Bolton School

Over the weekend the Joint Chamber Choir, directed by Mrs Whitmore and Mr Ainscough, gave a superb performance at the annual fund raising concert given in aid of ‘Muscular Dystrophy’ at Christ Church, Heaton. They shared the stage with Ellenbrook and Boothstown Brass Band and they played to an audience so large that there were two sittings in the Parish Hall to serve mince pies and wine during the interval.

Also this year’s Girls’ Autumn Concert showcased the depth and breadth of musical talent within the Girls’ Division. In addition, this year’s Bolton School Old Girls’Christmas Market was bigger and better than ever! The new Riley Sixth Form Centre offered space for the market to expand into beyond the usual confines of the Arts Centre. The event, aimed at shoppers looking for that extra special gift, included many local traders as well as pupils and parents, who this year were invited to set up stalls to raise money for their own charities and causes.

The Bolton School Swim Team has not lost in a competition for the past 3 years. This has included competitive swimming galas every single week from September to May each year. The swimming matches are against highly ranked aquatics schools such as Stockport Grammar, Hulme Oldham, Bury Grammar School, Sandbach, Ripley St Thomas and Manchester Grammar School (MGS). The swim team continues to have excellent participation numbers and with a large squad of such strength, we are able to consistently swim different boys each week. This includes a superb 16 boys from Year 7 alone who have represented Bolton School at swimming this year.

Sixth Form students enjoyed the latest in a series of Science-based lectures when Dr John Roberts, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, visited Bolton School. Dr Roberts’s presentation, entitled “Nuclear Energy – The Facts behind the Fuss” attracted an audience of Physics students from Years 11 to 13.

Bolton School Sixth Form pupil Andrew Keat overcame 150 other local boys to win the U18s’ Bolton Schools’ Cross Country Championship, which took place at Rivington and Blackrod High School. A total of 17 Schools participated. Andrew will now go on to represent the town at the County Championships which will take place in February at Canon Slade School.

Dr Melanie Windridge returned to Bolton School to present a fascinating lecture entitled “Power in the Future, the Physics of Fusion”, which was delivered through the Ogden Trust Partnership. The Year 11 to 13 students from Turton High School and Bolton School learnt about how scientists working on nuclear fusion hope to replicate the behaviour of the Sun here on Earth to produce a plentiful and environmentally friendly energy source that offers a viable alternative to fossil fuels. They were told how power will be generated from fusion power stations in a process that is clean, green, safe and abundant.

Bolton SchoolInfant School Nursery Nurse, Stacy McKee, has had her “super-mum” efforts rewarded by winning a Personal Achievement Award at the Mecca Bingo Awards in association with The Best of Bolton.

Nikos Siragasan artistic wood-turner and carver from Rethymno, Crete visited Bolton School to give a fascinating lesson on wood-turning. Girls and boys from both divisions enjoyed a morning learning about the tools, how to use them and how Nikos works and where he gets his passion from.

November ended with a very busy week within the school. A festive mood was forefront in all divisions, with fundraising and academic lectures also in abundance.

Keen Year 11 Languages’ students from local schools joined Bolton School pupils for a Saturday morning of Modern ForeignLanguages. Over 70 students from Bolton School, Little Lever, Thornleigh Salesian, Sharples, Ladybridge, Smithills and Canon Slade High Schools began the morning with a delicious French breakfast served in the new Riley Sixth Form Centre, along with a languages’ quiz.

Over 60 Girls' Division Year 13 students and staff took part in the Children's Commissioner’s Children and Young People’s Takeover Day 2013. Students took on staff roles in all areas of the school from the Headmistress and teachers, through to pastoral roles, technical support and administrative roles. Miss Reynolds, who helped organise the event said: "Takeover Day has given the Year 13 girls a chance to experience what it is really like to work in the school. They have been looking at ways to promote independent learning and I hope that the day has encouraged more students to see teaching and working in the school environment as a worthwhile profession and for them to possibly aspire to be teachers."

Lab in a Lorry, a mobile Science lab for young people which is currently touring the North-West, has made its way to Bolton School. The Institute of Physics’ (IoP) project is aimed at encouraging positive attitudes towards science and at making science and engineering more attractive to 11-14 year olds. James Bamford, Senior Operations Coordinator for the IoP, said: “Lab in a Lorry is a fantastic experience for young people. It generates excitement and curiosity in science by letting them explore experimental science for themselves with the help of expert mentors.”

Year 10 girls studying GCSE Spanish at Bolton Schoolenjoyed a Spanish class with a difference when they enjoyed a tapas banquet served at Viva España in Horwich.

Chris Eatough, who attended Bolton School has donated his US National Champions’ jersey, which he won in 2005 for 24 hour mountain bike endurance riding.

Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Division teachers took part in Movember, raising money and awareness for Prostate Cancer UK by growing moustaches for Movember!

Having heard Year 11 pupil Riya Kalhan singing in a concert the Mayoress requested the Bolton School pupil sing at a Rotary Club dinner held at the Reebok, which comprised an audience of over 1000 business delegates.

The Boys’ Division Percussion Ensemble directed by Mr Forgrieve, gave their usual outstanding performance to the Junior pupils at St Mary’s RC Primary School on Monday 25^th November. This ensemble is a well-established group and has been performing to primary school audiences since the group was formed three years ago. The concert was warmly received by staff and pupils alike and Mr Forgrieve and the ensemble held the attention of the young audience throughout the 30 minute performance.

Bolton School started December with a Classics Day for local primary school students. A series of workshops in the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions introduced Year 6 students to Classics. Learning about Roman warfare, Greek and Roman theatre, and the gods and myths of the period proved to be an entertaining and enjoyable occasion for all involved.

The Boys’ Division has started work collecting money for Guide Dogs UK this month. The Year 7 pupils enjoyed a presentation from the charity as part of their SPACE programme, and as part of the session created money boxes with which to start their collection. The Boys’ Division hopes to be able to raise enough to cover the £2,500 sponsorship to train a puppy over the course of the academic year, so that Year 11 pupils can name the do just before their GCSEs in the summer.

