10 November 2017

The flags flew at half mast on Friday 10 November as pupils took part in Remembrance Assemblies ahead of Armistice Day.

The Boys' Division held a special morning assembly to commemorate the Armistice. This powerful occasion paid particular tribute to the Old Boys who died during the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele. There were readings of poetry, first hand accounts of the conditions at Ypres in 1917 and tributes to the lives of Old Boys from Year 10 pupils.

The Senior Girls remembered all those who have lost their lives due to war, and in particular those who died at Passchendaele, in their Service of Remembrance, which was also attended by Old Girls. The service included readings of poetry, hymns and music. The two minutes silence at 11 o'clock, framed by The Last Post and The Rouse, was a poignant moment of reflection.

Pupils in Year 6 conducted the assembly at Hesketh House, Bolton School's Junior Girls' School. They recalled the bravery and sacrifice of those who died in the First World War as well as the brutality of that conflict and why poppies are worn in remembrance. Poetry readings and songs made this a moving occasion.

This term, the Junior Girls raised over £2,000 to send one of their teachers to Malawi to work with the charity Retrak. Last year, pupils were really inspired by the important work this charity does in Africa and South America to help street children, and as a result of their fundraising Mrs Marsden was invited to join the charity on one of their trips during the October half term. The money was raised through a sponsored dance on the playground.

The annual bonfire night event organised by the Girls' Division PA was a real Fireworks Extravaganza this year! The superhero-themed display was designed and launched by Titanium Fireworks, the company behind the London New Year fireworks, and it lived up to everyone's high expectations. The many stalls and games, the musical entertainment and the delicious food in the dining hall also made for a fun-filled and enjoyable evening for all.

You can watch the fireworks display here.

Year 11 pupil Amelia Doherty has won second prize in the 2017 August challenge #1 on Young Poets Network (YPN). The poem was based on the theme of edgelands, the borders between rural and urban spaces, and impressed the judge with its imagery and language. Read 'Camping In The Edgelands With My Cousin' here.

Old Boy and actor Ralf Little will return to Bolton School to give this year's Tillotson Lecture. After leaving Bolton School, Ralf go his TV break with a role in BBC sitcom The Royle Family, and since then has played a variety of roles on TV and radio as well as in theatre. The Tillotson Lecture will take place on Wednesday 29 November 2017 at 7.00pm, and all are welcome to attend: please email Mrs Michaela Fox Makin (MFoxMakin@boltonschool.org) to confirm numbers, or bdinfo@boltonschool.org for the general public.