The Cockerel - October 2022

The Cockerel

The Lever Family and Royalty

The Lever Family and Royalty

Philip Britton, Head of Foundation at Bolton School, delivered assemblies in mid September considering the interconnectedness, over the years, of the Royal Family and the Lever Family. Ordinarily at this time of year, the Head reflects on an aspect of Lord Leverhulme’s life, the benefactor who re-endowed the School in 1915 and whose birthday falls on 19th September.

Mr/ Britton opened his talk by focusing on the Queen’s life of duty and service and how, over 70 years, she shaped the whole nation’s life whilst offering longevity and a sense of continuity. In many ways, Mr. Britton pointed out, the Leverhulme family had done much the same for Bolton School.

The Head told how Lord Leverhulme would have met Kings Edward and George on several occasions in the early twentieth century and not just when he became a Baronet and a Viscount. He would not, however, have met Queen Victoria because, during most of her reign, William Hesketh Lever was a grocer’s boy in Bolton. It was, Mr. Britton explained, his development of his soap empire and supply chains which enabled Lever to become a successful businessman and philanthropist. The Head informed both assemblies that Lever served as High Sheriff of Lancashire and was to go on to become the first Viscount Leverhulme. He also reflected on his time as an MP for the Wirral from 1906-09 and, as a Liberal, his early campaigning for the introduction of old age pensions and equality for women.

Mr. Britton recalled that one time Leverhulme did meet King George V was in the run up to war. He met with the King and the Earl of Derby to discuss supply chains, one of Leverhulme’s areas of expertise, at Knowsley Hall. Sixth Form readers Henry Nuttall and Hannah McKee, assisting the Head, told of Leverhulme returning from Knowsley in 1913 to see a bright light on Rivington Pike, only to find it was his own bungalow on fire, set alight by suffragette Edith Rigby!

The audience learnt how the first Viscount died in the 1920s and was succeeded by his son, William, the second Viscount, who became Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Cheshire. These roles, Mr. Britton explained, would have given him frequent meetings with the monarch. Connections with royalty were further deepened by the third Viscount, who inherited the title in the late 1940s. Prior to that, Mr. Britton recounted how he had read for an MFL degree at Cambridge and taken on the role of Estate Manager at Sandringham. When he became Viscount, he went on to become Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire, a post he held for 41 years. He would have met the Queen on several occasions and there is a photo of him showing her around the Lady Lever Art Gallery in 1957. The Head told how

the third Viscount was also Chair of Governors at Bolton School and how he financed the Leverhulme Pavilion, which is now 40 years old. The Viscount shared a passion for horse racing with the Queen and named three of his horses after Bolton School – one was called Boys’ Division, one was called Girls’ Division and the other Bolton School. He had three daughters but no male offspring so, upon his death, the title went into abeyance. His second daughter was an extra lady in waiting to the Princess Royal. His third daughter, Jane Heber-Percy, whose husband was Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, would have met the Queen on several occasions. Mr. Britton recalled Mrs. Heber-Percy visiting the School to dedicate the new flagpole from which the Union Jack was flying at half-mast (at the time of writing) to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr. Britton concluded his assembly by stressing how structure and continuity matter and how they had allowed us to seamlessly change our monarch and Prime Minister in the same week. He then read an excerpt from a prayer in praise of the new monarch and agreed by all major religions before leading both assemblies with the first singing of ‘God Save the King’ in the respective schools since 1952!

Mr Britton's assembly can be watched in full here.

On Friday 9th September, the Head of Boys’ Division, Nic Ford, and Head of Girls’ Division, Lynne Kyle, led whole school assemblies that reflected on the Queen’s life, her inspirational leadership and service to the country

Students play Organ Music at Alumni Reunion

Students play Organ Music at Alumni Reunion

On Saturday 1st October, Bolton School welcomed alumni back to School for its ‘2’ Leavers Reunion, which saw guests from 1952, 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012 return, some for the first time in decades.

Mr. Forgrieve, Music Teacher, at the School said: 'The event helped many old classmates reconnect, and it was wonderful to hear stories and memories of times gone by.

The Boys’ Division Great Hall resounded with splendid organ performances given by two of our organ students, namely Laurence Britton and Xuan Wang. A number of alumni made a point of saying how impressive the musical renditions had been, and many former pupils were able to linger in the Great Halls, with the unmistakeable organ sounds bringing back many memories. Very well done to those organists.'

Old Boy’s Family Business sponsors Football Shirts

Old Boy’s Family Business sponsors Football Shirts

Regency Estates, a Bolton family-run estate agent based in Horwich are the new sponsors of the football shirts at Bolton School Boys’ Division.

