30 November 2018

Staff at Bolton School were delighted to receive two prizes at the Bolton News School Awards 2018. Girls' Division Mathematics teachers Mr Heppleston and Mr Hitchin won the Hayley Mathieson Fundraiser of the Year Award for their Well Good charity, while Mrs Gore, the Head's PA at Beech House, the Infant Department, was named the Unsung Hero of the Year.

A Uniformed Services Dinner was held last weekend to honour the 81 Old Boys who lost their lives in the First World War. The evening, which was attended by alumni, staff and pupils in cubs, scouts, cadets and other uniformed organisations, featured several poignant tributes to the School's fallen.

Click here to watch a clip from the Uniformed Services Dinner in which the School's Captain and Head Girl read the roll of honour, followed by the poem 'We Shall Keep the Faith'.

Old Boy Rik Thwaites returned to school to give a talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI). Pupils in the Boys' and Girls' Divisions were excited to hear about the history of AI over the last 60 years and were keen to discover how it is used today. Rik's fascinating talk also touched on some of his fond memories of the School.

Year 5 pupil Anushka Kishore donated all of her birthday money to When You Wish Upon a Star, the charity that aims to grant wishes to seriously ill children. Her generosity impressed family, friends and teachers and earned her a thank you letter and certificate from the charity.

Miss Bramhall, a chemistry teacher in the Boys' Division, was recently given one of five small grants from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Education Techniques Group. She used the grant to share her innovative method for teaching balancing equations, a key concept in chemistry which can be challenging for pupils. Two Year 10 boys helped to create a video to explain the teaching method, which can be viewed here on the RSC Education Techniques Group website.

A pair of Girls' Division Sixth Form students have progressed to the next round of the English Speaking Union’s Schools' Mace Competition. Issy Plant and Rebecca McGinty debated in favour of the topic 'This house would weight votes such that the younger the voter, the more powerful their vote'.

Old Boy Rob Dobson has donated educational robot products, retro computers and technical expertise to Boys' Division pupils in the Electronics Club. The items will allow pupils in all year groups to explore interesting projects and will no doubt help to inspire future generations of entrepreneurial engineers.

23 November 2018

Jo Fairley gave an inspirational talk about her "rollercoaster" journey as the co-founder of chocolate company Green & Black's. She talked about the life lessons she has learned along the way and gave her business tips to aspiring entrepreneurs in the audience.

This event was the latest in a series of Enrichment Lectures organised by the Girls' Division.

Sixth Form students from both Divisions have signed up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell donor register as potential donors. If they are found to be a match, they could go on to save a life. The school holds annual educational sessions with the Sixth Form to make students aware of the importance of blood, organ and stem cell donation.

The School's ensembles put on a varied show filled with familiar tunes at the Boys' Division Autumn Concert. Pupils in Year 8 provided a wonderful finale with three songs: 'Paradise', 'It Must Be Love' and 'Pompeii'.

Click the following links to watch videos of the evening:

• Drum Corps: Swinging Accents & Rolling in Rhythm
• Joint Senior Concert Band: Spain
• Ukuleles Ensemble: Hey Jude
• Brass Group: Singin’ in the Rain
• Joint Chamber Choir: The Writing’s On The Wall
• Joint Jazz Band: Born To Be Wild
• Year 8: Paradise, It Must Be Love, Pompeii

Pupils in Year 1 at Beech House, Bolton School's Infant School, had fun learning about history through drama. The session with Freshwater Theatre Company helped pupils to discover the important historical events of 1666: the Plague and the Great Fire of London.

Ten pupils in the Girls' Division have been selected for the Lancashire Lacrosse Under 15s squads.

In the days before 11 November, the Junior Boys' School was visited by First World War soldier 'Tommy Atkins'. All of the pupils in Years 3 to 6 enjoyed an informative session with him in which he helped them to understand the realities of what soldiers faced from 1914 to 1918, and the importance of Remembrance.

Children in Bolton School's Nursery Class dressed up as superheroes to raise money for Children in Need last week.

Congratulations to Old Boy Jonny Ashton who was part of the victorious production team whose programme Celebrity Hunted was named 'Best Entertaining Documentary' at this year’s Grierson Awards.

Tickets for the Joint Lower School Production of Great Expectations on 6th and 7th of December are now on sale! Full details, including information on how to order, are here.

