Fond Farewells

Miss S Hincks

Miss Hincks has been Headmistress during a period of unparalleled success for the Girls’ Division. During her ten years leading the School, the School was named TES’ Independent School of the Year award and was granted the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. She was also President of the Girls’ School Association during 2019. In the statement announcing her departure, she said that she would like to thank all her colleagues for their support and dedication over the past ten years and wishes the pupils, staff, parents and Governors within the Bolton School Foundation every future success and happiness. She added that it has been an honour and a privilege for her to serve the School for the past ten years. Many tributes to Sue were sent to the School and left online via social media. Here are a selection of our favourites: “While we were at BSGD, we looked up to you as an inspirational, admirable, and ambitious woman who embodies what makes a headmistress good, going above and beyond in your responsibilities and being an approachable member of staff. You combined the seriousness of a headmistress with hilarity (we still laugh about a few of your side notes, especially after events like the Panto.) Our parents, Ellie-May and I were impressed by the speed and fluidity of how BSGD transferred to online learning, something that has helped with the transition to college and university within the pandemic. We both flourished at Bolton and are thankful for the opportunities we were offered when studying there; you undeniably played a role in our growth. Both of us can recall times where you supported our achievements outside of school, and we are very grateful for it. “We are saddened to hear you have resigned, and wish you and your family health and happiness. We thank you for all you have done for BSGD, and congratulate Mrs Kyle on her new role. She has big shoes to fill, though we are confident she will be a wonderful headmistress.” Amelia Doherty, Class of 2020 and Ellie-May Doherty, Class of 2022

“Thank you for your dedication and commitment to Bolton School over the past 10 years. As an Old Girl and past member of staff it has been good to know that the continued success of BSGD has been safe in your hands. You leave the school in a strong position. I enjoyed the time we worked together and appreciated the many initiatives you introduced. I wish you every success and happiness in the future.” Julia Head, Class of 1971 and Former Girls’ Division Staff

“Thank you Miss Hincks, you have been an amazing support network for all staff and students. I am sure that I can say this on behalf of everyone, you will be missed dearly and your absence will certainly be felt. We hope you don’t forget us and still remain in touch! Wishing you all the best!” Anonymous

“I have very much enjoyed the Old Girls’ lunches in the Art Centre for a number of years. Sue has always joined in with us and we have appreciated her company. She is very much a “people” person, always pleasant, chatty, friendly and interested in others. She has been a tremendous asset to Bolton School and will be greatly missed.” Evelyn Cooper (nee Evans, Class of 1956)

“It was an absolute pleasure working with Sue in the Girls’ Division. The young women who have been through her care are so fortunate as she had the vision to bring the school forward and equip pupils with the skills required for the world we live in today. Sue was incredibly hard working, thoughtful and a very amusing colleague. Meetings, discussions over lunch, Presentation Evening and social occasions were never dull when Sue was there. I am sure she could walk along B corridors much faster than me! So many happy memories. Very best wishes for the future Sue.” Ilona Smalley, Former Girls’ Division Staff

“During my time as Head of Hesketh House, Sue Hincks provided leadership and support for the Junior Girls’ School in a way that promoted the growth, aspiration and creativity of staff and children alike. Her fastidiousness and capacity for endeavour and hard work were beyond question; with the capacity for good humour along the way.” Ruth Brierley, Former Head of Hesketh House, the Girls’ Junior School