The deal was arranged by Nick Holt, a former pupil of Bolton School, who said: ‘Due to my connections with the School, when the opportunity arose to sponsor the kit, I felt it was the ideal platform as a local business to raise our profile and to benefit the School. I am still heavily involved with Bolton School, playing regularly for the Old Boltonians for over ten years, where I have also been offering my services as Secretary for over five years!’

Regency Estates has been going for over thirty years and employs over fifteen people out of their Horwich

Boys entertain at Musical Evening

Boys entertain at Musical Evening

On Monday 10th October, 24 musicians entertained an enthusiastic and appreciative audience of family and friends in a Musical Evening in Great Hall.

Excellent solo and duet items were heard on voice, violin, oboe, piano, guitar, trumpet, cornet, drum kit and organ, with a huge range of musical styles expertly presented. The performers were George Burrows (8d), Jenson Byrne (8d), Jamie Chen (8e), Charlie Feng (8c), Alex Hilton-Jones (8d), Charlie Simpson (8d), Ambrose Zheng (8d), Advaith Govindu (9f), Dhilan Jacobs (9a), Peter McCreedy (9d), Rith Narla (9f), Marcus Law (10f), Nathan Pierson (10f), Ethan Caswell (11d), Ollie Evans (11b), Michael Gatenby (11b), Amrit Mishra (11c), Arun Patel (11a), James Bland (12c), Jake Partington (12h), Barnaby Keogh (13i), James Logan (13b), Oliver Longworth (13a) and Xuan Wang (13g).

The accompanists were Ms. Lien and Mrs. Whitmore.

Foundation Director of Instrumental Music, Ian Forgrieve, presented the concert and thanked all of the performers for entertaining the assembled gathering with their impressive musical talents.

Boys design new KABO Hockey sticks

Boys design new KABO Hockey sticks

Over 30 pupils in Bolton School Boys’ Division took part in a competition to design a new hockey stick for KABO Hockey Limited, an internet-based company that sells hockey equipment and clothing.

Awards to winners were made by Rob Alty of KABO at the School’s final hockey practice for the year. Two winners were announced: Sixth Form student Simon Whitmore for his ‘Bukavac’ design and Year 11 pupil Jayden Luhar for his ‘Nemesis’ stick. The competition

came about through the burgeoning relationship between Bolton School and KABO, which sees pupils enjoy subsidised costs on hockey equipment. On the evening, the young hockey players were thrilled to try out a range of new KABO sticks.

Hockey in the Boys’ Division has risen in popularity since the opening of the all-weather pitches at the School’s Leverhulme Pavilion in September 2019.

In the last academic year, the Year 11 team competed well against schools from across the region, despite not playing at all when they arrived at School in Year 7. The Year 10 team has almost 40 players in its squad, whilst more than 25 Year 7 boys train on Friday evenings and over 40 Year 8 and Year 9 lads train on Wednesdays after school.

Last year, the AEGIS and Junior School England Hockey (NorthWest) Tournaments were held at Bolton School.

Celebration Day at Bolton School

Celebration Day at Bolton School

Sixth Form students in the Girls’ and Boys’ Divisions of Bolton School celebrated an outstanding set of A level results in August. The Year 13 pupils were part of the first cohort to sit public exams in the past three years, having suffered two and a half years of disruption to their studies.

Head of Foundation Philip Britton said: ‘Today is all about celebrating individual achievements by students whose education has seen the most disruption of any year group since World War Two. Their achievements should be celebrated all the more when we take into consideration that we are still in a pandemic recovery period. I am delighted for both the girls and boys and their teachers who have supported and guided them through some difficult times. It has been a long journey, with the process that brought us to this point beginning over two years ago with the teaching of pre-A levels. The students’ outstanding achievement is down to hard work and perseverance.’

Results day saw much joyous celebration across the campus – this is a year group which has achieved highly and which, despite the odds, has engaged with a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

In the Boys’ Division, Jack Swires, who performed highly in public speaking and Model United Nations events during his time at school, achieved four A*s and an A

and was heading off to Imperial College to study Physics. Max Turner, who joined England Under 18s for hockey trials, was heading off to Reading to read Real Estate and to continue with his sporting passion. James Hopkinson, a successful singer who was a member of the Hallé Children’s Choir when they recorded ‘A Brief History of Creation’, was heading off to Oxford to study Material Science. Sam Olawumi, who captained the national ISFA Under 18s and was a member of the Bolton Wanderers FC reserves, was taking a year out to see if he could succeed professionally. If his search does not prove fruitful, he was considering applying for a sport scholarship in an American university. Finley Littlefair, who has been a cast member in several of the School’s drama productions, is going on to UCL to study Comparative Literature. He said that this degree course is a chance to study English Literature and also learn a language, in his case Russian. He also said that, particularly now, it feels ‘very important’ to learn Russian, particularly since he would like to move into journalism in the future. He also hopes to get involved with drama at UCL, and perhaps even perform in a Greek play as part of the university’s Classical Society.