Tickets are also on sale for the annual Burns Night Supper and Ceilidh organised by the Girls' Division Parents' Association. On Friday the 25th of January 2019 at 7pm, the Arts Centre will host a spectacular evening of laughter and dance. The registration form can be downloaded here.

16 November 2018

Bolton School was seeing spots on Friday to help to raise money for Children in Need! Children at the Junior Boys' and Girls' Schools, Infant School and Nursery were involved and brightened up the School with spotty accessories while also raising money for a great cause.

Bolton School has been shortlisted for the Senior School of the Year category in the 2019 TES Independent School Awards. These prestigious awards recognise and celebrate the most outstanding individuals and institutions in the independent sector. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in February.

The School was proud to be a category sponsor at the Manchester Evening News (MEN) Business of the Year Awards. Bolton School sponsored the Young Business of the Year Award, which was won by Noir Agency, an Ancoats-based branding company.

This week, Bolton School held an Open Art Exhibition to showcase work created by current and former pupils, members of staff, parents and friends of the School. The Exhibition was curated by the Boys' Division Art Department and PA on behalf of the whole Foundation, and featured 2D and 3D artwork across a huge variety of media, from paintings and sculptures to films and installations.

Remembrance Assemblies took place across the Bolton School Foundation on the Friday before 11 November. Each part of the School commemorated 100 years since the signing of the Armistice in 1918, reflected on the reality that soldiers faced in the trenches, and remembered all those who were killed or affected by conflict in the past century. The Junior Boys and Senior Boys alike paid tribute to the Old Boys who were killed in the First World War. The Junior Girls' assembly was led by Year 6 pupils, who also reflected on the poppy as a symbol of Remembrance. The Senior Girls were joined by Old Girls for this poignant occasion.

Click here to watch a video taken at the Senior Boys' Remembrance Assembly, in which current pupils pay tribute to ten Old Boys who died in the months leading to the Armistice.

The School also stepped in to help Old Boy James Butchart on Remembrance Sunday. Thanks to transport provided by Bolton School Services, he and the rest of the University of York Brass Band were able to take pride of place at the head of the Remembrance Day Parade at Easingwold near York.

The Girls' Division Parents Association organised an evening of 'Fantastic Feasts and Fireworks' in honour of Bonfire Night. The occasion was themed around magic and Harry Potter, and this year included the addition of a Food Court as well as traditional fare in the Dining Hall and a host of fun stalls. The display from Titanium Fireworks was once again spectacular.

The Nursery Class recently learned all about hedgehogs with help from a volunteer at Chorley Hedgehog Rescue Centre. Their interest was sparked when they discovered hedgehogs in the Nursery Class garden.

The Nursery Class and children from the Butterfly Room at Bolton School Nursery also visited a local Temple to learn more about Diwali and how it is celebrated.

Girls in Year 10 enjoyed making their own short silent movies during a day spent with the Young Film Academy. They learned some of the filmmaking techniques used in the industry and then used them to create a dramatic story. All of the films were screened at the end of the day, and an Oscar was awarded to the best effort.

Junior Boys' School pupil Cormac has only been a member of the Halle Children's Choir since the summer, but nonetheless he has been chosen to sing 'Walking in the Air' at the Halle's Christmas screening of 'The Snowman'! Over the holidays, Year 6 pupil Nathan also re-auditioned to stay with the Choir for a third year.

In sporting news, Year 9 pupil Teja helped Greater Manchester County Football Club to win a match against Shropshire after she was selected to play as their goalkeeper for the first half of the game. Junior Girls' School pupil Dinburgh has collected an impressive haul of medals for Rhythmic Gymnastics after competing at the English Championships and Scottish Championships.

Before the summer holidays, two Senior Girls entered the UK Schools Computer Animation Competition with an animation they had made highlighting the issues around constant mobile phone use. Their piece was announced as the Key Stage 4 Group Award winner!

26 October 2018

Harvest was celebrated in the Junior Girls' School with reflections on the origins of the festival and the importance of sharing what we have. Meanwhile the Junior Boys' Harvest assembly asked pupils to think about others. The Senior Girls' Harvest celebration also focused pupils' minds on what is really important: Year 7 pupils asked what being 'rich' really means. Year 2 pupils led the Harvest Assembly at Beech House with the story of a village where no one was willing to share.

The donations of food and other essential items from all three schools were given to local charity Urban Outreach.

The Boys' Division sponsored walk at the end of last year has raised £10,000 for charity. The money has been split between 10 local and national charities, with each receiving £1,000, and representatives recently visited the school to collect the funds.