Mr M Griffiths

At the end of 2019, after 12 years in position, Michael Griffiths retired as Chairman of the Governing Body at Bolton School. A former pupil of the School (1958-1965) and former School Captain, he served as a governor for 33 years and took over as Chairman in 2007. Upon his retirement he was appointed Emeritus Governor: an honour which was unanimously approved by the Governing Body in recognition of his extraordinary career of service to the Foundation. During his time as Governor, Mr Griffiths has overseen a major capital investment programme costing £25m with no legacy borrowing; the provision of iPads to every pupil from Year 3 upwards; and the awarding of almost £30m in Bursary funding to 2000 pupils over the last 21 years whilst at the same time establishing a Bursary Endowment Fund that today stands at over £30m. The following remarks, recalling how the role of governor has changed over the years, are taken from an interview on The Changing Face of Governorship published in the Spring 2020 edition of Independent School Magazine: My first governors’ meeting was in January 1987 and it was unusual in that the whole Board of about 20 people was interviewing the final three shortlisted candidates for the position of Clerk and Treasurer (Bursar). In my time as a governor, I have been involved in the appointment of 5 Heads and 3 Bursars. Many aspects of governance have, not surprisingly, changed and these perhaps fall into two broad classifications. Firstly, the management of the increase in regulation and responsibilities that has fallen upon schools and governors over the last 30 years or so. Secondly, the need to ensure that we are sustainably, financially strong so that we can maintain our independence. To address the first of these issues it is important to have a Governing Body ‘fit for the purpose’. We developed a skills matrix to ensure that new governors were appointed on the basis of skills needed. It was important that governors were committed, took their appointment seriously and were prepared to spend the time needed to ‘do the job’. The second aspect to which I referred was the need to be sustainably financially strong. We recognised the school needed the characteristics and form of a business, something which did not always sit easily with the role of being an educational charity. My view is that independent schools must own the challenge and recognise that if they wish to remain independent, they must build their own financial resources. This may seem a daunting prospect and is certainly a long-term strategy. It requires a clear plan, continuing determination and rigorous financial discipline. There are no quick fixes and it must be recognised from the outset that the real beneficiary of the strategy will be the school several generations hence. But it should not be forgotten that many Schools today are probably enjoying the rewards of benefactors’ foresight in the past. So now it is our turn to make a difference for pupils in the future. We also recognised that we were an integral part of the Bolton and wider North West community and had a responsibility to become more engaged and improve our contribution to its greater wellbeing. … Our involvement in voluntary work was recognised in 2017 when we became the first school in the country to be achieve the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. It’s important to remember that governors set the ethos and culture of the School - that they are its guardians. We should not forget that the Governing Body is ultimately responsible for the School, that ‘the buck stops with them’. This is a significant responsibility which must be exercised with great skill and care and must never be abdicated. It is important that you have a committed, balanced and diverse Board whose members have, between them, the necessary skills to achieve proper governance. It is crucial to encourage governors to have full participation in all decisions made. Given how busy they often are, it is important to be flexible and accommodating in the demands placed upon them. However, you must also be prepared to part company if a satisfactory accommodation is not achievable. Governors should have a thorough understanding of the School and the challenges it faces and, the Chairman should have a first-class working relationship with the Heads and Bursar. The positives [of governorship] far outweigh the negatives. Governorship presents a real opportunity to make a difference for the benefit of future generations and it is always extremely satisfying when you meet students displaying their talent and skills. A School is a very different environment to that in which most governors work, and it can provide a refreshing intellectual challenge. Education has a remarkable and continuing multiplier effect that will positively impact upon the communities with which the students engage throughout the rest of their lives. To have some very small beneficial input is extremely satisfying. Throughout my life I have found being a volunteer is an extraordinarily satisfying experience. Prospective governors should, however, consider the time commitment as this can be considerable. I have spent almost all my life being involved in voluntary work of some kind, particularly to help in situations where I can use my professional skills and experience, and I hope and expect that will continue. I also hope that I will have some more time to pursue my numerous interests and spend more time with my family. But life would be boring if new challenges and opportunities didn’t arise.

Fond Farewells...

