Girls' Division Magazine 2023-24

Welcome to this year’s edition of our BSGD Magazine. It has been another very busy year. To give a flavour of school life, at the time of going to press in this week alone, the Year 7s were on a trip to Chester Zoo, the Year 8s enjoyed Geography and History trips to Ambleside and Port Sunlight respectively, Year 12 Biologists took part in their field trip whilst others in their year group benefitted from a Modern Foreign Languages event at Manchester University.

In addition, all Year 12 students are working on interview skills this week, Year 10s completed their summer examinations and took part in an activity day, part of which was to experience a day in the life of a sixth former in preparation for life after GCSEs.

Also this half term, Year 9 pupils were at Patterdale last week completing their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze expeditions.

As we approach the end of term, Year 11s and 13s are coming towards the end of their GCSE and A Level examinations and we wish them the very best of luck for their results days. As you will see from the last couple of pages in the magazine, our pupils progress on to a wide variety of destinations and we look forward to hearing from your Year 13 pupils as they embark upon their next adventures. What I describe above is a typical set of our pupils’ experiences, and this is demonstrated further in the pages that follow. Sport, drama, academic enrichment, extra-curricular clubs, trips, community work and outreach, to mention just a few, all continue to thrive.

Also in the magazine, you will read about many other activities. ‘Old Girls’ - members of our body of alumnae - continue to support the school in many ways, but in particular with regards to supporting pupils with career guidance and preparation. It was a delight to celebrate the 135th anniversary of the Old Girls’ Association this year; this significant event is featured later, on page 14.

I hope you will enjoy reading the pages that follow, and marvelling at the ranges of experiences our pupils are fortunate to enjoy. As I said at the start, it had been a busy year!

Mrs Lynne Kyle Head of Girls’ Division

EXCELLENCE IN CREATIVE ARTS

Bolton School’s Junior and Senior Girls have received a prestigious Platinum Artsmark Award. This is the highest accolade offered by Arts Council England, and the definitive creative quality standard for schools. Assessors commended the School for taking a strongly strategic approach to the Arts. Beyond the core offerings of Design Technology (including Textiles), Art, Music and Theatre, the School hosts a regular Culture Festival and has a governor who oversees arts provision, along with senior leaders and a Director of Creative Learning. The School was praised for its active role in the Local Cultural Educational Partnership and for helping shape the local arts strategy. Special mention was made of the efforts the school makes in consulting with young people in the delivery of strategy, including partnering with NW Youth-Zones and Creatives Now. Much of its work in boosting children’s cultural capital has been in areas receiving free school meals, using BeeWell data to shape activities to meet children’s needs.

On receipt of the award, Mrs Kyle said: ‘We are very proud of achieving a Platinum Artsmark Award. This is a thriving area of school life, with pupils benefiting greatly from the huge range of activities we offer. All pupils participate in public concerts, including events at the Bridgewater Hall. In addition to traditional musical theatre opportunities, the opportunities available to pupils have included the ESU Performing Shakespeare Competition, our Festival of Culture and outdoor theatre productions - which have involved 1600 school and community participants over the last two years - plus a musical for the younger years alongside the mainstays of Senior theatre and musical theatre, to give a few examples. Many pupils take private music lessons, with dance and acting certificates added to this range and outside school, our youth-led social arts initiative has, in the last couple of years, involved over 350 participants, 15 projects and 18 cross-sector partnerships.

‘We are very much committed to delivering a high-quality arts and cultural education and we look forward to continuing to grow with Artsmark.’

Dr Darren Henley OBE, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, said: ‘I would like to congratulate Bolton School on their Artsmark Award. Becoming an Artsmark school demonstrates that through offering a broad, ambitious and creative curriculum, young people have the opportunity to develop character and resilience, increasing their knowledge, curiosity and skills that will remain with them through to adult life.’

Mrs Holt, Deputy Head of the Junior Girls’ School, said: ‘As a school, we engaged in a two-year creative thinking action research project, guided by Rethinking Assessment, University of Winchester, and ACER, and this involved Junior and Senior School colleagues collaborating across leadership and classroom roles. Pupil-led gallery reviews showcase creative thinking projects, demonstrating metacognitive progression through multi-modal outcomes in science and literacy. The Senior school has also adopted creative thinking pedagogies across the curriculum and the scope of this work continues to evolve.’

Bolton School’s Director of Creative Learning, Miss Lord, is a steering member of Bolton Cultural Education Partnership and Bolton Cultural Leaders Group. She has worked on school cultural education

consultations and the town’s cultural strategy. She is a director of Creatives Now which is listed as a cultural asset in the strategy and has positioned this project to be central to the development of the town’s youth culture offer as well as a vehicle for schools to engage in CPD and projects with local cultural impact. She is a Specialist Leader of Cultural Education with Curious Minds, a Royal Opera House Leader’s for Impact alum and a member of the Greater Manchester Youth Creative Health working group and Bolton Youth Participation Forum. She contributes variously to local, regional and national cultural programmes for children and young people.

In the summer term, Bolton School was also shortlisted in the 2024 Tes Schools Awards in the category of Excellence in Creative Arts. The Tes Schools Awards, which have been dubbed the ‘Oscars of education’, is a prestigious awards programme which celebrates the best of education across the UK.

The school’s application focused on its inclusivity, ambition and community engagement: as a cultural influencer in the town, Bolton School’s vision is to ensure that every child in Bolton has access to arts and culture. Through pupil-led initiatives, such as the organisation of town youth open-art exhibitions and town arts collectives, Bolton School celebrates diversity, heritage, and personal expression, enriching the cultural landscape of the town and nurturing the artistic talents of its pupils. There was also an emphasis on holistic learning in the classroom, where arts, culture and creativity are used to explore and support self-actualisation.

The Platinum Artsmark (now held by both Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions) was also referenced as an objective measure of the school’s success in the creative arts. Pupils engage in various theatre options, including large-scale productions, pupil-directed festivals, musicals and outdoor theatre festivals. Music programmes offer over 20 concerts and recitals annually, with many pupils opting for individual music lessons and participation in competitions. The art curriculum includes trips to galleries, exhibitions and sculpture parks, fostering creativity and cultural appreciation. Over the last three years, pupils have been regional finalists in the ESU Performing Shakespeare Competition, and the music programme boasts a participation rate of over 600 pupils in individual music. The school’s arts and culture impact is reflected in excellent examination results, participation in optional certifications and competitions, and high engagement in co-curricular and community enrichment activities. Its commitment to creative health is evidenced by the use of wellbeing scales and trackers, ensuring emotionally healthy environments through initiatives like BeeWell.

Head of Foundation at Bolton School, Philip Britton, said: ‘I am delighted that our work in this field has been recognised. Creative opportunities help young people understand the world around them. As well as the benefits these activities bring for our own pupils. we have very deliberately focused on our outreach and connections to make an impact for all local students.’

At the time of printing, the Tes Schools Awards winners were yet to be announced.

CELEBRATING PLANET EARTH

World Earth Day on Monday 22 April saw the launch of an Eco Week across the whole of the Bolton School Foundation. Pupils and staff joined together to reflect, make changes and understand more about sustainability and the impact of climate change.

The Girls’ Division held a special Eco Assembly. Head of Geography Miss Gillibrand talked about being a disposable society and the importance of engaging with more sustainable options that use less resources and preserve more for future generations. She then introduced eight girls to speak about the School’s eco initiatives. They explained more about Earth Day and shared how Junior Geography Club initiatives are encouraging girls to do their bit to change the world. They spoke about the Girls’ Division Earth Shot Competition and monthly missions that give everyone lots of different ways to get involved.

Ahead of Earth Day, Year 10 Textiles pupils worked on a sustainable fashion project with an external consultant. They looked at the world of fast fashion and used second-hand clothes to create new outfit prototypes with the minimum amount of waste. They displayed their work during Eco Week and shared facts such as ‘less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new clothing’ and ‘there’s enough clothing in the world for the next 10 generations’.

Eco Week also saw introduction of monthly litter picks led by Mrs Mann, and Mrs Dalziel-Job launched an Eco Bricks campaign in Friday’s assembly, which ran for two weeks as the school endeavoured to create eco bricks out of recycled plastic.

Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 12 made eco-trees by creating their own individual eco pledges written on leaves during form time.

WELLBEING IS BUZZING IN THE HIVE!

Supporting children to thrive in their academic studies rests on there being effective academic and pastoral support strategies and resources in place. In the Girls’ Division we are so lucky to have a dedicated space to meet such needs.

The Hive, now in its second year of delivering wellbeing support, provides a 360-degree approach to supporting our pupils with their academic, wellbeing and medical needs in a truly holistic approach. This year we have expanded our provision to include a greater range of activities, groups and services that aim to meet their practical, social and emotional needs in a drive to improve health and wellbeing. In achieving this goal, we have been guided by the Greater Manchester Integrated Care approach on Social Prescribing. The outcomes and feedback from the pupils have been really positive. They include pupils expressing that they feel healthier, happier and that they really enjoy time engaging in activities that enable them to talk with others and build confidence, whilst having lots of fun!

Mrs M Wright & Mrs A Green

Activities and intervention we have delivered this year have included:

• Bereavement support

• Supervised study

• Wellbeing Dominoes

• Crochet club

• Art therapy

• Social development sessions

• Photography club

• Mindfulnes

• Board games club

• Box-fit classes

• Near-2-Peer support

• Buddy reading

• Morphy Mastery

• Wellbeing dominoes

• 1:1 pastoral talk therapy

YEAR 7

YEAR 7

It has been wonderful to watch the Year 7 girls bond with each other and make memories. This year group have enjoyed many trips to enhance their learning outside the classroom: Patterdale, Chester Zoo, Lytham and Normandy to name just a few. It has been wonderful to watch the girls perform in the many music events and concerts in school and also show their competitive side in the interform competitions. I have been very lucky to be part of these girls’ first year at school. Here are some of their highlights.

7A

Mrs James, Head of Year 7

The range of extracurriculum activities has been extraordinary! Our clubs and activities have shown us how to work collaboratively and cooperatively: skills we will use through the rest of our lifetime. We have clubs for everyone, like our wide variety of sports clubs that increase our fitness levels and help us get off our iPads and outside. Other clubs have helped calm our minds and have fun relaxing with friends. We have particularly enjoyed Photoshop, Mindfulness, Crochet, Boardgames and Kindness clubs where we baked cupcakes, learnt origami and gained new hobbies.

7B

The highlight of the year for many of us was our trip to Normandy over May half term. We had such a great time, filled with lots of laughs, and we made memories to last a lifetime. Read all about the trip and see more photos on page 29!

7C

We have really enjoyed participating in the array of different sports and events. Although everyone has their own favourites, we’ve particularly enjoyed Tennis and Netball, especially the Interform competition in which we came second! We found Interform football fun and we’re looking forward to competing in the Interform rounders. Overall, our form has loved the variety of sports and the Interform competitions where we could let our competitive side show!

7D

We have really enjoyed participating in the array of different sports and events. Although everyone has their own favourites, we’ve particularly enjoyed Tennis and Netball, especially the Interform competition in which we came second! We found Interform football fun and we’re looking forward to competing in the Interform rounders. Overall, our form has loved the variety of sports and the Interform competitions where we could let our competitive side show!

7E

Year 7 have supported many charities this year. In December we completed a whole day without speaking a word for the Bolton Lions Toy Appeal! Our year group raised £2530. We collected over 100 Easter eggs to give to a local charity and the whole school raised funds for the charity Anthony Nolan by hosting a non-uniform day for the students. The charity was nominated by one of our form! It has been very rewarding to help others.

7F

In November, we went to Patterdale Hall, in the scenic Lake District. Over the course of the next few days, we participated in many exciting activities: canoeing, walking, team building and orienteering - which helped us build different life skills. The meals were fantastic and just as good as we had heard! Lots of memories were made and the experience was amazing. We can’t wait to go again in Year 8!

8A

My form has thoroughly enjoyed many different sports clubs such as climbing, netball and rounders. We even won interform netball! We also had such an exciting time in Patterdale and, earlier in the year, we went to the Anderton Centre to sail. It was extremely windy, and many of us capsized, but we all helped each other up. Our form has made many form time memories, including bringing a birthday cake for our form teacher on her birthday. Overall, our form has really loved Year 8 and we can’t wait for next year’s activities.

8B

Sofia Patel

8A

As a class, we love to come to school, not just because of the social activities, but also the amazing opportunities our school offers which make learning so much fun. One of the highlights was the annual trip to Patterdale, where we exchanged our textbooks for life jackets and paddle boards. Sailing and kayaking on the serene waters of Ullswater Lake was truly an experience which couldn’t be taught within a classroom. We loved the thrill of navigating through the waves, practicing teamwork and leadership skills, and forming bonds. Opportunities like this make school seem like an adventure. School even offers trips to other countries. In Italy, students explored Capri and learnt the history of Pompeii, which helped them to understand further stories they had learnt in Latin. This has been a spectacular school year, and we look forward for many more to come yet!

8C

Aisha

Ahmed 8B

8C won interform lacrosse and orienteering. This was a really great effort from all those involved and was really enjoyable. Naomi, Aleeza, Beatrice, Shamailah and Evie took part in an interform competition organised to celebrate Science Week 2024: they created a working marble run out of paper, clamps and stands and cellotape. In the Spring Term, Iman, Beatrice, and Evie took part in the Shakespeare competition: memorising either a monologue or a duologue, which was preformed to a panel of judges. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed it! Year 8 also took part in a charity sale for the charity Well Good, which helps people in Africa have access to clean water and is organised by our very own Mr Heppleston. We had a lot of fun doing this and cannot wait for the summer fair, this being the first year we will do it.

Evie Pursey 8C

8D

Upon coming into Year 8, we were greeted with welcoming form tutors and pupils. In Science, we did a research and practical project for Crest; in this project we developed team work and communication skills. Following that, we were awarded with a fantastic trip to Patterdale. In Patterdale we were tested on our logical skills and our outdoor knowledge. The activities in Patterdale were our personal favourite: paddle boarding and kayaking held many fun games.

Landa Osman 8D

8E

Our form has enjoyed Year 8 lots! Three girls in our form took part in the Music Festival and earned awards. Patterdale was another great experience for us! We all loved the water activities, such as paddle boarding and rock jumping, and each group went out on a night walk. Everyone had a good time! However, we are all looking forward to Year 9 ahead of us! Many of us are excited to begin Duke of Edinburgh Awards as it seems good fun and a great way to make new memories with our friends! Next year we will also be picking our GCSEs, which is a bit intimidating but I’m sure it will be just fine. We are all so excited to live up the next year of school!

Holly Parrott 8E

8F

We have been making a presentation for our ESB (English Speaking Board). This assessment consists of three parts: memorising a poem and performing it, reading out of a book, and a presentation on a topic of our choice. We have seen a range of interesting poems, books and presentations and amazing execution of theses. ESB has been enjoyed by everyone and has been an amazing experience for everyone in Year 8.

YEAR 8

YEAR 9

As Head of Year 9 this year, I have immensely enjoyed witnessing the growth and development of our students. Their enthusiasm and commitment has been particularly evident in their participation in the Duke of Edinburgh award, as well as within our termly achievement competitions! It has been rewarding to see each student embrace new challenges, from honing their outdoor survival skills to engaging in the volunteering aspect of their D of E. I was particularly surprised to be cheered on at Parkrun on occasions by a couple of our students! The resilience and team work each student has demonstrated throughout these experiences highlights their dedication and I have been incredibly proud to work with Year 9 this year. Additionally, the numerous charity events organized and executed has been impressive and testament to their compassion and social responsibility. It has helped to foster a strong sense of community within the Year group whilst supporting important charities and those in need. I wish Year 9 the best of luck with their future endeavours and as they move into Year 10.

Mrs Walters, Head of Year 9

YOUNG MINDS

This year, Year 9s raised over a thousand pounds for the charity Young Minds, who prioritise children’s mental health. Each form was tasked with creating and baking ‘yellow’ products and each had a break time to make as much money as possible. Everyone in the school was encouraged to buy a yellow ribbon to wear on their blazer and there was a yellow accessory day too! It was amazing and I am very proud of everyone participating as everyone was contributing to a brilliant cause!

Ingrid Caudill-Trafi, 9B

DRAGON’S DEN

Before the May half term break, Year 9 were tasked with dressing in business attire to experience a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style day. We got to design our own product to pitch to judges and we talked to experts to help us make the perfect product. They taught us all the different aspects that are put into creating a product. We even spoke to Hesketh House students to gain valuable product feedback to see if we needed to adapt our design. Overall, on the day we got to be creative, and it was so fun to work with my friends!

ENGLISH BANNER DAY

Whilst some groups were completing their Duke of Edinburgh expedition, others were in school engaged in alternate activities. One of the days was taken over by the English department, who challenged us to use our imagination and creativity to make colourful banner to be displayed in the English corridor. We had to research quotes from poems and then design a banner to portray the quote. We made the banners using paint, feathers, sequins and cotton wool amongst other materials! It took a lot of teamwork and creativity but I enjoyed it a lot!

Hollie Creer, 9S

YEAR 10

The start of Year 10 always sees some apprehension as GCSE courses get underway and pupils are in their new Upper School Year 10 Form groups. The pace of work in Year 10 soon builds and pupils are keen to welcome a day off timetable to develop their filmmaking skills with the One Day Film School. The year is mixed into groups to learn the essentials of Film History, Fight Choreography, Camera and Screenwriting.

The film groups were ready for the 10 Shot Challenge: creating a short film (2mins) based on a classic narrative for premiering at the end of the day. They have to utilise all the editing skills they have acquired throughout the training day. The winning group, filmed the dramatic scenes in the short film ‘’Run for your Life’’, and they were very grateful to receive their Oscar and strike a pose with the Head, Mrs Kyle, who proudly presented the award.

Christmas Post is always the highlight at the end of the Autumn Term and sees each form dressing up and putting on a short play to help save Santa or his Elves whilst raising money for a worthy cause. We saw our very own Emily Sorrigan as a Father Christmas with exceptional dance moves in the 10A video. You can see her striking a pose in the picture! Christmas stalls were laden with goodies to sell to raise money for the Ummah Welfare Trust Winter Appeal.

We were pleased to see our very own Danielle Alalade standing in the Youth MP Elections for Bolton. Unfortunately, she was narrowly overtaken at the last stage, but should be so proud of her achievements and for taking part in the campaign.

Throughout the year, pupils have joined Zoom meetings to hear talks from eight of our alumni as part of the ‘Women of Work’ careers education. It is wonderful to hear from past pupils who have found success and contentment in so many varied ventures.

The end of year examinations are looming, but pupils are also preparing for their Patterdale trips where they will be developing the Creative Habits of Persistence, Collaboration, Discipline and WellBeing whilst benefiting from being in the outdoors. Pupils can look forward to their own Sports Day and an introduction to life at Bolton School Sixth Form as they will spend an afternoon in the Riley Centre chatting to Year 12 about the first year of Sixth Form A Levels and hearing from the Head of Sixth Form. Pupils can then sample a range of subjects at the Sixth Form Taster Day in July to gain an insight into studying subjects post 16. This leads nicely into our Sixth Form Open Evening in the Autumn of Year 11.

Ms M Teichman, Assistant Head

YEAR 11

Year 11 kick-started the charity events way back in September with their Rainbow Hamper Challenge. Each form made up a hamper themed around a colour of the rainbow. To enter the challenge, pupils had to guess which colour was the most popular favourite colour of BSGD staff. The winners were thrilled to receive their prizes in a Whole School Assembly. Mr Roadnight particularly enjoyed his pink pamper themed hamper!

Year 11 enjoyed a range of subject-based trips this year including History and Food Technology trips to London, an RS trip to Patterdale, and a Geography trip with a focus on Human Geography.

The Leavers’ Assembly took place on Friday 3 May with Year 11 gathered in the Arts Centre for speeches, celebration and to share happy memories of their time at Bolton School. After this emotional final assembly, full of tears and laughter, we gathered on the field for a final game of rounders.

Mrs G Ball , Head of Year 11

YEAR 12

‘ Since the beginning of Year 7, I’ve looked forward to joining Sixth Form and can’t believe how quickly it has come round. Crossing the glass corridor to enter the Riley Centre, dressing smartly instead of in uniform and having free time and gaining independence - however daunting the transition from Year 11 to Year 12 felt, the experiences this year have made it all worthwhile.

‘ We have had a busy year - Patterdale, Culture Day, Prefect Gowning and Charity Events! The Patterdale trip was an opportunity for the new year group to learn more about one another and bond in form groups through team building exercises. The visit was a strong and enjoyable start to the year, with great memories made!

‘Another day which particularly stood out was the all-important Prefect Gowning. The intricate details involved in this historic event, such as the voting and assembly rehearsals, made it even more special. I am extremely proud to be a part of the hard-working team, and I wish all the best to the amazing group of girls in their Year 13 duties.

‘ Now the focus in the Riley Centre has shifted, as Year 12 starts to consider life after Bolton School. UCAS applications, personal statements, summer schools and courses: Mrs Jones works incredibly hard to support us in these difficult tasks, alongside our Head of Year Mrs Delves, who has made the transition much more comfortable and enjoyable.

