Bolton School Blog: 10/5 - 14/5/2010

Outstanding on Every Level! Bolton School has been celebrating this week as the Early Years Foundation Stage (0-5 years) is described as "outstanding" by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. It is highly unusual for a school to be found to be outstanding in all categories, but the report found: "Highly effective teaching nurtures lively independent minds, personal confidence and respect for others" in "an outstanding setting where the welfare of the children is ofextreme importance.”

Over at Park Road the Junior Boys' Division have been entered into the Speaker's School Council Awards to recognise their achievements in completing an exciting and successful project to improve their play area. The awards are run by Parliament's Education Service who launched the scheme to recognise the most inspiring and engaging achievements of School Councils across the UK.

Also in Junior Boys, PE teacher Mike Duxbury has been back in the spotlight appearing in 'When the Floodlights Fade' on MUTV. The former Manchester United defender made almost 300 appearances for United in the 80's and twice won the FA Cup, but has since swapped chaotic Saturday afternoons in front of a full house at Old Trafford for coaching the Bolton School Junior boys.

And sporting success has once again been in abundance as Sixth Formers Jonathan Topping and David Edwards have walked away with the Northern Tennis U19 Doubles' Plate and Year 10 pupil Oliver Walker has his sights set on competing in the Modern Pentathlon European Championships, after winning two out of the three qualifiers for his group. Sticking with sport, over forty teams from primary schools from Bolton and as far away as Preston, Manchester, Wigan and Leigh took part in the Crusader Cup, a five-a-side tournament organised and hosted by Bolton School.

Bolton School is very much for life and many former pupils join the Alumni. This weekend sees two reunions taking place-the Joint Scottish Dinner in Edinburgh tonight, and the Joint reunion for 1960, 1970 and 1980 leavers which will take place in the School Arts Centre tomorrow.