Mrs J Hollyoak

After graduating from Liverpool John Moores University in June 2010, I was appointed as Teacher of P.E. at BSGD, and I haven’t looked back. Thank you to Gill Richards for employing me and Sue Hincks for supporting me throughout my time in school. I have been lucky enough to work in a wonderful department for ten years, all thanks to Mrs Heatherington for being such an incredible Head of Department, Miss Donaghy, Mrs Duddle and Mrs Hall, what an amazing team to be part of, not only colleagues but close friends who I will be very sad to leave. I have spent lots of Saturdays together with Miss Donaghy at Lacrosse fixtures, London trips for National Schools tournaments, in a whole host of weather over ten years! I have worked closely with Mrs Higgins in PE in Hesketh House, Mrs Rule who was regularly in the PE department, and now Mrs Coleman who always brings a smile to our faces. I am grateful to the school for giving me the opportunity to complete my Masters in Education and supporting my studies. My dissertation was based on the Girls Go Gold Conference which I enjoyed being part of at BSGD and visiting other schools to be part of their events as well. I have enjoyed being Head of Year 9 and 7, working alongside Miss Tomlinson, who has been a dream to work with. Many amazing experiences include the World Challenge trip I was part of in 2013 along with Mr Radcliffe when we visited Peru, completing the Salkantay trek, visiting Machu Pichu, the floating islands, working on a school project, all of which are memories I will never forget and I am very grateful to Miss Wadey for asking me go on the trip. Other trips included Skiing to Claviere with Hesketh House with Mrs Tatlock, Mrs Hilton, Mrs Labbe and Mrs Duddle. Working at BSGD has given me these opportunities, and I will treasure these memories. I will always remember my first form who I had from 2011-2014, taking them through from Year 7-9, enjoying trips to Stratford and Patterdale and also working alongside Ms Noot with a number of Year 7 form groups following this. I will greatly miss the lovely group of staff that we have, Whole School assemblies, Ceremony of Carol concerts, and end of term celebrations with you all. I can’t quite believe I will now be moving on, it is a perfect school but just in the wrong location for me! I have loved teaching my groups over the years, as well as getting to know many of you through extracurricular activities. You have been fantastic and have made it a pleasure. You are all so lucky to have staff who are so committed to nurturing you to help you blossom and thrive in all you do, but you make this possible for us. It has been such a lovely place to work. Good luck to you all in everything you do

Dr A Fielder

This is one of my favourite pictures from my time in Bolton School. It was taken in July 2015 when myself, Mrs Crowther and Mr Ball took a team of girls to Tanzania. We volunteered at KCEM (a local village education centre) painting the school and working in the classrooms (mud huts) with the young primary school children. Our campsite was called Meserani Snake Park, and although I didn’t see any wild snakes, we did visit the adjacent Serpentarium and I was persuaded to hold the snake! The Snake Park clinic was the only specialist hospital for miles around that could treat snake bites. Some of our Bolton Students were hoping to go on and study medicine, and I know that we were all shocked at the limited resources and very basic furnishings of both the ‘hospital’ and the local schools. I count myself very fortunate to have spent the past 8 years working at Bolton School. We are all very blessed to have so many resources and opportunites available to us. It was a privilege to be able to travel to Tanzania and an important reminder of how fortunate I am. Maybe my trip to Tanzania sparked a desire to travel the world even further? Certainly, it never entered my mind back in 2012 that when I left Bolton School I would be moving to China. I am about to begin working in an American International School in Guangzhou. I will be moving there with my husband, and we are making plans to explore China and the Far East. Another big adventure! So - parting words, what can I say? Thank you to some wonderful colleagues for your friendship and support over the past 8 years. Farewell to my students - past and present - for helping make our time in the classroom so enjoyable. And for us all, older or younger, enjoy the adventures that lie ahead of you. Be thankful for all that you have, be kind and be generous. And in the words of the American life coach and author, Tony Robbins, remember that “the only impossible journey is the one you never begin”.