‘What a terrific start to life in Sixth Form!’

Tilly Watkinson

‘ Starting sixth form as an external student has been quite the adventure! It’s a mix of excitement and nerves, navigating a new environment, meeting new friends, and adjusting to a more independent study style. There’s been a sense of freedom but also the responsibility to manage my time effectively. My involvement in extracurricular activities takes up a lot of that time, including World Challenge, The Entrepreneurship Scheme, The Mock Law competition, Sixth Form Ambassadors, Chamber Choir and Senior Choir as well as Volunteering with the Year 5s at Hesketh House and accepting the privilege to be a Deputy Head Girl. I have found that embracing the challenges and exciting opportunities of Sixth Form life is a crucial step towards my personal growth and academic success, as well as a really worthwhile use of my time.

‘One of the highlights of my day-today life has to be getting my cheese on toast from Sharon in our Riley Centre Café! Bolton School has given me the opportunity to make new connections and lifelong friendships with girls and boys who also strive to reach their potential. Bolton School has become my happy place, and I am thoroughly enjoying my time. I look forward to making more memories with my year group and teachers and I hope I can continue my successful journey and one day be the next Platt Fisher speaker to thank the school for all the opportunities it’s given me.’

Freya Brogan

Sixth Form Ambassadors’

YEAR 13

Year 13 have enjoyed an eventful final year at Bolton School. The autumn term brings not only the realisation of being at the top of the school, but the excitement of the Prefects’ Pantomime. The Prefects thoroughly enjoyed mimicking their staff, where Mr Britton’s rendition of Jerusalem in school assemblies was the highlight of the hour. Most importantly, the Prefects managed to raise nearly £250 for Anastasia Days, a charitable cause very close to our hearts in the Girls’ Division. Some students in the Sixth Form ran a self-care stand, selling items to raise around

£300 for Greater Together Manchester, a charity addressing homelessness, poverty, and social exclusion in the area.

Year 13 bid farewell to the rest of the school in April with another Girls’ Division tradition: the Easter Extravaganza. The girls somehow managed to persuade their teachers to join them in a ‘dance-off’, with Mr Roadnight’s Gangnam Style overwhelmingly the crowd’s favourite performance of the day.

As is tradition before study leave, Year 13 partook in a fun run in May, where they went head-to-head with their counterparts

in the Boys’ Division in a range of races and competitions. They were treated to an ice cream for their efforts. On their final day, the students were treated to a Sixth Form brunch, before enjoying a performance from The Accidentals, who delivered a moving cover of Matilda the Musical’s ‘When I Grow Up’. Staff gathered to applaud their students as they left the school together for one final time, and Year 13 were able to look back on their Bolton School journey and the happy memories they have made.

Mr T Winrow, Head of Year 13

THE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION TURNS 135

A large group of Old Girls and former staff joined current pupils in the first assembly of the summer term to celebrate the 135th anniversary of the Old Girls’ Association (OGA).

Mrs Lynne Kyle, Head of Girls’ Division and President of the OGA, welcomed everyone to the Great Hall before passing over to Laura Henthorn, the current Chairman of the OGA. She addressed the Great Hall about the organisation’s history from its genesis in 1889 as the ‘Past and Present Club’, which was formed to provide opportunities for entertainment and fundraising for local causes between current and former pupils. It became the Old Girls’ Association in 1926, with threefold aims: to form a link between the school of the present and the school of the future, to help Old Girls to keep in touch with each other and with the school, and to form a centre for philanthropic work. Though initially the Headmistress was both President and Chairman of the OGA, since 1951 an Old Girl has been elected to the post of Chairman. Mrs Henthorn said she is proud to be the sixth to hold the post, and shared the names of her predecessors. From the 1950s onwards, the OGA has held regular social events, charitable fundraisers and other activities, which continue to the present day, and 1995 saw the first edition of the Old Girls’ Newsletter.

Next Prefects Harriet Dickens and Felicity Field shared the work and values of the OGA, and Old Girl Liaison Officers Mrs James and Mrs

Greene spoke about the OGA today. They spoke about the various charitable endeavours undertaken by the association, and the ways in which Old Girls contribute to the current life of the school through a wealth of careers talks and professional guidance and mentoring for current pupils and young Old Girls alike.

Philip Britton, the Head of Foundation, put the OGA into wider context, noting that it came into existence in the same year as the Savoy hotel, the RSPB and the Children’s Charter. He said that its founding during the later part of the Victorian period, years before the Old Boys’ Association, makes sense: while there were plenty of places for men to gather and share a common purpose, the same could not be said for women at this time, and Bolton School offered its alumna a shared heritage, interest and community. This of course continues into the present and the future.

The occasion also featured Sofia Riaz (Year 11) giving a piano performance of ‘Improvisation’ by Edward MacDowell, the singing of Jerusalem and the School Song accompanied by the Choir, and Head Girl Phoebe Chuck reading of the School Prayer.

After assembly, a board displaying the names of past Chairmen of the Old Girls’ Association was also unveiled, to go on permanent display on B corridor opposite the Head’s Study.

The OGA 135th Anniversary Assembly is available to watch again:

Past Chairman Jean Howarth (née Lever) and current Chairman Laura Henthorn (née Carless) with the new board

ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

The 2023 Alumni of the Year were decided at the end of the 2023 summer term. Senior School pupils from the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, Junior Boys and Junior Girls were invited to vote for the nominees they felt were deserving of the award.

Old Girl of the Year 2023:

Lauren Mee (Class of 2006)

Lauren’s professional and voluntary activities exemplify the Bolton School ethos of giving back and going out into the world to make a difference for good. Her work as Co-Founder and CEO of Animal Advocacy Careers, an internationally recognised not-forprofit organisation, addresses the career and talent bottlenecks in the animal advocacy movement. She works at the forefront of educating charities on equitable hiring practices and is a member of Giving What We Can, pledging 10% of her income for life to causes focused on making the world a better place.

Old Boy of the Year 2023: Adam Crook (Class of 1992)

Adam exemplifies the Bolton School ethos of working hard and helping others, through both his voluntary service and philanthropy. Adam is a partner in the Global Markets division at Goldman Sachs, having previously served as a Captain in the British Army. A dedicated supporter of fellow veterans, he serves as regional head of the Goldman Sachs Veterans Network. He is a passionate believer in the power of education to enable social mobility and a committed and generous supporter of the Bolton School bursary scheme.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Caroline Plumb OBE, a high-achieving serial entrepreneur and former Bolton School Girls’ Division pupil, returned to her alma mater on International Women’s Day to help inspire the next generation of young businesswomen. Caroline has created and sold a number of successful companies, has a regular column in The Times covering small businesses and entrepreneurship, and was one of Prime Minister David Cameron’s business ambassadors.

Addressing a whole school assembly, Caroline recalled her days at Bolton School from 1987 to 1996 with great fondness. After achieving a First-Class degree in Engineering, Economics and Management at Oxford University, she and a friend stared their own company: Fresh Minds was a consulting and recruiting firm, all about connecting smart young people with businesses.

After selling half of the business, she went on to start a software company, Fluidly, which built accounting software for accounting firms and banks. She went on to sell that business too, this time to OakNorth Bank in 2021, and today she is Group CEO of Gravita, a tech-enabled accountancy firm. The company employs 400 people in its London and Essex offices.

Reflecting on her life, Caroline said she always loved business but never thought she would start one of her own. She said that this demonstrated that you don’t need to worry if you do not yet know what you want to do when you grow up. She recalled how when she

was growing up, entrepreneurs seemed very serious and very macho, but told the pupils that leaders don’t look like that anymore.

Good leadership today, Caroline professed, is not about demonstrations of power but about being a strong communicator, painting a picture of the future with empathy, creativity and passion –characteristics that women have in spades. Leadership, Caroline said, is about being authentic and true to yourself.

Offering advice to her young audience, she said that whilst, as humans and creatures of habit, we need parameters, too much blind adherence to the rules can be dangerous, especially for girls. Although ‘good’ often looks like being modest, quiet and obedient, these are traits that don’t always pay off in the long-run. She said that sometimes it is good to be spiky, to advocate for yourself and show off your strengths. Caroline shared that change relies upon doing things differently and said that rules can be a barrier to innovation and creative thinking.

In her concluding remarks, Caroline told girls not to think that there is only one way to succeed and not to search for perfection. If the game doesn’t suit you, she said, rewrite the playbook. Whilst being an allrounder can be great, sometimes you need to figure out what success looks like for you. Being different is being memorable.

Caroline then spent the morning visiting lessons and talking to pupils across the Girls’ Division.

SIX LIFE LESSONS

Bolton School girls were given six life lessons at the 2023 Presentation Evening by guest speaker and former pupil Shweta Sharma (Class of 2001). She delivered her advice while reflecting on her career driving growth and transition in the technology, entertainment and media sectors.

Shweta began by saying that it was a great honour to give the address. She explained how her time at the University of Manchester studying for a BSc in Management informed her first life lesson: be prepared to take yourself out of your comfort zone and to say yes to exciting opportunities. Upon graduating, her travel plans did not work out but she revealed how she had then secured a strategy consulting role at Deloitte, where she worked for five years and learnt skills that she still uses today. This taught her life lesson two: that set-backs are inevitable in life but they are not insurmountable.

Deciding she wanted more ‘hands on’ jobs, she went on to pioneer Microsoft’s Xbox entertainment business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and lead on digital games distribution for Disney across the same region. When taking the strategy role at Disney, she asked herself whether she could actually do the job. This taught her life lesson three: when overwhelmed, remember there’s always room to learn. Shweta also recommended finding and using mentors if at all possible. Lesson four was to seize opportunities and not necessarily wait until you are fully prepared. Lesson five was to challenge the status quo and to remember to pivot when necessary – it is not always essential to have a defined plan, she said. Shweta’s sixth lesson was to dive deep into what you are passionate about and to contribute to that space. She also offered some words of wisdom that she had collected from other former pupils before telling girls that your journey will not be anything like you think it is going to be! She told the audience to not fear change and that, in time, your path to impact will become clear.

Shweta now has a portfolio career including a number of non-executive, trustee and advisor roles. She is a Board Trustee for the Youth Sports Trust, a leading children’s charity and is a mentor for the Sixth Form Entrepreneurship Scheme at Bolton School.

Head of Girls’ Division Mrs Kyle then looked back on the previous year in school. She reminded everyone that Presentation Evening is not just about individual achievements, but also about recognising the collective spirit, dedication and excellence that is the hallmark of Bolton School.

Mrs Kyle recalled a busy academic year and the first normal school year for some time, which also saw the Girls’ Division and Junior Girls’ School receive a glowing report from their ISI Inspection. She was delighted that the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements and personal development were both regarded as being excellent and that the report could not have been any more positive. Another highlight for her was that social development was singled out and that the School had been praised for its emphasis on community and a deep commitment to service.

The Head noted that, across extra-curricular activities, there were too many successes to mention but praised the quality of dramatic and musical productions, the successes of many different sports teams, and the large number of girls involved in both the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and the school’s community action programme.

Mrs Kyle reserved special thanks to the ‘support systems’ – thanking the pupils’ teachers and family and friends and also the Governing Body, the Parents’ Association, the Friends of Bolton School and the Old Girls’ Association. She took considerable pleasure in reading amusing excerpts from the girls’ Year 13 leavers’ handbook, which showed the students’ great affection for one another. She finished by thanking students for their sense of community, collaboration and camaraderie and telling them, ‘here’s to the future success that awaits you’.

Mrs Amanda Valentine, the Vice Chair of Governors representing the Girls’ Division, and Philip Britton, Head of Foundation, also spoke on the night. They too thanked the support teams behind the students and commended the girls on taking advantage of all that had been offered to them. They both felt that the glowing ISI Inspection report was due recognition of Mrs Kyle’s leadership.

Addressing the pupils, Mr Britton closed proceedings by saying, ‘The success of the school is your success’.

There was a Vote of Thanks on the evening from new Head Girl, Phoebe Chuck and the singing of the hymns ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘I vow to thee, my country’ as well as an impressive piano recital by Cynthia Cheung of Chopin’s ‘Nocturne in E. Opus 62 No. 2’.

Watch Presentation Evening 2023:

APASSION FORPEOPLE &POSITIVITY

Théa Gibson née Georgiades, who left Bolton School Girls’ Division in 1998, returned to deliver an uplifting third Platt Fisher Lecture. She is now a Director at Deloitte, the largest professional services firm in the world.

Addressing a large Great Hall audience, Théa spoke about her passion for people, purpose and positivity. She said that she is often told that she brings the energy and that she inspires and motivates people, and this was certainly the case on this occasion! Her aim, she said, was to leave people with a sense of excitement about the future and a belief that they are capable of great things.

Much of the address was delivered by Théa as if she was advising her younger self. She asked the audience to picture what success looks like for them and made the point that it will look different for each person.

Sharing her own story, she shared how she studied Modern Foreign Languages at the University of Leeds, then went on to qualify as a Chartered Accountant at Deloitte. Théa, a Greek Cypriot, explained that besides her work at Deloitte, she is a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a friend, a wife and a mum to three teenage children – all born in 2010!

Considering what makes us happy, Théa encouraged the cultivation of good friendships as strong social ties increase our happiness and lifespan. She reflected upon her own long-term friendships, which started at Bolton School and at university. Looking back on her school days, Théa reflected that she was lucky to have received a full scholarship and spoke of ‘the fondest of memories’ of her time at school. She said it was a privilege to attend such a school, but also that she had put lots of pressure on herself: she advised the current cohort to know how and when to relax and to carve out slots for self-care. Her advice was to think about what you are grateful for and what went well that day – do not dwell in the past or worry about the future. In life, there are highs and lows: we cannot control external events but we can choose how we respond to and grow from them.

In work, Théa advised finding your personal sweet spot – a combination of your strengths, your passions and what your place of work and the world needs from you. She spoke about working ‘non-stop’ for 27 years from the age of 16, how she developed a good work ethic and her people skills in her various roles before joining Deloitte, and reviewed her 19 years with the company. Work, she said, all boils down to people and relationships: people are the golden thread throughout a career. She advised students that it is okay not to know what you want to do when you leave school or university. She also suggested thinking outside of the box and to consider non-traditional roles. In her own workplace, she is a coach and runs a 15-minute positivity session on Mondays.

Théa referenced a number of quotes across the evening, including Mark Twain, who said the secret of getting ahead is getting started. She advised how our brains love a reward and how we should all strive to find the passions that light us up. You can choose how and when you do what you love, and reminded the audience it is never too late! According to a Chinese proverb, Théa said, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago but the second-best time is now. Life, she said, is not a race and it is never too late to start your journey.

Another message to her younger self was to remember that your thoughts become your actions. She advised visualising goals and talked about how being positive is really important. Other priorities Théa recommended were exercise and movement, health, limiting ultra-processed foods, sleeping well, getting out in the morning light and drinking lots of water. She made the point that it should be us that determine our value, not others. She advised everyone to keep improving their skills, keep learning and practise positive body movement. Positivity is, she said, infectious. She also espoused the virtue of raising money for charity. Talking to her younger self, she said: ‘your skin won’t be spotty for ever’ and ‘study hard but know that your results are not everything’. She also advised herself to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, to swim in your own lane and to celebrate what makes you you.

Théa also endorsed taking time to be still and time away from social media. If possible, she said, be consistent and have a plan and, also, to please be kind to everyone you come across - it will add to your own life. She expressed the importance of saying no when you have too much of your own to deal with. Her advice was to lead with a smile, always use people’s names, look them in the eye, listen to understand them, assess what they value and flex your style accordingly - find out what makes them tick, celebrate their wins and always be genuine.

Quite simply, she said, let yourself be happier; thrive, don’t just survive. Happiness, she said, is not found at the finish line – it is a dance to be danced. Ending on another two quotes, she said life is not about arriving in the future, it is about arising in the moment and those that are afraid to die have not lived. And, finally, she implored her young audience to remember to have fun along the way!

The evening concluded with Théa fielding a number of insightful questions from the audience.

Watch the 2023 Platt Fisher Lecture:

AWARDS EVENING

All students who achieved the Bronze, Silver or Gold Award were presented with their certificates at a celebration evening in school. A number of students from the Girls’ and Boys’ Divisions shared their experiences of completing the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and the group also heard from guest speaker and Old Girl Jaiminee Patel (Class of 2011) just a few days after she ran the London Marathon! Jaiminee herself completed the Duke of Edinburgh Award while at Bolton School, and though she is now a Financial Adviser, she continues to pursue adventurous experiences. Perhaps the most notable of these so far was her amazing trek to Everest Base Camp in 2022, which she spoke about during her fascinating and inspirational address.

SILVER AWARD

Congratulations to the 38 Year 11s who completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award by each walking or canoeing for three days, learning new skills, consistently participating in a physical activity and, between them all, completing over 1,000 hours of volunteering for a wide range of organisations.

Ms A Marrs

‘Overall, I am very grateful for all of the opportunities I have had and skills I have learnt from doing Silver D of E. D of E has taught me resilience, discipline, map reading skills and navigation skills. Volunteering at shelter helped me gain confidence and interpersonal skills. Learning Indian dance for my physical section enabled me to connect with my culture more, gain stamina and determination. In addition, working in teams for the expedition and for Young Enterprise has taught me communication, problemsolving and leadership skills. I really enjoyed the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Award so much and I can’t wait to do Gold next year.

‘ We would like to thank Ms Marrs, Mr Ball, Miss Lindle and all of the instructors for their support and help during the process. Without them I would have been able to have this opportunity and I appreciate it very much.’

Aditi Prashant , Year 11

BRONZE AWARD

From Tuesday the 21st to Wednesday the 22nd of May, I went on my practise DofE expedition in Rivington. At first, I was scared as I until then I had never camped in my life and I had never walked for that long, I couldn’t read a map and also, I had never carried a bag that almost weighed as much as me. During the practise expedition, I learnt a lot. The walking wasn’t as bad as I imagined because I was with my best friends who I have known since Year 7 and my walking group made it better because instead of walking by myself, I had people to talk to and make the time go quicker. Our group instructor Mark helped me how to not just read a map but to orientate a map and to know where I am, so that relieved a lot of nerves and stress.

First, we got dropped off somewhere near Winter Hill and we had to make our journey to the campsite (Bibby’s Farm). We walked up many hills and it definitely made my legs ache but the scenery was amazing and thankfully the weather was sunny. When we arrived at camp, I learnt how to put up a tent. I failed a few times but after a few attempts it was finally up! It was very spacious inside and I shared with my best friend and thankfully I had a great night’s sleep!

Unfortunately, the next the day, it was like a different season. It was pouring it down and was windy, and this taught me perseverance and determination as many times I wanted to give up and just go home, but mentally I wanted to get to the end and tell my parents I had completed my DofE practise expedition and that I made it all the way. Overall, practise DofE was a mental and physical challenge but was an enjoyable experience as I learnt many skills and got to spend a day walking around peaceful scenery with my friends and took a few days away from the stress of school life. I know many of us are looking forward to completing the expedition at Patterdale and achieving our Bronze Awards!

Ella Parfrey, 9D

Back in September, 31 Year 12 students embarked on their DofE Gold Award. Most of these students had already successfully completed the Bronze and Silver Awards and they were now ready to take on the ultimate challenge. This would require them to put in hours of Volunteering work on a weekly basis for a year, as well as take on a Physical challenge and develop a new Skill. The few who had not already completed Silver had an even longer route, with an 18-month timeframe for one of these sections. Unlike Bronze or Silver, the Gold Award also required them to take part in a week’s Residential course.

However, arguably, the greatest challenge was completing the five-day Expedition. Five students chose the Paddlesports option and Canoed the River Spey in the Scottish Highlands. The rest took part in the Walking Expedition in the wild country of the Lake District. This involved carrying a backpack loaded with tent, food, cooking equipment and clothing up mountains like Helvellyn or Skiddaw and wild camping away from the convenience of taps, toilets and shower blocks. To their credit all our students were successful with their Qualifying Expeditions, whether completed by canoe or on foot. Fast forward to April 2024 and we were able to celebrate with 25 Year 13 students the amazing achievement of their successful completion of the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award! The story does not end here: a few more Year 13s are very close to completing Gold, and we expect them to do this in the coming months.

Mr R Ball

‘Our expedition took place around the Patterdale area in the Lake District. We spent the first day planning our route cards for the next four days of the Qualifying Expedition, before pitching our tents in the Patterdale Hall grounds for our first night of camping. The next day we set off in high spirits, and despite the weather, we managed to climb Hellvelyn. During the final two days of walking, the summer heat kicked in, making it the perfect end to our Expedition. We were all exhausted. However, the motivation of finishing our trip proved strong as we walked through the blisters to reach our final destination. Despite the inevitable struggles, including knee injuries, tic-bites, everchanging weather, and lots of blisters, I think we can all agree that Gold DofE has given us memories we will never forget!’

