3 March 2017

Gifted and talented sports pupils as well as Junior School pupils were delighted to meet Olympic and World finalist runner Eilish McColgan just a few days ahead of her performance at the European Indoor Championships. Her message of perseverance and resilience came across strongly as she recounted the injuries she has suffered, and how they did not stop her from realising her dream of competing at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Children across the Foundation enjoyed a range of literary celebrations in honour of World Book Day's 20th anniversary.

The focus for the Junior Girls was on character, and pupils came into School dressed in outfits to depict a host of figures from literature, from poetry, from myth and from history! The day was filled with book-related activities from start to finish, and the girls enjoyed sharing their favourite stories as part of the festivities.

In both Divisions, pupils could hunt for and keep 'Found, Not Lost!' books that had been hidden in obscure locations around the School. The Girls' Division held the 'Big Book Bake Off', which encouraged pupils and staff to recreate books in cake form. The Library also hosted the Scholastic Book Fair.

The Infant School donned a wide range of costumes for the day with everyone from Dennis the Menace to the BFG roaming the halls of Beech House on World Book Day! Not to be outdone, the staff also put on their best literary dress for the day and enjoyed sharing their characters with the children.

Children at the Nursery brought their favourite characters to life with a host of costumes, from fairytale princesses to comic book superheroes! They enjoyed face-painting, visits to the local library and drawing pictures of characters from books.

Pupils from 13 Ogden Trust Partnership schools attended the Physics Olympics, which was once again hosted by the Boys' Division. All of the teams had fun completing the five challenging physics tasks and answering the quiz questions throughout the day, using their scientific knowledge and practical skills to achieve the best possible scores in the competition.

A variety of speakers from a wide range of careers spoke to pupils as part of the NHS Careers Day at Bolton School. Three alumni returned to talk about their work as a pharmacist, a junior doctor, and an Operating Department Practitioner. In addition to a host of sessions tailored to specific career paths, pupils were enlightened by Dr Mohmmed Jiva's keynote speech on the evolution of a new National Health Service.

The Year 11 girls were introduced to National Citizen Service (NCS) at Bolton Lads and Girls Club for the seventh year running. This scheme puts pupils into a mixed group with young people from across Bolton, with the aim of them making new friends, improving their skills, and ultimately delivering a project to aid their local community by the end of the NCS programme.

Roman Mysteries author Caroline Lawrence visited the School to talk to Boys' and Girls' Division pupils in Year 7 and Junior Girls in Year 5 about her work. She also discussed the destruction of Pompeii and her Classical influences, the use of archetypes in writing, and her new series of books, the Roman Quests, set in Roman Britain.

Junior Boys' School pupil Henry won the downhill slalom at the Obergurgl Village Race during the half term holidays! Henry skis just ten days a year in Austria, but nonetheless beat tough competition to win this race again 242 other children.

A weekend drop-in session for parents at Bolton School's Nursery to help them to understand different aspects of the Early Years’ Foundation Stage. They were able to get ideas for activities to try with their child or children to benefit learning.

The Venerable Jonathan Boardman, Archdeacon of Italy and Malta and Chaplain of All Saints, is an Old Boy of the School. He recently welcomed Pope Francis to his Anglican church in Rome, with the visit making history as the first time the pontiff has visited an Anglican church in the city.

Luxe & Co, Anime and Mugs Away were the three Young Enterprise teams from Bolton School Girls' Division who plied their wares at the Trafford Centre trade fair. Jewellery company Luxe & Co won the highly commended award from the Young Enterprise Manager for Greater Manchester!

Before the half term break, the Girls' Division held its annual Music Festival. This year, there were new categories such as 'Open Mic' to tempt even more performers to take part, and the adjudicator was very impressed with the standard throughout. The two-day event culminated in a fabulous Celebration Concert which showcased the girls' musicianship.