The Boys' Division was also visited this week by the charity When You Wish Upon a Star, so that Year 8 boys could hand over the £1,000 they raised through a sponsored walk. This donation will make a huge difference, as it could potentially fund two once-in-a-lifetime Christmas trips to Lapland for children with life-threatening illnesses.

However, it is not just the senior school helping out the local community. Beech House have been filling sacks with toys so that under-privileged children in the Bolton area will receive presents on Christmas Day. The annual collection, coordinated by Bolton Lions, has been a great success this year, with the Bolton School Infants being one of the biggest collection points.

Christmas presents have been delivered a little early for the Girls’ Division football team. Steve Gustard of Moette Limited played the role of Father Christmas by designing and gifting the team two full football kits. The kits are complete with the Girls’ Division crest, and will give the team a strong identity when competing.

There was further good news from the Girls’ Division this week. Congratulations to Year 13 student Nadia Barabash, who has been awarded a placement on the highly competitive Deloitte Gap Year Scholar Scheme! Her hard work has got her though the tough selection process, and opened the door to a bright future in the financial sector.

The school’s joint Strictly Club brought both divisions together for an evening of glamour and fun to bring the week to a fabulous close. Over the course of the evening, performers and guests alike were entertained with a really wide variety of dance styles.

December is always a busy month for Bolton School, and 2013 has been no exception. The second week of the month flew by, with a wealth of exciting events taking place.

With the Christmas season fast approaching, it seems that throughout the school minds have been turning to helping others at this time of year. In November, Bolton School’s Catering Departments have been collecting food and drink for the Salvation Army. They managed to put together three huge hampers to the Salvation Army, to be spread among the local community.

A sponsored walk to Rivington Pike earlier this year raised money for a number of charities, and this week the students were able to present the money to each charity's representatives.

The Year 8 boys were visited early in the week by the British Heart Foundation. They were delighted to be able to give the charity £1,045.

Year 10 boys were collecting money for Derian House. The boys raised £1,845 for the charity, which provides essential palliative and respite care for children, and support for their families.

The Boys’ Division also raised £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support as part of the same event, and presented the cheque this week.

The Boys’ Division Classical Guitar Quartet travelled to Manchester Cathedral to take part in the ‘Carols by Candlelight’ service in support of the NSPCC. The group have been together for twelve months, and although this was only their third performance, the two pieces they performed were extremely well received.

The Girls’ Division led the way for getting into the Christmas spirit by wearing Christmas jumpers. Students and staff of the Girls’ Division as well as the Sixth Form boys were encouraged to donate £1 to participate, with all proceeds going to Save the Children.

This has been the first of many Christmas events that the school has enjoyed. Year 2 pupils at Beech House have seen their hard work come to fruition in the form of their nativity, titled, “Is there a baby there?” At the end of the performance, there was a collection for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

The Juniors Girls put on their Christmas Carol Service in the Girls’ Division Senior School Great Hall. This was a delightful event, perfect to welcome in the season.

The Junior Boys have also had their moment in the spotlight. Their Carol Service took place in the Boys’ Division Senior School Great Hall, and at the end of the service there was a collection for Park Road’s partner school, Ondukuta Combined School in Namibia.

Bolton School has also played host to this year’s Christmas lecture organised by the local section of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and supported by the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford. Over 1200 students packed into the Boys’ Division Great Hall for ‘The Flash-Bang Show’ and were both enthralled and educated by the fast-paced experiments showcased throughout the evening.

The joint Boys’ and Girls’ Division team performed really well in this year’s Mock Law Trial Competition, picking up the school’s first ever prize at this event.

The Girls’ Division and Hesketh House have been strengthening the links between the junior and senior schools this week, arranging a drama workshop on Pantomime for Year 6 girls. The workshop was run by Sixth Form drama students, and was clearly a huge hit with the junior girls!

As the term drew to a close, the school seemed to be busier than ever! Old Girl Hannah Pike returned for a visit at the end of her first term at Loughborough University reading History and International Relations. She has been training hard to continue her sporting career, and has been awarded a sports scholarship as a result. As well as plans to play hockey for the university team, she also has her sights set on the Olympic hockey team for Tokyo in 2020!

Hesketh House and the Girls’ Division have also received exciting news from two of their pupils. Sharon Daniel (Year 7) and Mahima Raghavendra (Year 6) have flown out to the United Arab Emirates during the holidays to represent England U11s in the World Youth Chess Championship! This continues both girls’ outstanding achievements in the sport so far.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, the Junior Girls’ Choir and Senior Boys’ Division band the Parallel Oreos entertained guests at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester. This festive treat included songs from Hosanna Rock and traditional Christmas songs and carols.

As the school week started, the Christmas spirit continued. On Monday, Year 7 girls and Sixth Form chaperones took a lunchtime trip to Toys R Us in Bolton. However, this wasn’t just for fun: Year 7 collectively raised £2,404.90 from a day-long sponsored silence, and were at the toy shop to convert the cash into Christmas gifts for Key 103’s Cash for Kids’ Toys Appeal.

Monday evening brought the Boys’ Division Christmas Festival, held at the Victoria Hall in Bolton town centre for the first time. Although the setting was completely different, the Christmas Festival was as wonderful as ever. Traditional carols, biblical readings and contemporary reflections came together perfectly to celebrate the meaning of Christmas.

The Girls’ Division Ceremony of Carols was held in the packed Girls’ Division Great Hall on Tuesday evening, and was also a great success. A variety of uplifting Christmas songs and solemn readings, both traditional and modern, gave the evening a fantastic atmosphere throughout. The evening also saw an impromptu reunion of Old Girls after the Ceremony!

The final week of term has also seen the Nursery Class for 3 and 4 year olds perform their Nativity in Beech House. This was a great achievement for the children, as despite their young age, their performance ran smoothly and everyone remembered their lines.