Charlotte Reece, Year 13

‘ For my Volunteering, I continued coaching Athletics to the same group of 8- to 11-yearolds that I have coached since I started Bronze DofE. I love coaching them all, and even though I’ve completed Gold DofE now, I’m continuing to coach them - even though they do test my patience at times. In terms of Physical I run a couple of times a week. For my Skills section, I started officiating Athletics and gained my first qualification whilst doing Bronze. Since then, I’ve gained more qualifications, enabling me to officiate at multiple National competitions over the past year. This has really developed my confidence and organisational skills.

‘ For my Residential section, I went to the Anderton Centre in Rivington. Although it wasn’t far, it can seem quite intimidating knowing you’re going to spend a week with a bunch of strangers. After long days of Sailing, Climbing and Paddleboarding, we had the night to ourselves, to watch movies and make some awful Angel Delight we purchased from Asda that night! The final night we certainly made the most of it, by staying up until five in the morning doing Karaoke in the lounge. Funnily enough, this wasn’t the best idea knowing we had to get up for breakfast at 8am and we still had to go Sailing that day. I would definitely say that the Residential was one of my favourite parts of Gold DofE. There’s nothing to worry about, just choose an activity you that you think that you’ll enjoy.’

Blythe Cordwell , Year 13

CLIMBING CLUB

Climbing club continues to flourish in Girls’ Division! Students have had the opportunity to climb locally in the famous Lancashire quarries: Wilton 1, Anglezarke, Troy and Denham. International trips this year include four days bouldering in Fontainebleau and four days sport climbing in Costa Blanca. Each year the number of students involved in climbing is increasing and it is wonderful to see students continuing enthusiasm and passion for the sport.

CLIMBING TEAM

This year the climbing team have competed in two regional events. Firstly, the North West Independent Schools Climbing Competition at Summit Up in Oldham: Congratulations to Ella Wrigley who placed first and Anais Bird who placed third in the Years 7-8 category, and to Natasha Houghton who placed third in the Years 11-13 category. At the Rock Over Greater Schools Bouldering competition in Manchester, Honor Weston (Year 10) placed third in the Years 10-11 category.

Anna Medvid (Year 13) recounts her experience in Costa Blanca, Spain: ‘After a long winter, some members of the school climbing collective decided the perfect break to the cold British weather was the wonderful Costa Blanca. The trip was a six day adventure while we drove to popular Spanish climbing spots such as: Sierra de Toix, La Pancha and Sella. All of the group were able to learn advanced techniques such as lead belaying, and through the support of the teachers, were all able to complete great personal climbs on outdoor terrain.

‘Although we were all proficient at indoor climbing, the outdoor terrain proved to be more challenging than we expected, with Catherine, one of our top climbers, cutting herself on a 6a+. When we were not panicking about the terrain and our long climbs in the Spanish heat, we were discovering that arranging a lunch for 12 people near a rock face was one of our main obstacles. Once we became proficient at spotting the most ‘table looking’ rock to cut fresh lettuce on, our sandwich making sessions went much smoother, ignoring the times we forgot our lunch entirely. Aside from lunch, our other biggest challenge on a climbing trip was crafting a healthy, partly vegetarian dinner. I think Mr Bradley’s most notable memory was sitting in the car park for an hour while six of us ran around a shop the size of Bolton School itself!

While dinners were hectic, I believe they were times when we were able to truly bond as a group and form lasting relationships, which enabled us to trust each other more for the later climbing sessions. For notable experiences such as the Via Ferrata we were all comfortable cheering each other on while we climbed with a single independent rope across metal ladders bolted into the mountain.

I believe we all made wonderful long-lasting memories, forever immortalised by Miss Lindle’s wonderful, and scarily dangerous, photography. We may have gained a lot of bruises but we also luckily experienced a once in a lifetime trip, where at first everyone was only united by their love for climbing but ended up being united as friends.’

CLUB

Year 7 orienteering club has gone from strength to strength this year with students honing their skills across a range of parks in the local area. This has been a great opportunity to explore, learn, have fun and enjoy a picnic!

PADDLE SPORT CLUB

At Bolton School we are lucky enough to have our own fleet of kayaks and canoes. The girls have been taking advantage of that this year! Students have had the opportunity to build their confidence in the pool and develop their skills on flat water before journeying on the river Lune and Eden. Students in the Upper School have just returned from a five-day canoeing trip on the river Tweed. Students in the Lower School are getting to grips with the fundamentals of paddle sport after school at High Rid.

SAILING

This year sailing has become an integral part of school life in the Girls’ Division, with all students in Years 7 and 8 having the opportunity to sail during PE lessons and at Patterdale Hall. Students can join the after school club where selection for the team takes place. Students have loved the chance to try something new while developing important character attributes such as communication, collaboration and resilience.

Students who showed a real enthusiasm and commitment to sailing during the club sessions were selected to represent the school. Training sessions take place on Saturday mornings at the Anderton Centre. Students sail all year round in a range of boats from Picos to Lasers. This year we entered the National Sailing School Association single and double handed racing championships. Students are now preparing for the Tenacity of Bolton voyage.

SAILING TEAM

Miss E Lindle, Outdoor Learning Tutor

Catherine Xi (Year 12), Natasha Houghton (Year 11), Anais Bird (Year 8), Amy Caller (Year 8), Evie Chadwick (Year 8) & Ella Wrigley (Year 7)

Neve Haughton (Year 11), Lucia Baker (Year 11), Emily Fox (Year 10) & Clara Logan (Year 9)

19 TH BOLTON SCOUTS

It’s been an exciting year so far at 19th Bolton Scouts, having come off the back of our annual summer long camp in Somerset, during which the three patrols visited Wells, SS Great Britain in Bristol, competed in the swimming competition, commando course, and incident hike, along with other challenging activities. Highlights from camp entail MasterChef, campfire, card night, bushcraft, and a visit from the resident ice cream man.

As the academic year began once more, it was back to Brookside on Friday nights, where new faces were introduced to the Troop, along with familiar faces helping to kick start the meetings. Year 6 Scouts moved up into the main Troop, being placed in their new patrols. Promotions for a few Scouts meant we had fresh Patrol Leaders, as well as three of our year 11 Scouts (Alice Nielson, Ella Nielson, Alex Pearce) coming across to the opposite side of the ‘horseshoe’, to enrol in their new positions as Troop Leaders.

Meetings this year have been based around the usual scouting themes, featuring night hike, tent pitching, orienteering, first aid, pancakes and bushcraft. These meetings are centred around our preparations for scout camp, but also to keep up to date with certain skills. Amongst these activities, the Troop have also partaken in various nights such as our ice-skating trip, Christmas party, and a visit from North West Ambulance Service.

This year’s camp is more local, although still faces the same challenges as any other camp the Troop has attend. We have been invited to pitch our tents at David Garton’s farm in Cheshire, which will enable day trips to the Peak District. Planning for this is already well underway, and we have our fingers crossed for some glorious weather.

Finally, we’d like to mention a few names, starting with those who achieved their ‘Chief Scouts Gold’ Award, these being our three new Troop Leaders, and James Wilson. We would also like to thank Veer Patel, Charlotte Hothersall, Jamie Latchford and Rianna Latchford for their continued voluntary efforts over the past three years and wish them good luck in the future. Once again, a massive thank you to all volunteers on Friday nights and those who help to run camp, 19th Bolton would not be the same without them.

PARADOX EXPLORER SCOUTS

The Explorer Scouts plan their programme to include activities which enable them to acquire new skills, develop existing knowledge, as well as having fun and socialising.

During this academic year, the Explorers’ programme has included traditional Scouting activities such as backwoods cooking, pioneering and evening hikes. The walks have revisited Rivington Pike and Winter Hill as well as Turton and Entwistle reservoirs. On November 12th a small group climbed Great Gable to attend the Remembrance Service. Paradox members enjoyed expressing their ideas through painting on canvases, balloon debates, poetry reading and engineering challenges. They have had a refresher outdoor first aid session given by a member of the Bolton Mountain Rescue Team. In addition to these activities, the Explorers have participated in trampolining, ice-skating and tenpin bowling.

The highlight of each year is the annual Summer Camp. Last academic year Paradox visited Jersey where the Explorers were able to take part in a sea-kayak journey, blokarting, cycling around Sark as well as visiting neolithic dolmens, medieval castles, and the WW2 war tunnels. The Unit camped at the Jersey Scout Centre, where they met Scouts from Cork, Belfast, Essex, and Berkshire. This summer the Explorers will be visiting Scotland.

An integral part of the activities has been working towards the Scout Top Awards as well as the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Mrs Ann Chambers Paradox Lead Volunteer

Chris Ferrier 19th Bolton Scouts Lead Volunteer

JUNIOR GEOGRAPHY CLUB

Pupils have loved getting involved with Junior Geography Club each Friday. Pupil leadership has become an integral part of each session by creating and delivering quizzes on a variety of topics including coral reefs, ecosystems and climate change. It has inspired intellectual curiosity by stretching pupils and developed their confidence in presenting their quizzes to other pupils in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9.

CRANEDALE TRIP

In March 2024, Year 12 pupils participated in a residential trip to Cranedale. This was to help prepare pupils for the writing of their upcoming NEA. Activities included measuring the gradient angle of the beach, dominant particle size and carrying out random sampling at Hornsea. Also, pupils studied the diversity of cuisines in Scarborough. They used the Simpson diversity index and took qualitative categories to generate quantitative data. On the final day, pupils investigated the water and carbon cycle at Kirby Grindalythe and studied soil moisture, humidity, ground vegetation and infiltration rates. They also calculated the tree carbon by using their circumference and height.

MONTHLY MISSIONS

Each month, there is a different geographical challenge to stretch pupil learning. Recent examples include the Great Geography Bake Off, creating a geographical acrostic poem and reviewing a book with a geographical theme. It is a great way for pupils to broaden their horizons by going the extra mile to help develop their geographical understanding outside of the classroom!

SENIOR GEOGRAPHY CLUB

In Year 10 and Year 11, pupils thoroughly enjoyed Senior Geography Club in the Autumn term. This was combined with Boys’ Division and was to help prepare for the ‘Worldwise’ quiz in November at Manchester Metropolitan University. This was a great opportunity for pupils to enjoy a cross-foundation club and further develop their geographical knowledge.

Miss L Gillibrand, Head of Geography

HISTORY BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

We can all agree that History is a subject that is particularly brought to life by its trips. Over the past year, the History Department has visited two new destinations, in addition to our established annual rendezvous at Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum (Year 9) and the Thackeray Museum of Medicine in Leeds (Year 11).

Our trips to Port Sunlight (Year 8) and Skipton Castle (Year 7) are both fantastic examples of historical sites which give pupils a sense of place. It is important that pupils understand where they are going and how the sites connect to the broader local and national story. Any Year 9 pupil who has listened to Mr Owen wax lyrical at the Albert Dock about Liverpool’s connection to industrialisation and Empire will tell you that!

We have for a long time harboured a desire to reconnect the department with Port Sunlight, the worker’s ‘model village’ on the Wirral, built by William Hesketh Lever (Lord Leverhulme) in the final decade of the nineteenth century. The event which sparked this reconnection was the murder of George Floyd in the United States of America in 2020. Floyd’s murder by white police officers led to a resurgence in the global Black Lives Matter movement, which in turn influenced Britain to re-examine its own legacy of race and colonialism. In November 2021, staff and current and former pupils of Bolton School discussed the connections between Lord Leverhulme and the Belgian Congo in an episode of the BBC Radio 4 documentary ‘Descendants’. Emerging from the pandemic, the History department resolved to reexamine our teaching of diverse and contested histories.

Our Year 8 trips to Port Sunlight in the June of 2023 and 2024 have of course focussed on the architecture, social history and Leverhulme’s desire to bring about ‘prosperity-sharing’ for his workers. Pupils toured the Soap Works, visited a reconstructed cottage with its interior made to resemble the late Victorian and Edwardian era and, memorably, they made their own bars of soap in the Church Hall education centre. However, our evolving national conversation around race and the imperial legacy places on History staff a responsibility to take pupils’ learning further. When talking about the core ingredients of soap, discussion was steered towards palm oil. At the turn of the twentieth century, in a bid to cheaply

source this raw material for his soapmaking operations, Leverhulme began setting up a plantation in the Belgian Congo, which was an African colony of the Belgian Government. Belgian rule was notoriously harsh and there is evidence that those working on behalf of Lever Brothers forced labourers to work against their will and for very little pay.

Back in the classroom, pupils were provided with an enhanced historical context to explain the connections between the building of Port Sunlight and the ‘Scramble of Africa’, which dominated late Victorian foreign policy. Pupils were encouraged to discuss, debate and present on Leverhulme’s legacy which, like all historical epochs and key individuals, is complex and nuanced.

It was a pleasure to work with Port Sunlight Village Trust in preparing for this trip. Charlene Davies, public programme manager at PSVT, has worked with staff from the University of Manchester in order to research Lever’s business practices and their resources have been invaluable in providing Girls’ Division pupils with a fuller understanding of a past closely associated with our school. It has also been delightful to welcome Charlene and her team to Bolton School, where our archivist (Mr Eric Fairweather) delivered a tour which took in many of the similar architectural and historical aspects of the two sites.

And what of the other destination? On a rather grim weather day in March, Year 7 made the trip across the Pennines to Skipton Castle to explore medieval methods of attack and defence. The trip was billed as a ‘Reconnaissance Mission’ for our 14th Century Scottish ‘spies’ (Year 7) who accumulated as much information as they could about castle defences. before planning and delivering a presentation back in school of their plan of attack. Whilst in Skipton, time was also spent at neighbouring Holy Trinity church, which proved to be a fantastic introduction to our Summer Term work on medieval religion. What does next year bring? We are looking forward to taking 40 historians back to London in October 2024 and – closer to home – the Sixth Form will get a chance to discover James I’s Court at Hoghton Tower. As always, History trips will continue to be a central feature of teaching and learning – in doing so, they must keep up with the latest historiographical developments.

Mr C Owen, Head of History

Spies delivering their Skipton Castle findings

Port Sunlight classroom display

Port Sunlight staff visit Bolton School

Port Sunlight staff visit Lever’s birthplace in Bolton

Making soap at Port Sunlight

A wet and cold day in Skipton

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

‘ Being a part of ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ was an incredible experience, the cast was amazing and it was so brilliant to have as our last show at Bolton School.’

Felicity Field, Year 13

A trip to watch Bolton School’s production of ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ would have saved you a holiday this Christmas season. A reimagining of the Jules Verne classic took audience members on the ultimate adventure around the globe, from the comfort of their seat in the Boys’ Division Great Hall!

The play follows Phileas Fogg, played by Billy Burrows, who embarks upon an exhilarating and daunting adventure to travel around the globe in just 80 days. The director, Miss Lord, Foundation Director of Creative Learning, staged ‘in the round’ and transformed the Great Hall into a large compass where the audience was immersed in the action.

The way the cast came together to create shapes and movements to represent certain modes of transportation, such as a train or a sledge, was certainly a clever way to make the most of the resources in the hall. And when the cast did create a steam train by moving (rather quickly!) in a circle travelling round and round the compass, the movement of air created an… air of excitement! However, sitting at the front at the end of the row did come with some risks which had me on edge at times; I was certain a piece of prop or a sprinting Jean Passepartout would knock me to the ground! Saying this, the closeness of the audience and the students did have its benefits. Such as when the cast broke the fourth wall to interact with the audience by passing out posters or sharing questionable looks, such as raised eyebrows. The audience around me seemed amused and completely comfortable to exchange these moments with the students.

Before the production, I was able to visit a rehearsal where everyone began to work on their accents. I felt this visit allowed me to enjoy the play that bit more as I was aware of the hard work, motivation and creative minds that worked together to please their abundance of audience members. All cast members involved did a wonderful job of bringing this classic story to life.

Review by Tilly Watkinson (Year 12)

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

20th – 22nd March, 2024

Since its inception, in 1982, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s masterpiece ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ has become the third-longest running and highest grossing musical in off-Broadway history. Certainly, over our 6-month rehearsal period, we fell for its many charms. From a protest song to a doo-wop, from a ballad to a tango inspired duet, this innovative take on the Faust legend provided opportunity for our talented cast to realise their exciting and significant potential. That’s not to say there wasn’t some head scratching along the way. Besides the varied treasures, an array of technical challenges would test our mettle. Luckily, the cast collaborated on scene changes, persisted with choreography and remained disciplined throughout all day rehearsals (including 5 on a Sunday). They have been inquisitive – ‘does Seymour buy a new coat or does he take the dentists?’ – and endlessly imaginative; ‘on my way back to Skid Row, I rat on my mate who cheated at poker’. They took risks and problem solved, building character at every turn.

Isabelle O’Neill (Year 9), who played Customer and Member of the Ensemble, testifies to this:

‘ My experience doing ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ was incredible. The cast worked really well together and have helped me come out of my comfort zone. Through this opportunity, I have met some amazing people, with whom I am glad to have spent the past few months working on this spectacular show. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to take part in this show; it won’t be my last.‘

Coco Jones (Year 12), Production Assistant, agrees:

‘As somebody whose passion is the performing arts, I jump at any chance to get involved. ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ has helped to give me experience in different areas of theatre making including sets, props, hair and makeup as well as costume. This has given me a greater appreciation for how theatre magic is made. I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the play, its songs and the cast members. There are so many opportunities to get involved in theatre at school, not just only on stage.’

Honor Weston (Year 10), who played Chiffon, adds:

‘Playing Chiffon, one of the main characters, in Little Shop of Horrors was an amazing experience. Learning lines, practising dances, singing in three-part harmony and being on stage for the majority of the show was challenging but so fun. I loved the entire experience, from the colourful costumes to incredible castmates, and if I could do it all again, I would do... in a heartbeat!’ None of this would have been possible without the support of our highly talented and committed Theatre Manager, Mr Kyle. We are indebted to him for his patience and expertise. ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ was his last senior production at Bolton School. We will miss him very much.

Mr P Lovatt (Musical Director), Miss S Talbot (Director) & Ms L Rigby (Choreographer)

SPEAK OUT, LISTEN IN

This year has been a record breaker for the Speak Out Listen In programme both in terms of participation and results.

A number of Year 7 students participated in the inaugural event of the Friendly Debate Programme. This brand-new initiative supports students, who wish to develop vital oracy skills in a supportive environment within school. The students chose their own motion and invited an audience.

Both of the teams, which represented Bolton School Girls’ Division, reached Round 2 of the English Speaking Union’s Churchill Public Speaking Competition. Our Year 9 team consisted of Amy Lennon, Hollie Creer and Meera Salvi, while our Year 10 team consisted of Zainab Jiva, Nikita Dontula and Anamika Vardhan. Special congratulations are due the Year 9 team, who progressed through to

The Churchill Public Speaking Competition

Over thirty students in Years 7, 8 and 9 competed in the Performing Shakespeare Competition Inter School Final. From these, Kate Wilson, Amelia O’Neill and Scout Taylore-Knowles were selected to represent Bolton School Girls’ Division at Round 2. Scout progressed to the Regional Final, where she gave a stunning performance as Hamlet to match comfortably those competing at an incredibly high level. She explains:

“ My experience with the Performing Shakespeare Competition has been very interesting and an opportunity to share my passion for acting... it gave me an excellent chance to gain confidence.”

The following students in Years 7 and 8 represented Bolton School Girls’ Division at the Rotary Youth Speaks competition: Amelia O’Neill, Kate Wilson, Manavi Sobha, Batool Zahra and Isla Smith. Amelia, Kate and Manavi, progressed through the district heats in Bolton and Rochdale to the Regional Final in Frodsam. When they returned for the Inter-Regional Final, they were declared the winners. This was a fitting outcome; testimony to the students’ skill as well as their high levels of commitment. Amelia O’Neill (Year 8), who competed as Chairperson, tells us more:

“At the Rotary Youth Speaks competition, we spoke out about the impacts of AI on the creative industry. We battled through rounds, winning all but the regional final, where we came runners up. Despite that, we still progressed to the final, where we gave a strong performance and managed to become North of England champions! It was a great experience and definitely one we would encourage everyone to try.”

Winners of the Youth Speaks Inter-Regional Final

Staff and students involved in the Speak Out Listen In Programme would like to thank Miss Putt for promoting the development of oracy skills at Bolton School Girls’ Division. She has lent expertise and encouragement to the coaching of teams, helping our students to blaze a trail most notably with the Churchill Public Speaking Competition. We will miss Miss Putt, who is leaving us at the end of this year. Many adventures lie ahead for her, not least the inauguration of a Speak Out Listen In programme at her new school in Kuwait. Miss S Talbot, Director of Speech & Drama

Performing Shakespeare Competition

Amelia at Youth Speaks Manavi at Youth Speaks

FICTION AWARD

Young readers at Bolton School and across Bolton took part in this year’s Bolton Children’s Fiction Award, organised by the School’s Library. As well as reading the three shortlisted books and voting for their favourite, keen participants enjoyed a celebration day where they heard from the authors involved and gained a greater understanding of their works.

