The Cockerel

BOLTON SCHOOL BOYS’ DIVISION NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 49 - DECEMBER 2024

Chapter 1 A Magical Winter

Spectacle: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

A Magical Winter Spectacle: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Bolton School recently transported audiences into a realm of enchantment and imagination with their breathtaking winter production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Staged in the round in the Boys’ Division’s Great Hall, this immersive theatrical experience was a feast for the senses. From the atmospheric scenes of Blitz-stricken London to the magical forests and castles of Narnia, the production delivered a spectacular journey, brought to life through moveable set and striking ﬁlm, sound, and lighting design.

The talented production team—Ben Cain, Leon Deakin, Duncan Kyle, and Naomi Lord—crafted an unforgettable experience. The immersive set design included iconic locations like the

professor’s mansion, Tumnus’ house, the Witch’s icy castle, and the climactic battleﬁelds of Narnia.

A particular highlight was the show’s costumes

augmented with commissioned pieces from theatre-maker Gemma Bond. Her exquisite headpieces added an air of magic, while her articulated creations— not least the stunning Aslan puppet— brought Narnia’s mythical creatures to life. The majestic Aslan puppet

earned accolades beyond Bolton School, being named "Puppet of the Week" by the prominent theatre organisation Theatre-Rites. Additionally, Year 12 pupil Thea not only shone in her performance as Tumnus, but also contributed her artistic skills, crafting masks, a horse puppet, and even her own hooves for the role. The collaboration extended further, with Year 9 Girls’ Division artists lending their talents to create armour for the battle scenes.

The production showcased the extraordinary talent of pupils from Years 8 to 13, each bringing their characters to life with energy and nuance. Tabitha, Bea, Nathan, and

Theo delivered brilliant performances as the Pevensie children, while Stella and Thomas gave warmth and gravity to their roles as their parents. Other standout performances included

Molly’s commanding turn as the White Witch, Thea’s whimsical portrayal of Tumnus, and dynamic multi-roling by Eva and Amelie as housekeepers, wolf generals, and narrators.

Bryn’s thoughtful performance as Professor Kirke, Sam and Nadine’s comedic relief as the charming Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, and Noah’s delightful Father Christmas also left lasting impressions. Magical creatures—played by Will, Anais, Darcy, Leilani, Fenia, Isla, Grace, Orla, Thomas, and Theo—added wonder to the Narnian world, while Stella and Jacob embodied generals with striking authority. The Aslan puppeteers (Theo, Bryn, Saif, Jacob, 3

Kaif, Noah, and Will) animated the great lion, creating a memorable presence on stage.

A special guest appearance by Dr. Holland as the voice of C.S. Lewis and a wartime radio announcer added an extra layer of delight to the production.

This adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s beloved children’s classic brought joy and inspiration to the festive season, transporting audiences into magical realms while reminding them of the power of imagination, resilience, and moral courage. Through the Pevensie children’s journey, the show underscored the importance of hope and play in overcoming the challenges of life.

The school extends thanks to the Parents’ Associations and Friends of Bolton School for providing interval refreshments, as well as to Emily Bourne (Bolton University) for pupil SFX makeup tuition, the Events Team and School Sergeants for their support in bringing school productions to life.

Regional and National Selection for Sportsmen

Alarge number of Boys’ Division sports players have been selected for regional and national football and rugby squads.

Five Year 8 boys have been selected for the ISFA North West Under 13 side. Noah

Dandy, Benji Houghton, Rhys Parry, Stefan Kurpas and Matthew Howarth will represent the region at the national ISFA tournament at Easter.

Brothers Oscar (Year 10) and Oliver Hatton (Year 12) have also recently represented the ISFA National sides, while Year 9 pupils Daniel Bleakley and Harry Roach have also been selected for upcoming Under 14 ISFA National camps. Kieran Holt (Year 11) will attend St. George’s Park, the National Football Centre, at the end of December.

Seven Year 10 pupils have been selected for the Sale Sharks Under 15 Player Development Group (PDG), formerly known as the Sale Sharks Development Player Programme (DPP). Frank Seddon, David Kurlovic, Chris Frank, Daniel Watts and Oliver Hill will train with the Manchester Development Group, where Bolton School Rugby Coach Tim Barlow will be coaching. Max Seddon and George Kiely will train with the Merseyside and Lancashire groups. Cooper Atherton, George Burrows and Noah

Williams have been selected for the newly created Leigh Leopards Academy.

Mr. Mark Chilton, Head of Sport in the Boys’ Division, said: ‘It’s great to see so many boys recognised for their sporting commitment and talents in both football and rugby. Well done to all and good luck.’

Chapter 3 Students Celebrate Local History in Great Debate Competition

Bolton School was proud to once again host the local heat of the Historical Association (HA) Great Debate competition at the beginning of December.