The under-twos nursery class also invited parents and grandparents to Beech House this week for a Chirstmas-themed singalong. There was a great sense of inclusion throughout the session, with adults definitely encouraged to join in with their children.

Later on in the week, Hesketh House turned back time for Year 6 pupils, allowing them the opportunity to make traditional Victorian mince pies. They even got to try a 1861 ground beef mince pie, kindly provided by the catering staff, who had followed Mrs Beeton’s recipe.

Two teams of Sixth Formers have also had amazing success in raising funds to buy 600 Christmas puddings and 600 packets of variety biscuits for Urban Outreach. The campaign has involved pupils from both the Girls’ and Boys’ Divisions and from Junior and Senior Schools. Despite having only two and a half weeks, they raised the funds to pull off this amazing feat and on the last day of term they packed up Urban Outreach’s van to bursting point.

Finally, Beech House received a very special visitor on the last day of term: Santa Claus! Arriving on his vintage bus all the way from Lapland, Santa was the highlight of the day for the pupils, and an excellent way to end the term.

The first week back after the Christmas break has been full of good news.

We received word that Old Girl Rebecca Richards has been offered a place at Princeton University in the US! This is a fantastic achievement, as places at Ivy League universities are hotly contested.

We have also heard back from chess stars Mahima Raghavendra (Year 6) and Sharon Daniel (Year 7) who travelled out to Dubai over the holidays to take part in the 2013 World Youth Chess Championships! Both girls did really well in the tournament and are looking forward to more opportunities to improve their game.

On Thursday, there was a definite ‘boys versus girls’ atmosphere today as the Boys’ Division Chess Team B and the Girls’ Division Chess Team went head-to-head as part of the National Schools Chess Championships. Both teams played exceptionally well, and the Board One match between Sharon Daniel and Luke Cavanaugh was a particularly tough competition. The boys earned a victory of 3.5 points to 2.5: the absolute minimum required to beat the girls' handicap!

On Friday, the boys in one Year 10 drama class were put through their paces by choreographer and dancer Luke Saville as part of a dance masterclass arranged through The Lowry theatre in Manchester. This is a fantastic opportunity, and may even lead to a role in The Lowry's production of Lord of the Flies!

Before the holidays, the boys were busy helping out at Pocket Nook, a residential care home for young adults with autism, during their SPACE sessions. They are now planing further visits this term.

Finally, Sixth Form students are looking forward to a visit from Clive Drinkwater, the Director for UK Trade and Investment in the North West and a keynote speaker on a range of business issues. He will address Year 13 students on Monday.

Bolton School's boys have been inspired by a number of talks this week.

The Year 9 boys received some words of wisdom from Old Boy Professor Malcolm Stevens on Monday, in advance of making their module choices for GCSE. He recalled his own days at Bolton School, gave the boys a potted history of his career, and even let them touch his lucky tie!

Boys in Year 13 were also lucky enough to receive a visit on Monday. Clive Drinkwater, Regional Director of UK Trade and Investment North West, came to inspire pupils with anecdotes from his career, and impress upon them the importance and value of international trade. This is the first time Mr Drinkwater has addressed sixth form pupils, and he was impressed by the boys' attentiveness and ability to engage with a complex subject.

The Bolton Wanderers’ Community Trust also came to the school to collect money raised through a non-uniform day in support of the Wanderers Hearts and Goals’ Campaign. The £1000 will buy a defibrillator, which will be placed in the Bolton area.

Meanwhile the Girls' Division has been playing host to Maltese water polo prodigy Michela Zammit. Over the course of her visit, she and Thea Simpson have become firm friends through their mutual love of the sport.

We have also received exciting news from Teddy Pender in Year 13. Not only has he been offered a place at Bates College in the US, he will also be taking part in a charity relay with 100 other swimmers, including current and former Olympians!

In sporting news, we have been told this week that twins Michael and Samuel Platt have both been accepted into the RYA's sailing squads. Samuel is in the Junior Squad, while Michal will be joining the Intermediate Squad.

Finally, we have received news that Old Boy Giles Lever will be the new Ambassador to Vietnam. He is due to take up the post in July 2014.

The highlight of this week has to be the Bolton Schools’ Swimming Championships - and the visit from not one but two British Olympic medallists! Rebecca Adlington and Steve Parry arrived at the poolside at Total Fitness Bolton to cheer on swim relay teams from local primary schools. The pressure of such prestigious company only served to inspire Bolton School's junior swimmers, with the Junior Girls and Boys aquitting themselves really well in their races.

The Junior Boys have had further reason to celebrate this week. On Thursday, they made it through the semi-finals of the Primary School Football Championship! We wish them the best of luck in the final next week.

Since the start of the Autumn Term, the Junior Boys have been learning Mandarin with a teacher from Manchester University’s Confucius Institute. They are learning the language in leaps and bounds, and already have an impressive grasp of the basic vocabulary and the subtleties of pronunciation.

Meanwhile, in the senior schools, pupils have been busy connecting with local primary schools.

On Saturday, the Boys' Division welcomed SHINE back to the school for the fifth year running! Gifted and talented Year 5 pupils enjoyed History and English sessions on the day, with plenty more exciting activities to look forward to, including four different languages and an archaeology trip.

Friday saw girls from 18 primary schools in the local area attend the annual Just4Girls event in the Girls' Division. This day of Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics was a huge hit with the girls, and just goes to show that these traditionally 'male' subjects can be fun for girls too!

Both the Boys' and Girls' Divisions are now looking forward to this year's join production: Romeo and Juliet. Are you a you a Montague or a Capulet? Either way, this year's production promises to be a treat for young and old alike. Click the link for more details and ticket information.

Bolton School's Sixth Formers have had cause for celebration this week as offers have been steadily rolling in from universities around the country - including those elusive Oxbridge places! This year, eight Bolton School pupils have received offers from Oxford and Cambridge. We wish them the best of luck in achieving the grades needed.

One Sixth Former has had more reason than most to celebrate: Tejal Shanbhag has not only received an offer from Cambridge, but she has also received an offer of a place and a bursary from Imperial College London!