Miss J Fazackerley

Leaving BSGD for the second time is just another way of reinventing myself! I don’t see this as a retirement, rather a new direction to follow my passion for wellbeing and fitness through my long established fitness business. I have had a long association with our school, starting in 1969. I came to BSGD into Beech House, following my older siblings, John and Kay and stayed until the end of Upper Fifth Form (Y11) in 1981. Being particularly arty and sporty, I went straight to Art College at 16 instead of studying A Levels, whilst pursuing a range of recreational sports which would serve me for a lifetime. As my time here spans so many decades, I have experienced the previous 5 headships: from Miss Higginson, to Mrs Spurr, Miss Panton, Mrs Richards and Miss Hincks. Quite an extraordinary position to be in! I saw the Head of Art job advertisement when a colleague in my previous school said ‘your name’s on that job Jane...’ as she put a cut -out from the Times Educational Supplement on my desk, yet she didn’t know I was a former pupil! It was like the job description was describing me in exact detail. I applied, got the job and joined the ‘Bolton School Family’ again in September 2004. Leading a department has been absolutely fulfilling and enjoyable. I have worked with incredibly talented art teachers and support staffMs Felton, Mrs Crowther, Mrs Kidd and of course, Mrs Rushton our wonderful Art Technician. I have relished the opportunity to develop our girls as creative, independent thinkers, rather than ‘teach to an exam’ and have seen so many success stories along the way-too many to mention, but you know who you are!! In addition to leading my department, I have also led a network of art teachers local to Bolton for over 14 years, and organised 12 consecutive ‘Best of Bolton’ Art Exhibitions in collaboration with the University of Bolton. I shall miss the build up to our wonderful show, and seeing all the artwork created from across our borough. Being part of the Sixth Form team for the majority of my time here has kept me on my toes; tutoring bright young women is still an inspiration, and I thank them for all the fun form-times we have had together. It is with great sadness that I leave during such unprecedented circumstances due to the Coronavirus, and that my last opportunity to teach in a busy art room was Friday 20th March. I suspected that day that it might be a rather premature ending to my 34 years in an art classroom, and I was right. Teaching art on Zoom, sitting at a PC, is no substitute for being on my feet all day, enjoying the challenge of back to back practicals and jaw dropping moments of artistic brilliance which emerge just when you aren’t expecting them! It is revealing that during our recent ‘lockdown’, society has begun to recognise the importance of both my passions-Art and Sport-as ways of healing our mental and physical well-being. I have always known they are important! However, my hands are the cleanest they have been since the last time I left Bolton School-you can always spot art teachers’ hands from their ingrained paint! I’ll miss so many things: Making Christmas Angels, singing 3 Kings and Jerusalem without needing a hymn book, shouting ‘a partridge in a pear tree!’ at the top of my voice, cake in the staff room, Andrew’s Angels’ legendary lunches, Panto, assemblies, whole school photos and much, much more........ Thanks everyone, it’s been ‘a blast!’. Bowing out gracefully, Miss Faz

Mrs S Morrison

I joined the MFL department in September 2010 and as I am writing I cannot believe how quickly my ten years here have passed by. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching French and Spanish to the girls and being part of the school’s many traditions. It has also been a pleasure to take the girls on many trips and exchanges. A recent highlight was accompanying the Year 13 language students to the North West Debating Competition and watching our Spanish and French teams win with such flair. Their success was a real testament to the very high standards achieved by the girls at Bolton School. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to finish my teaching career working with such talented girls and supportive and friendly colleagues. I will miss you all and wish you the very best for the future.

Mrs K Knowles

I joined Bolton School in June 2000, so worked here for just over 21 years. I haven’t always been involved in Careers. After completing A Levels I joined the Civil Service, working in Legal Aid for a number of years. After having my children I started working at a local secondary school before joining Bolton School. Back in the day, childcare wasn’t so readily available and school hours and holidays suited family life. The best part of working at Bolton School was without doubt the people, both staff and students. I worked with some lovely people across the campus and made some lifelong friends. I also had the privilege of meeting some incredibly interesting and talented people at our Careers events. It was especially rewarding to see Old Girls and Old Boys coming back into School to speak about their careers and sharing their experiences with current students. Technology has changed significantly over the years. When I joined the School the Careers Room had shelves stacked with university prospectuses, and applications to university were paper applications. Now, of course, all these things are online. I don’t think School traditions have changed very much during my time. I particularly enjoyed the Prefects’ Panto and the School productions. There were some very talented performers! Since retiring in the Summer I have joined a French class to brush up on my very rusty A Level French and I am hoping to do lots of travelling both in the UK and abroad. The best part about being retired, I have found, is having more time to spend with friends and family. However, I am going to miss the Bolton School community.

Fond Farewells...