Ten students took part in the competition. In addition to Nathan Pierson (Year 12, Boys’ Division), Thea Littlefair (Year 12, Girls’ Division) and Stella Rojek (Year 12, Girls’ Division) there were participants from ﬁve other schools: Bolton Sixth Form College, Bolton St. Catherine’s Academy, Canon Slade, The Derby High School and Winstanley College.

Students were asked to speak for ﬁve minutes on the topic, ‘How does your local history tell a global story?’

Nathan spoke convincingly about the Peterloo massacre, which took place in St. Peter’s Field, Manchester, in 1819: 18 people were killed and up to 700 injured while attending a public meeting to demand the extension of the right to vote; he drew modern parallels with struggles for democracy around the world.

Stella spoke on a similar theme, about the trade unionist and suﬀragette from Leigh, Sarah Reddish. Thea spoke about Wigan’s connection to African-American music with the Northern Soul movement of the 1970s and early 80s.

Other speeches on the night referenced Lord Leverhulme, Salford Public Library and George Orwell.

The judges were Old Girl and magistrate Vivienne Rink, Dr. Dean Irwin (University of Lincoln) and Mr. Richard Kirkup (Padgate High School, Warrington). All three and Mr. Owen, Girls’ Division Head of History, praised the competitors for the diversity, delivery and research in all of the speeches on the night.

After much deliberation, the winner was announced: Nathan Pierson from the Boys’ Division.

Nathan follows in the footsteps of Molly Grimshaw (Year 13, Girls’ Division), who won the heat last year and ultimately reached the Grand Final in Windsor.

In addition to the Great Debate, Bolton School also hosts a monthly HA Lecture Series. All are welcome to attend the ﬁnal three lectures of the 2024-25 season:

• 13 January 2025: Classics Lecture (title TBC) from Dr. Andy Fear (The University of Manchester)

• 3 February 2025: The Dukes of North West England (title TBC) from Dr. Jonathan Spangler (Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University)

• 3 March 2025: ‘Spitﬁre Prelude. The RAF before the Battle of Britain, 1938-June 1940.’ from Professor Martin Alexander (Emeritus Professor of International Relations, Aberystwyth University)

All talks start at 6.30pm in the Sutcliﬀe Suite (A33) of Bolton School Girls’ Division. Parking is available in the Girls’ Division Quad. Talks are free to HA members and students, and cost £5 for visitors.

Tillotson Lecture on Exploring the World One Race at a Time

Surgeon, Race Across the World contestant and Old Boy Mobeen Qureshi (Class of 2009) returned to Bolton School to give the 52nd Tillotson Lecture.

In his address, Mobeen talked about his life at school and fondly recalled his involvement with the rugby team. He revealed that his decision to become a doctor came about because of a setback following his A Levels: he was unable to follow his initial plan of becoming a dentist as he didn’t get the grades needed, but instead received an oﬀer to study Medicine at Glasgow University.

He spoke about meeting his wife, Zainib, during his training, the experience of medical school and his continued studies to

become a Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon. His job now involves diagnosing and treating conditions of the musculoskeletal system including bones, joints and structures that enable movement such as ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.

Mobeen took time out of his surgical training following the COVID-19 pandemic to take part in the BBC’s Race Across the World. He and Zainib travelled to Canada, where they were challenged with the task of racing four other teams from Vancouver, British Columbia, to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, with a ﬁxed budget and no access

to mobile phones. He described his adventures travelling across Canada with Zainib, sharing candid stories and speaking about the challenges they faced and overcame. He explained that he had to go two months without his mobile phone, which also meant not speaking to his family throughout that time, and also brieﬂy mentioned experiencing the rare ‘positive side’ of social media, with the huge number of positive comments he and Zainib received while Race Across the World was airing.

He said that he was feeling burned-out and weary after Covid, like many in the medical profession. However, Race Across The World gave him the opportunity to disconnect completely from life and helped both him and Zainib to come back to their careers reenergised.

His adventures have also inspired him to continue travelling, and his family to make some incredible journeys of their own. He and Zainib travelled from Manchester to Istanbul in the summer of 2023 in just four days, while his parents recently drove all the way

from Manchester to Lahore, Pakistan, in three weeks to visit family. Mobeen ﬂew out to join them for part of the return trip.

To bring his Tillotson Lecture to a close, Mobeen told the audience that they will have setbacks: he spoke about some of his own, including resitting exams in medical school and during his surgical training, but encouraged everyone to get back up and keep going. He also advised his audience to take every opportunity, and not to be put oﬀ by assuming that others will think it’s a bad idea. He said that he never expected anyone to sign oﬀ for him to go on Race Across The World, but every person he needed to ask encouraged him to go for it.

The lecture was followed by a lively question and answer session, in which Mobeen was asked more about his Race Across the World experiences and his medical training.

The Tillotson Lecture was inaugurated and supported by the late Marcus Tillotson, himself inﬂuential in one of Bolton’s other institutions, the Bolton News. Since the ﬁrst event in 1971, the lecture series has attracted eminent speakers who have delivered thought-provoking lectures to the school community.