There has been some good news for one of the school's Old Boys this week, as well. Councillor Christopher Peacock has been nominated for the Young Councillor of the Year award!

From the Boys' Division, we have received an update from Quadrangle Radio. There are new episodes of 'What's Occurring', 'Who Let The Doctors Out?' and 'An Audience With ...' available on Soundcloud with more coming soon! This will include the inaugural 'Level Headed' sports feature.

The boys have also been celebrating Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday throughout the year, with a variety of theatre trips, in-school productions and drama performances! There is plenty more to look forward to - not least of all the Joint Production of Romeo and Juliet!

http://www.boltonschool.org/senior-boys/news/musical-romeo-and-juliet-for-all-generations/

Meanwhile, in the Girls' Division, Year 7 has received a heritage lesson from Old Girl and former teacher Mrs Haslam. This interesting and informative talk showed the girls the history the school and the changes that have happened since Bolton School was formed in 1915.

This week, Sixth Formers from both divisions pitted their knowledge against young scientists from around the UK as part of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Olympiad. Over 20 students were involved, and on Wednesday they sat the two-hour Round 1 examination. Now they are all waiting to hear whether they can join the top 30 students in the country for Round 2.

Boys and girls also came together on Thursday for Café Culturel. This was a rather different experience to the Chemistry Olympiad! It was certainly a more relaxed atmosphere as pupils from Year 11 to 13 enjoyed tea and biscuits at the start, before settling down in the Girls' Division theatre for a short lecture on medieval history from Old Girl Dr Fiona Edmonds.

On the sporting front, the Girls' Division netball teams have been enjoying a fantastic winning streak! The Y7, Y8, Y9, Y10 and Y11 teams have so far won all of their games in the Bolton Netball Competition!

The Junior Boys' Football Team also deserves high praise this week. They won the final of the Primary School Football Championship 5-2 vs Egerton. They will go on to represent Bolton Wanderers Football Club in the Football League Trust Kids’ Cup, and certainly have Wembley in their sights!

There have been lots of exciting events going on at Bolton School this week!

Last Friday after school, the Year 4 and Year 5 swimmers from Hesketh House Junior Girls’ School won both their relay heat races at the Bolton Primary Schools' Swim Championship.

We also received word this week that three pupils from the Boys’ Division Senior School have been congratulated for their work in the annual Jowett Sendelar Classics Essay Competition. George Blackwell came in first place, Luke Cavanaugh was placed ninth, and Andrew Lee was highly commended.

Meanwhile in the Girls’ Division the competition is hotting up for this year’s French Spelling Bee. Nine Year 7 girls have been making preparations this week for the school final on Monday, which will cut them down to four!

Sixth Formers from both Divisions enjoyed a French immersion day on Tuesday. Special guest speaker Richard Peltier led a number of workshops on relevant global issues which relate to the A-Level course and encouraged the pupils to stretch their language skills.

The school’s alumni have been really active this week as well. On Monday, we put Old Boy Andy Paterson, who is now a film producer, into the spotlight. He talked about his amazing and varied career and his latest film, which he also co-wrote: The Railway Man.

Wednesday’s Old Girls’ Lunch had a very special visitor: Kevin Davies came to collect a cheque on behalf of KiDs of Bolton following on from the Old Girls’ Association Christmas Market in November which raised £400.

The school also received an incredibly generous donation from the family of Old Girl Nora Allsop this week. Her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter - who is currently a Year 8 pupil - gave Nora’s school books to the archive along with an invaluable set of photos documenting the Girls’ Division Swiss Tour of 1930, the 1931 summer camp, and two sports days.

Finally, the week ended with the school’s first Literacy Day, in conjunction with the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award. Sixty Year 6 pupils from fifteen local primary schools took part in a range of workshops based on the shortlisted books. They had a fantastic time exploring the themes and ideas, and were even able to take home copies of the books at the end!

The highlight of this week was undoubtedly the Bolton School and Friends Gala Concert, which was held on Wednesday evening. Organised by the Boys' Division, the concert featured all of the Year 7 boys, a number of joint bands, choirs and orchestras, and the vocal talents of four local primary schools! The Medley (sung by Year 7 and the primary schools) and the evening's grand Finale are available to watch online.

The Junior Girls at Hesketh House enjoyed their Music Festival this week. On Monday and Tuesday, all of the girls were given the opportunity to enjoy the festivities in the hall. The quality of the music was excellent throughout, with even the external adjudicators commenting on how great the girls' performances!

This week we also learned that the Junior Girls' U9s and U11s Chess Teams have made it through to the semi-final of the English Primary Schools' Chess Association's national championship!

Not to be out-done, the Junior Boys' U9s and U11s Chess Teams will also be competing in the semi-final! With excellent scores in their previous round (U9s 21.5 and U11s 29.5) they are strong contenders, so this is sure to be an unmissable event!

For the career-conscious pupils in Years 10 to 13, there have been a number of inspirational events this week.

Old Boy Mike Shaw returned to the school on Monday to give Boys' and Girls' Division pupils from Year 10 up an insight into a career in law. The talk began with a general overview, then moved into the specifics of what they could expect in different legal fields before finally giving them some hints and tips to make their future applications stand out!

The Girls' Division invited two Old Girls back to talk to Year 11 about their adventures after leaving Bolton School. Georgina Carter told the girls about her exciting experiences with Teach First, while Rachel Flanders shared the epic story of her Atlantic crossing - both inspirational tales, though for very different reasons!

This week also saw the KPMG Enterprise Trophy final, during which the teams pitched their business ideas 'Dragon's Den style' to a panel of judges. Although all of the teams were commended for their innovative ideas, "[Scan] and Edit" were announced as the overall winners of the competition.

In the summer of 2014, KPMG will once again team up with Bolton School to provide two unique paid work placements to a lucky boy and girl from the Sixth Form. Old Girl Katie Clinton returned last Friday to launch the competition for the fourth year running.