Mrs A Shafiq

I joined the school in 1981 fresh from my PGCE course at Manchester University, so that makes 40 years in the same job! I had previously studied French and Spanish at Leeds University, spending my time abroad near Lyon in France and in Granada in Spain. If you need an incentive to continue your languages then the year abroad would be it. A steep learning curve both linguistically, socially and practically, but probably the best time of your life. I had always wanted to be a teacher, but then I had the idea that I would like to join the diplomatic service. Unfortunately, I was not able to get over the Maths hurdle (never my strongest subject), so that meant back to Plan A. I applied for the job here, as the current Head of Languages, Miss Morley, wanted to appoint a French teacher who could also introduce a new language. I was interviewed by Mrs Spurr, the Headmistress, and I was lucky enough to be given the job. When I arrived in the September, I was in awe of the amazing staff, such a talented set of individuals. That is still the case today - although I think we are a lot less scary! In the staffroom everybody had their own chair where some left their knitting, and woe betide you if you turned up not wearing tights or wearing trousers. A very different world. In my first year, I went to Cautley (the equivalent of Patterdale without the frills) three times. In those days staff leading the trip had to do the shopping and cook all of the meals, as well as clean the house at the end of the stay. I think that is why I really appreciate Patterdale and the staff there. We also organised the activities and Miss Felton shares the tale of walking through a field only to be met by a dangerous-looking bull … not sure how we missed that one off the risk assessment, but we lived to tell the tale! My first School trip abroad was to Paris where the accommodation turned out to be in the red light district and I shared a room with a view of the sky with Mrs Garthwaite. I also went on the very first French exchange to Moulins. Mrs Hutchings, the then Head of Languages, and I stayed in a chateau and I accessed my bedroom through a room full of spiders, cobwebs and men in suits of armour - the stuff of nightmares! In School, Spanish went from strength to strength and we had exchanges to Barcelona, Málaga, Granada and Madrid. They were the best of times and it was so rewarding when girls realised that somebody actually spoke the language they had been trying to master and that with even a few words you can make yourself understood. In School, we put on plays, had MFL drama evenings and even turned the Great Hall into ‘Micro-ville’, a version of France, Germany and Spain where we had stalls and cafés and girls went shopping, used currency, ate typical food and wrote a postcard home. Sounds like madness, but it was great fun. I think for me the tradition I value most is being in the Hall on those memorable occasions when you get the sense of what a great community we are, everybody feeling positive and realising just how lucky we are to be there. I have not yet made any plans for my retirement - I am waiting for enough headspace to start thinking about it. School is part of my DNA and I am going to miss the girls, the staff and the excitement of every day being different. Most people cannot understand how somebody can be in the same school for 40 years - I would say that it has been a privilege and I have enjoyed every moment (well almost!).

Mrs L Brown

I’ve worked at Bolton School for thirty years! I didn’t think it would be so long, it just worked out that way! This is my first official teaching post. I did teacher training at two other schools, so this is my third school. I trained at Crewe and Alsager College. I always wanted to be a teacher, because I like passing on my enthusiasm for subjects. However, I wanted to do some work in industry so that I could bring that into my teaching. I worked in industry, with two years at Rowntree Mackintosh and five years with Cheshire County Council. I was a computer programmer and then a computer analyst before I came into teaching, so I would have pursued that field if I hadn’t become a teacher. What I most enjoyed about working at Bolton School was teaching the pupils - in general, they are fantastic! When I first started we used to do teacher/staff reviews in front of the pupils. One year Miss Dickinson and I choreographed a dance to perform to the School, which the girls found very amusing! Assemblies and the Ceremony of Carols are my favourite traditions; although they have changed over the years, they have changed the least. During my first years at Bolton School, there were very few changes. Since Covid-19 struck, the goal posts in and out of the classroom have constantly been changing. If you strip off the technology, we fundamentally still teach the same content in the computer science department. However, there are now many more computers on a network! We no longer have the BBC and Apple Macintosh computers we had at the start, and logging on at the start of a lesson is much more straightforward. I first started teaching computing at Bolton School, then moved to IT, and now I’m back to computing. Bolton School is completely different to my own education experience. I was apprehensive at first, but seeing how you can grow and develop in this environment is lovely - witnessing students growing in confidence rather than hiding under a bushel! My plans for retirement involve the environment! Promoting ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ and planting some more trees.