In the Girls’ Division, Chloe Ferguson, who played for the England National Lacrosse Academy, was heading off to Loughborough with her A* and two As to study Accounting and Financial Management. The university has already had her on a training schedule over the summer and Chloe was looking forward to further developing her sporting skills. Head Girl Summer Kay,

having recently completed work experience with PwC, is ultimately hoping for a career in consulting: with three A*s and an A* in her EPQ, she was moving on to St Andrew’s to study Economics and Management. Millie Ashton, who plays drums and is a paddle sports instructor, was planning to study French and Latin at Exeter. Looking forward to the next chapter in her life, she said: ‘There’s a big music scene there, they have a recording studio and a concert band I want to join as well.’ She is also excited to join the university’s paddle sports club and try out new types of paddling such as sea kayaking and white water.

Deputy Head Girl Manahil Masood achieved three A*s, an A and a B and recorded full marks in her English Literature A level; she was heading off to Edinburgh to study History. Sofia CarerraKnowles, fresh from a summer European Space Camp in Norway was hoping to take up a degree apprenticeship and Lizzy Harkness, who played for Everton Ladies, achieved two A*s and an A. Amerleen Hundle, another Deputy Head Girl, already had her reading list for studying Economics and Management at the University of Oxford so was relieved and delighted to achieve 3 A*s in Classical Civilisation, Economics and Maths.

Summing up the day, Mr. Britton said: ‘Today has been all about celebrating individual achievements, which are a real testament to the work and commitment of both students and teachers. Across the Divisions, it has been wonderful to see all students passing, approximately a quarter of grades coming in at A* and well over half at A.’

GCSE pupils from the Girls’ Division and Boys’ Division of Bolton School also celebrated an excellent set of exam results in August after studying through what has been some unprecedented times. Across the country, it is the first year group to have sat GCSE exams since 2019, after two years of disruption due to Covid. Head of Foundation at Bolton School, Philip Britton, said: ‘Today is a day to celebrate endeavour, tenacity and success during the Covid years. Pupils began their GCSEs as their Year 9 studies ran

into lockdown and they have stuck with it through absences from school during further lockdowns and with periods of individual self-isolation. Having kept their focus, they have been celebrating some excellent results today with one another and their teachers –and they have given themselves a great stepping stone to the next stage of their education. For the vast majority, that will be at Bolton School, as our next generation of Sixth Form role models and leaders.’

Across both Divisions, two-thirds of papers were graded in the 9-7 range and almost a quarter were at the top mark of 9. Within the excellent set of results there were, as ever, lots of interesting individual success stories, where pupils combined other activities alongside their studies. Joe Carolan, who plays Water polo for England Under 17s, achieved grades of one 8, two 7s and seven 6s. Angelie Chitre, who plays for Bolton Hockey Club and was recently selected for the U17 Lancashire team, walked away with an outstanding set of grades – nine 9s, one 8 and one 7.

Quite unusually, there were two sets of twins this year across the Divisions. Harriet Dickens, who captained England Under 17

Water polo team at the EU Nations Junior Women’s Water polo Tournament and was the tournament’s top player, achieved four 8s, four 7s and two 6s. Harriet was also selected for Great Britain

admirably; Suzanna achieved eight 9s, one 8 and one 7 whilst Jacob recorded four 9s, three 8s, two 6s and one grade 4.

Lancashire cricketer Keshana Fonseka came away with seven 8s, one 7 and two 6 grades and Levi Higham, who plays saxophone, also performed with distinction, achieving four 9s, five 8s, one 7 and one A* (HPQ). Girls’ Division pupil Uma Patel, who plays cello and was a member of both the Bolton School Chemquiz team and the BP Ultimate STEM Challenge team, did incredibly well as she collected her results - ten 9s and one 8. Jade Sprott, who plays lacrosse for Lancashire, also came with fine grades of three 9s, five 8s and two 7s. In the Boys' Division, Ben Rimmer's results were also incredibly impressive: he collected eleven 9s, one 8 and an A* (HPQ).

at the Euro Championships last month. Her brother, Josh Dickens, who also plays water polo and, along with his sister, coaches the Girls’ Division’s Under 13 team, celebrated four 8s, three 7s, two 6s and one 5. The Simmonite twins also performed

Famous Designer Commends Flourish Pupils’ Work

Year 5 and Year 6 children who attended the Flourish programme at Bolton School had their t-shirt designs commended by Tom Abbiss Smith, an awardwinning contemporary designer.