The Sixth Form Boys were also encouraged to studying abroad this week. Old Boy Tom Whittaker, who went to university in the US and now works for the University of British Columbia, talked to them about their options and his own experiences, both with American and Canadian universities.

It has also been a great week for the Boys' Division sports teams!

On Monday, the Boys' Division celebrated the centenary of Gymnastics in the school with the annual Year 7 Gymnastics Competition! Old Boy George Farnworth (Class of 1957) was a member of several school sports teams, including the Gymnastics Team, and returned to award the hundred-year-old Challenge Cup to the overall winner, Andrew Hurt.

George also returned later in the week for the Year 8 Vaulting Competition. There was a high standard of ability in evidence from all of the boys who took part, but the overall winner was Adam Salisbury. George presented him with the cup, the runners up with medals, and all of the competitors with certificates of commendation. On both occasions, George shared a little of his wisdom from the past 57 years since he left the school.

Last weekend, Year 12 student Aaron Winstanley and James Barker from Year 11 played last weekend for national champions City of Manchester in the British Water Polo Championships. They joined several Old Boys who are also on the team.

Aaron is one of several boys from Years 8 to 12 who have been selected from the most recent GB team try-outs. These boys will join a number of their peers who are already on the GB programme, meaning that the school's World Class players now represent the country in the U14, U15, U16, U17 and U19 teams!

This excellent news comes on top of the school's Water Polo teams' successes in their most recent matches. U18s team sailed through their second round in the English Schools' Swimming Association Water Polo Championship, while the U14s team have now made it through their first round despite the other teams having a significant age advantage.

The U13s Rugby Team has also achieved success this week. On Thursday, they took on Audenshaw and, despite a closely fought match which ended in a draw, Bolton School as the away team took the spoils. They will now compete in the Lancashire Plate Final!

The senior boys have also been kept busy making way for a colony of bees which is set to arrive in the summer! The 'Bee Club' spent a sunny winter's lunchtime assembling frames which will become the basis for the hives.

Meanwhile, the Year 10 girls were given an eye-opening presentation about the realities of the First World War. Dressed as a British soldier and with a backdrop that evoked the trenches, Dave Thirlwall from Danelaw Living History focused not on dates and names of important battles, but on what the soldiers – from all of the countries involved – would have dealt with during World War One. Despite the heavy material, the girls were completely captivated throughout the afternoon.

The Girls' Division also welcomed Julie Gray, a representative of the Children's Adventure Farm Trust, to the school this week to hand over the money raised last term. The cheque for £1203.50 will make an enormous difference to the charity, and Julie took the opportunity to thank all of the girls for their efforts during morning assembly.

It was a busy first week back after half term, with lots going on in all areas of the school. On Tuesday, we learned that Old Girl Emily Ruaux, who left Bolton School in Year 11, has become the British U20s fencing champion!

On Wednesday, the Year 10 girls presented a cheque to the Liverpool Women's Hospital. The girls raised £1424.64 through the 2013 Year 10 Christmas Post, over a period of just three days! During assembly, the girls learned a little about the amazing work the hospital does and where the money raised will go.

Two Sixth Form girls are also looking to raise money - for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Thailand, where they can gain hands-on experience in the medical profession. Katie Nightingale and Sarah Richards are hoping to become doctors, so their trip this summer will give them a valuable insight into what to expect from their chosen career.

The Year 7 girls were off timetable for a crime-themed enrichment day on Wednesday. The year group took part in four different activities throughout the day: Gorilla Kidnap, Cops and Robbers, Murder Mystery, and Bomb Disposal! Testing their teamwork and lateral thinking, these challenges were a lot of fun as well as a great way to develop their skills.

It's been a great week for the Junior Boys as well! Artwork created by forty-eight Year 6 boys is currently being displayed in the The Market Place in Bolton town centre. This large exhibition of their work is very impressive, and well worth a visit.

The Year 6 boys also shone on the football pitch this week. Despite breezing through the heats and their semi-final of the IFSA North West championships, held at Bolton School, they were bested by Bury Grammar School in the final. However, their time in the competition is not over: the first and second place teams will both go through the ISFA national final!

Bolton School also hosted the Physics Olympics 2014 this week. Sixteen Ogden Trust Partnership schools from Bolton and the surrounding area took part, sending teams of four Year 9 pupils to compete in physics-based challenges throughout the day. There was a great spirit of friendly competition throughout the day, and all of the pupils who took part enjoyed the various tasks placed before them.

On Friday, Bolton School pupils from Years 10 to 13 took park in a day dedicated to learning about careers as a health professional working in the NHS and beyond. This day of lectures offered pupils a valuable insight into the realities and challenges of this career - as well as the wonderful rewards it can also offer. Amongst the various speakers throughout the day, two Old Girls and one Old Boy were able to return to Bolton School to speak about their experiences.

The Year 10 boys started this week with a bang: they were put through their paces in Monday's SPACE session by the Army North West Outreach Team. A series of various leadership tasks made for a gruelling but enjoyable test of their skills.

The U13s 7s Rugby Team was also kept busy on Monday, competing at AKS Lytham for the Plate. After a series of tough matches, the boys emerged victorious!

Also on the sporting front, Year 12 pupil Aaron Winstanley has been called up to train with the Senior GB Water Polo team! This may lead to him playing at the Commonwealth Games - a fantastic achievement for a young sportsperson.

Meanwhile, in the Girls' Division, Head Girl Annabel Ault has been given one of just three internship places in Deloitte's Manchester office as part of the company's prestigious Gap Year Scholar Scheme. Her friend Nadia Barabash also won a placement at the Manchester office.

Thursday was a busy day throughout the school! The Junior Girls at Hesketh House celebrated World Book Day. They came to school dressed in elaborate costumes representing their favourite literary characters. It was great to see so many different genres and books represented!

As part of the festivities, which had a Shakespearean theme, the cast of the Joint Production treated the girls to scenes from Romeo and Juliet during their morning assembly. The dramatic scenes from early in the play were a huge hit with the girls. Part of the Hesketh House preview can be watched on YouTube.

