4th November 2011

Back to school after the half term and over the holiday twenty one Bolton School boys headed off to Malta for a full week of intense swim training! The boys, from Year 8 up to Year 11, were accompanied on the swim tour by PE staff Mr Howard, Mr Windsor and Mr Hughes, who put them through their paces with two 2 hour swim sessions a day. It wasn't all hard work though as the boys still found time to explore the local area and shops, visit the Malta Experience, take a boat tour around Valletta, and watch the premier league football in the movie room! The trip was a great success and will definitely go ahead again in the future. All the boys gained a great amount of fitness and vastly improved on their swimming skills.
Sixteen Bolton School students proudly "graduated" at a ceremony held at Bolton Victoria Hall and hosted by the Lads and Girls' Club on 19 October to mark their completion of the National Citizen Service (NCS) scheme. This new initiative supports the Government's vision for building a Big Society and was open to Year 11 pupils over the summer holidays. It offered pupils the chance to learn some new skills and to make a real difference to their community or an issue which they care about whilst meeting new people. Over a period of three one- week blocks, including two weeks away from home, and 30 hours of service on a part-time basis the students undertook exciting outdoor activities and designed and delivered their own project in the local community.
In Girls’ Division sport, Ellena Owen in Year 11, Emma Donald in Year 12 and Helen Potts in Year 13 have all been selected for the Cheshire County Under 18 netball squad. The girls played their first match for the squad against North West Wales at the weekend and will form part of the team up until the end of the season at Easter. For the Boys, Year 9 cricketer Chris Brownlow has been named as Young Player of the Year by The Cricketer magazine! Chris impressed the magazine with the breadth of cricket he has played across so many age groups, including senior cricket, for school, club, district and county and that he has been able to perform well at all levels. The magazine described Chris as the junior whose all round performances for school, club and county have been most impressive and appearances on the under 16 honours board unstoppable.
And our Junior Girls are already looking forward to the Spring, when they will get to see the fruits of their labour after taking part in the national Big Bulb Plant! Following an afternoon of digging, planting and sowing, the girls will be able to enjoy a colourful display of daffodils and crocus covering the banking in the Spring, whilst the vegetable patches will provide crops to be used by the catering department. The Big Bulb Plant encourages communities around the UK to get together during October or November to plant spring flowering bulbs to brighten up their surroundings, whether it's a school playground or a front garden.