Ms T Felton

I’ve worked at Bolton School for thirty-eight years! I never thought I’d be here this long! I had a temporary post for one year teaching in a rough comprehensive in Wolverhampton before moving here to a permanent job in 1983. While there, I taught boys and girls. Also, fifteen or so years ago we taught one boy in the Girls’ Division because his A Levels wouldn’t fit in the Boys’ Division. He now runs his own design company in Manchester and he wrote to me to thank me for encouraging him to do what he does. I never wanted to be a teacher! I wanted to be a singer! I won lots of talent competitions as a teenager and that’s what I wanted to do. When I said I wanted to be a singer I was encouraged to have something to fall back on! That was how I ended up in art college. But I didn’t want to be a teacher - I was going to do a fellowship at a Victorian tile factory in Shropshire after I graduated, but I didn’t get the post. I thought maybe I could teach children with special needs; I went for teacher training and was trained as an art teacher and art therapist. But I couldn’t get a job at any special schools at that time as Margaret Thatcher started closing them down. So I ended up in Wolverhampton and then finally Bolton! However, I carried on my singing. I was in a band which brought out two records during my first few years teaching at Bolton School. I would be out till three o’clock in the morning singing in Manchester, Hebden Bridge, all over the North West. And then I’d come in and teach the next day! I want to get back in a band when I retire. I go out and I see a lot of live bands in Manchester. I’m really interested in all the new music that’s around. I’d like to think I could have become an internationally famous singer if I hadn’t been a teacher, either on my own or in a band. There’s still time! I auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent and The Voice - maybe I should have another go! The best part of teaching at Bolton School is the girls - they’re wonderful. And, obviously, art: feeling I’ve had a hand in teaching the girls to develop their talent and their confidence. And the music! I can’t believe there is a school anywhere that does music and productions as well as Bolton School does, and. I have been very privileged to have been part of the musical life here. Over the years I’ve sung in the parents’ choirs and the staff choirs. I was in a staffonly production of A Twelfth Night - I think there has only ever been one staff production like that, and that was very special. I have so many memories. A funny one was being chased by a bull in a field with Mrs Shafiq (when she was still Miss Kelly) when we were at Cautley (the precursor to Patterdale Hall). We had to run for our lives while the girls watched us from over the wall! Another standout is the music: singing, attending amazing concerts, performing at Bridgewater Hall - and seeing my son, who attended the Boys’ Division, playing his violin on stage there as part of the orchestra. I met Princess Diana when she came to School to open the Arts Centre. We put on an art exhibition, and the girls met her, and she was absolutely delightful. In one of the Year 10 Christmas Posts I was Cleopatra: I was wheeled down the Hall on a science trolley and onto the platform to do a rap. I had my hair shaved off for charity. I was up on the platform and Mrs McCann sprayed my hair green and started cutting it off with garden shears, then my hairdresser ran up the hall with his box of tricks and came to sort things out. Girls had paid about 50p to come and watch it, but I only raised around £50, which is not as much as I had hoped to raise for losing all of my hair! Some things in school life seem to be perennial, but other things have changed. The original dining room was very different. We used to eat at great big wooden tables and a member of staff had to dish up the food. The uniform has undergone many changes. The girls used to have ‘outdoor’ and ‘indoor’ shoes - the latter were those horrible Clarks sandals that children wear, they were very unpopular! Ties changed enormously from really small knots to loose floppy undone ones and eventually they were replaced with blouses. It used to be freezing cold - there were no carpets, the cloisters were open. I also remember the wooden chairs in the Hall; there was a big ‘hoohah’ when they were replaced. My favourite Bolton School tradition is the Ceremony of Carols - it’s magical. I will be there this Christmas to hear it. Also the shows and productions - I got involved with many of them. As for retirement plans, I would really like to join a band again; I would like to do some more recording. I will decorate my big old tatty house. I am going to travel a lot and visit new places and places I love, especially art galleries. I am going to miss Bolton School. I live round the corner and can hear the boys playing sports on the field. It will be emotional to leave after so long - but, having said that, I’m not going to miss the reports and the admin!

A number of other members of staff left the Girls’ Division during the 2019-21 academic years. Miss R Sutcliffe (Head of English) and Mrs J Holland (Deputy Head’s Secretary) both retired, while Mrs J Duddle (PE), Mrs Z Long (Mathematics) and Mr C Fico (Head of Modern Languages) all moved on to new posts elsewhere. Mrs A McGivern (Senior School Secretary) also moved across to the Boys’ Division!