The young pupils from Wigan and Chorley, who attended the Saturday sessions free of charge through a scheme set up by Bolton School and the youth charity OnSide, were asked to create their own textile spray painted t-shirts based on the designs of Tom Abbiss Smith.

When photos of the designs were posted on Art Teacher Mrs. Brewer’s Instagram account, the designer responded by saying ‘Love them!’

The new Flourish programme aims to promote social mobility by encouraging a wider range of applications to the School’s Bursary scheme. It led directly to eight young people taking the School’s entrance exam earlier this year.

Year 7 close out the year at Blackburn Cathedral

Year 7 close out the year at Blackburn Cathedral

During the last week of the Summer Term, the Year 7 Choir at Bolton School Boys' Division travelled to Blackburn Cathedral to join schools from around Bolton and Blackburn in song.

The young choristers sang as part of a massed chorus accompanied by a live orchestra. They then took to the stage and performed two songs alone, impressing the large audience with their passionate and enthusiastic singing.

This performance was the highlight of a busy calendar for this new ensemble, who have sung at five different events over the academic year.

Boys Celebrate Successes at Prizegiving

Boys Celebrate Successes at Prizegiving

The annual Boys’ Division Prizegiving was a wonderful way to bring the school year to a close by looking back and acknowledging the many achievements of boys individually and of the school as a whole.

Mr. Nic Ford welcomed a large audience of boys, staff, parents and family members to the Great Hall for the occasion. He noted that in his first year as Head of Boys’ Division, he has much in common with a previous headmaster, Mr. Lipscomb, who also saw much change in his time: the beginning of the Bolton School Foundation, a war in Europe and a pandemic. However, Mr. Ford went on to say that the School continued and thrived amidst these circumstances, and the same is true today. He also mentioned his predecessor Mr. Britton’s legacy, which included the reintroduction of the School Song, which was sung to open Prizegiving.

Mr. Britton himself then took the podium as Head of Foundation to give his address. It has been fourteen years since he joined Bolton School, and he reflected on his previous role as Boys’ Division Headmaster as well as his new position. He said that the ‘trick’ of being a leader is not to conserve the past, nor to try and make your mark out of a sense of ego, but rather to ‘make a difference for the school and those in it’ and ‘craft what it looks like in the modern age’. He spoke about an ‘interesting year’, in which there has been a focus on identifying,

celebrating and promoting the differences between the Divisions. Looking to the future, he said that the School will look thoughtfully at which differences are important, and which are artefacts of history that can be changed to create a new and better version of the school we know.

his bid to resit his A Levels, and he therefore had to take a different route. Iain went to study Zoology in London, as that was the only course with places remaining, though he eventually transferred to Chemistry and then Biochemistry. He called this a rather ‘inauspicious start’ to his post-school career!

Prizes were presented by Mr. Iain Ross (Class of 1972), an Old Boy who is chair of several biotech companies in the UK, US and Australia, including Silence Therapeutics PLC. He has over 40 years’ experience in the international life sciences and technology sectors, and has advised banks and private equity groups on numerous company turnarounds. However, he began by calling himself a ‘bad example of success’. He was involved in many different activities in his time at Bolton School, such as camps, sports and stage management of theatre productions, but did not get the grades he needed to study medicine as planned. The Headmaster, Mr. Baggley, turned down

Moving on, he told the boys that he had done some market research into what his friends and family remembered from their Prizegiving ceremonies (which on the most part was unfortunately nothing!) and what others had said in their speeches. He shared some of the highlights, including ‘the only scientific thing’ he found: wear sunscreen!

Looking back on the things he has learned, he said that ‘timing is everything, and sometimes it’s the wrong time’. He said that there is ‘no such thing as entitlement’ and that failing to plan is planning to fail. However, he went on to say that ‘you are always allowed a second chance, but you must recognise it’.

He shared a story from his own career: for nine years he had watched the fortunes of a company he had merged with an American company, who had then fired him immediately after the deal was complete, and eventually ended up chatting with its biggest shareholder. The shareholder claimed the company had ‘gone down the pan’, and Iain told him he could turn things around. He ended up getting his old job back, and said it was all because he wasn’t afraid of ‘sticking his neck out and saying he could sort it’.