We also learned on Thursday that Old Girl Sarah Thompson, who left Bolton School in 1989 and is now Principal Lawyer with Slater & Gordon (UK) LLP, is publishing a book of her own! Family Law Made Simple has been written by the Family Law team at Slater & Gordon, and Sarah is the main contributor.

In the evening, the Boys' Division held the final of the Young Musician Awards. After a month of heats - and magnificent music - it all came down to one last evening of performances. There was a very high standard throughout, and a wide range of styles and genres to enjoy.

On Friday, the Year 10 girls took part in the UK Hour of Code. This event was set up to promote computer science, and particularly programming, to school pupils throughout the country - and it certainly piqued the girls' interest!

Beech House rounded off the week with a fun and engaging production of 'Who's Been Sitting in my Chair?' - a one-man production telling the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. The boys and girls were captivated by the stories of the bears' dreams, as well as by the well-known tale itself.

The week began with excellent news from the Boys' Division U16s and U18s Water Polo teams. Over the weekend, they competed in the ESSA National Water Polo Finals. After a truly dramatic series of matches, the U16s team came second in their category, while the U18s team emerged victorious with first place!

There has been another great report from the Girls' Division's Lacrosse players this week. Four pupils have been selected to join the England U18s squad - a fantastic achievement!

All of the Sixth Formers have had reason to celebrate this week: their hard work and volunteering efforts have won the school a place at the vInspired awards ceremony at the IndigO2 in London! Eight pupils and two teachers will travel down to represent the school at an evening of good food, entertainment, and of course the individual awards themselves.

The Year 12 pupils were off timetable on Tuesday in order to take part in a World of Work day organised by the Careers department. Throughout the morning they enjoyed a series of talks from professionals in a variety of careers, including seven Bolton School alumni! They then spent the afternoon at the UCAS Higher Education Convention in Manchester. This is the first step on a long journey for the Lower Sixth, and will hopefully encourage them to make the right decisions for their future.

Old Boy Phillip Taylor returned to the school on Wednesday to give a talk about the realities of working in Engineering. The students who attended this talk were given a brief description of his career, and some very sound advice for the future if they choose to go into this field.

Siblings David and Nancy Hartshorn - both Alumni of Bolton School - also visited the school this week, in order to donate an amazing array of items to the school's archive. There are not only items from their 1960s school experience, but also documents and memories from their father and uncle, who attended the school in the 1930s!

Boys' Division band The Parallel Oreos were in the spotlight on Wednesday. They travelled to Ryan Giggs's George's restaurant to entertain the guests at a victory celebration for Bolton contestant Debbie Halls-Evans, who won Channel 4’s cookery show The Taste. The boys were a credit to the school, and their set was a definite hit.

The Year 7 girls have been treated this week to 'Discover Your Voice' workshop day. Run by the English Speaking Union, this day of workshops culminated in some really impressive short debates from the girls, who worked hard to make their arguments as persuasive as possible. The day was organised as part of an week off timetable which also saw them taking trips to Stratford and Chester Zoo.

Finally, the Junior Boys' Year 6 Football Team represented Bolton Wanderers at the Northern Final of the Football League Trust Kids’ Cup - and won! It was by no means an easy feat, with some very tough teams to beat along the way. However, the boys emerged as champions of the North, and will now go on to play in the National Final at Wembley in May!

It has been a week full of events and trips across the whole Bolton School foundation!

Old Boy Mark Gregory, who is now a television documentary producer/director, came into school to talk to pupils in the Boys' and Girls' Divisions about his work. He gave two fascinating talks, both of which looked at the importance of making television about current affairs, in order to discover and communicate the truth about what is going on in the world. He was also able to give the students an insight into how best to approach a career in television.

Meanwhile, the Year 9 boys took advantage of this week's SPACE session to fundraise for Guide Dogs. They spent Tuesday afternoon completing a sponsored Fun Run around the Levels. The money will go towards sponsoring a Guide Dog puppy later in the year.

The U14s Football team were also out and about on Tuesday. They travelled to the Fylde Coast to take part in the AKS Football Tournament, and after a very close competition, made it through to the final. They played QEGS Blackburn, and emerged victorious with a score of 4-1!

As part of the Girls' Division PSE programme, the Year 9 girls were quizzed on their knowledge of Bolton School's heritage. This was a really fun way for them to learn about Lord Leverhulme's legacy.

Bolton School held its' first Spelling Bee for local primary school children this week. The Riley Centre was packed as the pupils came forward to take on the challenge of tough words like “onomatopoeia” and “encyclopaedia” - proving the event to be a smash hit with both the Year 5 pupils who took part and the parents who came to support them!

Senior school pupils have had their own linguistic challenges: pupils from both Divisions took part in the North West heats of the French Spelling Bee at Manchester Met on Wednesday. Two Bolton School boys even made it through to the final, to be held in Cambridge this July!

Thirteen boys and two girls also took part in Manchester Classics Reading Competition held at Stockport Grammar. Tasked with reading Latin or Greek texts with the correct pronunciation and emphasis in front of an audience, this was a great test of their skills. Josh Butterworth and James Chia came first and second respectively in the Sixth Form Latin Prose category, while Mark Turner came second for his GCSE Greek reading.

On Wednesday evening, the Girls' Division held a celebration of creativity in the form of an Open Mic Night. It was a fantastic evening, with performances from eighteen pupils, Old Girl Danielle Tomlinson, and Mancunian slam poet Mike Garry. The poems and prose read out by Bolton School's pupils really showed off their talent and creativity, with Mike commenting on the high standard at several points throughout the evening.

The school has also been celebrating the successes of Indie musician JordanAllen, who left Bolton School in 2010. He has collected rave reviews ahead of the launch of his EP, 'I Wanna Be Remembered', which will be released on iTunes on the 29th of March. He plans to return to the Boys' Division soon to talk to boys about his experiences in the music industry.

