils from local primaries including Bolton School Junior Schools); Sing a Song of Sixpence (performed by the Chamber Choir).

Reception teacher Mrs Shaw decided to take on 'The Long Walk Home' and raise money for Sport Relief. The challenge saw her depart from school at the end of the day on Friday and walk 13 miles, up and down hills, to reach home in Withnell. Click here to sponsor her efforts.

In the summer term, Bolton School will host educational experiences about the English Civil War. Two education days for children in Years 5, 6 and 7, led by experienced local reenactors, will be held in June and in July Roundheads and Cavaliers will descend for 'The Storming of Bolton': a living history weekend in the ground of the School. These free events have been made possible thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Five Boys' Division students came in either first or second place at the recent Classics Reading Competition. Bolton School dominated the GCSE Greek and Classics in Translation categories, with pupils winning the top two spots in these fields, while a Bolton School student also won the A Level Latin competition.

Children in the Nursery Class for Three and Four Year Olds had fun learning about springtime and nature at Smithills Farm.

Girls' Division pupils enjoyed a fascinating live link-up with CERN via the internet. They heard from CERN's Education Programme Manager about the scientific research currently being undertaken and the purpose of CERN, and were able to ask questions towards the end of the session.

Year 10 pupil Anna is a talented young footballer who has recently helped the Manchester City Academy girls' team to win a place in the U16 FA Cup Final.

The Under 12 Netball team this week were crowned Town Champions. The girls did very well in the group stages and semi-finals, and despite a closely-matched final against Thornleigh they emerged victorious.

Five Year 6 pupils from the Junior Girls' School have progressed to the ESSA National Finals after their success North West Division Primary Team Swimming Championships. The swimmers, who competed in two relays, are now looking ahead to the national competition in June.

Children in Years 1 and 2 at Beech House, Bolton School's Infant School, enjoyed a day of circusology workshops. Pupils learned lots of new circus skills and worked on their balance, perseverance and patience along the way.

The Junior Girls' String Quartet won their category at the annual Ramsbottom Music Festival, which was the 25th to be held. As a result, they were invited to play at a celebration concert. A number of other musicians in the Junior Girls' School also took part and performed will in the competition.

Old Boy Peter Richards offered his personal advice to students in the Sixth Form when he returned to Bolton School this week. He has enjoyed a twenty-five year career in technology and the financial services industry, and passed on words of wisdom about both fields to the assembled students from both Divisions.

The Nursery Class celebrated Easter early by creating a colourful array of Easter Bonnets, with just a little adult assistance!

16 March 2018

The School's incredible dominance of the ESSA Water Polo titles continued as the Boys' Division U15 team held their title for a fourth year running. This is the twelfth consecutive English Schools' Water Polo title that the School has won.

Over forty local Year 5 pupils 'graduated' from the SHINE Programme at Bolton School last weekend. A celebration dinner was held to commemorate pupils' achievements over the course of the SHINE: 'Serious Fun on Saturday Mornings' programme and also look back on all the fun they had while expanding their learning.

Click here to watch a video about the SHINE programme, which was made by the volunteer mentors.

The Boys' Division Young Musician of the Year final was held this week, showcasing the breadth and talent of 14 pupils, each the winner in his instrument class. On the night, Junior and Senior prizes were awarded, alongside awards for Junior and Senior Young Composer of the Year and Most Promising Musician.

Listen to performances from the Junior Young Musician of the Year, pianist William Miles; Senior Young Musician of the Year, percussionist Henry Webb; and Senior Young Composer of the Year, Jean-Paul Asumu.

Congratulations to Year 7 pupils Uma Patel and Amelia Cordwell, who presented their 'Parched Plants' project at the national final of the BP Ultimate STEM Challenge this week! They were one of twelve teams selected as finalists, and did a good job of explaining their scientific process and findings.

The Year 11 boys took part in a Young Film Academy where they learned more about film-making and the history of movies before shooting their own short film. With only ten shots to work with and restrictions on some of those, they had to work hard to tell their story. At the end of the day there was a special screening of all the films and an 'Oscars' ceremony.

The Joint Chamber Choir performed this week at the Barnardo's Youth Choral Competition. The choir was one of six secondary school choirs chosen to compete in the final, and sang at the Royal Festival Hall in London. They were supported by the Headmaster, Headmistress, parents and alumni who came to see them in action.

Year 7 pupil Vlada Kozak helped Great Britain to gain second place in the recent European Tennis Finals. Her performance led to her being invited to play in an international tournament at a similar level.

The Boys' Division Under 15 team swept aside opposition from across the North-West in a tense Rugby 7s competition held on home turf this week.

Year 10 pupil Shreya Kamath has been chosen to represent Lancashire in the Under 18 team at the upcoming Inter Counties Badminton Tournament. She is currently ranked the number one female player in the Lancashire U18 and Senior teams.

Five Junior Boys in Year 4 will represent Manchester at the national English Primary Schools' Chess Association (EPSCA) final in April. They were selected after their winning performances at Hulme Court School on Saturday 10 March.