Shortlisted Books:

‘When I See Blue’ by Lily Bailey, ‘Tyger’ by SF Said & ‘While the Storm Rages’ by Phil Earle

WORLD BOOK DAY

The Library celebrated World Book Day with a competition to see who could turn potatoes into book characters – with some entertaining and amazing results! There was also excitement in the corridors as girls dressed up as favourite characters for the day.

CREATIVE WRITING RETREAT

In the February half term, 26 Bolton School students in Years 7 to 12 from both Divisions travelled to Patterdale Hall in the Lake District for a Creative Writing Retreat. Tabitha Jordan (Year 8) reports:

On the first day we arrived at Bolton School in the morning, before getting on the bus for our journey to Dove Cottage! The cottage was absolutely beautiful, the gardens full of nature and vibrant colour. Activities included writing all about the history, décor and time period relating to the location. William Wordsworth, the poet, wrote the famous poem ‘daffodils ‘. He had previously lived there with his sister.

Following Dove Cottage, we got back on the bus and drove to Patterdale, where we enjoyed a delicious meal and did some writing by the campfire about our childhood homes, whilst we met all of the visiting authors. The younger group (which I was a part of) had Jane and Stephen as our authors, and they were absolutely amazing!

The next day after breakfast, we did some creative writing and wrote poetry about the nature and scenic views of Patterdale. We sat beneath a tree with Jane and did some free speed writing with Stephen. Later in the afternoon, we enjoyed a nature walk along a hill. There were rushing, rapid rivers and all our writing got soaked, but we still had a great time! We climbed up lots of steep wet hills and we even crossed some towering bridges!

After a nice warm shower, we had our one-to-one tutorials all afternoon. I had Jane. We went through some of my writing and it helped me immensely. By the fire, we chatted with the authors, who read us some of their work and told us a bit about themselves. This included how many novels and poems they had written.

On the third day, we went off to the market and went in a few of the little shops in the village. Everyone in my room got matching black gloves to wear whilst eating our ice cream!

Next up, we had our second one-to-one tutorial! This day I had Stephen who read through some of my creative writing pieces which I had done in my free time. Stephen gave me some advice and told me to add more action in my writing!

As we noticed it was going to rain later, we took the opportunity to go outside and get some fresh air. We rolled down every, and I mean every, hill possible! In the evening, we had a Q&A and I asked Vicky why she puts so much emotion and feelings about her personal life into her poems. I was very inspired by the writers, and I would love to write and publish some of my own work like them some day!

On the final day, we had our workshops on pieces of monologues and duologues. We enjoyed some artistic writing on animals and I chose an otter, and it was so cute!

Later that day, we had some lunch and a snack dinner before stripping our sheets and packing up our bags. Our room took ages to clean, as it was so messy! We then had an hour to prepare some poems and pieces of prose to read to the group. I chose my ‘Den’ poem and an ‘Agent 65’ piece of prose I wrote, before we headed to the coach for our journey home. This trip was one of the best I’ve ever been on. I learnt so much about creative writing and poetry and my book was full to the brim with ideas and story writing. It was definitely worth my while and everyone who I met was so kind. 100% going on this trip again next year!

Tabitha

Jordan, Year 8

HELPING OTHERS...

Thanks to your generosity throughout this year, we have supported nine local charities, eight national charities, and three international charities, donating nearly £20,000 in cash and items.

Each year group has contributed in their own unique way:

Year 7 held an amazing sponsored silence, raising nearly £3,000 for toy donations to the Bolton Lions Toy Appeal at Christmas. This ensured that children from struggling families received gifts when they might not have otherwise.

Year 8 raised money for WellGood, supporting access to clean water in Malawi, and a bake sale by Marlena Howarth raised over £100 for the National Autistic Society, aiding families and individuals with autism.

Year 9 supported the Hello Yellow appeal for YoungMinds by creating and selling yellow bows, raising nearly £1,500 for the charity that supports young people with mental health issues.

Year 10 held their annual Christmas Post, raising over £1,000, and our Christmas Jumper Day collected nearly £1,000 for Bolton Dementia Support, helping the elderly and families of those suffering from dementia.

Year 11 ran a hamper competition, raising £215 for the Wipe Your Tears charity, which supports children suffering from life-threatening illnesses and their families by providing practical and emotional assistance.

Some students in the Sixth Form ran a self-care stand, selling items to raise around £300 for Greater Together Manchester, a charity addressing homelessness, poverty, and social exclusion in the area. The proceeds from the prefects’ panto, amounting to around £250, went to the Anastasia Days charity, offering fun days out for those struggling in the local area.

Other events our school supported include the Hamper Challenge, where thousands of items were donated at Christmas to Urban Outreach, providing food to those in need in Bolton. We also donated hundreds of chocolate eggs to Homeless Aid, offering a sweet treat during Easter. Additionally, we collected and donated thousands of hygiene products to the Bolton charity Fresh as a Daisy, which were used to create hygiene boxes for vulnerable individuals and tackle period poverty.

We raised over £1,000 to support the Brittle Bone Society, which aids individuals suffering from osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition causing fragile bones. We also raised nearly £500 for the Show Racism the Red Card appeal, a charity combating racism through education and support networks.

In our Poppy Appeal, we raised over £1,000 to support veterans through the Royal British Legion, providing financial, social, and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces and their families.

Another non-uniform day saw us raise over £1,000, with the proceeds split between the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation, which supports individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and their families, and the Anthony Nolan Trust, which saves the lives of people with blood cancer and blood disorders by matching donors to patients in need of stem cell transplants.

Our school community also contributed at the Ceremony of Carols, raising over £700 for Fort Alice, a local charity assisting victims of domestic violence.

We have also raised nearly £2,000 to support the Foundation’s Malawi project. The planned whole-school sponsored walk will further our support for this wonderful cause.

We would like to thank everyone who donated items, money, and time to help raise such a substantial amount for these worthy causes. It truly reflects the caring and loving community we belong to and embodies our school’s ethos.

Mr J Radcliffe, Charities Co-ordinator

COMMUNITY WORK

Students in Year 12 have particularly focused on Volunteering in the community with the majority of students volunteering 20 hours of more over the course of the year. In total over 5300 hours were recorded helping organisations such as Bolton Hospice, Barnardo’s, Urban Outreach, Devonshire Road Primary School, Scouts and Brownies, Sport Coaching and many more besides. Furthermore, 25 students in the year received a Silver certificate for 50 plus hours and 17 students received a Gold Certificate for over 100 hours of volunteering.

Mrs

S Entwistle, Assistant Head

Ogechi Umeadi who volunteers at Bolton Hospice said: ‘For me, the most important lesson which I have learned whilst volunteering is the importance of giving back to society even with the smallest actions. In particular, volunteering at Bolton Hospice, working to care for those who are at end of life has really taught me the importance of kindness and catering for those who are struggling, ultimately enhancing their quality of life. Through this, I am learning to adapt and gain new skills like communication and empathy, whilst also learning how to balance my time between volunteering and my own academics. I believe that helping to volunteer has also had a positive impact on my own mental wellbeing as I have experienced new opportunities.’

Tilly Watkinson volunteered at Tea@ Riley, the School’s monthly social event for local pensioners. She reflected: ‘I have learnt the importance of branching out and getting involved in conversations you may have never started if not volunteering. I have met so many lovely people who I remain in contact with and have learnt stories of people’s past that has broadened my understanding of the world and what many have experienced. I have learnt commitment, understanding that just because an activity is volunteering, it is no less important to stick to, alongside most importantly time management.’

NORMANDY TRIP

Year 7 spent a week in Normandy during May half term and had a wonderful time.

Despite the weather not always being the best, everyone threw themselves into each activity with enthusiasm, from baking their own bread to getting very muddy on the ‘parcours de santé’. The excursion to Mont St Michel was a highlight of the week too. All the activities were led by friendly animateurs who only spoke French to the girls, but there was no language barrier and by the end of the week, they were confidently having a go at speaking French too.

Mrs J Naughton, Teacher of Modern Languages

‘ We all got to try the local delicacy of snails! Some loved them but judging by the look of many of our faces, most of us didn’t! it was such a fun packed week of canoeing, baking and team building but our favourite was the mud course. We had to complete an assault course in the mud whilst singing songs in French. We had a great time and would recommend anyone in the future to go on this trip.’

Harvest Festival collection for Urban Outreach

Vivienne Hall volunteering at Barnardos

Nadia Parker volunteering at Bolton Hospice

Reem Ibrahim 7E

Anniyah Mahmood 7E

Isabelle Donnelly 7B

Natalie Wong 7B

Malia Mayoua 7E

Mabel Cahill 7C

Hannah Horsfield 7E

Hannah Harkin 7F

Grace Stead 7B

Zainab Kapadi 7E

Mariyah Patel 7B

Amelia Satahr 7E

YEAR 8

UMBRELLAS BY 8A AND 8F

DIGITAL LANDSCAPES

“PASTEL

LANDSCAPES BY 8B AND 8D

SCHOOL Collaborative artwork by 8C:

Anjali Kishore 8E

Ursula Morris 8E

Manavi Sobha 8E

Kayla Ochemba 8E

Amy Caller 8E

Aimee Yeung 8E

EYES

LANDSCAPE STAMPS

These digital art pieces were completed by girls at the end of Year 8:

Sianna Tamlin 9C

Sophie Neville 9S

Amy Lennon 9S

Holly Creer 9S

Aminah Thagia 9S

Temilola Banjo 9G

Mariam Adam 9G

Aysha Patel 9G

Holly Ford 9G

Megan Woods 9G

Tabitha Amer 9S

Alicia Gronowska 9G

ARTY EXPERIENCES

RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY

PLACES OF WORSHIP

This year, pupils visited various places of worship to further their RS studies. Year 8 pupils travelled to the Zakariyyah Mosque and the Bridge Church, both in Bolton. Towards the end of the summer term, Year 7s also toured a Mandir and a Gurdwara.

RS PATTERDALE WEEKEND

In November, a group of Year 11 students taking RS at GCSE visited Patterdale Hall in the Lake District. The experience combined outdoor adventures with philosophical and ethical discussions and activities, and was lots of fun for all who took part!

Sixth Form trip to London

Year 10’s workshop with Joel Penkman

Year 10 visiting Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Year 11 trip to Glasgow

BRAIN COMPETITION

In the latest endeavour of the Psychology Club, Year 10 students Astrid King 10C, Anamika Vardhan 10B, Nikita Dontula 10C, Amarah Badat 10D, Maleehah Patel 10A and Simra Mahmood 10B showcased their ingenuity and knowledge through a captivating competition centred around the brain. Crafting intricate models to illustrate the brain’s various regions and functions, these budding neuroscientists demonstrated remarkable creativity and attention to detail. Amongst the array of impressive entries, one stood out as an example of innovation and artistry. The winning brain not only meticulously outlined the brain’s anatomical features but also exceeded expectations by integrating a breathtaking natural landscape onto its surface. This fusion of science and art captivated the judge’s attention, earning the title of “Best Brain Showing Localisation”. It was a testament to the students’ ability to marry scientific precision with creative expression, setting a high standard for future events within the club.

Mrs J Sanders, Foundation Head of Psychology

PHYSICS

AWESOME ASTROPHYSICS

Astrophysics Club meets every Wednesday lunchtime and we are a very friendly group discussing a wide range of topics from Space X rocket launches to black hole mergers.

The group has completed a project, project VULCAN, to design a mission to visit and colonise Mars. Different members of the team had different roles and worked together to actualize the vision. It allowed us to research ideas far deeper and to apply ideas and concepts we were currently learning to a grand global project.

Our next project was to create an educational video explaining the seasons to a KS3 audience. We split the task between the members of the club and worked with Mr Cooney to ensure the content we created had the maximum benefit on year 7 students. We really enjoyed using our creative flair to produce this engaging and educational resource to help inspire younger students.

With the arrival of the fair weather, we completed our most practical investigation yet… rocket launching! After discussing related concepts such as momentum, we began to experiment in building our own rockets – including rockets made out of common objects such as paper and plastic. This allowed us to utilise our problem solving and practical skills, whilst making good use of the warmer weather!

So join us as we rocket into the new academic year!

Mr Cooney, Physics Teacher

CHEMISTRY

BRONZE CREST

Year 8 pupils all worked hard in their science lessons this year to complete the Bronze CREST Award, a nationally recognised award for the completion of 10 hours of project work. This year’s project was based around investigating the Vitamin C content of fruit and pupils designed their own investigations to compare a range of different variables including different fruits, tinned, fresh and frozen fruit, cooked and uncooked fruit… the list went on and on! Pupils showed great independence, collaboration and creative thinking to complete extremely high-quality work and we were delighted that they all received their certificates in the summer term.

MEDSOC

‘As we are aspiring to study medicine at university, MedSoc has been very useful throughout both Year 11 and Year 12. We have received excellent support and resources to aid in our application, including activities like suturing and mock interviews. We also had a range of incredible speakers who we learned a lot from and were very inspiring. As we are moving into Year 13 now, we are excited to be student leaders of MedSoc and helping to inspire the new Year 12s and support them.’

Report by MedSoc’s new leaders for 2024-25:

Laura Hussein, Jacequine Mok, Nadiya Parker, Ammarah Patel, Maryam Rahumathullah, Rhea Sudhakar, Ramez Alio, Adam Faulkner, Khushal Gola

MedSoc Leaders 2023-24:

Asilah Hasan, Safa Karim, Harry Adams, Kiran Adiyodi

CHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD

At the beginning of 2024, a couple of Year 13 students who didn’t have a mock that day, and - for the first time - several brave Year 12 pupils participated in the 56th annual Chemistry Olympiad. The girls were challenged in applying their Chemical knowledge and mathematical skills in new, real-world, demanding situations. All the students demonstrated their problem-solving skills, determination and persistence on topics that were beyond their current understanding for the full two hours allowed. The results took a couple of months to come back but were well worth the wait as they were all rewarded:

Gold: Uma Patel (Year 13)

Silver: Aaminah Patel (Year 13), Jacequine Mok (Year 12)

Bronze: Alexia Howarth, Rhea Sudhakar, Bing Yu Wang (Year 12)

Chemistry Teacher Ms A Marrs said:

‘ I congratulate all the girls. This is the first time that I am aware of a Year 13 Girls’ Division student getting a Gold certificate and the first time our Year 12 students have entered.’

PHYSICS

CERN

Physics teacher Miss C Zornemann was fortunate enough to visit CERN for four days in December 2023. She reports: CERN is the European centre for particle physics research located in beautiful Geneva, Switzerland. International scientists from many member states and disciplines collaborate to further understand the past, present and future of the universe we live in today. During my visit, I learnt about how the physics we see in action every day is used to observe the unbelievable. They have designed some of the strongest magnets in the world and materials known as superconductors which conduct great currents at low resistances. Primarily, these are used in experiments but they have also allowed great advances in the field of medical physics.

Some of the greatest findings at CERN have been: the development of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee; the discovery of the W and Z bosons, which added to our standard model of particle physics; and the detection of the Higgs Boson.

The Higgs Boson particle, theorised in 1964 but not found to exist until 2013, explains what gives mass to fundamental particles and was discovered from super high energy collisions of protons in the Large Hadron Collider: a 27km circular tunnel located 100m under the city where 400 million collisions of protons occur every second! I visited one of the detectors on the LHC, the Compact Muon Solenoid, where the Higgs Boson was observed on the final day of my visit. Although I had seen many of the other important accelerators and experiments, this was the most impressive. Seeing the various layers of the huge particle detector where particles were observed for the first time so far underground was incredible!

In the future, CERN hope to complete further research using larger particle accelerators to discover more about dark energy and dark matter which we have not yet been able to observe but are believed to govern the expansion of our universe. They are also creating antiparticles thought to exist in abundance in the early universe but no longer seen today.

Who knows what they will find next!

THE YEAR IN MUSIC

It has been another busy and successful year of concerts, productions and festivals in the music department. The first concert of the year provided the chance for Year 7 to take to the stage. The whole year group singing was excellent and Journey’s hit ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ was a particular highlight. In collaboration with the English and Drama departments, each form recited a monologue from a Shakespeare play to introduce themselves to the audience. In amongst these we also heard from a number of excellent soloists. The second half of the Autumn term is one of the busiest times of year and always starts off with the Joint Autumn Concert. This large scale event features ensembles and soloists from across Girls’ and Boys’ Division and takes place in both Great Halls. With around 200 pupils taking part, it was a wonderful evening of fantastic performances involving groups at all ages and levels. The Autumn Recital Evening came shortly after and provided the perfect opportunity for soloists and small ensembles to shine. We are fortunate to always have a large number of girls wanting to perform, those that were able to take part did so with great professionalism and ability. With sights now firmly set on Christmas, rehearsals for the Ceremony of Carols were intense and fast paced. The Lower School Choir, Senior Choir, Accidentals and Chamber Choir were all involved and sang beautifully, creating the perfect atmosphere with a selection of seasonal works. The Ceremony of Carols is always one of the highpoints of the year, and the pupils involved worked hard to make it a special evening.

In the New Year, the annual Music Festival brought together an eclectic mix of performances and repertoire. Our external adjudicator this year was Karen Humphreys, ex head of the Junior department at the Royal Northern College of Music. We were delighted to have her expertise and feedback, and she was most impressed by the performances she saw across the two days. All the girls taking part did a fantastic job and we saw a great number of outstanding moments. The Winners concert provided class winners with the chance to perform for family and friends, also it was here that the two overall prizes were awarded. Marissa Hollinghurst (Y10) won the prize for

Most Promising Musician and Alexia Howarth (Y12) won the award for Outstanding Musician.

After the February half term, our Spring Concert took place at Bolton Parish Church. As well as having a longstanding connection with the school, it is also a fantastic venue to perform in. The acoustics are wonderful and well suited to the ensembles taking part. The Chamber Choir and Girls’ Division Senior Choir thoroughly enjoyed singing in the space and the Senior Orchestra produced a particularly excellent performance.

Since September, rehearsals for the Joint Senior Musical production ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ had been taking place. With a dedicated and talented cast, the theatre played host to three nights of this fun and quirky musical towards the end of the Spring term. A show not for the faint hearted, the cast produced wonderful performances and left all the audiences wanting more.

The May Serenade followed shortly after the Easter holiday and was a memorable evening of music for all. For our Y13 students, across both divisions, this was their final concert at school and it was a fitting end to their musical journey with us. The performances from all those involved were excellent, with particular highlights coming from the Lower School Choir and Tuned Percussion Ensemble. The Summer Recital Evening was another opportunity for the spotlight to shift to the many soloists and small ensembles we have at school. With Y11 and Y13 having left for exams and study leave, this recital evening often features pupils from the younger years. It is always wonderful to see the progress they have made across the year and those involved produced excellent performances to a vey appreciative audience. The final musical event of the year falls to Year 7 and Year 8 as part of their Summer Celebration Evening. The event also involved the Lower School Choir and featured whole year group singing from both year groups. As ever, these high energy performances brought a wonderful end to the year.

Mr P Lovatt , Foundation Director of Music

Lower School Strings

Senior School Strings

Lower School Wind 1-4

Lower School Woodwind 5+

Senior School Wind

Senior School Piano 1-5

Senior School Piano 6+

Lower School Piano 1-4

Lower School Piano 5+

Percussion

Lower School Voice

Senior School Voice

Lower School Guitar

Senior Brass

Novice

Organ

Open Mic

Ensemble

Traditional

Clara Logan

Sofia Riaz

Clara Logan Harriet Kennedy

Evie Done-Jackson

Emily Bowden

Eva Hurst

Amy Heaton

Sofia Riaz

Anjali Kishore

Aimee Young

Hannah Chen

Dhatri Anil

Amy Lennon

Alexia Howarth

Aiza Ahmed

Amy Heaton

Stephanie Li

Marissa Hollinghurst

Alexia Howarth

Zara Kadva / Alexia Howarth

Sofia Macari

Kate Brooks Noor Khunda

Sofia Macari

Beatrice Morris

Marissa Hollinghurst

Laurissa Prasad

Ishaani Singh

Molly Wilkinson Amaira Jaidka

Dhatri Anil

Lucy McLoughlin

Scout Taylor-Kowles

Molly Grimshaw

Philippa Irving

Suzanna Simmonite

Vaness Lui

Sasha Bartalotta

Emily Guo

O’Neill

Grace Sulley

Elliot Rigby

Tabitha Jordan

Jasmine

Dhatri Anil / Ella Walker / Hannah Chen

Grace Sulley / Emily Fox

Award for Most Promising Musician - Marissa Hollinghurst

Award for Outstanding Musician - Alexia Howarth

WOMEN OF WORK

NEVER STOP LEARNING ALONG THE WAY

Anisha Rymer (née Mohammed, Class of 2009), Head of Partner Success at Klarna

A LIFE IN VETERINARY MEDICINE

Charlotte Bentley (Class of 2012), Vet at Chester Zoo

LEARNING ABOUT MEDCOMMS

Laura Johnstone (née Grace, Class of 2009), Scientific Director with the Healthcare Consultancy Group

These talks, delivered via Zoom during form time, aim to introduce pupils to the variety of career opportunities available to them, and to a range of inspiring Old Girls. This year’s talks were:

STUDYING FOR A DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP

Rosie Dandy (Class of 2019), Business Analyst in AstraZeneca’s Agile Technology and Delivery Team

DON’T JUST SURVIVE, THRIVE!