The school hosted its' inaugural Lacrosse Festival on Thursday. Undeterred by the wet and windy weather, the Girls' Division's Year 9 and 10 lacrosse players offered local primary school pupils a number of fun skill-building activities. The afternoon ended with a series of heats for the Greater Manchester Schools' Games; the Bolton School Junior Girls and Saints Osmund and Andrew RC Primary School will go on to represent Bolton at the Games. The primary and senior school pupils alike had a great time in spite of the weather!

Another group of Year 9 girls had a very different afternoon: they travelled to Manchester University to take part in a Lego Robotics Workshop. Working with Bolton Muslim Girls’ School, they were tutored in the programming skills to enable them to create a working robot and complete the day's challenge! The girls were mentored by Robogals, a student-run organisation which aims to engage schoolgirls with engineering and other traditionally 'male' subjects.

The Junior Girls at Hesketh House have been celebrating Shakespeare Week - a great opportunity to learn more about the Bard through a number of fun activities. Each girl has been sent a 'Shakespeare Passport' by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who organised the national event. They have used these passports to access Shakespeare's life and works in a mental journey back in time. There have also been opportunities to dress up and perform sections of Shakespeare's plays, from Julius Caesar to Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing to A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Professor Emily Jackson, who is Head of the Department of Law at the London School of Economics, addressed the Sixth Form girls on Friday. She spoke to studying Philosophy and Ethics students about Assisted Dying and the Law. This was a great opportunity for the girls to engage with an ongoing debate.

Finally, girls and boys at Beech House Infants’ Department have raised over £1,000 for Sport Relief! Staff and pupils alike wore Sport Relief t-shirts, headbands and wristbands, and came to school in their trainers. They also completed a sponsored run and held a cake sale.

It's been a great week for sport - and not to mention very busy.

Year 13 student Natasha Lomas captained the Tyldesley Tennis Juniors' team to victory last weekend in the Lancashire County U18 Girls' Doubles' Winter League competition. They achieved a spectacular 100% win record!

The Boys' Division U14s team beat Rivington and Blackrod School 3-1 to win the Town Cup! It was a great game, with the boys playing hard to come out triumphant.

The U15s team was also successful, winning the Town Cup after a tough match versus Thornleigh Salesian College. It was a very close game, with Bolton School coming away with a score of 1-0.

On Thursday, Bolton School hosted its inaugural U15s’ Rugby 7s’ Tournament, with schools from all over the North West taking part. Kirkham Grammar School were the overall winners in the Cup compeition, while QEGS Blackburn took home the Plate, and Rivington and Blackrod School won the Bowl final.

Old Boys and Old Girls came together in London this week for the first ever Alumni Networking Event. Over forty former pupils came together at Cass Business School for a keynote speech from the evening's host, Old Boy Sir Malcolm Williamson, and had a great time mingling and networking with each other over drinks and canapes.

Boys' Division band The Parallel Oreos played at The Market Place in Bolton on Thursday, supporting Debbie Halls-Evans, recent winner of Channel 4's The Taste. She was giving a cooking demonstration while the boys provided excellent musical accompaniment.

The week was rounded off by the Joint Production of Romeo and Juliet. The play was a spectacular modern interpretation of Shakespeare's classic, including a wide variety of songs and modern choreography, and ran for four nights. It was a huge success, and definitely showcased the talents of all the students involved - not to mention the hard work they put in throughout the months of rehearsal!

The last three days of term saw 46 local Year 5 children representing 11 primary schools enjoy a graduation dinner from the SHINE:Serious Fun on Saturdays programme, which was attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton.

The First XV rugby team took delivery of their KPMG sponsored shirts and Engineering Service Company polo shirts ahead of their trip to Portugal to take part in an international tournament.

The last day of term saw a truly inspirational presentation from Mark Brocklehurst, who recently rowed the Atlantic and helped raise £275,000 for Bolton Lads and Girls’ Club– a true local hero!

Junior Girls proudly posed for their photograph, having capped a great netball season by winning the Town's High 5s' Tournament.

For those wanting to relive the wonderful evening concert on the day of the Northern Chamber Orchestra Workshop, click here.

It sometimes seems that former pupils really do get everywhere – last weekend saw Old Boy Steven Lord become part of history, when, as Camden’s Deputy Superintendent Registrar, he registered one of the UK’s first same sex marriages.

As British Summer time began on Sunday 30 March and most people were enjoying the warm weather, members of Bolton School’s Snowboarding Club took to the cool slopes at Chill Factore in Trafford as they graduated on to the big slope!

Year 11 boys paid a visit to BoltonLads and Girls’ Club and were introduced to the National Citizenship Service, a scheme which encourages citizenship skills and self-development in young people aged 16 and up. Their visit follows on from the Year 11 girls’ visit earlier in the year. Bolton School pupils have taken part in the scheme for the last 4 years.

Sixth Form girls were delighted to show off their completed sensory wall hanging – a present for Pocket Nook, a residential care home for young adults with Autism, who has been undertaking an “under-the-sea” themed refurbishment.

Renowned Particle Physicist Professor Jeff Forshaw of the University of Manchester visited the School and spent an afternoon with Sixth Formers from Bolton School and local schools and colleges before delivering a mind-stretching evening lecture entitled “The Quantum Universe”.

The Boys’ Division U13 water polo team maintained the School’s tradition of excellence in water-polo as they enjoyed success at the Greater Manchester School Games.

Wednesday was a special day as junior school pupils from across the borough visited the School to participate in a Northern Chamber Orchestra workshop, which culminated with a wonderful evening performance by the children of Dream Pictures, a piece specially commissioned for the event by School organist Michael Pain.

Sir Philip Craven, front left, discusses proposals with Sue Hincks, Philip Britton and with Cllrs McKeon, Peacock, Connell and Walsh and Dave Singleton, Chair of Bolton Community Leisure Trust.

Old Boy Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, returned to the School to spearhead the launch of the School’s aspirational bid to develop its sport facilities in partnership with the local community and national sport governing bodies.