Roughhouse Theatre brought When The Eye Has Gone, a poignant play about the life of cricketer Colin Milburn, to Bolton School. The School community was joined by members of the public for an evening of entertainment which was by turns funny and sad. Prior to the performance, Boys' Division pupils interviewed the one man show's actor and director.

Recently Nursery children in the Butterfly Room enjoyed a visit from a dentist and learned more about the job. They used model tools to have a go at being dentists themselves.

Recent leaver Teddy Pender has won the 100m US Freestyle title at the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Swimming Championship meet in Middletown, Connecticut. He was cheered on to glory by his Bates College coaches and teammates.

Last week's Inspiring Mind was Michael Griffiths, an Old Boy who is now Bolton School's Chairman of Governors. After leaving the Boys' Division in 1965, he completed a gap year on VSO and then studied Industrial Economics at Nottingham University. After a few years as part of a large firm, he decided to take his career along a more entrepreneurial route. He became Chairman of the Governing Body in 2007. He fondly recalls some recollections of his time as a pupil as part of his profile and celebrates the staff who taught him.

This week's Inspiring Mind is Old Boy Nigel Short, who attended the Boys' Division from 1976 to 1981. He became the youngest International Master in chess history at the age of 14 while still a pupil, and went on to become the youngest grandmaster in the world. His profile charts his illustrious career, and also recalls some of his favourite Bolton School memories.

24 February 2017

Bolton School was delighted to welcome Old Boy and chess grandmaster Nigel Short as he returned to inspire the current crop of chess players. This culminated in a tense two and a half hour simultaneous chess match against twenty-three pupils, aged eight to eighteen and hailing from the Junior and Senior Schools. Although all were ultimately defeated, this was undoubtedly an unforgettable experience for them. As part of his visit, Nigel also gave a stimulating account of his recent match against Sergey Grigoriants during a talk to Boys' Division chess enthusiasts.

A series of clips from Nigel's simultaneous exhibition match against twenty-three Bolton School pupils can be viewed here.

Boys in Year 8 impressed their peers and teachers in the annual Gymnastics Vaulting Final before half term. Seven boys took part in the last stage of this competition, which began with the whole of the year group competing in heats, and all finalists showed off their consistency and skill over the course of four vaults.

Two Boys' Division pupils have attained impressive achievements with the Independent Schools’ Football Association (ISFA) recently. James in Year 12 has been awarded his full ISFA International cap, while Johsn in Year 11 has been selected for various ISFA National U16s squads.

Tickets are now on sale for this year's Joint Production of Miss Saigon. The show will run from 22 to 25 March 2017 and tickets are available to purchase at break and lunchtimes (£6 each).

There is also still time to buy tickets for When The Eye Has Gone, the visiting production about the life of cricketer Colin Milburn, coming to Bolton School on 1 March for one night only! This one man show is produced by Roughhouse Theatre and was commissioned by The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA). Tickets are £10 and booking details are available here.

17 February 2017

The Infants at Beech House had lots of fun in the run-up to half term with their Arts Week! Pupils celebrated their achievements in music, art and dance and were able to try lots of new things, from African drumming to Inuit clay sculptures to Gum Boot dancing.

The Junior Girls collected a rainbow of coins for charity! The girls showed their support for Ethiopia-based charity Rainbows4Children by coming into school wearing rainbow colours and giving a £1 donation. The money was then laid out into a spectacular 'rainbow' on the playground, with an estimated £800 raised in total!

Boys' Division pupils in Year 11 learned more about the National Citizen Service (NCS) scheme and how they could get involved at Bolton Lads and Girls Club. During their visit they got to try a host of fun activities while also finding out how NCS could help them to assist their local community, make new friends and build on existing skills and develop new ones.

Thirteen Girls' Division pupils have been selected for the U13 Lancashire Lacrosse squad, including one Junior Girls' School pupil! The girls made it onto the A and B squads and will go on to play at the Northern Counties tournament.

Children at the Nursery celebrated Valentine's Day with baking and crafts, and by dressing in their best red and pink outfits for the day!

