The Bolton School Blog: 20/2 - 26/2/10

First week back after half-term and things start happening pretty quickly around here!

Runners-up in National Business Competition

A team of three Sixth Form boys came second in the national Step into Business Competition, sponsored by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. The lesson based competition aims to identify the country's most promising young entrepreneurs in business and finance.

Sixth Formers for Hire?

Sixth Formers in Chorley House of the Boys' Division have been making themselves available for sponsored activities in a quest to raise money for African children.

Boys are Town Swimming Champions

The boys' Senior and Intermediate swimming teams have won the Bolton Swimming Championships and the Junior team came in second.

U15 Girls are Northern Lacrosse Champions

More sporting success for Bolton School, this time it was for the U15 Lacrosse team which ran out as Northern Champions. In a closely contested final, they beat Birkenhead School 1-0.

Retirement for the Country's Oldest Nursery Nurse

Having been with Bolton School Nursery since it opened in 1998, Mrs Anne Worsley, "Grannie Annie" to friends, retired on her 60th birthday. And what a send off she got!

The Bolton School Weekly Blog: 13-19/2/10

Half Term and the School pauses for breath.

Consequently, there are no new stories this week but it has been a chance for the Boys’ Division Senior School to reflect on how far it has developed in terms of its rugby offer.



Rugby Buoyant Despite Semi-Final Loss

The First XV fought a close duel with Lancashire Cup holders, Lancaster RGS, in this year’s semi-final; in a dramatic game, they ended up on the wrong side of a 20-17 scoreline. It is the farthest the School has ever gone in this competition.


Chess Success for Junior Schools

The Junior School chess teams could also look back on an enjoyable term, as teams from the Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ Schools met with success in the English Primary Schools’ Chess Association Cup. A number of their teams progressed to the semi-final, which will be held in Prestatyn over two days in June.


Hair for Haiti

On the last day of term, the Junior Girls’ School held an hair for Haiti day and, once the money was collected in, over £550 was raised for the disaster fund.

The Bolton School Weekly Blog: 6 - 12/2/10

A Shining Success!

Saturday evening saw a wonderful celebration dinner at which prizes and certificates were handed out to Year 5 pupils as the 'SHINE: Serious Fun on Saturdays' programme came to a successful conclusion. The pupils from state primary schools across Bolton were accompanied by their parents and guardians at the silver service dinner and were thrilled to each receive a prize and certificate for their efforts and Miss Wedderspoon, SHINE’s North-West envoy, read the children a message of congratulations from Shine ambassador and patron David Beckham.

A Week of Individual and Team Achievements

A number of stories this week have exemplified the vein of talent and diligence that runs throughout the Foundation. Thorrun Govind, a Sixth Form girl, was chosen to shadow a government minister; Richard Newman, a Sixth Form boy and captain of the School’s First XV rugby team, was selected to play in the national Independent Schools’ Barbarians team; the first eleven football team were photographed ahead of their two forthcoming semi-finals; the U13s team were photographed ahead of their national football final; the girls’ juniors, inters and seniors swim teams were photographed with the cups from their recent clean sweep at the town cup; wonderful music was made in the Junior Girls’ Music Festival; and Year 7 and Year 8 boys showed great prowess in gymnastics.

Bolton School is for Life

Charles Winder, the Old Boltonians’ President, posted his latest blog on the School website.

The Bolton School Weekly Blog: 30/1-5/2/2010

30 January- 5 February 2010

Chris Difford at Bolton School

Double Ivor Novello winner Chris Difford, of the hugely successful band Squeeze, hosted a much anticipated songwriting masterclass at Bolton School on Friday 5 February. Year 10 students from Bolton School Boys’ Division as well as from local schools, Turton, Canon Slade and Rivington and Blackrod were treated to a string of Squeeze classic hits and some first rate hints and tips on songwriting and succeeding in the music business. Chris then played a packed out gig in the evening at the School’s Arts Centre.

Pupils Numbers Growing but Class Sizes Shrinking

This week we officially announced that the numbers of pupils studying at Bolton School is due to increase, whilst class sizes will become smaller. All of this has been made possible by the recent building programme, which has seen a £1.5m extension to the Junior Boys’ School, the building of a new £5m Infant School and the construction of a state-of-the-art £5m Junior Girls’ School which will be utilised from September 2010 onwards.