Old Girl Joyce Tyldesley returned to give a concise and interesting lecture on our obsession with the Ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti and the iconic bust that has made her so famous. Delving into the history of the bust and the facts we know about Nefertiti herself, Dr Tyldesley discussed why so many people are drawn to the queen and the issues that arise from this.

Bolton School hosted a fantastic presentation about the growth mindset, based on the message of Matthew Syed's book 'You Are Awesome'. The Boys' Division Great Hall was filled with local primary school children, including some Junior Boys, who listened to inspiring accredited speaker Rob Carpenter.

Children in Year 1 were delighted to have the opportunity to meet and learn about owls, all of which were rescued by Lancashire Hawks and Owls. Margaret and Michael gave pupils a few facts about the different types of owl they had brought with them, and everyone had the opportunity to stroke each of the magnificent birds.

'It's a Numbers Game' enthralled Girls' Division pupils in Year 8 as they discovered from representatives of BAE Systems, the RAF and the Royal Navy how maths is used every day, often without anyone realising it. The presentation also introduced them to a robot and showcased many different types of engineering.

Infant pupils in Year 2 had an interactive presentation through which they learned all about what it was like to go to school in the Victorian period.

Boys' Division pupils in Year 8 have the exciting opportunity this term to take part in a radio production project with Bolton FM. The boys began with a presentation on what local radio is all about and progressed to planning their own show and even visited the studio to find out more.

The inaugural round of the Historical MasterChef competition was held in the Girls' Division. Pupils had spent previous weeks researching the chosen time period to create a feast of Roman-inspired treats for the judges.

Pupils from both Divisions in Years 10 to 13 got to grips with the wide range of careers relating to the environment that are available to them. Several alumni returned to share their workplace experiences and explain how different jobs relate to helping the environment.

There has been a glut of sporting success in the Girls' Division. A number of Girls' Division pupils have been selected to join the U19 Lancashire Lacrosse A and B teams. In netball, both the U15 and U16 teams have won the Bolton Schools' Tournament, and a Year 8 pupils has been invited to join the U13 Lancashire Academy Centre of Excellence for Netball. A year 7 pupils has been named North West Champion for her age group after winning a gymnastics competition, and ten pupils in Years 7 to 10 have been asked to represent Bolton town at the Greater Manchester Schools' Cross Country Championships.

Twenty-two musicians from all year groups in the Boys' Division entertained with a Musical Evening held in the Arts Centre. A huge range of musical styles and instruments made this an enjoyable evening for everyone. The next will take place on Thursday 16 May 2019 and a warm invitation is extended to all.

Ahead of Bonfire Night and Halloween, the Junior Boys were given a presentation about staying safe at this time of year from the local fire service.

Old Boy Chris Harbour, who reached the quarter-finals of MasterChef, returned to School to talk to Girls' Division GCSE Food Technology students, exactly one year after filming his last episode. He spoke about his passion for food and inspired them with some of his favourite dishes, both from the show and from cooking at home.

Recent leaver Stewart Knights gave a presentation about the architecture of the Eden Project at the national Art Out Loud Festival held at Chatsworth House. His talk was part of the ‘ARTiculation: Inspired by Buildings’ category.

Coming up after half term, Jo Fairley, an award-winning journalist and co-founder of the global ethical chocolate company Green & Black's, will give a free talk in the Girls' Division on Monday 12 November at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to come along to what promises to be a fascinating evening. Full details are here and the talk is part of the Girls' Division's ongoing series of Enrichment Lectures.

Bolton School Services Limited (BSSL), which this year celebrates its 25th birthday, is the business that keeps on giving. All of the profits generated are used to finance bursaries, which support pupils aged 11 years and over at Bolton School.

5 October 2018

The full set of six new short films about life at Bolton School is now available! Watch them all together on our website here.

There was excitement at Bolton School as the shortlist for the 2019 Bolton Children's Fiction Award was announced at a lunchtime ceremony. Pupils from primary and secondary schools across Bolton will enjoy reading the six shortlisted book in the coming months and will vote for their favourites in May.

At the Junior Boys' Harvest Assembly, pupils and their families were encouraged to think about others and give thanks for all that they have. Dave Baggley of Urban Outreach was the guest of honour for the occasion. He thanked everyone for their generous donations, which will help Urban Outreach to feed those who are less fortunate during the winter months.