Girls' Division pupils Elly and Lucy won eight gold and silver medals between them at the Lancashire County Swimming Championships! Year 7 pupil Lucy came away with three gold and two silver medals, while Year 8 pupil Elly won two gold medals and one silver.

Year 8 pupils learned more about the vital work that guide dogs perform for Toni Forrest and her labrador retriever guide dog. Toni explained about the difference a guide dog makes for someone who is blind and how a person is matched up with their dog.

The Junior Girls enjoyed a day filled with Russian fun on the annual Modern Foreign Languages Day, which this year was themed around Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird. Pupils and staff from the Boys' Division helped out with the activities and the girls were able to find out more about the Russian language and culture.

Girls' Division pupils represented Bolton Town at the recent Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships. The four pupils were selected for the Bolton Town team after competing well in the Bolton Schools' Championships in October.

At the end of the half term, Mrs Kathryn Critchley and Mrs Maureen Drinkwater retired after having spent almost sixty years at Bolton School between them! Mrs Critchley, who joined the School in 1974, was able to recall teaching some of the current pupils' mothers and aunts. Both were showered with gifts, including Hesketh House bears and Port Sunlight roses and other personal gifts.

This week's Inspiring Mind is Old Girls Laura Moss, who attended the Girls' Division from 1994 to 2001. After leaving School she became a lawyer for a few years, but then quit her job and spent sixteen months cycling around the world! On her 13,000 mile trip, she visited twenty-seven countries and journeyed across Europe, the Middle East and Asia to Australia, before returning home across the USA. Following her life-changing experience, she founded and still directs the Cycle Touring Festival, encouraging others to make journeys by bicycle.

10 February 2017

Following the Inspection in December 2016, the Boys' Division has been officially awarded the top rating of "excellent" by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The new format report judged the pupils' academic and other achievements to be excellent, and the quality of personal development is also excellent.

Last week, pupils in Years 8 and 9 put on their student-devised promenade production of Wonder. The cast and crew delivered three nights of excellent and thought-provoking entertainment to appreciative audiences, who followed the story and the emotions as they travelled to various locations around School, from the Great Hall to 'summer camp' in the third-floor Studio Theatre!

The U18 and U15 Water Polo teams have begun an unprecedented attempt to defend their ESSA National titles for the third year running. The first leg of the competition for the U18s was held in the School's pool, while the U15 team played in Manchester. Both teams progressed to the National Finals with strong scores. The U13s will join their fellows in defending the third National title in May.

The Junior Girls' Music Festival allowed pupils in all four year groups to take part and showcase their talents over the course of two days. Parents, grandparents, pupils and staff enjoyed the wonderful music-making as the girls performed on a wide variety of instruments and impressed the adjudicators.

Local pupils in Year 5 are once again enjoying the SHINE: Serious Fun on Saturdays programme at Bolton School. These Gifted and Talented youngsters are challenged and inspired by these Saturday morning classes, led by Bolton School teachers and Sixth Form students, while also having fun over the course of eleven weeks.

The Girls' Division Senior swimming team tied for first place at the recent Bolton Schools' Swimming Championships!

On 27 February, Bolton School will host a free lecture from particle physicist Professor Jeff Forshaw. 'Universal: a guide to the cosmos' is based on his popular science book, written with Professor Brian Cox, and promises to be a fascinating and informative evening. The event is free and open to the public.

Bolton School is encouraging staff to join the Chartered College of Teaching to support this new professional body set up by teachers for teachers. The School is offering a contribution of more than 50% to all of its full- and part-time teachers who obtain first-year membership.

This week's Inspiring Mind is Old Boy Professor Malcolm Stevens OBE, FRS who attended the Boys' Division from 1944 to 1957. He gained a PhD in Pharmacy from Nottingham University and went on to to conduct groundbreaking research into treatments for cancer. His profile recalls his fondest memories of his time at Bolton School and his inspirational teachers.

3 February 2017

Fourteen Bolton School Sixth Form students have received offers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge this year. This is a wonderful achievement for all five girls and nine boys, and the School wishes them luck in achieving the grades needed to accept their offers.