Year 11 pupil Amelia Doherty's poem 'Dandelion' has won first place in the Namedropping Poetry Challenge organised by the Poetry Society's Young Poets' Network. The competition, which was open to anyone under the age of 25 world-wide, received hundreds of entries.

Congratulations to Patterdale Hall, which has won the coveted "Boot and Paddle" competition between northern outdoor pursuit centres! Representatives from outdoor centres across the northern region competed in a range of challenges in an effort to win the award, but it was Patterdale's Ann Hurst and Anthony Kavanagh who emerged victorious.

An Old Girl has been announced as the next Anglican Suffragan Bishop of Lancaster. Rev. Dr Jill Duff, who attended Bolton School from 1980 to 1990, will also be the first female Bishop in Lancashire.

Finally, our sell-out 2018 Joint Production opened this week, offering stunning performances full of talent, creativity and complexity. The magic and drama of Shakespeare's The Tempest continues for two more nights!

9 March 2018

Congratulations to all the Year 13 students who have received offers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and the many more who have received offers from their first choice university.

Bolton School hosted the Royal Statistical Society's William Guy Lecture as part of the Girls' Division's ongoing free Arts and Sciences Enrichment Lectures series. Dr Jeff Ralph talked about what statistics can reveal about society and teenagers, and how the lives of young people have changed over the past dramatic century.

The next Enrichment Lecture will take place on 18 April at 7pm and will be a talk from Dr Suzie Imber, Associate Professor in Space Physics and winner of the BBC television series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes? She will discuss her experiences on the programme as well as the upcoming European Space Agency BepiColombo mission to Mercury, 'Space Weather' and high-altitude mountaineering. This event is free and open to the public: save the date!

Boys in Year 11 enjoyed a day off their normal timetable this week to produce ten-shot movies with the Young Film Academy. They learned about the history of film-making and discovered the terminology and techniques used in creating films today before being sent out into the School's grounds to shoot their own dramatic scenes.

Pupils in Years 7 to 11 watched Une vie de chat as part of a 'More, Gifted and Talented' afternoon in the Girls' Division. The French Department organised this treat to allow pupils to take part in the annual University of Oxford French Film Competition: the film was paused before the ending to allow pupils to come up with their own creative finale and enter the competition.

Boys' Division students in Year 12 learned more about the World of Work on a morning arranged by the Careers Department. Six alumni and a variety of other visitors talked to students about their jobs and the pathways to access these professions, from medicine and dentistry to fashion and design to software engineering and tech. The morning culminated in a talk on apprenticeships for the whole of Year 12, featuring insights from a recent leaver.

Children in the Nursery Class for Three and Four Year Olds prepared for Mother's Day by creating canvases in celebration of their mums. As well as beautiful heart-shaped designs, these included special messages about why they love their mum.

The Junior Boys learned to Speak out Stay safe with the NSPCC. The whole school found out about the different kinds of abuse and how to talk to a trusted adult in morning assembly. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils then went on to a workshop where they discussed challenging topics relating to abuse in more detail and the messages from assembly were reiterated.

The Boys' Division Under 15 cricketers received tips, advice and best wishes from former Lancashire players Warren Hegg, John Abrahams and Sajid Mahmood at their latest training session! The professional input could not have been more timely: the team is looking ahead to their ESCA Northern quarter final match against Sale Grammar in April.

2 March 2018

Wintry conditions dominated the week at Bolton School! Though the School remained open, it was covered by a blanket of fresh snow for several days.

Pupils of all ages across the Foundation were involved in World Book Day celebrations on Thursday 1 March.

At the Nursery, children dressed up as their favourite characters and listened to stories throughout the day. Costumes included Guffalos, Elmer the Elephant, Stick Man and Peter Rabbit.

Children attending the Nursery Class for Three and Four Year Olds also dressed up and brought in their favourite books to share.

The Junior Girls filled the halls of Hesketh House with literary characters for the day. Pupils in Year 4 shared the tale of 'The Story Stealers' in assembly and girls were encouraged to write their own ending. The whole school sang the World Book Day Song and took part in themed activities throughout the day.

The Junior Boys' School was also filled with a colourful array of characters. Pupils heard all about their teachers' favourite childhood tales in assembly and during lessons. At lunchtime, they had the chance to take part in a book-themed scavenger hunt around the school.

In the Senior Schools, the Libraries led the way with the festivities. There were two literary quizzes for readers to challenge themselves with over lunchtime, and pupils could also create their own cover designs. In the Girls' Division, pupils dressed up as literary characters, while in the Boys' Division there was 'Not Lost, Found!' book hunt around school.

This week, the School received the Heraldry Society’s Corporate Heraldry Award following an application prepared and submitted by Old Boy Malcolm Howe. Laura Henthorn, Chairman of the Old Girls' Association, and Lionel Price, President of the Old Boltonians’ Association, received the award on behalf of the School at the Society's Annual Anniversary Lunch held at The Royal Air Force Club in London.