2019 TES Independent Schools Awards

Top Awards for Bolton School

Bolton School has been named Independent School of the Year at the prestigious TES (Times Educational Supplement) Independent Schools 2019 awards with unanimous backing from the judges. The School also won the Senior School of the Year category. In addition to academic, sporting, musical and creative accomplishments, the School’s community relationships particularly impressed the judges. From acting as the Northern SCITT hub for MFL, Maths and Physics as part of the government’s teacher recruitment drive to 10,000 hours of volunteering completed by the Sixth Form to hosting public enrichment lectures and organising broad outreach activities such as the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award, Bolton School is deeply involved in the life of the local area. Lead judge Dr Helen Wright said Bolton School was chosen as the overall winner because of “their impressive outreach and the way in which they involve the whole community in a plethora of enriching events.” The School’s TES Awards were collected by Headmistress Sue Hincks and Headmaster Philip Britton at a ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Miss Hincks commented, “It was a wonderful evening and we were incredibly proud to pick up our awards on behalf of everyone who is part of the Bolton School family. Aside from strong academic results, we were delighted that both our extra-curricular provision and work in, and with, the local community was recognised as these are areas that are very important to us.” The TES accolade followed on from the inaugural Independent School Parent magazine’s Independent Schools of the Year Awards in December 2018, where the Foundation as a whole scooped the top prize of Independent School of the Year and was Highly Commended in the Community Outreach section. The Girls’ Division was Highly Commended in the Girls’ School of the Year category, while the Boys’ Division won the Boys’ School of the Year Award. The School’s community involvement, pupil volunteering and the wide range of academic and extra-curricular achievements were again applauded by the judging panel. More recently, the 100 Campaign for Bursaries won the IDPE (Institute of Development Professionals in Education) Schools’ Fundraising Campaign of the Year Award at the IDPE Development Awards 2019. The campaign was launched in April 2015 in honour of the School’s Centenary: when he re-endowed the Foundation in 1915, it was Lord Leverhulme’s intention to provide an excellent education for every child of ability, irrespective of financial means. In September 2018, the 100 Campaign reached its target of £5million raised for the School’s Bursary Fund. One in five Senior School pupils currently receives financial support with their fees. Bolton School has also made it through to the final of the student-led Goldsmiths’ Company Community Engagement Awards in recognition of work undertaken in the local community. A group of Sixth Formers presented the School’s programme of engagement and volunteering at the regional final, impressing the judges not only with the impact and impressive integration of activities, but also with how these activities in turn have affected pupils’ views and offered them opportunities to grow and develop.

Individual staff were celebrated at this year’s Bolton News School Awards. Mathematics teachers Mr Heppleston and Mr Hitchin won the Hayley Mathieson Fundraiser of the Year Award for their Well Good charity. This venture encourages children to answer maths questions on the Well Good website to improve their own skills while simultaneously raising funds for wells and water provision around the world: the more questions answered, the more money the charity’s sponsors donate. Mrs Gore, the long-serving PA to the Head of Beech House, received the Unsung Hero Award at the same event.

Finally, Miss Hincks has been appointed President of the Girls’ School Association (GSA) for 2019. She pledged to make improving the prospects for disadvantaged pupils a key focus of her one-year tenure in the post and pointed out in her opening remarks that independent schools can make an impact on social mobility in many different ways, whether that be through open access via the financial support of bursaries or more broadly through working in tandem with local state schools to provide a vibrant programme of interaction and partnership.