High Sheriff of Greater Manchester the Lady Smith of Leigh, who is an Old Girl, returned to the Girls' Division to offer an entertaining address in morning assembly. She talked about the history of her role and her duties today, as well as briefly touching on her memories of attending Bolton School.

The Lady Smith also visited the Junior Girls' School, where she enthralled pupils with more fascinating historical information and held a lengthy question and answer session with the curious girls. They were delighted to see her symbolic sword and learn more about the High Sheriff's crest.

Bolton School has placed top of the government's latest league table of local schools and colleges by A level results. The Girls' Division leads the table when a school or college is measured by the average point score performance per student and the Boys' Division is number one in the league when measured by the percentage of students achieving AAB grades or higher in the facilitating subjects.

The Junior Boys' School held its annual Music Festival, with over 145 individual performances taking place over two days! Pupils, staff and parents alike enjoyed the wide-ranging music, which included classes in piano, guitar woodwind, brass, recorder, percussion, strings, vocal and ensembles.

Children at the Nursery and attending the Nursery Class for 3 and 4 year olds had fun in special ball skills session run by a Bolton Wanderers coach. The sessions were tailored to fit each age group, with the younger children simply getting used to the equipment and the older ones learning some moves through play.

Girls' Division alumni, Sixth Form and staff held an unwanted jewellery collection in support of Alzheimer's Society in the run-up to the Christmas holidays. A representative from the charity visited the School to collect over 350 donated pieces, which will raise an estimated £600!

A pair of Junior Boys and a pair of Junior Girls spent a day filming with the BBC's Terrific Scientific crew. They were investigating what trees do for us and measuring how much carbon is contained in trees across the campus. The film will eventually be uploaded on the Terrific Scientific website in March or April.

Students in Years 12 and 13 enjoyed a day of improving their modern foreign language skills at the annual French Conference. They discussed a number of topics relating to their A Level studies with native speaker Richard Peltier, making this a great opportunity to stretch themselves and improve both confidence and ability.

This week's Inspiring Mind is Old Boy Frank Kenyon, who attended the Boys' Division from 1944 to 1952. After leaving Bolton School, he read Geography at Downing College, Cambridge, and completed his National Service in the Royal Artillery before becoming a teacher and ultimately headteacher.

27 January 2017

This week, Bolton School welcomed Scottish virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie for the latest in the Girls' Division's series of Arts and Sciences presentations which are open to the public. Dame Evelyn's fascinating talk was centered around questions from pupils and members of staff, and also included arresting percussion performances.

Girls' Division pupils in Years 8 and 9 had fun in two inspirational workshops with poet Mandy Coe. She helped the girls to start writing with varied prompts and also gave a number of readings throughout each session.

Boys' Division pupils helped to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day in Bolton. The Violin Quartet opened Bolton's Civic Commemoration and played a second piece following the lighting of candles as part of the service.

Children in the Butterfly Room at Bolton School's Nursery recently went or a Nature Day at Haigh Hall. They explored different outdoor areas, including the woods and the walled gardens, and had a picnic lunch outside. Despite the chilly weather, a good time was had by all!

A large number of Junior Boys in Year 4 will have their work published in the poetry book Once Upon A Dream - Lancashire Verses following the Young Writers Poetry Competition.

Pupils enjoyed a lunchtime learning about life as a vet from Claire Sawyer, a Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Equine Surgery (Orthopaedics). She gave a great overview of the profession, from the qualifications required to the kind of work involved. This was the the latest in a series of Cafe Scientifique lunchtime lectures arranged for pupils.

Sixth Form pupils Hanna and Aaisha raised money for Penny Appeal's Refugee Emergency project by selling doughnuts at the Bonfire Night fireworks display at School, and the following Monday in the Riley Centre. They managed to raise over £250 in support of the charity!