Théa Gibson (née Georgiades, Class of 1998), Chartered Accountant and Director at Deloitte

SPECIALISING IN RADIOCHEMISTRY TO SUPPORT THE SUBMARINE BUILD PROGRAMME

Vicki Robinson (Class ofClass of 2001), Nuclear Chemist at BAE

PERSPECTIVES LECTURES

Perspectives Lectures take place each half term on Zoom and offer pupils in Year 9 and above the opportunity to hear from panels of four alumni speakers. The panellists offer valuable insights into their careers and professions: they share the unique and sometimes unusual paths that led them to their current roles, as well as describing what their jobs involve day to day and the skills and qualifications that would benefit those hoping to work in their chosen fields. This year’s talks dived into a broad range of careers: the exciting world of entrepreneurship and building new companies; the huge variety available to those pursuing careers in science; the breadth and challenge of working in politics and the civil service; the technical and creative opportunities within computer science and coding; and the fascinating options that are opened up through a legal career. Thank you to all of our guest panellists for sharing their experiences.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Rob Dobson (Class of 1982), Founder of Actix, angel investor

Charlotte Morley (née Maddrell, Class of 1999), Founder of thelittleloop

Krish Patel (Class of 2010), Founder of Tales to Inspire and StoryOak Katherine Swift (née Conlon, Class of 1990), Founder of OMGTea

SCIENCE

To watch the lecture on Youtube scan the QR code:

Grace Ball (Class of 2017), Chemistry PhD student at the University of Birmingham

Andrew Bird PhD (Class of 1989), CEO of global pharmaceuticals company Acino

Andrew Markson (Class of 1981), Director of Specialty Fluids Technology with Eastman Chemical

Julia Miskelly (née Gorski, Class of 1995), Genomics Core Technology Unit Manager at Illumina

To watch the lecture on Youtube scan the QR code:

LEGAL WORK IN THE CHARITY SECTOR

Habibunnisha Patel (Class of 1997), General Counsel and Company Secretary at Cancer Research UK

A VARIED CAREER PATH

Charlotte Unwin (Class of 2013), Community role working for NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) provider in Australia

A VARIED CAREER IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

Lydia Riding (Class of Class of 2014), South Asia Policy Team, Ministry of Defence

POLITICS AND THE CIVIL SERVICE

Nina Menezes (Class of 2002), Software developer at Incubator for AI in the Cabinet Office

Richard Wa Civil servant in the Department for Transport

Bethany Warke (Class of 2014), Engagement Officer at the University of Manchester

Alexander Waudby (Class of 2012), Civil servant in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

To watch the lecture on Youtube scan the QR code:

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND CODING

Emma Arandjelović (Class of 1999), Software engineer

Rosie Dandy (Class of 2019), Business analyst

Freddie Higham (Class of 2022), Computer Science degree student at the University of York

Niall Woodward (Class of 2016), Co-founder and CTO of SELECT

LAW

To watch the lecture on Youtube scan the QR code:

Matt Ashforth (Class of 2003), Head of Legal Services at Everton Football Club

Angeli Kapadia (neé Vadera, Class of 2007), In-house lawyer at AXA

Andrew Lee (Class of 2017), Studying for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination

Christie O’Connell (Class of 2016), Barrister

To watch the lecture on Youtube scan the QR code:

NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIPS WEEK

This National Apprenticeship Week (5 to 11 February 2024), the Girls’ Division invited Old Girls Faye Clarkson (Class of 2023) and Jasmine Shum (Class of 2023) to share their experiences as apprentices in assembly.

Faye applied for a degree apprenticeship when she was in Year 13 and successfully gained a place with law firm Weightmans. She is now a first year apprentice and was able to talk through the application process and her first steps along this path. She offered her advice to those considering an apprenticeship, particularly encouraging the girls to make the most of in-school opportunities such as mock interviews to build skills and confidence. She went on to speak about her introductory week, which included time to bond with her fellow apprentices and opportunities to meet members of the company at all levels, including the directors. She ended with the positive note that starting work does not mean the end of a social life, and said that as she is earning a wage she’s able to take herself on holidays and even travel to visit friends at university for nights out.

Jasmine is now a marketing apprenticeship at Amazon in London, where she works for Prime Video. She too talked about how she began her career journey while still at school through work experience opportunities, how she went on to complete an internship and was the Social Media Manager for the TedX Manchester event in March 2023. She spoke briefly about her current role at Amazon and said that, as an apprentice, she is learning and growing both professionally and personally. She described being an apprentice as a fairly unique experience, which prioritises becoming well-rounded. Finally, she advised aspiring apprentices to engage with the resources available as part of National Apprenticeship Week and, when they start, to make sure they get involved with the large and valuable apprentice community.

Year 12 student Harriet Atherton, who plans to apply for a degree apprenticeship next year, also spoke during the assembly to share her preparations and what the application process involves. She and Mr Radcliffe, who led the assembly, offered insight into some of the benefits of degree apprenticeships, such as the chance to earn both a salary and work experience while studying and no student debt. The assembly was a great introduction to National Apprenticeship Week and encouraged the whole of the Girls’ Division to think more about this viable and rewarding option.

During the same week, Chloe Wynne (Class of 2013), an apprentice solicitor in London, contributed to the conversation in a short film in which she talks about following an apprenticeship in law.

Watch Chloe’s film here:

TEXTILES

Year 7

CUSHION INSPIRED BY INDIA

Students learnt how to use the sewing machine to create edge finished seams and hems. They then designed and made a cushion incorporating a range of decorative and constructional techniques: tie dye, bonded applique, block printing, hand embroidery, seams and hems.

Year 8

FOLK ART INSPIRED REPEAT PRINT

Students learnt how to develop unique motifs then use these to create a repeat print pattern using CAD on the iPad. They used their own design to make a pen holder for their planner.

REPEAT PRINTS

Designing the motifs

Four final motifs

A finished tile FINISHED PEN HOLDERS

TEXTILES

Year 9

ZERO WASTE WRAP

Students learnt about the sustainability issues and possible solutions in the Textiles industry. They learnt garment construction skills to make a wrap garment based on zero-waste pattern design.

Year 10

RICE BAGS

Students created a square drawstring bag incorporating a range of decorative techniques: patchwork, screen printing, hand embroidery.

SWEATSHIRTS

Students made a sweatshirt, applying CAD decoration to their product using CAD embroidery and heat transfer vinyl.

TEXTILES

Year 11

Sophie Barnes: Puppet to keep children occupied during religious events

Evie Woods: Shopping bag to be sold to raise money for the Wildlife Warriors charity

Amira Rahman: Bag to help raise awareness for the RSPCA charity

Hana Turnbull: Product to provide comfort and storage when attending outdoor charity fundraising events.

Tia Fitzgerald: Jacket to help raise awareness of the Cancer Research charity Iksimar Kaur: Toy for an autistic child.

Amy Carter: Tree skirt that can be used as an advent calendar

Thea Littlefair: Top to promote awareness of The Brain Tumour charity

Hannah Haque: Abaya suitable to be worn to a religious event.

Amaarah Patel: Outfit suitable for a religious event

Umme-Hani Khambalia: Outfit suitable for a religious event

Lily-Grace Greer: Reversable jacket designed to be sold to help raise awareness for the WWF charity

Mahnoor Goraya: Abaya designed to be sold to promote awareness of the Humanity First charity

FASHION & TEXTILES

Year 12

BODICES

Sophie Cutler, Megan Fung, Elizabeth Green and Sophie Swift made bodices inspired by natural forms, toiled and fitted to a specific client and incorporating structural and decorative techniques.

Year 13

PHOEBE CHUCK

Products to help children with cancer receive their treatments in the least intrusive and most comfortable way as possible.

MADELEINE BROOKS

Outfit designed to assist with comfort in the workplace for women experiencing menopause.

TIMBERS & POLYMERS

Year 7:

‘Pencil stands’ made from acrylic and plywood with aesthetic detail based on the theme of ‘natural form’, involving skills in drilling, line bending and pyrography

Year 8:

‘Eco night lights’, involving soldering, laser cutting and vinyl cutting, based on the theme of ‘promoting environmental awareness

Year 9:

‘Light up boxes’ in volving timber joints, soldering, CAD, laser cutting and decorative work inspired by contemporary surface pattern designers

Year 10:

‘Jigsaws’ aimed at the pre-school child target market, involving CAD, laser cutting and vinyl cutting

Year 11 (GCSE):

‘Pill boxes’ aimed at users who take medication, involving timber joints, CAD, laser cutting and dye sublimation printing

Meerah Adeel Gaming console storage Niamh Flatley Stand with solar charger

Maggie Fraser Game bath board

Nancy Halliwell Secret plant pot storage

Natasha Houghton Solitaire with storage

Shanya Khan Connect four with storage

Harshini Madhu Shankar Game table for a child with disabilities

Ella Nielsen Chessboard with storage

Karishma Patel Ball bearing maze game with storage

Noor-al-Haya Razaq-Aziz Bag security for the homeless community

PRODUCT DESIGN

Year 12:

Small storage units involving flexi-ply, vacuum bagging, CAD, laser cutting and vinyl cutting and test tube vases involving timber joints and drilling

Year 13 A Level Coursework:

Olivia Myall Child’s bedroom storage

Joshua Dickens Modular storage unit for a student

Fenn Kay Student stool with storage

James Fitzsimmons Student desk tidy

Kian McDonald Garden storage unit for impaired memory user

Finn Flanagan Vinyl LP storage and turntable stand

Harry Roebuck Foldable/adjustable dog gate

Food Trip to London

In September, as part of our GCSE Food course, we had the opportunity to go to London to enhance our learning around the subject. After our first night, we headed down to breakfast at the Premiere Inn where we took full advantage of the all you can eat breakfast! We then made our way to Spitalfields Market to begin our walking food tour with Walk Eat, Talk Eat. It began with an engaging talk about the food history of Brick Lane. This then led us to our first stop where we were able to sample traditional Indian foods both sweet and savoury – they were a delicious treat! Next, we learnt about a courageous woman who travels to Africa to hand select cocoa beans for her chocolate truffle shop in London. We were allowed to choose multiple of her famous chocolate truffles; they were delicious and included popping candy, ginger and pistachio! Walking on further down Brick Lane, we learnt about a Jewish family and their unique recipe for bagels, which we had the delight to eat with the topping of our choice. The bagel shop is open 24 hours a day and has always has queue outside. Afterwards, we enjoyed a relaxing walk to a gazebo where chocolate sourdough doughnuts were waiting for us. To end the tour, we had a refreshing drink of strawberry and peach bubble tea. Once the tour was over, we had free time in Spitalfields Markets to shop and explore. In the evening, we got to experience a memorable group trip travelling on the tube to Pizza Express. The following morning, we enjoyed sightseeing around Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. Finally, we ended the trip shopping in Covent Garden before our train journey home. It was a fabulous trip helping us learn more about food provenance, ingredients and of course being with our friends.

Niamh Walker and Kate Bierne, Year 11

Year 10 Food students’ summer exam work on the theme of Mediterranean Cuisine.

ITALIAN ADVENTURE

In October, some pupils from Year 8 and Year 9 went on a school trip to Sorrento. It was an early start on the first day as we all had to be at the airport by 6am, but once everything was sorted and we landed, we headed straight to Herculaneum. Herculaneum was a very educational landmark as it gives us more understanding as we are studying Latin. We got to see what all the houses looked like and all of the remains. The next day was a very long day, jam packed with sightseeing. We got up at 6am, hopped on a coach, then got on a ferry all the way to Capri. Capri was one of my favourite experiences. We took a cable car and got to explore the town and learn more about it. We then ate some pizza, and shopped around with our friends. We bought bracelets, souvenirs, magnets, and I can’t forget the terrific orange juice. The evening activity was ice cream making, which was delicious!

Day three was the trip to Vesuvius. Although it was very windy and took a lot of energy, once we made it, it was worth it. We could see all over the towns and it was a brilliant view. We then visited Pompeii. It was such a surreal experience to visit Caecilius’ house during our visit to Pompeii, as we had been learning about him in our Latin lessons. We

visited the amphitheatre, the areas where the baths would’ve been, and some of the temples. Mrs Ball was a fantastic guide, as we walked through the streets and the theatres she was telling us all about what the civilians used to do there.

On the last night we headed to Sorrento and did some shopping. It was very busy. We then met back up and our very last activity was pizza making. We all had much fun and ate our pizzas. When we got back to the hotel, we all sat on Mrs Ball’s balcony and ate Nutella pizza as we imagined where our next trip would be.

Not only did this trip help to further our understanding of Classics, Food and Geography, but we also created many memories and new friendships which we will cherish. We cannot thank all of the teachers enough.

This has truly been one of the most wonderful experiences so far. Our best advice is, take the opportunity! Allow yourself to explore, learn, and have fun on this trip if you can get to go!

Zayna Khan and Emma Tran, Year 8

Londinii

Students in Years 10-13 visited London to see the controversial Parthenon Marbles and reflect not only on the propaganda on the foundation of Athens but also the debate of whether to retain or return these iconic symbols of democracy. Watching the reimagining of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth in Hadestown was a perfect tonic to our discussions.

Medea

Coming in the first half of the Autumn Term 2024, Medea will be a joint Girls’ and Boys’ Division production for Years 10 to 13! Contact Miss Hoath if you’re interested in taking part.

discipulae ad Italiam venerunt

Bella Italia! Students in KS3 visited Italy during the October halfterm. This was a fantastic opportunity to build our cultural capital by exploring the blend of ancient and modern aspects of Italian culture. Climbing the slopes of Mt Vesuvius and looking at the panoramic view of the Bay of Naples from the caldera, following in the footsteps of Romans as we walked around classical sites or sampling the local cuisine (pizza and gelato were firm favourites!) students were able to consider life in the shadow of a volcano; with its beautiful and fertile land to the very real reminder the Pompeii provides of the human experience during an eruption.

Inside the classroom and beyond

Sixth Form Classicists were given a taste of University life on a trip to Warwick University, where they saw a student production of Aeschylus’ Persians and attended lectures on Greek Theatre.

Mr Lamb, Foundation Head of Classics

CULTURE FESTIVAL

The Girls’ Division’s Culture Week, which was held for the first time last year, expanded in 2023 to become a Culture Festival for pupils across the whole Bolton School Foundation! The event, held for a week in October, celebrated the rich tapestry of cultures within the School and provided a platform for cultural exploration and expression through a wide range of workshops and activities.

The festival aimed to promote respect and cultural curiosity and to instil in students the value of embracing and learning from diverse cultures. A variety of bespoke arts and culture experiences opened doors to new perspectives and creative expression, enriching students’ cultural capital and promoting community cohesion. The event also developed a collective understanding of the school community’s cultural identity and heritage and, by celebrating differences, strengthened the sense of unity within the school.

Personal and collective well-being was enhanced during the festival’s two weeks through active participation in arts and culture. Engagement in such creative activities can boost morale, reduce stress, and foster a sense of belonging. Students of all ages thoroughly enjoyed the activities on offer, which included cross-Division Dabke dance workshops to introduce this Arab folk dance to a wider cross-section of the school community.

There were also art workshops: GCSE pupils worked with Joel Penkman on photo-realistic paintings of food, while Year 8 pupils created large-scale collaborative sculptures with Faith Bebbington on the theme of Ubuntu, which can be translated as ‘I am because we are’. Girls’ Division Year 12 pupils visited the Whitworth Gallery, and a wellbeing survey engaged pupils with thinking about their mental health and physical welfare.

Primary Division pupils in the Junior Boys’ and Girls’ Schools also got involved with the creative side of the Culture Festival by discovering The Blood Bag Project through a visit from textile artist Leigh Bowser.

Other Culture Festival activities included themed school work, for example exploring AngloSaxon and Norse culture in history lessons and exploring the cultures of other countries in languages lessons. Year 12 girls had fun and developed their thinking in workshops with the BIG COMEDY SHOP and had the opportunity to watch the film ‘Freedom Fields’ before a Q&A session with director Naziha Arebi. Girls’ Division students developed their skills in a Spanish cooking session to make a delicious lunch together, and on the penultimate day of the festival the whole of the Girls’ Division had the delicious Afro-Caribbean dish Jollof Rice as a lunch option, made from a recipe supplied by Year 10 student Danielle Alalade and her mum.

The festival also saw the launch of the Year 7 ‘One Square Mile’ Creative Thinking project. Blending together multiple subjects and activities across the school year, this project will continue throughout the year to develop pupils’ character education and creative thinking skills though an exploration of ‘the extraordinary within the ordinary’. Boys’ and Girls’ Division students were encouraged to share their personal culture on two non-uniform days during the festival, and the Girls’ Division also combined the final day of the festival with some fundraising for Show Racism the Red Card.

During the Festival, students also engaged in discussions to gather their input on further arts, culture, and creative health activities. Their voices will help shape future programmes. This was all in addition to musical evenings and, at the weekends, community theatre enrichment and community arts collective studio sessions. The School was delighted to welcome Professor Bill Lucas, Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning and Professor of Learning at the University of Winchester to the Culture Festival. He visited the Junior Girls’ School, delivered a whole school assembly to the Girls’ Division and a gave an evening lecture for local educators. The Culture Festival was overseen by Miss Naomi Lord, Foundation Director of Creative Learning and Partnerships.

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

The MFL Department set out a challenge to students to research European Cuisine for European Day of Languages on 26 September. They were given choices of the following regions: Northern Europe, Southern Mediterranean, Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The task was to make a dish from a region of their choice, and present them along with a fact-file about the dish in question. There were over 20 entries.

FRENCH FILM EVENINGS

Girls were able to enjoy French films in the Sutcliffe Studio with friends!

ATTENDING LEAF

In June, a group of our Year 12 linguists attended the highly regarded LEAF Modern Languages Event at Manchester University: a series of workshops and lectures investing the importance of Modern Languages in the workplace and as a focus of study at university. They enjoyed a day of experiencing life as an undergraduate in a series of lectures and seminars as well as gaining valuable insights into services available to undergraduate students at Manchester University and a guided tour by current undergraduates. We were fashionably early to the first lecture of the day!

IMAGINATIVE CONVERSATIONS

Year 9 Spanish students work on their conversation skills related to directions

GERMAN WEEKEND

In February, a group of Year 8 linguists travelled to Patterdale Hall for a German Weekend! On Saturday, they enjoyed archery, orienteering, a German Quiz, a landscape walk and film night. Sunday featured Kahoots, Tongue Twisters and German biscuit decoration. Lots of fun was had by all.

MUSICAL PRESENTATION

Sofia Macari giving a musical presentation in French.

POESIAE COMPETITION

Year 9 and 10 German students entered the Poesiae German Poetry Recital/Artistic Interpretation competition in November. The following students advanced to the Global Finals:

Recital: Alena Livesey, Lucy

Mcloughlin and Shahd Baroudi

Artistic interpretation: Harriet Kennedy

Harriet’s artistic interpretation of the poem ‘Der Panther im Jardin des Plantes’ by Rainer Marina Rilke was awarded first place in the Year 10-11 Global Finals, finishing ahead of students from France, Dubai, Australia, the USA and Denmark! Our first World Champion in the MFL Department!

SPANISH DEBATING COMPETITION

Angelie Chitre and Freya Taylor in Year 13 made it to the North West final for Debating in a Modern Foreign Language, hosted by Cheadle Hulme School. They won both of their debates in the preliminary finals but did not make it through to the final on the night due to points. Their topics were ‘Art is more valuable than science’, ‘Everyone should engage with politics’ and ‘Life was better without mobile phones’.

TAPAS EVENING

All Sixth Form Spanish students attended a tapas meal out to ‘El Rincón de Rafa’ in Manchester City Centre in December 2023. A fantastic and festive time was had by all: the girls spoke lots of Spanish and were able to try lots of food!

FASHION SHOW

Year 8 student presenting a French Fashion Show.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

In March, the International Women’s Day competition drew over 100 presentations on inspiring women from the French, German and Spanish-speaking worlds. Presentations ranged from the well-known pioneers in the fields of sport, medicine and women’s rights to the lesser known, personal heroines in more niche fields.

The winners were:

Year 7: Inarah Seedat on Simone de Beauvoir

Year 8: Iman Armin on Coco Chanel

Year 9: Vinaya Hirani on Frida Kahlo

Overall: Sofia Macari (Year 10) on Simone Veil

Mr D O’Neil , Head of Modern Languages

MATHS INSPIRATION

The annual trip to the maths inspiration lectures in Manchester took place again this year at the RNCM. The lectures are designed to expose pupils to interesting and/or unusual mathematics applications.

This year pupils were asked to contemplate:

- Where does river water go when it enters the ocean? And what does this have to do with plastic pollution and climate change? They discovered how mathematical models are an incredibly powerful tool when it comes to understanding and saving our planet.

- Is Artificial Intelligence set to become as good as, or even overtake, people at solving and setting puzzles? Who will win in the battle between people and the machine?