Iain also shared his ‘best interview ever’ which was with another Old Boy, Malcolm Stevens. Malcolm had developed a brain cancer product that only worked in a third of patients, and wanted to do more but lacked funding. Iain said he could raise the money and got the job! He said, ‘You can take the boy out of Bolton School, but you can’t take Bolton School out of the boy!’

He advised the boys to get to the answer quickly and not waste time or money, learn from mistakes, and learn to love whatever they do, as having the right attitude is important. He also said that, when investing for a company, he always uses the ‘red face test’: if he can look in a mirror and ask if it’s the right thing to do, he’ll know. He said to ‘treat it as if it’s your own money’ and ‘don’t fool yourself’. Finally, he told the boys to ‘make the impossible possible’! He explained that he had been allowed to watch a heart transplant simply because he had asked whether he could. In another example, he spoke about successfully getting both Republican and Democrat representatives to ‘open’ a factory in the US for him, separately, to avoid political bias, again because he asked them. Therefore, his final piece of advice was the old adage: ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’.

Rishi Narla, the Captain of the School, gave a vote of thanks to Iain for sharing his advice in an entertaining and memorable Prizegiving address.

Mr. Ford then gave his review of the year, looking back on the past months of sporting triumphs, theatre productions and more. He bid farewell to colleagues who were retiring or moving on from the school. During Prizegiving, he also highlighted the work of the Governing Body. This year, the school has welcomed seven new Governors, who along with their colleagues are great examples of the importance of service and giving back. The Governors this year created the post of Head of Foundation, helping to take Bolton School to the next level while also maintaining the continuing ethos of the School. The evening also included musical performances. Billy Burrows sang Maybe This Time from the musical ‘Cabaret’, accompanied by Mrs. Whitmore, and Freddie Audley played All of Me by John Schmidt on the piano. The audience was invited to sing the school song Forty Years On which opened proceedings and Jerusalem, which brought the evening to a close. Organ music as guests arrived and departed was provided by Organ Scholar Xuan Wang.

After Prizegiving, everyone was invited to congregate in the Riley Centre’s Leverhulme Suite for refreshments.

The Importance of learning Languages

The Importance of learning Languages

Many people will have heard the metaphor coined by the late, great language educator Eric Hawkins, that teaching a foreign language in school is like ‘gardening in a gale’. The idea that English gusts around, unsettling any young roots that may have taken tentative hold during the (very few) language lessons available each week, is a perceptive, if depressingly vivid image.

In a post-Brexit, post-COVID world, the need to sow the seeds is ever more acute and, more importantly, creates an environment in which those young roots grow, are regularly watered, are nourished and grow.

Languages have suffered more than most in recent years from a combination of events.

Firstly, visits: students below Year 11 have not had an opportunity to go on the Paris Trip, to the Rheinland, to Cantabria, to Russia, which was often the first opportunity for many to fall in love with the country.

A trip to Russia is still off limits, but a future career working at GCHQ in Cheltenham is ever more appealing! Those trips are returning and those who can go when offered the opportunity should embrace them with open arms.

In the short term, Year 7 Pupils can do the French Spelling Bee with the chance to win a trip to the National Final in Cambridge if successful. Germanists in Year 9 can do the languages Olympiad. Russianists can go to the very successful Russian Club. Students in Years 10 and above go to Foreign Language film clubs in French and Spanish. We have set up Penpal schemes for Years 10 and above with French and German schools that we are encouraging students to get involved with. We are clearly doing our best.

enough to get through exams; they want lifelong learners, who are curious about the wider culture, engaging with and being curious about the world around them. These are skills that are highly useful to future employers and learning a language helps you nurture those soft skills.

So, how do we nurture interest in the day-to-day classroom and enthuse a love of languages? Firstly, by creating motivated learners, who like to learn grammar and play with language, who enjoy and are exposed to foreign language films, articles, the news, literature in a post-Brexit Anglo-dominated world.

Do we know about the current elections in Italy and the concerns about a far right coalition, half of which supports sanctions and the other half which is pro Putin? Is Macron our friend or foe? Do we know what Russians think about being called up to fight in Ukraine? These are all issues that affect our country and surely it is useful to know what people in those countries think rather than learning ‘knowledge’ via the BBC or an unreliable, politically motivated media.

University admissions tutors look for students who are motivated to read literature and learn and think for themselves. They don’t want passive students who parrot received ideas and do just

There’s no place like home

There’s no place like home

Fifteen families from across the Bolton School Foundation are being sought to take part in a community arts project, There’s No Place Like Home, led by Naomi Lord, the School's Director of Creative Learning and Partnerships and Specialist Leader in Cultural Education.