Four Girls' Division pupils have been selected for the Junior North of England Lacrosse Squad following trials last weekend. Two will play in the A Squad, and two in the B Squad, and one girl had been named the A Squad captain! This is a great achieved for all four pupils.

At the Bolton Town Championships, Intermediate Boys' Swimming Team and Girls' Division Junior Swimming Team won their respective age group trophies.

Children across the Foundation have been celebrating Chinese New Year this week. Pupils in Year 4 at the Junior Boys' School delivered an assembly about Chinese New Year to the rest of the school.

Children at the Nursery celebrated Chinese New Year with a variety of activities. They also tried out various Chinese dishes, such as noodles and spring rolls, for their snacks and meals throughout the day. They made paper lanterns and had fun dressing up and playing as a Chinese dragon!

The Nursery Class for 3 and 4 year olds also got into the spirit of Chinese New Year with lots of crafts, making masks and dragon puppets. They even had a Chinese dragon to help them with their number learning on the whiteboard!

This week's Inspiring Mind is Old Boy Ian Jones, who after attending the Boys' Division from 1976 to 1982 went on to become a photographer. He is famous as a royal photographer and has taken pictures at "all the great state occasions". This pen portrait of his varied career and his many fond memories of Bolton School make for interesting reading, and he also offers good advice to the pupils of today.

20 January 2017

With the start of a new year, the Spring Term at Bolton School has begun and already there is lots going on across the Foundation.

Over the Christmas holidays, Year 13 pupil Arron Davies was away at the World Junior Water Skiing Championships in Chile, where he won silver after being narrowly beaten to the gold individual medal by his British teammate! He has also returned with a team bronze medal.

The Girls' Division has been ranked among the best in the country with the publication of the Department for Education's GCSE League Tables! The Girls' Division has placed in the top 100 schools, independent and state, nationally, and has performed well in terms of both the percentage of pupils achieving at least 5 C grades or better at GCSE, including Maths and English, and by English Baccalaureate (EBacc) results.

Head Girl Zoe Stirzacker has achieved her ATCL Diploma in Saxophone. This is a remarkable achievement for someone of her age.

The Year 7 boys enjoyed a fascinating assembly with two visitors from the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, who talked to them about the process of directing a play. They made reference to the Octagon's production of Cinderella, which many of the boys enjoyed watching with School at the end of last term.

Year 9 pupil Anna Phillips has been selected to play on the GMCSFA squad for a match in February.

Two Year 7 pupils also have achieved sporting success. Poppy Donohue has been selected for the U13 Lancashire County Cricket squad, and Alice Leary has been called up to the U13 Greater Manchester Hockey squad!

Th Junior Boys enjoyed a musical morning with Travelling by Tuba. They were whisked around the world, using only music and their imagination to travel from the Swiss Alps to an African river, and far beyond. They were also delighted to be able to play some of the unusual instruments that the musical duo brought into School to show them!

On 26 January at 7pm, Bolton School will host a free event 'In Conversation with Evelyn Glennie'. Click here for further details about this wonderful opportunity to hear from this famous percussionist. Everyone is welcome to come along.

Tickets are now on sale for the Year 8/9 Joint Production of Wonder: a student-devised promenade performance based on R. J. Palacio's international bestseller of the same name. For further details and how to book, click here. The performances will take place 2-4 February at 7.00pm.

A production of When The Eye Has Gone, a play following the tragic decline of former England and Northamptonshire batsman Colin Milburn, will visit Bolton School on Wednesday 1 March 2017 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available to all at a cost of £10, and further details about the show (including how to book) can be found here.

This week's Inspiring Mind is Gill Pearl, an Old Girl who attended from the Junior School to the Sixth From (1967-1977). She has a background as a speech and language therapist and worked for the NHS, but left in 1996 to work in the voluntary sector. Since then, she has become Chief Executive as Speakeasy, a charity supporting people with aphasia, and in 2016 both Speakeasy and Gill herself were recipients of a number of awards. Her profile celebrates her time at Bolton School and offers advice to current pupils for the future.