- What comes next in this sequence: 1 2 4 8 16...? A fair guess would be 32, because there’s a pattern here. Spotting patterns can help in a surprising number of situations, including the invention of new juggling tricks. But beware, patterns aren’t always as predictable as they seem.

Once again pupils had a great time and hopefully, as the lecture name suggests, were inspired to think about mathematics in wider contexts,

PRIMARY ENRICHMENT DAYS

For a number of years, teachers from the maths department have been visiting Lostock Primary School to run after-school maths enrichment classes for year 6 pupils; last year we expanded on this by inviting along other local primary schools. This year, we saw the classes grow to almost thirty pupils from Lostock Primary, St Bernard’s, Pikes Lane, Devonshire Road and Haslam Park. It’s always a pleasure to run these classes; the children are always so enthusiastic and they really enjoy exploring new areas of maths.

STATISTICS PROJECT

On Friday 8th March Old Girl Caroline Taylor, CEO of FreshMinds, visited a Year 7 mathematics class to see some group work presentations. Each small group had been given a different hypothesis to test using statistical techniques that they had learned earlier in the term. Tasks include comparing mock GCSE and actual GCSE grades, comparing the age profile of customers in a shop before and after a renovation, the mathematical prowess of the school football team and the effectiveness of a brand of baby milk. Each group of girls had prepared a display of charts and graphs as well as making comparisons using the mean, median and mode. Finally, they presented their findings to Caroline and the rest of their class before summarising their conclusions. The presentations themselves and the feedback from their peers were impressive.

ANOTHER WELL-GOOD YEAR

Well-good.org has once again been thoroughly supported by the Girls’ Division this year.

As a result of Foundation-wide support we now have seven sponsors and are actively seeking more.

As a result of this sponsorship well-good funds totalling £5100 have now gone to the Hesketh House Malawi school-building project to pay for the water installation at the school.

I designed and built the website a few years ago with the aim of enhancing pupils’ numeracy skills, fostering charitable values in pupils and of course providing life-saving water to those in need within the developing world. Pupils answer maths questions on the website and every ten correct answers equates to one days’ water for one person in the developing world – paid for through the generosity of our sponsors. So far well-good has completed nine international projects and many other schools (from around the world) are now using the website too.

Pupils can now challenge parents, carers and other family members to times-table races. BSGD parent’s and carers can also visit the site with their daughter to get question level feedback from recent maths tests and examinations.

The in-school well-good club have been great again this year. Pupils in the club have been working to expand our Tik Tok @wellgoodwater following with animations of created characters and even more (terrible) jokes. Many thanks to all those that have supported this project. It is hoped that with even more support and sponsorship, the website can continue to grow and to help those in need.

Mr G Heppleston, Head of Mathematics

ONLINE MATHS EVENTS

Drawing on the success of last year’s online maths competitions, this year we held further online maths competitions for local, and not so local, primary schools. The quizzes consist of approximately 35 challenging maths problems; primary school pupils have 30 minutes to work on the problems and then submit their answers online.

UKMT CHALLENGES

Pupils of all age groups have taken part in the UKMT challenges throughout the year.

The competitions encourage mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems.

The problems are designed to make students think hard.

Once again pupils have performed outstandingly with around twothirds of pupils achieving either Bronze, Silver or Gold awards. Best in school awards have gone to Vivienne Hall (Senior competition); Sophia Riaz (Intermediate competition); Aimee Young (Junior competition).

Sofia Riaz has been selected for invitation to the 2024 National Mathematics Summer School following her excellent performance in the Intermediate Challenge.

COMPUTING WEEKEND AT PATTERDALE

This year, 13 pupils from Years 9 to 12 ventured up to Patterdale for the second Computing weekend.

After arriving and enjoying our first Patterdale meal of the trip, we gathered around in the lounge to watch ‘The Imitation Game’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch. The film focuses on Alan Turing, often considered to be the father of modern computer science and his role with a team of cryptographers in decoded the encryption of the German Enigma machines. Interestingly, Turing also detailed a procedure known as the Turing Test which forms the basis for artificial intelligence.

The following morning started with a typical feast of a breakfast, then the activities began! The first session was around Artificial Intelligence, including where AI is already manifesting itself in our lives (such as Netflix recommendations, etc.). Different categories of AI were outlined with a discussion of ChatGPT and the use of imaging AI systems such Dall-E. How AI can be used as a pupil was also considered. Following this, pupils experimented with the Pictoblox website which enables different programming styles such as the use of blocks to create programs and games that incorporate the use of AI (https://pictoblox.ai/). By using extension modules, pupils incorporated facial recognition and body gestures to control sprites on the screen.

Moving into the classrooms at Patterdale, one of the most popular activities from the inaugural weekend last year was voted in – it was time to make play-doh games controllers and interact with various online games using the Makey Makey kits. ‘Fireboy and Watergirl’ made an appearance! Everyone enjoyed creating the buttons in a variety of styles and then using crocodile clips, a piece of copper tape and a makey makey kit which enables the buttons to control characters on screen.

After lunch, it was time to venture out! This year, the sky was a beautiful blue with few clouds although it was still quite cold. Everyone took photos along the walk and enjoyed skimming stones at the small lake up in the hill behind Patterdale Hall. Following on from this, we enjoyed a successful archery session (where Mrs Brace got a bullseye – but is too modest to brag about it!). Once back inside, pupils used grided paper to colour in pixellated versions of their iconic lake district photos. This worked well and enabled pupils to relax and get prepared for the evening’s activities! After tea, it was back to the classrooms for an electronics session where pupils worked on a variety of tasks including building a robot arm, creating a bat detector (although a bit early to find any in February!) and completing a range of Turing Tumble challenges. A range of pupils went outside into the courtyard where Mr Ickringill helped them to spot various stars and satellites before embarking on our final activity - the quiz! Teams of pupils had to answer questions on a range of topics including Film & TV, Science, Technology, Computing and an extremely challenging Puzzles round. It was a really enjoyable activity that challenged everyone! Well done to the winning team was comprised of Amira Gettins (Year 12), Eesha Neelam (Year 11) and Sophie Huang (Year 10).

On Sunday morning, pupils were able to spend some time working on homework activities and continuing with some of the activities started earlier in the weekend, such as the building of the robot arm. The final session was investigating and using a variety of kit for the BBC micro-bit. Pupils were challenged to build micro-bit buggy kits, code for a micro-bit games controller and to figure out how to utilise the digital paper kit for the micro-bit.

Finally, it was time for lunch then back on the coach for the journey home. Pupils particularly enjoyed the quiz and the physical computing activities and had ideas for further activities for next time!

Mrs Brace, Head of Computing

This year the Business and Economics Department switched from competing in the Young Enterprise Company Programme to the Peter Jones Foundation’s Tycoon Competition; a free national competition that aims to encourage budding entrepreneurs and help young people develop core enterprise skills. The competition has lots of resources that can be used to introduce the students to a range of business activities and help enhance their entrepreneurial qualities.

Our Year 10 team ‘Naturally Yours Hampers’ worked through numerous challenges before embarking on their creative idea and producing a Tycoon Business Plan for their product: eco-friendly personalised hampers that could be adapted for different special occasions, for example, birthdays and anniversaries. It was their goal to tailor their hampers specifically to make their products stand out from the traditional generic options. Within their plan they had to cover their finances, including fixed and variable costs, their planned pricing strategy, target market and brand image.

Once their plan was complete, it was submitted to the Tycoon Team who assessed its viability. Naturally Yours Hampers were successful in securing a business loan of £450 which they then used to source, collect and test the various components of their hampers. Once happy with their product, the team sold the hampers in School for three days and generated a total revenue of £281, earning them a £75 profit.

The Managing Director of Naturally Yours Hampers, Danielle Alalade, said, ‘It was a very memorable journey which helped us as a team to develop our business acumen and gain an insight into the day-to-day issues of running a business. Most importantly all members of the team developed their entrepreneurial skills; how to collaborate as a team; communicate with customers and suppliers as well as enhancing their financial awareness.’

Miss L Jones, Head of Economics

STRONG PISA REPORT

The Girls’ Division received excellent feedback from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), following participation in its last set of assessments.

PISA measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. Whilst schools don’t receive data on their pupils’ performance in academic subjects, PISA does report on the pupils’ attitudes to, and motivation for, learning, as well as their wellbeing.

A delighted Head of Girls’ Division, Mrs Lynne Kyle, said: ‘The results that were sent to us reflect the strong culture of belonging at the school, with pupils reporting that they felt safe in school, that they belong, that they are accepted by their peers and that they make friends easily. This was particularly pleasing because, according to PISA: “The report showed that on average across OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, pupils who reported feeling safe and were not exposed to bullying or risks at school had a stronger sense of belonging at school and were overall more satisfied with life. The report also showed a strong relationship between feeling safe at school and a sense of belonging at school, particularly in higher-performing education systems.”

‘It was also pleasing to see that pupils reported a high level of motivation to succeed academically. As mathematics was the major focus of PISA 2022, pupils commented on their experience of teaching and learning in this subject. The study found that they reported positively that Maths teachers help them with their learning, ensure understanding, provide additional and extra support and show an interest in every students’ learning. Again, this was reassuring in that the PISA study found that: “pupils who described supportive teachers and a better disciplinary climate in their mathematics lessons scored higher in mathematics and reported greater wellbeing.”’

Lacrosse Captains’ Report

Netball Captain’s Report

Serving as lacrosse co-captains in Year 13 has been a privilege and an incredible honour. We have thoroughly enjoyed playing together this season and finding friends for life. Our greatest achievement as a lacrosse team was coming top eight in National Schools’ and getting the chance to play in the school Challenge Cup, which was a first for the school. This is one of many fantastic memories and wouldn’t be possible without Miss Donaghy and Mr Holt. We are truly grateful for everything they have given to our team. A special thank you to Miss Donaghy, who has been our coach since the beginning of our lacrosse journey, we will be forever thankful. We are certain that our time at Bolton School lacrosse will never be forgotten and we couldn’t have asked for a better team to play with. Thank you.

Ruby Hurt & Ella Brophy (Joint Captains)

Being senior Netball Captains in our final year at Bolton has been a very rewarding experience. The team has worked so hard all season and never complained even in the rain and cold. We will certainly miss Saturday morning matches even if we did have to wake up ridiculously early for them. Our proudest achievement has got to be coming third at county tournament this year! We’d like to thank both Mrs Heatherington and Mrs Walters for supporting us and for all their hard work throughout the year, it’s been an honour to captain this team.

Imogen Masheter & Charlotte Duffy (Joint Captains)

Aquatics Captains’ Reports

Serving as captain of the Water Polo team has been a memorable experience for me. The team we have created since I have been at this school has grown massively and I have been delighted to be a part of this. The staff at Bolton School have assisted in improving my game and made me the player that I am today. We are a hard-working team: this has been shown by winning the U18 National Championship three years in a row. This is a huge achievement for the team as we only have a young team yet have lots of potential talent in the upcoming players and I am excited to see how they do in the future. Water Polo at Bolton school is a big part of my life and has allowed me to reach my goal of securing a Water Polo scholarship to play at university in America and I’ll be forever grateful.

Harriet Dickens (Water Polo Captain)

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of being the swimming team captain, an experience that has been incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. One of the highlights was undoubtedly the town championships, where our collective effort led us to achieve a second-place finish. Additionally, volunteering at the junior swim squad sessions has been immensely rewarding, and watching the young swimmers grow in their swimming ability makes me incredibly proud. Looking ahead, I am excited to continue my role next year and watch our team develop in both individual and team success.

Zahara Muhammad (Swimming Captain)

Lacrosse 2023-24

Throughout the year, the lacrosse teams have competed in a combination of matches and tournaments across the North of England. The Senior Squad had an exceptional year, beginning their season by winning the Under 18 Northern Schools’ Championship for the second consecutive year. The Squad also had the opportunity to compete in the English Schools’ Challenge Cup, where the top 8 schools in the country competed in a high-level tournament. This was the first time that Bolton School has qualified for the event. The younger age lacrosse teams have also had a successful year, with the Under 13 Squad becoming North of England Champions. The Under 12 Team narrowly missed out on winning their age group tournament, finishing as runners-up.

This year, many pupils have also played lacrosse for their County. The following girls were successful at trials to represent the Under 19, Under 15 and Under 13 Lancashire County Lacrosse squads:

LANCASHIRE U19 ‘A’ SQUAD

Emma Arnison Scarlett Bowie Anna Brennand

Ella Brophy (C) Lily-Grace Greer Molly Grimshaw

Alexia Howarth Ruby Hurt Pip Nuttall Sienna White

LANCASHIRE U19 ‘B’ SQUAD

Ella Clarkson Hannah Faulkner Tia Fitzgerald

Gabrielle Giambattista-Hunt Maya Guhathakurta Eva Hurst

Gabrielle Read Bella Shannon Gabrielle White

LANCASHIRE U15 ‘A’ SQUAD

Scarlett Bowie (C) Lucy Colvin Lillia Dean Bella Shannon Gabrielle White

LANCASHIRE U15 ‘B’ SQUAD

Charlotte Cooke Isabella Hurst Beau Strange

Daisy Lee Strange Carrie-Anne Warbrick

LANCASHIRE U13 ‘A’ SQUAD

Talia Dean (C) Hattie Drake Willow Greer

Isabella Hurst

LANCASHIRE U13 ‘B’ SQUAD

Beau Strange

UNDER 18 NORTH WEST SUPER COUNTIES SQUAD

Emma Arnison Anna Brennand Ella Brophy (C)

Lily-Grace Greer Molly Grimshaw Alexia Howarth

Pip Nuttall Sienna White

UNDER 15 NORTH WEST SUPER COUNTIES A SQUAD

Scarlett Bowie (C) Lucy Colvin Gabrielle White

UNDER 15 NORTH WEST SUPER COUNTIES B SQUAD

Bella Shannon Reserve: Charlotte Cooke

ENGLAND NATIONAL LACROSSE ACADEMY

Congratulations to Emma Arnison, Lily-Grace Greer, Molly Grimshaw and Alexia Howarth for their continued selection and attendance at the England National Lacrosse Academy. The programme provides our students with an opportunity to train and compete alongside the top players in the country.

Congratulations to Ella Brophy (Year 13) who has progressed onto the Under 23 England Development Squad; this is a great achievement. Ella is now looking forward to starting her lacrosse scholarship at Florida Tech University in the USA, this summer.

ENGLAND REGIONAL LACROSSE ACADEMY

England Lacrosse runs talent development programmes for girls through an Academy system. The system plays an important role in raising the performance of junior players and contributing to the success of the National teams at Under 19 and Senior levels.

Pupils currently at Regional Academy: Scarlett Bowie, Anna Brennand, Ella Clarkson, Lucy Colvin, Lillia Dean, Tia Fitzgerald, Rosie Heywood, Eva Hurst, Evie Morris, Pip Nuttall, Bella Shannon, Carrie-Anne Warbrick, Sienna White.

SCOTLAND UNDER 20 LACROSSE

Hannah Faulkner (Year 11) is to be congratulated for her place on the Scotland Under 20 Squad. Following a rigorous series of trials, Hannah was selected to represent her country and had the opportunity to compete at the Home Internationals Tournament in April. In addition to this, Hannah has now been selected for Scotland to compete in the World Cup Championships in Hong Kong this Summer. This is an exceptional achievement for Hannah and we wish her the best of luck next season.

WALES UNDER 20 LACROSSE

Congratulations to Ruby Hurt for her selection onto the Wales Under 20 Squad this year. In April, she competed in the Home Internationals Tournament in Cardiff against England and Scotland, and she now has the honour of representing Wales at the World Cup Championships in Hong Kong this summer (August 15-24). This is an amazing achievement, providing Ruby with the opportunity to play against the best countries in the world. Good luck! Ruby will then join Ella Brophy at Florida Tech University, to begin her lacrosse scholarship. Exciting times ahead for both of the Senior Lacrosse Captains.

UNDER 13

Evie Chadwick,

UNDER 12

Petra Critchley, Talia Dean, Hattie Drake, Autumn Gibbins, Sakina Hussain, Layla Jones, Florrie Manock, Tabitha McNair, Mariyah Patel, Tulsi Patel, Imogen Quint, Ruby Roocroft, Anna Ross, Beau Strange, Ella Wrigley

Jessica Burns,

Willow Greer, Isabella Hurst, Tallulah Jones, Anjali Kishore, Sienna Patel, Evie Pursey, Olivia Ramirez Nievas, Georgia Rostron, Iva So, George Stubbs

UNDER 14

Holly Bromwell, Jood Elkadi, Lola Errington, Nico Howarth, Phoebe Masheter, Tilly Morris, Roma Sanotra, Gabriella White

UNDER 15

Scarlett Bowie, Lucy Colvin, Charlotte Cooke, Lillia Dean, Ashriya Fernando, Nikita Luhar, Olivia O’Brien, Bella Shannon Daisy-Lee Strange, Carrie-Ann Warbrick

Hockey 2023-24

It has been another strong year of hockey for our developing squads who have trained tirelessly to continue improving their skills. With the introduction of fixtures against Thornleigh and the unremitting drive to get more schools playing hockey and fixtures, the students have done well to remain motivated and focussed on developing their skills. The season started with all age groups performing well in friendly fixtures against Thornleigh: all age groups achieved wins, helping to build their confidence before the Bolton tournaments.

The Bolton tournaments brought about the usual challenging temperatures but a great opportunity for our students to showcase their skills. We were able to enter two teams for the Year 10/11 tournament. Our B team unfortunately did not make it past the group stages. However, our A team made it through to the final, narrowly losing to Canon Slade! Congratulations and thank you to Year 11 students Phoebe Walls, Eesha Dhayghude and Amy Carter for their individual contributions to school hockey over their years at the school.

Our Year 9s were faced with only 7 players and no goalkeeper. The squad remained positive, meeting Thornleigh in the final and winning 2-0, crowning them Bolton Town Champions!

The following week, the turn of our Year 8s who had potentially the most difficult conditions of all. Torrential rain and freezing temperatures didn’t put the side off and in the round robin tournament: Bolton won 3 games and drew 1, crowning them champions overall! Disappointingly, the Year 7 squad didn’t have the opportunity to compete in their tournament, but we look forward to hearing how they do next year! The end of the academic year also sees hockey players Mya Brennan, Kate O’Riordan and Angelie Chitre depart Bolton School. We wish them the best for the future and in their hockey endeavours!

Individual successes have been achieved for some of our squad members. Congratulations to sisters Amelia and Olivia O’Neill who were selected for the Under 12 & Under 13 Greater Manchester Squad, Kate O’Riordan for her selection to the Under 18 squad along with Arian McKie who was selected for the Lancashire Under 14 team, Further congratulations to Angelie Chitre, whom was selected for the England Hockey Regional Performance Centre.

Many thanks to coach, Mr Sutcliffe for his support in training sessions over the season. His expertise knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport has been incremental in the continued success of hockey within the girl’s division.

SENIOR SQUAD

Emma Arnison, Anna Brennand , Ella Brophy + (C), Elise Brown *, Phoebe Chuck +, Ella Clarkson *, Harriet Dickens +, Hannah Faulkner *, Tia Fitzgerald *, Gabriella Giambattista-Hunt, Lily-Grace Greer *, Molly Grimshaw , Lola Grundy +, Maya Guhathakurta, Charlotte Harris , Ruby Hassall +, Rosie Heywood *, Alexia Howarth, Alexia Hughes +, Eva Hurst *, Ruby Hurt + (C), Aaliyah Karim *, Umme-Hani Khambalia *, Evie Morris *, Ilham Nagi +, Pip Nuttall, Gabrielle Read , Jade Sprott +, Sienna White *, Chloe Zhang *

HOCKEY CLUB (all ages)

UNDER 12 HOCKEY SQUAD

Sarrinah Adam Kate Brookes Gabriella Chan

Harriet Drake Layla Jones Kemi Nyang

Olivia O’Neill Fleur Oxley-Harrison Siyona Patel

Ruby Roocroft Darcy Swindlehurst-White

UNDER 13 HOCKEY SQUAD

Amelia O’Neill Iva So

UNDER 14 HOCKEY SQUAD

Carey

Clara Logan Ariana McKie

UNDER 15 HOCKEY SQUAD

Sophie Denison

Aanya Agrawal Cadence Baxendale Mariam Bokhari

Disha Challa Gabriella Collings Gabriella Cook

Nikita Dontula Isobel Evans Ashriya Fernando

Emily Fox Isabelle Gape Jing Huang

Nikita Luhar Sofia Macari Tilly McCann

UNDER 16 HOCKEY SQUAD

Eesha Dhaygude Phoebe Walls

Amina Bokhari Laurel

Netball 2023-24

The 2023-24 netball season was busy in the first half term: plenty of friendly and league competition games in addition to Saturday matches and, new for this season, additional Wednesday afternoon Senior games. Thankfully there was minimal disruption due to this year’s mild winter. The season culminated in the usual round of local and county tournaments. Particular highlights include selection for Manchester Thunder for Lois Cowin and Molly Neville (both Under 15), Sophie Neville (Under 14), Willow Greer (Under 13) and Petra Critchley (Under 12). Georgia Clarkson was selected for Leeds Rhinos’ Under 15 Squad and Nico Howarth for Lancashire’s Under 14 Squad. Olivia Melling and Ruby Farrington were selected to the Under 18 Lancashire Elite Netball Academy.