Year 6 Junior Girls completed the designs of their Victorian fairground rides, an activity they have undertaken with Senior School’s Head of Resistant Materials, Miss Langley, and one which helps prepare them for the move to Year 7.

Infant School Year 1 pupils put everyone in holiday mood through the delivery of their Easter Assembly, especially parents and grandparents who came in for the special morning.

Bolton School pupils have, over the years, travelled to every corner of the globe so the obvious next step is Space – the final frontier! Boys successfully trialled the lift-off of a tethered helium balloon with a payload attached ahead of a summer launch to the edge of near space.

Congratulations also go to Year 3 boy, Joseph Carolan, who representing Lancashire, won a bronze medal in the Regional High Performance Tennis Finals.

And for those that never saw last week's stunning joint production of Romeo and Juliet - or for those that want to relive the passion, here is a short reflective film:

With the Easter break now under way, we've been catching up with some of the term's events and successes - and of course the end of term festivities!

Throughout the year, the Year 10 boys have been helping out at the Darcy Lever Gravel Pits as part of their SPACE activities. They have assisted with all manner of tasks to help out the Gravel Pits Action Group, and their contribution has been much appreciated.

A team of four boys from Years 9 to 11 have taken part in this year’s Royal Society of Chemistry ‘Top of the Bench’ competition, and come away in second place! Niall Woodward, Jack Virgin, Akshay Pal and Ross Percey did really well to secure the runners-up trophy despite tough competition from 29 other teams from across the UK and Belgium.

The Girls' Division Under 12, Under 14, Under 15 and Under 16 netball teams were all winners at the Bolton Schools' Netball League Finals! The Under 13 team narrowly missed their place in the final in spite of an incredibly close match, which had to be decided on a 'Golden Goal'. Nevertheless, this is an incredibly achievement for all of the girls and a proud moment for the school.

The Boys' Division Under 12 football team also have cause to celebrate: they have won the Town Plate competition! This is a great end to a tough season for the boys.

On the last Saturday before the end of term, Hesketh House Junior Girls' School opened its doors for the annual Spring Fair. A good time was had by all in spite of the rather grey weather, and the girls even managed to perform the Maypole Dance! You can watch a short video clip of their performance here.

The Girls' Division Year 7 pupils have also been especially busy in the run-up to the end of term. The forms competed to see who could raise the most money by running a series of stalls selling sweet treats, with the proceeds going to the charity LivLife. The girls worked really hard to tempt their fellow students into buying their cakes and sweets!

The Junior Boys bid farewell to the term with their Spring Concert on the last evening before the holidays. After a day of final rehearsals in the Boys' Division great hall, they performed a variety of music in front of delighted parents, grandparents and friends. This was a really fitting way to polish off the term.

We have also been catching up with some Boys' Division alumni this week. Chris Fairweather was on the crew of Oxford's reserve boat, Isis, at the Boat Race on the 6th of April. Chris was one of the strongest contenders on the squad for a position on the Blue Boat Crew, so it is no surprise that his efforts helped the Isis to victory on the day.

Old Boys Ed Scott and Ed Grundy were in Aberdeen last week for the Commonwealth Water Polo Championships! Grundy played for Scotland and came away with a bronze medal, while Scott captained the England squad to victory in the tournament and won Commonwealth gold.

Ed Scott (left) and Ed Grundy with their medals

Finally, we have received a wonderful update from Old Boy Ryan Daniels, who completed his degree in the US and is now a Private in the New Zealand Army! The community of Bolton School alumni truly is global.

A number of students were involved in school trips to Europe over the Easter break.

The Junior Boys thoroughly enjoyed their Ski Trip to Alpe d'Huez in the French Alps. There were ten first-time skiers on the trip as well as some more experienced boys, all of whom improved considerably over the course of the week. Their adventures were keenly followed by parents on the daily blog.

Meanwhile, the Senior Rugby Team toured Portugal. The trip was a resounding success: the 1st XV team won the U19 Plate Final against Agronomia, while the 2nd XV team combined with Myerscough College to form a Mid-Lancashire XV and win third place in the U17 competition at the International Rugby Youth Festival!

On the first day back after the holidays, the fun wasn't quite over for the Sixth Form boys: on Monday afternoon, they completed a charity fun run in fancy dress! The boys were rewarded with 'giant' games and ice-creams at the end of their four laps. The money raised will be donated to Guide Dogs UK.

Tuesday saw Bolton School welcome 20,000 new inhabitants in the form of the school's first ever honeybee colony! This is the culmination of a project which has been years in the making, but members of the Boys' Division Beekeeping Club finally have a hive of their own.

We heard from Old Girl Vanessa Barber this week. She has recently launched her own business, Beautiful Ink, designing wedding stationery. With her totally unique and quirky designs, it is no surprise that she has enjoyed amazing success in the year and a half that she has been operating.

It has been an excellent week for football in school. On Monday, Girls' Division pupils in Years 7 and 8 took part in the second annual Girls' Football Festival. This event was arranged by Bolton School in association with the Independent Schools Football Association, and saw eight teams of girls compete for the trophy.

This week, the school also hosted this year's Football Festival for Primary Schools. Tuesday saw forty teams taking part in the friendly event for Year 3 and 4 pupils. The Year 5 and 6 competition kicked off on Thursday evening, with over eighty teams taking part! The two-day event was a huge success, with boys and girls thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Finally, the week ended on a high with Battle of the Bands 2014. Professional musician Aziz Ibrahim acted as judge, and ultimately selected Year 9 band Parallel Oreos as the winners! Students from the Girls' and Boys' Divisions had a great time listening to all five finalists in the Arts Centre.

22nd November 2013

29th November 2013

6th December 2013

13th December 2013

20th December 2013

20th January 2014

17th January 2014

24th January 2014

31 January 2014

7 February 2014

14 February 2014

28 February 2014

7 March 2014

14 March 2014

21 March 2014

28 March 2014

11 April, 2014

4 April, 2014

17 April 2014

2 May 2014