Miss Lord said: ‘Be it ever so humble, home is more than just a place. It’s also an idea – one in which our hearts are invested. Ideas of home are deeply embedded in human consciousness. Home is home, and everything else is “nothome”. That’s the way the world is constructed.

This multi-arts and enrichment project is designed to encourage families from across the school community to come together to explore and share ideas around the theme of "home", to open up our home cultures to seek and enjoy differences and similarities. The project will include creative workshops and visits, plus the opportunity to design a school community event to showcase the results.

Alongside the exploration of our home lives, we also intend to explore historical and contemporary phenomena related to home, homelessness and the displacement of peoples.

We're excited to see who will pull up a chair to this table, and about what we will discover, learn, make and share together.’

The project is aimed at pupils, aged 11+, and a parent or carer or a member of staff and youngster from their family. It will run from October until March 2023, in term time only. Sessions will take place twice a month, after school or on a weekend date.

Expressions of interest should be made via the form emailed to all parents and guardians. Any questions should be directed to Miss Lord at nrl@boltonschool.org . Participants will enjoy a number of visits, real and virtual, to the likes of the Museum of the Home, the Museum of Homelessness and People of the Streets, the University of Manchester’s South Asia Gallery, Manchester Jewish Museum and Anne Frank’s House. There will be several creative workshops, including working with artist educator Caroline Slifkin.

Further details can be found here.

A Career in Mental Health

A Career in Mental Health

Year 12 students at Bolton School Boys’ Division enjoyed a ‘World of Work’ insight into a career as a Mental Health Nurse when Harry Moulton, Class of 2006, joined their Form period remotely.

Harry, fresh from his night shift, spoke about his role as a Children’s Mental Health Nurse, working in an in-patient unit in Staffordshire. His focus, he said, was on trying to help young people, many of whom presented a range of selfharming behaviours including eating disorders and emotional issues.

Harry briefly recapped how, after leaving Bolton School, he had graduated from the universities of Liverpool and Salford and had taken up a management position in Higher Education. He told how he then decided to re-train as a Mental Health Nurse after realising he wanted a multi-faceted career where he could help people in the most challenging moments of their lives.

Talking about his work, Harry explained how no day is alike and that the role demands leadership and supervision skills from the very start. He said that having therapeutic skills is also really important, as is the ability to deal with lots of administrative tasks. Harry explained how there are not enough male nurses in a field where there are a lot of men with mental health problems. Your job, he pointed out, is always a talking point.

Harry explained to the Year 12 students how, when not working the night shift, a typical day begins at 7am with a thorough handover from the night staff. This is followed, he said, by the sorting of rotas for the day for a number of healthcare assistants that he oversees. He told how the first medication round begins at 8am and stressed the importance of ensuring each patient takes their prescribed drugs. The children enjoy a very therapeutic environment and attend an on-site school, Harry said and told how girls and boys regularly meet with psychologists, doctors, art therapists, activity workers and family therapists. He explained how nutrition is an important part of their day and this can be a traumatic event for anorexia nervosa patients and, in extreme cases, can involve feeding via an NG feed, something which can be distressing for the child. He told how he sees these moments as a challenge – are you listening to the patient and can you calm them? His work, he said, also demands a thick skin and perseverance, something which Harry said Bolton School had imbued in him. When all else fails, he explained, giving them an injection, or what is known as rapid tranquilisation, is the last resort. During the course of the day, he went on to explain, there will be lots of meetings to discuss treatment plans. Each patient has a multi-disciplinary team, which can consist of parents, psychologists, doctors, teachers and therapists. Harry spoke about some of the admin that is involved, including the updating of care plans and risk assessments.

Harry described how he has responsibility for two patients in a named Nurse role and how it is important to build a good rapport. Again, he said, Bolton School had helped him build these critical communication skills. As the day draws to a close, he said it is then a case of making and passing on detailed notes about each patient.

Selling his job, Harry said, it is never boring and there are great career opportunities. He told how it is possible to work in a variety of fields as a mental health nurse, including in hospitals, in community work, in psychiatric units, with children, adults and dementia patients. In his line of work, Harry said, you will never be out of a job!

The session ended with Year 12 boys posing a number of questions, which led Harry to talk about how it is possible to get started in this field, how you can gain experience of working in different settings when you do your training, and how, at the end of the day, you need to prioritise your own mental health in order that you can help others.

Asked for his view on medicating children, Harry said he thought it can be vital but should not occur in insolation. Medication, he felt, should be combined with other treatments such as talking therapy. He said that the point of medication was to bring the symptoms under control in order that the patient can articulate their issues. This way, other evidence-based interventions are more likely to succeed.

