25 May 2018

The last week of term proved to be a busy one! On the very last day, despite the rain, Junior Boys attracted a large crowd of well-wishers, including the Bolton News, onto the Levels as they set off on their annual fun for charity.

Y8 and Y6 girls enjoyed a flying visit from the RAF Roadshow and visiting author Sufiya Ahmed, who wrote Secrets of the Henna Girl, told girls that if they have a passion, they should never give up.

Earlier in the week, future female entrepreneurs in Year 9 were encouraged to pitch their ideas in a Girls' Division Parents' Association event whilst boys and girls in Year 6 were also encouraged to consider their future in a Careers Carousel.

Both the Boys' Division and Girls' Division were commended for their GCSE results by the Incorporated Society of Musicians, whilst the review was in of Boys' Lower School interpretation of Alan Ayckbourn's Ernie's Incredible Illucinations.

Y8 girls, as part of their post-exam activities, also learnt about a range of career options as visiting professionals, including former pupils, talked about their working lives. And voting hotted up in the Bolton Children's Fiction Award as a little friendly competition between the Girls' Division and the Boys' Division took place. The write-up and video of the Audience with Ken Heathcote, a GD Parents' Association event, was also posted.

There was also sporting success to reflect on when current students and alumni helped the GB Water Polo team (U19s) qualify for the Euro Championships and there was individual success for Y5 girl Dinburgh who became the U11 N-W Gymnastics Champion and was called up to the national squad.

Finally, the Sixth Form boys performed one final good deed before leaving on study leave when a fancy dress fun run sought to raise funds for Wipe Your Tears.

18 May 2018

The week ended with celebrations in honour of the Royal Wedding. The Nursery, Nursery Class, Infants and Junior Girls all embraced the party atmosphere with picnic lunches and dressing up.

Two showstopper cakes in the Girls' Division Bake Off final were also inspired by the Royal Wedding. The six finalists pulled out all the stops to create delicious and creative bakes, and the judges' job of choosing Year 7 and Year 8-9 winners was harder than ever before.

View a gallery of photos from all rounds of the Bake Off here.

The annual Football Festivals for Years 3-4 and Years 5-6 took place on the Bolton School pitches, with teams from more than 50 local schools taking part across two days. Both the Festivals enjoyed good sportsmanship from the players.

Girls' Division pupils studying history at GCSE and A Level had a special visit from an English Civil War musketeer. 'Obadiah Watt' came from the year 1649, the middle of the Civil War, and answered all of the girls' questions about the period - sometimes with surprising answers.

The Junior Boys took a trip to Liverpool to see the world-famous Terracotta Warriors at World Museum and learn more about China's first Emperor. The boys discovered more about burial rituals, found out about Chinese dynasties and saw several objects which have never visited the UK before.

11 May 2018

The Boys' Division U18 water polo team won the School's thirteenth consecutive title after winning the national finals of the English Schools’ Swimming Association (ESSA) competition. The School has dominated in all three age groups for the past four years.

The May Serenade was a wonderful celebration of the musical talents in the Girls' Division. The evening offered a varied programme featuring Girls' Division and Joint ensembles, soloists and choirs. Awards from the annual Music Festival were presented and a new tradition began, with the previous year's winners passing down the trophies to their successors. In addition, there was a breathtaking display of GCSE and A Level coursework from Art and Technology subjects.

Click the following links to watch a selection of musical pieces from the May Serenade:

• Fame - Joint Intermediate Concert Band
• Log Cabin Blues - Girls’ Division Percussion Ensemble
• Concerto for Two Violins in G minor (1st movement) - violin solos
• They Can't Take That Away From Me - Chamber Choir
• Blame it on the Boogie - Girls’ Division Steel Pans
• The Parting Glass - The Accidentals
• Jour d'été à la montagne (1st movement) - Senior Flute Quartet
• This is Me - Middle School Choir
• Four Slavonic Dances (1st movement) - Joint Senior Clarinet Ensemble
• Le Colibri - voice solo
• Quartet no. 3 in G Major (1st movement) - Joint String Ensemble
• Fields of Gold - Senior Choir
• Black Eyes - piano solo
• Windows of the World - Joint Senior Concert Band

Pupils in the Boys' Division learned more about the founders and benefactors of Bolton School in a special assembly to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Lord Leverhulme, who jointly re-endowed both Divisions in 1915 to create the Foundation that exists today. However, this year's assembly focused on two more modern additions to the School: the Tillotson Pavilion and the Chemistry Block. Both were built sixty years ago in 1958.

A member of staff from BSS Leisure has recently completed a Premier League Cycle Challenge, visiting twenty clubs in nine days - and covering 840 miles by bicycle! Mr Pete Lambert started in Newcastle and finished his epic journey in Watford. He was raising money for READY, a disability sport charity offering specialist equipment and sporting opportunities for young people under the age of 21, and has already collected over £2,000. Donate here via JustGiving.

Eight musicians from Bolton School performed at Bolton Parish Church as part of the church's lunchtime concert series. Pupils' varied musical efforts were much appreciated by the audience.

Bolton School has released a new video showing how pupils leave with an all round education. Watch it on the School website here or click the play button below:

4 May 2018

The Girls' Division hosted a Poetry Festival featuring poet Simon Armitage this week. The event included pupils from all year groups reading their own creative work, which had been written throughout the year, followed by an inspirational address from Simon himself. In addition, he read a wide selection of his own work and offered commentary on the background to each piece. The floor was then opened to questions, which he answered candidly.

The cups and colours assembly in the Boys' Division recognised pupils' successes, often on a regional and national stage. Almost 60 boys received awards as part of this celebration. In addition to full and half colour for traditional sports and the Arts, there were also colours for Outdoor Pursuits for the first time. Dominic Hardy received a new trophy, the Trevor Pledger Award for Volunteering in Sport.

A group of Girls' Division pupils in the Physics and Astronomy clubs visited Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry to take a closer look at astronaut Tim Peake's Soyuz descent module, which returned him to Earth in 2016. They also saw the Sokol KV-2 emergency spacesuit he wore as he travelled into space as well as various other exhibits.

Sixth Form Boys received an insight into the Cowgill Holloway apprenticeship scheme recently from Cowgills partner Lisa Wilson and Old Boy Adam Flynn, who went on to the apprenticeship after finishing his A Levels in 2016. They were able to give students tips on the application and interview process and Adam could talk about the skills he found useful and what the apprenticeship is really like.

Boys' Division pupils in Year 10 were put through their paces on an Army Leadership morning. The Army North West Outreach Team offered a carousel of challenging activities designed to improve boys' teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills as well as their resilience. They enjoyed thinking on their feet and working together to complete the tasks set.

Pupils from both Division were involved in the Royal Northern College of Music's Wind, Brass and Percussion Festival. Members of Bolton School's Senior Concert Band became part of a massed wind band for rehearsals and a performance on Sunday 22nd April. They also enjoyed a performance from the RNCM's Wind Orchestra.