September saw a superb start to the season with Senior teams travelling to Sheffield Girls High School for the Alex Reid Memorial Tournament: the A team finished 3rd in the Performance Competition, the B team 4th in the Social Competition. The Under 14 team also had a very successful GSA netball tournament at Condover Hall: they were runners up at the end of the two-day competition.

In October, the Under 14, Under 16 and Senior teams took part in the Greater Manchester County round of the National Schools Netball Tournament. Though no one progressed past the group stages, all acquitted themselves superbly.

In November, the Senior team enjoyed a two-day tour of Edinburgh: two fixtures, Christmas markets, Nando’s and - very importantly - shopping! The Mary Erskine School extended a warm welcome to our squad for the first fixture. After an evenly-matched first quarter, the Bolton girls took charge and went on to win the game convincingly 36 goals to 6. The second day started with the toughest fixture of the trip against Edinburgh Academicals, a club side boasting a number of junior Scotland players. It was clear from the get go that the match would be more fiercely contested than the previous day. After a shaky start, Bolton came from behind to take a narrow lead (two goals) after the first quarter. Fitness, focus and skill were tested for the remainder of the game, but Bolton forged ahead and went on to win 33 goals to 23! Well done to the squad of 10 players on their success. All were superb ambassadors for the school and made the trip a pleasure for Mrs Heatherington and Mrs Furey to lead.

In County tournaments, the Under 12 and Under 16 age groups unfortunately did not progress through difficult group stages. The Under 13 and Senior squads performed very well, but were knocked out in the semifinals of their competitions. The Under 14s were able to take it one stage further to reach the final, though lost to Cheadle Hulme School 9-10 after being on top at the half way point.

Many congratulations to the Under 15 squad who were crowned county champions in their competition, beating Withington 7-5 in the final! Towards the end of the netball season, the Under 12, 13 and 14 squads competed in the Bolton Tournaments. The Under 12 and Under 14 teams were runners up after losing to Canon Slade in their respective competitions, and the Under 13 squad were successful in winning their competition, with the B side knocked out in the semi-finals.

Year 13 players Nicola Shaw, Ella Brophy, Aaminah Ali, Riya Hasija, Angelie Chitre, Harriet Dickens along with Captains Charlotte Duffy and Imogen Masheter have been an absolute delight to work with over the last seven years and have been great ambassadors for the school – Mrs Heatherington has particularly enjoyed working with the Senior squad, who have been a joy to coach.

All the teams demonstrated huge potential throughout the season and gained much confidence under the expert guidance of Mr O’Neil, Mrs Walters and Ms Farrimond-Goff.

Particular thanks to Mrs Hetherington, Cover Supervisor, who tirelessly supports the PE Department and has enjoyed running a netball club for fun for girls in Year 7. Thank you also to Mrs Thornborough and Mrs Ryan who have both given their time to support clubs for fun for Years 8&9 and Years 10&11 respectively. It’s a real pleasure to see so many girls enjoying playing netball for fun.

Thank you to all girls who have committed their time to training with their teams and for representing the school throughout the season. Finally, special mention for Mrs Heatherington who retired at Christmas after 30 years of being Director of Sport and teacher in charge of Netball.

UNDER 18 SQUAD

Aaminah Ali + Ella Brophy + Angelie Chitre + Harriet Dickens + Charlotte Duffy (C) + Riya Hasija + Imogen Masheter (C) + Nicola Shaw +

UNDER 17 SQUAD

Harriet Atherton Anna Brennand Amelia Cowin

Imogen Ferrier Gabby Giambattista-Hunt

Molly Grimshaw Alexia Howarth Keira Kelly

Sallie Kendall Olivia Melling Zahara Muhammad

Pip Nuttall Gabrielle Read Ishaani Singh

Erin Turner

UNDER 16 SQUAD

Ella Clarkson Amelia Crompton Ruby Farrington

Lily Grace Greer Serena Hewitt Rose Heywood

Lucy Johnstone Umme-Hani Khambalia Evie Morris

Mya Rashid Niamh Walker

UNDER 15 SQUAD

Georgia Clarkson Lois Cowin Pippa Critchley

Isobel Evans Maebel Farnworth Ashriya Fernando

Olivia Jones Nikita Luhar Olivia O’Brien

Bella Shannon Daisy-Lee Strange Carrie-Anne Warbrick

UNDER

Temilola

Kassi

Salma

YEAR

Isla

Sakina

UNDER

Laila

Mariam

Sofia

Amina

Maya

Edinburgh Netball Tour

Swimming 2023-24

The Swimming team has had a very busy year competing in a number of competitions and fixtures against other schools as well as the Bolton Town Championships. The squad has demonstrated excellent dedication throughout the season and the new intake of Year 7s has made significant progress across the two terms. The squads have been adaptable and flexible with many distances, events, teams and pools to contend with. This has been supported by new swimming coach, Mr Aspinall, who has been fantastic at sharing his expertise with the students and creating engaging and exciting training sessions. Each age group has performed well throughout the season, with the Seniors remaining undefeated in friendly matches: an impressive achievement. We have secured wins against Bury Grammar School, Stonyhurst, Ladybridge, Westholme and Cheadle Hulme School. The student favourite Boys’ vs Girls’ Division fixture has remained in the events calendar and leaves much to be achieved next year with the Boys’ Division winning both events this year.

The Town Championships are always a highlight of the sporting calendar for students and was once again a fierce contest between Bolton and Canon Slade for the top placings. Junior, Intermediate and Senior squads performed very well to place second and Lucy Vaughan (Year 11) broke the record for 50m butterfly that had previously stood since 1996! Further mentions go to the intermediate individual medley team and senior freestyle team that won their events.

Many thanks to the Swimming Captainm, Zahara Muhammad, who has supported the junior squad every Thursday lunchtime over the two terms and helped to develop the confidence and enjoyment of our younger swimmers.

Tyra

Jess

Jasmine

Aimee

Tennis 2022-23

Wow! What a fantastic summer season we have had for tennis. Year 7 to Year 10 pupils have throughly enjoyed engaging with the tennis after school practice every Monday. It has been great to see the pupils grow in confidence each week through skill-based drills concentrating on serve, forehand, backhand and volley shots. They have then translated these skills into match play. Older pupils in Year 9 and 10 have been a real asset to the club as they have helped coach and model etiquette to the younger pupils. This has allowed them to practise their leadership and organisational skills, which they can use in other sports as well as tennis. Tournaments have included the LTA tennis fixture Group A for Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 pupils. This was against Bury Grammar, Canon Slade and Withington School for Girls. These round robin fixtures are a great way for the pupils to engage with other tennis players and enjoy some healthy competition to improve their match play. One highlight included the Year 9/10 team winning Withington School for Girls 10-2. Well done to pupils involved in these fixtures, including Lucy Pickett, Lucy Colvin, Nandini Kapoor, Anayka Patel, Emily Lyon, Diya Soni, Alyssa Kadva, Emily David, Ashriya Fernando, Carrie-Anne Warbrick and Olivia O’Brien.

Secondly, the LTA tennis fixture Group D (Year 9 and 10) was another nail-biting round robin tournament. We played against Stoneyhurst and Broughton in a triangular fixture. Excellent skill shown across the board which led to Stoneyhurst progressing through to the next round. Well done to pupils involved in the fixture, including Hana Turnbull, Amy Heaton and Phoebe Walls.

Finally, our Girls’ Division and Boys’ Division friendly tournament returned for the second year in a row due to popular demand. 16 pupils from each Division enjoyed playing a mixture of singles and doubles. They were timed matches with each team gaining one point if they were victorious after 10 minutes. Lots of fun had by all with even some sibling rivalry (Lucy Colvin, Will Colvin, Hannah Chen and Jamie Chen), which made the competition even more meaningful! Well done to the Boys’ Division for being victorious. Bring on the next BSGD v BSBD tournament! Great efforts from Diya Soni, Emily David, Tilly Morris, Landa Osman, Holly Parrott, Anousheh Hussain, Amara Hussain, Hannah Chen, Maya Al-Safi, Zara Bakker, Isabella Roberts, Dhatri Anil, Lucy Colvin, Nandini Kapoor, Ashriya Fernando and Chloe Hilton.

TENNIS SQUAD

Lucy Pickett Lucy Colvin Nandini Kapoor

Anayka Patel Emily Lyon Diya Soni

Alyssa Kadva Emily David Ashriya Fernando

Carrie-Anne Warbrick Olivia O’Brien Hana Turnbull

Amy Heaton Phoebe Walls Tilly Morris

Landa Osman Holly Parrott Anousheh Hussain

Amara Hussain Hannah Chen Maya Al-Safi

Zara Bakker Isabella Roberts Dhatri Anil

Chloe Hilton.

TEAM CLUB PLAYERS

Liya Ahmed Laila Akuji Gabby Al-Safi

Maya Al-Safi Iman Amin Dhatri Anil

Zara Bakker Cadence Baxendale Hanisa Becic

Safaa Bhaiji Amina Bokhari Mariam Bokhari

Scarlett Bowie Hannah Chen

Olivia Chinwah Michelle Ifebueme Lucy Colvin

Charlotte Cook Amy Cowler Emily David

Mischa Daya Isobel Edwards Noor Ellahi

Mabel Farnmouth Ashriya Fernando Sophie Green

Chloe Hilton Amy Heaton Oralia Ho

Amira Hussain Anousheh Hussain Marlena Howarth

Philippa Irving Alyssa Kadva Nandini Kapoor

Hannah Karim Bella Keld Zayna Khan

Menesa Kilinc Sonal Ladha Alena Livesey

Nikita Luhar Emily Lyon Tilly McCann

Tilly Morris Lucy Nelson Melissa Noon

Valerie Nyagumbo Landa Osman Holly Parrott

Isabella Roberts Amanda Rojek Stella Rojek

Zara Sharas Diya Soni Emily Sorrigan

Hana Turnbull Phoebe Walls Carrie-Anne Warbrick

Lucy Wilson Kate Wilson Aimee Yeung

Cricket 2022-23

Cricket continues to grow in the Girls’ Division. The opportunity to take part in the ECB Indoor Tournaments has proved a great opportunity to test how far we have come. Both the Under 13 and Under 15 teams had mixed results and finished in second place in the area final. In the outdoor season, large numbers attended practice with some friendly fixtures as a good chance to practice our batting and fielding skills. We are impressed by the commitment of the girls involved and with their positive attitude they will undoubtedly continue to improve.

INTER-FORM ORIENTEERING 8C

INTER-FORM FOOTBALL 7A, 8A, 9D

UPPER SCHOOL

VICTRIX LUDORUM

Umme-Hani Khambalia, Lucy Pickett, Lily-Grace Greer & Lucy Johnstone

YEAR 7 CRICKET SQUAD:

Laiba Ali Safaa Bhaji Grace Humphris

Anousheh Hussain Aanya Katariya Amelia O’Neill

Holly Parrott Evie Pursey Georgina Stubbs

YEAR 8 CRICKET SQUAD:

Mariam Adam, Dhatri Anil Zara Bakker

Holly Bromwell Freya Green Alicia Gronowska

Harriet Kennedy Alinah McAllister Ariana McKie

Lucy McLoughlin Niamh Molyneux Scout Taylore-Knowles

Megan Woods

YEAR 9 CRICKET SQUAD:

Pippa Critchley Abigail Elmer Isobel Evans

Maebel Farnworth Marissa Hollinghurst Afifat Ismaila

Olivia Jones Anushka Kishore Maleehah Patel

Daisy-Lee Strange Eloise Whitewood Happy Yoak

Badminton 2022-23

Bolton Schools’ Girls Division badminton squad were placed into the A league after last year’s successful league finishing position. Lunchtime practices and weekly club nights have been attended by more than 30 students and regular fixtures have given the squad an opportunity to play competitive matches. All the club members have continued to improve their skills, tactics and game etiquette. The squad performed well across the league with our A and B teams winning many of their matches and finished mid-table.

BADMINTON CLUB (ALL AGES)

YEAR 8 BADMINTON CLUB

Iman Amin Safaa Bhaiji Urwa Haseeb

Amaira Jaidka Aanya Katariya Lucy Nelson

Landa Osman Aisha Patel Aaminah Patel

Maryam Sirajudin Manavi Sobha George Stubbs

Aimee Yeung

YEAR 9 BADMINTON CLUB

Liya Ahmed Sameeha Ali Tabitha Armer

Safiyah Arshad Hannah Chen Hollie Creer

Isabelle Critchley Anshika Goyal Vinaya Hirani

Maha Khan Daniya Malik Manha Mamaniat

Aaminah Patel Hanaa Shaikh Iha Shashikumar

Maariyah Zaeem

YEAR 10 BADMINTON CLUB

Zoha Bawany Hanisa Becic Disha Challa

Irene Chan Gabriella Cook Nikita Dontula

Hannah Hayes Oralia Ho Sophie Huang

Anoushka Kishore Seraphina Mark Lottie McAndry

Olivia Ng Sharina Tavakolnik Imaan Patel

Lucy Wilson Laiba Yasin Happy Yoak

YEAR 11 BADMINTON CLUB

Lola Aiken-Wood Leena Ciechowska Anayka Patel

Karishma Patel Prisha Patel

Cross Country 2023-24

In November, girls in Years 7 to 12 competed in the Bolton Schools Cross Country Competition, hosted by Rivington & Blackrod High School. All girls ran superbly well on the day with special mention to sisters Sasha Bartalotta in Year 10 and Elena Bartalotta in Year 12, who won their individual age groups races to become the overall Bolton Town Champions. Impressive individual performances from Freya Blomerley, Hattie Drake, Ella Wrigley, Eliza Doyle, Amelia O’Neil, Sasha Bartalotta, Georgia Clarkson, Lucy Pickett, Lucy Johnstone, Elena Bartalotta, Charlotte Harris, Molly Grimshaw and Zahara Muhammad were enough to secure eligibility to compete at the Greater Manchester Schools Competition on Saturday 3 February.

INDIVIDUAL TOWN RESULTS

Y7 RESULTS

Freya Blomerley 7th

Hattie Drake 10th

Ella Wrigley 19th

Poppy Ivers 34th

Avril Lewis 48th

Brooke Shum 51st

Medina Jiva 52nd

Kemi Nyang 72nd

Y8 & 9 RESULTS

Eliza Doyle 3rd

Amelia O’Neil 15th

Harriet Kennedy 20th

Y10 & 11 RESULTS

Sasha Bartalotta 1st

Georgia Clarkson 4th

Lucy Johnstone 7th Lucy Pickett 11th

SENIOR RESULTS Elena Bartalotta 1st

Charlotte Harris 2nd Molly Grimshaw 3rd Zahara Muhammad 4th

Congratulations to all students that represented Bolton in the Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships at Heaton Park. There were over 60 runners representing Bolton with the Minor girls coming 2nd, Junior girl’s 6th and Inter girl’s 2nd!

There were some stand out performers at the event. Sisters Elena and Sasha Bartalotta both finished 10th in their respective age groups, which has meant that they have earned themselves the opportunity to compete for the Greater Manchester team at the national event. Isabella Backhouse also achieved, coming 16th in her age group event and placing in the top four runners for inter girls who achieved a 2nd place in the competition overall. Well done to all those that competed on the day.

Football 2023-24

Football has continued to grow this year, with well-attended weekly lunchtime clubs.

Our Under 13s have been very successful, firstly winning the group stage of the Utilita Cup, organised by Bolton Wanders FC, before progressing to the semi-finals of the area competition. The team also won the league, remaining undefeated, and were runners up in the Bolton Schools’ Town Tournament. In the ESFA Cup, the team reached the fourth round before losing by the closest of margins.

The Under 15 team won many of their league games, finishing second in the table.

Both age groups took part in the Greater Manchester County Cup for the first time, a fantastic run for both teams ended at the quatre final stage. These results are testament to the girls’ hard work throughout the season and we look forward to seeing how their football progresses next year.

UNDER 13 SQUAD

Eshaal Bashir Safaa Bhaiji Freya Blomerley

Chloe Bui Mabel Cahill Sima Chandhok

Emily Guo Evie Hayes Elizabeth Hayhurst

Hanna Horsfield Amaira Jaidka Ava Lafferty

Florie Manock Malia Mayoua Ursula Morris

Samiah Mustapha Lucy Nelson Kemi Nyang

Tyra Odiana

Hiba Pathan Isobel Plano

Poppy Rate

Lucia

UNDER 15 & 16 SQUAD

Abigail Carr Eesha Dhaygude Aleeza Hassan

Harriet Kennedy Alinah McAllister Gracie Meadows

Molly Neville Sophie Neville Ella Ogunby

Ella Parfrey Zara Plano Lily Stanway

Scout Taylore-Knowles Happy Yoak

Rounders 2022-23

Once again, the rounders extracurricular club was very popular and well attended across all age groups. Teams played in several matches against Canon Slade School, Thornleigh Salesian College and St James’s School. Unfortunately, the Year 9 & 10 Bolton Town Tournament was cancelled due to adverse weather, but the Year 7 & 8 teams had the opportunity to compete. Both age groups played exceptionally well, with Year 7 and Year 8 facing each other in the semi-final stage! Though Year 7 played well, the Year 8 team gave an excellent performance, and went on to the final against Canon Slade. They once again rose to the occasion, producing a convincing win to become the Rounders Town Champions 2023.

YEAR 7

Evelyna

Jess

Natalia Glynn Iris Graca

Georgina

YEAR 8

Mariam

Holly

Emily David Evie Done-Jackson

Jood Elkadi Lola Errington

Almas Idrees Aisha Jiva

Aleeza Karim Talia Keep Harriet Kennedy

Vania Khan Alena Livesey Manha Mamaniat

Phoebe Masheter Kassi Mayoua Izzy McKay

Niamh Molyneux Tilly Morris Poppy Murgtroyd

Sophie Neville Daisy Newsome Valerie Nyagumbo

Isabelle O’Neill Salma Parker Aaminah Patel

Maariyah Patel Anya Pijper Amber Pilkington

Maryam Qadeer Isabella Roberts Zeest Salman

Roma Sanotra Lottie Seddon Iha Shashikumar

Hannah Sheikh Diya Soni Sianna Tamlin

Scout Taylor-Knowles Gabrielle White Megan Woods

Aasiyah Yusuf Maariyah Zaeem

Prisha

Sarah

FOOTBALL CLUB (YEAR 7)

FOOTBALL

Athletics 2022-23

The summer 2023 season got underway with the selection of the following girls to represent the Bolton Town Team at the Greater Manchester Schools’ competition on Saturday 10 June 2023 at Longford Park.

GREATER MANCHESTER SCHOOLS TEAM 2023

Junior Girls Sasha Bartalotta – 800m

Inter Girls Phoebe Walls – Javelin

Isabella Backhouse – 1500m

Elena Bartalotta – 800m

RESULTS

Phoebe Walls achieved 4th position in the Javelin whilst Isabella Backhouse finished in a very creditable 6th place in the 1500m. Special mention for sisters Elena Bartalotta and Sasha Bartalotta, who both qualified for the English Schools Track and Field Championship Finals held in Birmingham between Thursday 29 and Sat 1 July 2023, where both competed in their respective age group 800m competitions.

TRACK AND FIELD CUP COMPETITION 2023

The Junior Girls (comprising Year 7s and 8s) competed in the Greater Manchester round of the English Schools Athletics Track and Field Cup in May 2023. The team performed superbly on the day, winning their age group and securing enough team points to qualify for a North West A final. This is a brilliant achievement with only the 12 best schools in the North West selected to compete. The standard of the A final competition was as expected incredibly high, and the team did fantastically to compete at this level. Stand out performances and achieving significant points for the teams included the following:

Eliza Doyle 1500m 5m 41 seconds 23 points

Harriet Kennedy 800m 2m 50 seconds 21 points

Gabrielle White 300m 48.0 seconds 16 points

Ariana McKie 200m 30.7 seconds 15 points

Sianna Tamlin Javelin 18.75 meters 18 points

Overall, a fantastic team performance competing at the highest standard of school athletics, well done to all involved.

YEAR 9+10 BOLTON TOWN ATHLETICS COMPETITION 2023

The Year 9+10 Athletics teams took part in their Bolton Schools Athletics Town Championships the following week, with our students performing incredibly well across all disciplines. Charlotte Cooke won the Long Jump event with Lily-Grace Greer achieving 2nd place in the 300m final. Overall results: Year 9 finished 5th and Year 10 took 3rd place.