Extra-curricular activities in the German Department

Extra-curricular activities in the German Department

Extra-curricular activities have begun with a bang in the German Department this half term.

This year, we have launched a new Junior German Club for students in Years 7-9. Attendance has been high, and students have enjoyed working with Ms. Roddy and learning about cultural topics such as Oktoberfest, the Bundesliga, European Day of Languages and famous landmarks in German speaking countries.

New members are always welcome: next half term, we will be looking at the ‘Tag der Deutschen Einheit’, German words used in the English language, and making masks to celebrate Karneval.

Year 9 students are also enjoying

participating in the Routes Into Languages National Translation Bee, run by Mr. Boyd. Fingers crossed that our competitors will make it to the National Final!

Our Sixth Form students have been participating in a music club with Mr. Brace. They are exploring a wide variety of music which is broadening their knowledge of German culture and supporting them in their A Level studies.

Back in September, students in Years 9 and above also attended our first film night of the year. Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Boyd ran this very successful event, screening ‘Der letzte Bulle’. Reviews from our students were very positive, and we are already looking forward to the next film evening after half term.

All students studying German have also been told about the Oxford German Olympiad competition. This is a brilliant opportunity to extend their cultural knowledge, and it has been great to see the enthusiastic reactions from our classes. We are looking forward to seeing the entries that our students send off.

We are excited to continue with these activities over the rest of the academic year. Everyone is welcome to join in, and we always enjoy meeting new faces at lunchtime clubs.

Boys excel in Classics Competions

Boys excel in Classics Competions

Students have been getting creative in Classics recently. At the end of the Summer Term students in Years 7 to 9 were tasked with submitting entries for a competition focusing on key events or myths in the ancient world. Their Classics teachers have very much enjoyed reviewing the entries across a variety of media, which range from iMovies and digital sketches to short stories and 3D models. We were pleased to announce, in this week’s Celebration Assembly, those who were Highly Commended and the Winners of each category. Well done to all the students who entered for setting a such a high benchmark for future years!

Winners of each category are:

Year 7 – Pompeii

Highly Commended: Ian So

Winner: Ambrose Zheng and Gabe Payne

Year 8 – Trojan War

Highly Commended: Nishan Sharma & Umayr Islam

Winner: Zayd Adam

Year 9 – Hercules

Highly Commended: Mason Burke

Winner: Jacob Keld

Feeling creatively Classical yourself? Then the Classical Association has launched their 2023 Photography Competition, based on key concepts from Plato’s Republic, which is open to all students and their parents. Find out more information here.

Boys’ achievements praised at Celebration Assembly

Boys’ achievements praised at Celebration Assembly

Very well done to four groups of our boys, who last year worked incredibly hard to complete their work and have been awarded a Bronze Crest award for their Science projects. Ned Manock, James Gallagher and Ephraim Jones from Year 9, undertook a Chemistry related project looking at the rate of reaction when a fizzy drink reacts with a mento. Nathaniel Waghorn and Leon McGuigan Lazo from Year 10 were attracted to the correlation between number of magnets and their strength. Ali Asghar and Marcus Ng from Year 9 kept their hands clean by undertaking a Biology related project investigating the efficacy of various surface cleaners. Finally, Bomi Shodipo who left at the end of the last academic year also completed his project investigating which foods can be identified by smell alone in a blind test. Unsurprisingly most boys could identify chocolate, but very few identified bread correctly. Not only have the boys enjoyed their projects, but they have also developed research and development skills. As last year, Year 6 students were sent access to the Century Platform to consolidate key reading and literacy skills over the

summer ahead of starting with us in the Boys' Division. Over 100 hours and over 1400 nuggets were completed, which is an impressive feat! Special mention goes to the following boys who have been rewarded for completing a significant number of questions over the summer: Joshua Carter, Rayyan Chaka, Dan Hinks, Taylor Aspden, Yusuf Ali, Amaar Butt, Muhammad Jibreel Akuji, Adam Ciechowski, Jack Fletcher, Leo Hafejee, Hassam Chaudhry, Theo Harrison, Jacob Harris, Daniel Bleakley, Marcus Lam, Max Preston, Justin Li, Daniel Titiloye, Sabry Ibrahim and Mohammed Hussain.

Over 8,000 Year 12 students entered the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, sitting this demanding chemistry paper in June.