Students Celebrate Oxbridge Offers

This year eighteen students – nine girls and nine boys – received offers to study at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. The offers recognise their hard work and that of their teachers – as well as the holistic education that the School offers and allows them to build unique and interesting CVs and develop self-confident, rounded personalities.

The Bolton School Family

The Bolton School community encompasses a range of activities. Three Sixth Form boys from the 19th Bolton (Bolton School) Scout Group represented the county this week as they met the Prince of Wales at Salford Lads’ Club as he launched a new Youth Initiative. Meanwhile, the School’s Parents’ Choir found their rehearsal cancelled as heavy snow hit Bolton on Wednesday afternoon.

The Bolton School Weekly Report: 23-29/1/10

23-29 January 2010

U13s Football Team Reach National Final

The Bolton School Boys' Division U13 football team enjoyed a comfortable 6-0 win over Millfield to take them to the final of the national ISFA (Independent Schools' Football Association) Cup, which will be held at Burton Albion’s football ground on 4 March. They will place Forest School from London.

How the Boat Was Built Film

This week saw the launch of a new 28 minute film documentary charting how the 60 foot sailing boat, named Tenacity of Bolton, was built by our own pupils, staff, parents, helpers and local businesses over a nine year period (1998-2007). The film, produced by Mr Duncan Kyle, includes extensive interviews with Mr Michael Whitmarsh, Director of the Millennium Ketch Project and ex-Head of Technology at Bolton School, and with Mr Alan Wright, former Headmaster of Bolton School Boys' Division. You can view the film in three parts on You Tube:
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Commendation from English Heritage

Also this week, the school was commended by English Heritage as an example of how historic school buildings should be modernised. Our building was constructed in 1924 although the school's history goes back almost 500 years, and English Heritage has listed it as an example to local authorities to encourage them to refurbish old school buildings rather than demolishing them and rebuilding new ones, as school buildings can symbolise an area's history.

Headmistress of Bolton School Girls' Division, Mrs Gill Richards, said:

"We are immensely proud of our historic building and know that it is of real appeal when pupils are applying to us. Many people - pupils and adults alike - feel inspired on a daily basis when they walk through the centre arch and enter the main quadrangle. The School's neo-Gothic facade and turrets are undoubtedly one of Bolton's best known landmarks. We are currently undertaking an £18 million building project but have been very careful to ensure that the new Infant and Junior Girls' School have been designed in a manner that is sympathetic to the original buildings that were built with an endowment by Lord Leverhulme."

Pupils Numbers Set to Increase as Classes Become Smaller!

The extensive building programme that has been taking place over recent months means that both the Girls' Division and the Boys' Division have been able to increase the number of forms in each year group, reducing class sizes and providing an even better educational opportunity. Parents that are interested in Bolton School can visit all year round to get a feel for the place as well as on Open Mornings and other special events. Anyone wishing to undertake a private tour should call the School on 01204 840201.

The Bolton School Weekly Report: 16-22/1/10

18-22 January 2010

This week offered another significant milestone in the history of Bolton School. The Hon Mrs Jane Heber-Percy, the great granddaughter of Lord Leverhulme and a governor at the School, laid the foundation stone for the new building, Hesketh House, which will, by September 2010, become the new state-of-the-art Junior School for the Girls’ Division. The name of the school pays tribute to William Hesketh Lever who, as Viscount Leverhulme in 1915, endowed the School, bringing together Bolton High School for Girls and Bolton Grammar School for Boys to become Bolton School (Girls' Division and Boys' Division).

Headmistress, Mrs Gill Richards, said: "The new school will give the pupils even better facilities and represents a major investment in the lives of young girls across the region. We will educate about 200 girls from 7 to 11 years of age. The current Junior School is situated within the Senior School so the move will help give the school its own separate identity, whilst freeing up more classroom space and allowing us to expand our curriculum provision. We look forward to an exciting future!"

We wish all the girls and boys who sat our Entrance Examination on Tuesday of this week the very best of luck. It was a busy day and, given the current economic climate, we were very pleased that application numbers were commensurate with years gone by. Indeed, the Girls’ Division Senior School saw the highest number of girls sitting the exam in the past 5 years. Anyone who missed the exam has a final chance to apply for September 2010 by entering the supplementary exams next week (Tuesday 26 January for the Girls’ Division Senior School and Thursday 28 January for the Boys’ Division Senior School). Anyone wishing to sign up for these exams should call 01204 840201.