The A Level PE cohort at Bolton School continues to go from strength to strength.

A delegation of 55 Chinese pupils in Years 8-11 from Huang Gang High School, Beijing, visited Bolton School on Tuesday as part of their trip to the North West. They joined boys in lessons during the afternoon.

28 September 2018

The school has released another short film, this one focusing on Bolton School's place in the wider community. Press the play button below or click this link to watch the film and see how pupils develop character, learning and empathy as they interact with the local community.

The Boys' Division has received a Platinum Artsmark. This standard mark acknowledges that arts and cultural provision in the school is of the highest standard. Two years of development across all areas of the arts led to this achievement, which recognises the work done not only in school but also in the wider community.

Local accountancy firm Cowgills launched their Future Stars Programme to an audience of Sixth Form students at Bolton School. This work experience opportunity gives two Year 12s the chance to experience the world of business and finance first-hand and gain valuable experience in all of Cowgills' departments.

Year 12 students in the Girls' Division worked on their business and enterprise skills on BEST Day. The girls took part in a series of four workshops designed to enhance attributes that are valued in the workplace, such as teamwork, creative problem-solving and presenting to an audience.

For European Day of Languages, the Boys' Division put together a film showcasing the many different languages spoken by pupils and members of staff. Press the play button below or click this link to watch it in full:

Year 10 pupil Lizzie Harkness has been named as a member of the England U15 football squad after attending Regional and National camps.

Over the summer holidays, Boys' Division pupil John Oxley-Harrison in Year 9 qualified individually for the Junior British Show Jumping Nationals. He placed 5th, making him one of the top showjumpers in the UK!

Many different areas of the School took part in the World's Biggest Coffee Morning on Friday, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

On Thursday 4 October at 7pm, Old Girl Dr Joyce Tyldesley will give a free, public talk  entitled Nefertiti's Face. The talk will be based on her latest book Nefertiti's Face: The Creation of an Icon and should be relevant to anyone with an interest in Egyptology, archaeology, geography or visiting ancient sites. This is part of an ongoing series of Arts and Sciences Enrichment Evenings hosted by the Girls' Division.

21 September 2018

Today we unveiled another short film designed to offer a glimpse into pupils' experiences. Click this link or press the play button below to find out how each child can reach their potential through our wide range of curricular and extra-curricular activities:

This year's series of Enrichment Evenings hosted by the Girls' Division began with a talk on synthetic biology from Dr Jack Heal. 'Do Scientists Dream of Synthetic Sheep?' asked and attempted to answer some of the issues and ideas surrounding this rapidly developing $10 billion industry and was sprinkled with humour.

The Junior Boys raised an amazing total of £8,000 from their charity Fun Run at the end of the last academic year. The money will be split equally between four charities chosen by the boys. Alzheimer's Society was nominated by Crompton House pupils and boys were very pleased to present a representative with a cheque for £2,000.

Headmaster Philip Britton gave an assembly commemorating the birthday of Lord Leverhulme, Bolton School's benefactor. He spoke of him as a public figure and the wider accomplishments of the philanthropist.

Artwork by Year 12 student Lauren has been chosen to adorn the cover of the 2019 Specialist Crafts catalogue. 'Camden' was chosen from a field of national entries and was part of her GCSE coursework.

Also in Art news, Year 12 student Antonia was announced as the runner-up in the YPO Art Competition Secondary Category with her colourful portrait. Her work will be featured in the YPO catalogue.

Millie in Year 12 travelled to Poland with the Wales team to take part in the U20s European Lacrosse Championships, where her team achieved bronze.

The Samba Band spurred runners on as they completed the 5K course at Bolton Hospice's Bubble Rush event. Their carnival-style music helped to keep everyone's spirits up.

Well done to Year 7 pupil Zara who has been selected to join the Hallé Children’s Choir! She is now enjoying rehearsals and looking forward to her first performance.

The annual Volunteering Fair took place this week, helping to introduce our Sixth Form students to some of the many different ways they can give back to the local community. Students in Year 12 are encouraged to volunteer for at minimum of 20 hours before the end of the academic year, with many achieving far in excess of the target.

A gallery of photos is now available from last week's Girls Go Gold event. Click the link to see what happened throughout the day of the conference.

On 4 October at 7pm, Bolton School will host a talk from Old Girl and Egyptologist Dr Joyce Tyldesley. This will be based on her latest book, Nefertiti's Face: The Creation of an Icon. This event is free and open to the public.