Awards achieved are listed below:

Fadi Khaled Baiza 32 Silver

Frankie Chen 25 Silver

Siddhant Patel 25 Silver

Tom Boardman 24 Copper

Mark Liu 24 Copper

Neeraj Singh 23 Copper

Sharuli Hossain 22 Copper

Mohammmedzayd Patel 19 Copper

Top Commendations:

Year 7 Yusuf Ali 7e

Year 8 Jenson Byrne 8d

Year 9 Temka Khadkhuu 9e

Year 10 Saood Ahmed 10c

Year 11 Miguel Jones-Brosed 11e

Year 12 Ben Rimmer 12a

Year 13 Barnaby Keogh 13i

Blackburn Senior Leadership team

Captain: Joe Burrows

Vice Captains: Sam Johnson, Hashir Sapra & Callum Cavanaugh

Chorley Senior Leadership team

Captain: Max Carter

Vice Captains: Barnaby Keogh, Xuan Wang & Rayyan Patel

Manchester Senior Leadership team

Captain: Muhammad Choudhary

Vice Captains: Muhammed Akhtar & Guy Seddon

Wigan Senior Leadership team

Captain: Kaushik Kathiriya

Vice Captains: Will Fothergill, Daniel Corr & Neerav Patel

Congratulations to those boys and we look forward to an exciting year under their leadership.

Congratulations to the pupils who were successful in instrumental and vocal exams taken during the Summer Term or over the holidays, namely:

Matthew Yeung (9e) Trinity Rock & Pop

Grade 6 Drum Kit Merit

Jayden Luhar (12a) ABRSM

Grade 5 Piano Merit

Ben Pursey (10d) Rockschool

Grade 5 Vocals Merit

Dhilan Jacobs (9a) ABRSM

Grade 4 Piano Distinction

Toby Holt-Gregson (11a) Trinity

Grade 4 Piano Distinction

Aryan Agrawal (8a) Trinity

Grade 3 Piano Merit

Jamie Daley (8e) Trinity

Grade 3 Piano Merit

Charles Kaboutian (8e) Trinity

Grade 3 Piano Merit

Mayan Kathirya (11c) Trinity

Grade 2 Piano Merit

Matthew Knight (8g) Trinity Rock & Pop

Grade 1 Guitar Distinction

Kingsley Sou (8c) ABRSM

Grade 7 Piano Distinction

Zahil Aziz (7a) ABRSM

Grade 1 Violin Pass

Xuan Wang (13g) ABRSM

Grade 8 Organ Distinction

Advaith Govindu (9f) ABRSM

Grade 5 Theory Distinction

Congratulations to Year 8 pupil, Jimmy Elliot, who has won a number of water ski national titles over the summer.

Congratulations to our sixth form student Josh Dickens, on his appointment as Chair of mini and junior rugby at Bolton RUFC.

Very well done to Ibraheem Altaf who took part in the Horwich

Under 11’s Cricket final against Blackrod over last weekend. Ibraheem took a wicket and partnership runs of 24 and Horwich won the cup.

The golf team managed a convincing victory over Kirkham Grammar in the first round of the Independent Schools Golf Association competition. The three boys selected were Joe Emery, Tobias Yates and Thomas Wilson and each won their individual match plays, 7 and 6 – three dominant performances. We have been drawn against Ashville School, Harrogate, in the next round and look forward to that.

just a few. Congratulations to all of the students for completing this exciting yet challenging adventure, but particular congratulations to this academic year’s Year 12 Amatt Challenge winners, Group 8: Evan Weston, Cameron Weatherley, Peter Craig, Kiran Adiyodi, Ben Turner, Freddie Audley and Charlie Silvester.

The Amatt Challenge is a two-night, three-day adventure challenge race. After an initial briefing session, working in small pre-planned groups of eight, the students planned their race around this stunning part of the Lake District, earning points for reaching different checkpoints and undertaking various tasks. Aspects of the event took place on Ullswater by canoe or kayak. One night was spent out under canvas in the great outdoors, where our students had to cook, eat and work with their teammates. During this pinnacle Bolton School challenge, the students demonstrated all the key and core skills that they have learned over their school career so far: advanced communication, leadership, interdependence, resilience and reliability, to name

Credits

Credits

Editor: Miss K.S. Wrathmell

Contributors: Mr. M. Power, Mr. J. Newbould, Miss A. Bradshaw, Mr. P. J. Britton, Mr. N.L. Ford, Mr. I.K. Forgrieve, Mr. P. Fernside, Mr. M.H.J.Prentki, Mr. A.C. Robson, Mrs. J.L. Brewer, Miss H. Sherry, Ms. N.R. Lord, Mr. P.J. Newbold, Ms. K. J. Roddy, Mr. D.V.B. Lamb, Dr. N.

Morgan, Dr. M. Yates, Mrs. A. Ebden, Mr. L. Watkinson