ATHLETICS SQUADS

YEAR 7

Maya Al-Safi Jess Bishop Jessica Burns

Safaa Bhaji Poppy Chande Willow Greer

Nancy Holmes Isabella Hurst Talluah Jones

Florence Kenny Anjali Kishore Ursula Morris

Lucy Nelson Amelia O’Neill Jasmine O’Neil

Holly Parrott Emily Price Evie Pursey

Olivia Ramirez Georgia Rostron Lucia Ryan

Iva So

YEAR 8

Dhatri Anil Zara Bakker Tilly Birch

Alicia Gronowska Bridget Horan Talia Keep

Harriet Kennedy Ariana McKie Ella Parfrey

Amber Pilkington Isabella Roberts Lottie Seddon

Gabrielle White

YEAR 7+8 BOLTON TOWN ATHLETICS COMPETITION 2023

The Year 7+8 Athletics teams took part in the Bolton Schools Athletics Town Championships, along with 18 other schools from across Bolton in June 2023. Our students performed incredibly well across all disciplines, with our middle-distance runners performing particularly well in hot conditions. Olivia Ramirez finished 2nd in the Year 7 800m with a new PB of 2.49 and Eliza Doyle won the 1500m in the Year 8 competition with a time of 5.42. Our sprinters all made their respective finals: Ursula Morris and Miley Sharpe in the 100m, Florence Kenny and Talia Keep in the 200m and Eliza Doyle in the 300m. Impressive running in the relay team from Lottie, Ariana, Talia and Miley saw them make the Year 8 final, and our Year 7 relay team of Amelia, Olivia, Florence and Ursula finished 2nd. In the field, the girls also put on a strong display with Amelia O’Neill winning the Year 7 Discus and Olivia Ramirez winning Year 7 Long Jump. Most impressive was Lottie Seddon in the High Jump, equaling the Town Record with a jump of 1.40m!

Overall results: Year 7 finished 2nd and Year 8 took 3rd place.

Year 7 team: Amelia O’Neill, Ursula Morris, Iva So, Anjali Kishore, Florence Kenny, Olivia Ramirez

Year 8 Team: Harriet Kennedy, Eliza Doyle, Talia Keep, Sianna Tamlin, Lottie Seddon, Miley Sharpe, Ariana McKie

INDOOR ATHLETICS 2023

Eight girls from Years 8 & 9 enjoyed an afternoon of competition at the Indoor Athletics Competition organised by Sale Harriers in December. There was an individual gold medal for Isobel Plano (200m, A race). All other girls competed well in their individual events and finished in the top 3 of their heats, but did not quite secure the medal places. Well done to Lucy McLoughlin (60m), Alicia Gronowska (60m), Abigail Carr (200m), Harriet Kennedy (300m), Eliza Doyle (800m), Jood Elkadi (Shot Put), Talia Keep (Long Jump).

A team of eight girls from Year 7 travelled to Eastlands in February again in the indoor athletics competition organised by Sale Harriers. Annabel Jackson (10.28s) and Ruby Roocroft (9.89s) competed well in the 60m sprint. Brooke Shum completed the 200m in 33.35, closely followed by Ella Wrigley with a time of 34.22. Hattie Drake ran the 800m in 3.10.07 to finish in 5th place and Safaa Kothia finished in 4th place with a distance of 3.56m in the Long Jump. Freya Blomerley threw herself into the High Jump event clearing 1m, whilst Hanna Horsfield had her first experience of Shot Put and threw a distance of 5.88m.

Well done to all of the girls who have taken part in the indoor athletics, they took a lot away from the opportunity to perform at a world class facility.

YEAR 9

Georgia Clarkson Charlotte Cooke Pippa Critchley

Lillia Dean Abigail Elmer Isobel Evans

Maebel Farnworth

Nikita Luhar

Ashriya Fernando Olivia Jones

Emily Rostron Bella Shannon

Daisy-Lee Strange Carrie-Anne Warbrick

Happy Yoak

YEAR 10

Lucy Johnstone Umma-Hani Khambalia Lucy Pickett

Sports Day 2023

Water Polo 2023-24

UNDER 12s

It has been a pleasure to watch how hard the Under 12s team has worked during their training sessions every Friday lunchtime and to see their efforts pay off with the great improvements that they have made throughout the course of the season. Thank you to Amelia Crompton, William James, Clara Logan, Lillia Dean and Liv Irvine who have helped to coach the team each Friday lunchtime.

The team have played a number of friendly fixtures and tournaments against schools and clubs. One such competition was a trip to London to play against 4 of the best schools’ teams in the country. The highlight for us was probably the 5-5 draw with the Boys’ Division U12s team. At the time of writing, this team still has tournaments at the Jason Kenny Centre and a competition at the outdoor pool in Nantwich to look forward to in the second half of the summer term. We wish them luck!

UNDER 13s

The girls U13s water polo team enjoyed a highly successful season. We played around 15 friendly fixtures against opposition including Bolton School U12 boys, Bolton School U13 boys, Manchester High School for Girls, Tyldesley and Radcliffe.

We hosted the preliminary round of the U13 girls ESSA competition at the Jason Kenny Centre in Bolton and the team performed strongly beating Manchester High School for Girls 11-0 and Newcastle Under Lyme School 12-1. These two wins secured our qualification through to the national finals.

At the national finals the team beat Alleyn’s 5-4 and Kings School Grantham 7-1 to qualify for the semi-finals as group winners. Here, we faced a well-organised Eltham College team but managed to qualify with relative ease for the final winning the game 4-1. The final was a replay of our first game against Alleyn’s, the scores were tied 2-2 at half time and despite creating a host of good chances in the second half we didn’t score the goals needed to win the game on this occasion and ended up losing the match 3-2. We finished as the second ranked team in the country, a fantastic result!

Congratulations to the team on all their progress and achievements this season and a special thank you to Zahara Muhammed, Zara Caswell, Hanisa Becic, Nikita Luhar, Zahra Hasan, Clara Logan and Liv Irvine who have made a huge different to the quality of the teams’ sessions by giving up their time to help coach.

UNDER 15s

The U15 girls water polo team had a fantastic season, ‘doing the double’ by retaining the national title which the school had won for the first time in its history the previous year.

Many of the team participated in a tour to Malta during the easter holidays along with the U13s team. They trained in excellent outdoor

facilities in which the all-deep pool was right on the coast allowing you to see out from pool into the picturesque sea beyond. The team enjoyed a couple of pool sessions each day, with the second session being a match against some local opposition and even managed to fit in some sightseeing visiting the historic centres of Valetta and Mdina.

The U15s came top of their group in the ESSA preliminary round competition to qualify successfully for the national finals beating Kesteven & Grantham Girls School 5-2, Manchester High School for Girls 5-0, Bedford School 10:1 and Newcastle Under Lyme School 9-0.

In the national finals the team won both games in their group against Alleyn’s school and Kings High School to qualify for a semi-final against local rivals Manchester High school. This was a comfortable 5-0 victory but setup a tough final against Notting Hill and Ealing High School who had taken us to penalties in the final the previous year. A brilliant team performance in the first half saw the team race to a 4-0 victory and despite conceding a couple of goals in the second period, we finished as the comfortable victors.

UNDER 18s

The U18s also retained their national title which they had won for the first-time last season allowing us to complete the ‘double double’ and retain our status as the most successful school in the country for girls’ water polo!

The team travelled to Grantham to play their qualification round for the ESSA national schools’ competition and comfortably overcame the opposition 12-3, 14-0 and 12-1. These impressive results saw the team progress comfortably to the final stages of the national competition. The national finals were held in Liverpool and the format of the competition was a 5 team round robin. We started the competition well winning 9-2 against Alleyn’s and 14-2 against Highgate and 11-1 against Kesteven & Grantham. This set up a deciding game against the runners up from the previous year’s competition, Notting Hill & Ealing High School. Both teams had won all the games by clear margins, so the team were expecting a tough game. Despite scoring an early goal to take a 1-0 lead Notting Hill and Ealing soon struck back and had a 3-1 one lead mid-way through the first half. Some tactical tweaks followed and allowed us to close the deficit and eventually come out 8-6 winners and retain the national championship.

Congratulations to the fifteen girls in the school who are part of the England Talent Pathway, including Harriet Dickens, Lucy Blenkinship and Amelia Crompton who are all members of the U19 squad who hope to be selected to compete in the European Championships this summer. A final thankyou to water polo captain to Harriet Dickens who has given so much to the sport during her time at the school, both as a player and a coach. She leaves the school to study at the University of Michigan where she has been offered a water polo Scholarship.

WATER POLO SQUADS

UNDER 12 SQUAD

Raha

UNDER 13 SQUAD

Charlotte

Florence

Beau

UNDER 15 SQUAD

Dhatri

Zara

Sonal

Sianna

UNDER 18 SQUAD

Hanisa

Zara

Zahra

Sianna

CHICAGO BEARS

Flag Football

Earlier this year, Bolton School hosted the launch of the first ever Chicago Bears’ Greater Manchester Girls’ Flag Football League. Over 100 girls in Years 9 and 10 from schools in the North West attended this high-profile event, held on International Women’s Day. Through presentations and eight skills sessions, coaches from Team GB, Salford Scorpions and Manchester Titans introduced the sport: a non-contact version of American football and a new Olympic event for 2028.

The first match day of the League took place in April. Ten teams gathered in the Girls’ Division Gym to collect their Chicago Bears kit before enjoying an inspirational welcome from Shaun Gayle, a former NFL professional who was on the Chicago Bears’ Superbowlwinning team in 1985, and NFL Sky Sports Analyst and European Championship winning Great Britain Captain Phoebe Schecter. Teams then made their way to the Leverhulme Pavilion for a series of fast-paced and intense 20-minute matches.

Ahead of their games, the Bolton team made the most of coaching opportunities with experienced Team GB players. They also spent a few minutes talking to Shaun Gayle himself – an exciting moment for both the girls and their coaches, Mr Williams and Mr Winrow!

The Bolton School team was one of the youngest taking part, made up entirely of Year 9s with only three weeks of training under their belts! However, Phoebe Masheter, captain of the Girls’ Division ‘Lightning Bolts’ team, said on the day: ‘I think it’s fun to play against people who are older, because it motivates you to try harder. It’s cool to learn a new sport with friends and people you know. It’s easy to find what position you enjoy, because everyone is new to the game and starting from the basics.’

THE LIGHTNING BOLTS WITH SHAUN GAYLE

FOND FAREWELLS...

Mr D Kyle

As a child growing up in Bolton, I had always wondered what that imposing castle-like big red building was on Chorley New Road. My dad jokingly said it was Bolton Prison and that if I didn’t behave, I would end up in there. No doubt he was being kind as, given my lack of academic ability at 12 years of age, I would have little chance of ever attending. Or so I thought.

Forward to August 1992 and, as fate would have it, I found myself in that very same building sitting at a large oak table being interviewed for a newly created post of Arts Centre Manager. At the opposite end was the then Chief Clerk and Treasurer, Robin Senior: a stately Gentleman, impeccably dressed and with a large moustache with twirly ends; a textbook character from a private school, I thought. After a lengthy discussion in which I told him of my professional experience as a theatre Stage Manager, he leaned forward and said: ‘Well, I don’t know much about all that stuff,’ - and I thought, oh dear, that’s it then - he continued: ‘But you seem to, so let’s give it a go,’ and he duly offered me the job there and then. I accepted but, little did I know at the time, he was handing me down a thirty year sentence.

And so, after the many years that followed, what at first seemed like a punishment, soon became a realisation that I had in fact joined the wonderful family of Bolton School and, in a very small part, I’m now set to become part of its history.

It is, of course, for others to decide what contribution I have made in my time here. But what I do know is that it has formed a very important time of my working life and career, and offered numerous opportunities that I would not have experienced elsewhere.

My first job was Arts and Conference Centre Manager in the newly created conference centre, formerly the old swimming bath. I recall the day HRH Princess Diana arrived to officially open. Sadly, I didn’t get to officially meet her but I did get to enjoy a few leftover scraps from the posh lunch with the chauffeur and sniffer dogs. Treasured memories! I did however, get to meet the third Viscount Lord Leverhulme, grandson of the school founder William Lever. I had organised a Leverhulme Exhibition in the Arts Centre detailing his grandfather’s achievements in industry along with our school Foundation. We invited His Lordship over to look, never imagining he would accept. Chief Clerk Mr Senior was so nervous he forgot my name whilst introducing us, a moment neither he nor I would ever forget. But following his visit, Leverhulme did invite me

Although I have only been at Bolton School for three years, I have many fond memories that will last a lifetime. The school is such a welcoming community that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I have been fortunate to work as a member of two tremendous departments: English and Drama. It has been a pleasure to work with such supportive colleagues. The school has also provided me with the opportunity to further develop as a teacher by enabling me to participate in CPD, such as a creative thinking research project, and taking on the role of Acting Head of English last academic year, whilst Mrs Martin was on maternity leave.

to his home at Thornton Manor, which turned out to be a fascinating experience.

After many changes to the operational style of the Arts Centre, I changed roles and moved over to the senior school in 2006, adopting a newly created role as Performing Arts Technician, working primarily for the Music and Drama departments. Having previously worked in professional repertory and touring theatre, I was able to share my skills with the students in an environment in which I felt completely at home.

Unless you knew otherwise, you would imagine Bolton School to be mainly focussed on academic achievements. This, of course, forms an integral part of the curriculum, but what I do know is that our school has a very rich and vibrant Music and Drama schedule and we offer truly amazing experiences for able students to thrive in well-resourced departments with talented teaching staff. With a purpose-built theatre and two magnificent performance halls, we provide lifelong memories for our pupils in both music and drama and it has been such a pleasure to be a part of this over the years.

My decision to leave was difficult but the time is right. Being part of the Bolton School family has been a wonderful experience and I have met some truly lovely people and made lifelong friends over the many years. At nearly 64 years of age, getting to the gents’ loo on the top floor is becoming arduous. I have requested the relocation of the defibrillator and / or oxygen tank to the top of stairs but still awaiting a reply from Estates! Negotiating corridors and doors lugging technical equipment to various locations is becoming harder to manage, something I won’t miss.

In essence, Bolton School has become my home and that’s how I see it. I know every bit of it inside out. I’ve seen people come and go over the years and met some great (and not so great) characters. Having my two sons during my time here has been the making of me. I attribute all this to the Bolton School family. I will miss being involved in all the spectacular theatre productions, the magical Christmas concerts and the many unique events that make up my role. More than anything, I will miss the people, the wonderful pupils and colleagues I have been so privileged to work alongside. I am, of course, indebted to the late Robin Senior for giving me the opportunity to be here; one of the most intelligent, affable and kindest individuals you could meet.

I wonder what my late dad would think if he saw me standing outside the Prison gates as they finally close behind me for the last time after so long? I know for certain I will look back over thirty years on some truly wonderful experiences, and a host of happy memories.

I will certainly miss working with our incredible students in all aspects of school life. My classes and also my form, 8D, have shown me such kindness and their enthusiasm has been infectious. It has been a pleasure to take part in the many trips available at Bolton; the French trip to Normandy being a particular highlight. One of the activities I have found most memorable has been coaching students for the English Speaking Union Churchill Public Speaking competition. It has been a delight to watch students flourish in oracy, gaining confidence along the way. This year, we had a team reach the regional finals, amidst strong opposition. I am leaving Bolton School to take on the role of Head of English at the New English School in Kuwait and I am excited for the new challenge ahead. However, I will never forget my time at this wonderful school and the people who make it so special.

Mrs F Putt

Mrs K Heatherington

In 1989, my journey in teaching began at Stockport Grammar School. I applied for this role against the advice of my University Tutors, who said an independent school would not consider employing me as a newly qualified teacher - how wrong were they - and how glad am I that I took a risk!

Stockport Grammar was a fantastic place to start my career and, with 5 years under my belt, I started to look for opportunities to broaden my experience. As luck would have it, a job at Bolton School came up which offered different challenges - an all girls environment along with a chance to teach Infant and Juniors. The things that struck me instantly when I arrived in April 1994 were how calm the corridors felt without boys and that there were only 3 male members of staff. It was certainly very different to the mixed environment I had left behind!

In September 1995, I was appointed internally to the role of Head of PE which was an exciting, albeit dauting prospect, given I was the youngest Head of Department on the staff by some margin, at the age of 28.

I have been really fortunate over the years to be involved in a number of amazing trips and tours both at home and abroad, including netball tours to Malta and Barbados, lacrosse and netball tours to Canada and endless ski trips to France and to America. I was lucky enough to have a sabbatical in 2005 where I spent a year teaching at Kristin School in New Zealand. This experience gave me an insight into the differences and similarities in how school sport is delivered in the southern hemisphere. It was the most awesome experience and something I would highly recommend to anyone looking for professional development.

I have loved the pastoral side of being a teacher and particularly enjoyed being head of Year 10+11 between 2010 and 2014. However, my favourite time has been the last 10 years as a Sixth Form tutor, where it was a privilege to support pupils though their UCAS journey.

I am proud to have led the department through many changes and challenges and to have implemented so many opportunities for girls to

Miss R Toland

It has been a pleasure to work at Bolton School for the past twelve years within a highly successful English teaching team. I have loved my time here and have so many wonderful memories that I will cherish forever.

I came to the school in 2012, having taught in a variety of schools beforehand. I became Second in the English and Drama department in 2013. In this role I co-ordinated KS3 and KS4 English, as well as KS3 Drama and A Level Theatre Studies. In addition, I supported the previous Head of Department, Miss Sutcliffe, in the implementation of the Accelerated Reader programme and in the School becoming an English Speaking Board centre. I also directed and produced some memorable whole school productions, which standout as particular highlights of my experiences here.

On a personal note, while working at Bolton School, I have got married and had two children. I made the decision to go part time in 2019, so that I could spend more time at home with my two little girls. Over the years, I have been fortunate to teach the subjects I love to the

enjoy sport. The introduction of football, hockey, cricket, water polo and outdoor learning mean that girls in Year 7 now have the benefit of trying 13 different sports / outdoor learning activities in their PE lessons. How lucky are they!

Probably my standout moments include organising and hosing the GSA National Sports conference ‘Girls Go Gold’ in 2014 and again in 2018 - I can honestly say those events tested me in ways I hadn’t thought possible and definitely broadened my skillset! Winning the National Schools netball competition in 2004 with the most awesome set of girls was also a particular highlight.

Navigating the department through COVID and home learning presented its own particular challenges and we certainly had to do a lot of thinking ‘outside of the box’ to come up with novel ways to engage and motivate the girls to be active whilst they were not in school.

30 years at Bolton School has flown by - I consider myself so privileged to have worked alongside colleagues who strive to make a difference for good. The pupils are very lucky to have such caring and dedicated teachers who are willing to go above and beyond. I will miss all of my colleagues in school and especially want to thank my dedicated and hardworking PE department members Miss Donaghy, Ms Farrimond-Goff, Mrs Walters, Miss Lindle, Mrs Hetherington (cover supervisor) and Miss Heaton for their unfailing support. I am secretly pleased though there will still be a Mrs Hetherington remaining in the department!

Top of my Retirement ‘to do list’ is to spend more time with Mr Heatherington and son Tom. My passion for travelling remains strong and, in between trips to warmer climes, I plan to enjoy the opportunity closer to home to be away walking, cycling and kayaking whenever I can.

I have loved every minute of my time at Bolton School and am excited for what the next stage of my journey brings. There are lots of things I will miss: people; the traditions, like Sports day, the Carol Service and singing Jerusalem. What I won’t miss is taking the borrowed PE kit home every weekend to wash or picking up lost property off the changing room floor each morning - definitely two responsibilities I don’t mind passing on!

full age range. I have also enjoyed leading many theatre trips and enrichment activities, including Mindfulness and the Grade 8 ESB qualification for Year 12 students. Furthermore, I have loved being a form tutor to a range of year groups, most recently in the sixth form with the wonderful 13E.

I will miss lots of things about the school, from the palpable excitement that accompanies annual traditions such as the Easter Extravaganza, Year 10 Post, and Prefects’ Panto, to the fabulous trips to Patterdale and places further afield (including a trip to the United Arab Emirates as part of the Connecting Classrooms project). But what I will miss most about Bolton School are all my lovely, incredibly hard-working colleagues, as well as all the fabulous, enthusiastic, and talented students.

Therefore, it is with mixed emotions that I am leaving Bolton School to return to teach at the school I attended as a pupil and to lead Literacy there. I am excited for the future and the next chapter of my career but I know I am leaving a truly exceptional place. It has been a privilege and pleasure to work at such an outstanding school.

Amaani Adam University of Manchester

Safia Adia Newcastle University

Khadijah Ahmed University of Leeds

Rumaysa Ahmed Gap Year

Ananya Ajit University of Cambridge

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Alicia Backhouse Newcastle University

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Lauren Bunting University of Strathclyde

Summer Burke Fashion Retail Academy

Kelly Chae University of Dundee

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Amelia Charova Nottingham Trent University

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Faye Clarkson Degree Apprenticeship – Weightmans

Amelia Coll University of Salford

Jessica Crompton Apprenticeship – Fletchers Group

Rosemary Crowther University of Leeds

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Aisha Darsot Aston University, Birmingham

Ella Davey University of Warwick

Charlotte Davies University of Aberdeen

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Eiraj Kayani University of Leeds

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