You can watch this year’s Tillotson Lecture here.

Marvellous Music at Autumn Concert

The Joint Autumn Concert was once again a wonderful showcase of the musical talent across the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions.

Split between the two Great Halls, this occasion was the perfect opportunity for all of the Senior School musical groups to shine: after the Senior Orchestra’s accomplished opening, various choirs, ensembles and bands crossed the stage over the course of the evening. The musical stylings were equally diverse, with pop hits, classical pieces, ﬁlm themes and songs from musicals all appearing in the programme.

School announces Alumni of the Year 2024

Bolton School is delighted to announce the conclusion to the third annual Alumni of the Year Awards.

These Awards seek to recognise Alumni who have made an outstanding contribution to society through their voluntary service, academic achievements or professional success, or whose behaviour and values inspire others. Those nominated are Alumni who embody the School’s ethos of producing people who go out into the world and make a di ﬀ erence for good.

Nominations opened in spring 2024, and after careful

consideration a shortlist of nominees for both the Old Girl and Old Boy awards was decided by the Heads of Foundation, Girls’ Division, Boys’ Division and Primary Division:

Old Girl of the Year: Ann Bailey (Class of 1981), Karen Greenhalgh (Class of 2000), and Habibunnisha Patel (Class of 1997)

Old Boy of the Year: Michael Noone (Class of 2003), Frank Yates (Class of 1952) and brothers Tom (Class of 2001) Matthew (Class of 2003) and Harry (Class of 2006) Pickup

Once the ﬁnalists were selected, in the Summer Term pupils in the Boys’ Division, Girls’ Division, Junior Boys’ School and Junior Girls’ School discovered more about the diﬀerence these inspirational alumni have made in their lives after leaving Bolton

School. After hearing about each of the shortlisted nominees, they cast their votes for the person they felt was the most deserving of the two Awards.

The winners as voted by pupils and staﬀ at Bolton School were:

Habibunnisha Patel was named Old Girl of the Year, recognising her many years as a lawyer in the not-for-proﬁt sector. She spent a decade working in non-governmental international aid and development organisations that serve to protect fundamental human rights and freedoms. She has worked across organisations focusing on international aid, girls’ education and promoting and protecting children’s rights. She is currently two years into her role as General Counsel at Cancer Research UK, a Board Trustee for the World Humanitarian Action Forum, and was named in this year’s The Lawyer’s 2024 ‘Hot 100’ Lawyers, as well as being a regular contributor to Radio 2’s ‘Pause for Thought’ segment.

Frank Yates was named Old Boy of the Year in recognition of his career as a doctor. After qualifying in 1957, he chose to undertake Colonial Service in Nigeria and, between 1958 and 1962, he worked in challenging conditions to deliver healthcare across a region the size of Britain. He radically reformed the hospital, performed complex surgeries to treat lifethreatening conditions and diseases, and was among the ﬁrst to treat Trachoma, saving the sight of hundreds of locals. When he returned to the UK, he joined a small GP practice in Adlington and, over the next 33 years, developed and modernised the practice and in the course of his career supervised the delivery of 2,000 babies. His dedication and support of the families in his care through their life events earned him great respect as a family doctor.

Both Habibunnisha and Frank, along with the rest of the shortlisted alumni, were invited back to Bolton School for a celebratory lunch where they were presented with their awards and certiﬁcates. Afterwards, Junior and Senior School pupils

gathered together in the Girls’ Division Great Hall, and Zoomed in remotely from classrooms, for an assembly in which the winners were announced to current pupils and the achievements of all the ﬁnalists were commended.

The gathered audience was delighted to hear from Habi and Frank about their lives and work, sharing in their own words the contributions they have made.

To bring the assembly to a close, Mr. Britton shared and celebrated those alumni who were shortlisted, noting that it was a major honour for them to have been named as the ﬁnalists. In his closing remarks, he looked back on the comments made by the Old Girl and Old Boy of the Year to draw out the threads of

connection, community and the enduring fabric of school life throughout history that were encapsulated in both of their addresses.

The pupils assembled in the Girls’ Division

Great Hall, no doubt left inspired to follow in the footsteps of all the shortlisted alumni and make a diﬀerence for good.

The Alumni of the Year Awards will run again in 2025 with nominations opening in the spring.

School hosts Networking Breakfast with Handelsbanken

Bolton School was pleased to host an economic seminar and networking breakfast in conjunction with Handelsbanken Bolton.

James Sproule, Handelsbanken’s

Despite some snowfall overnight, there was still an excellent turnout and a warm atmosphere as over 80 guests assembled in the Arts Centre. Members of local Bolton business community, including some alumni, parents and friends of the school, made the most of the opportunity to talk and network over tea, coﬀee and pastries on arrival.

Following a brief welcome and introduction to Handelsbanken’s services from Mark Hutchinson, Branch Manager for Handelsbanken Bolton, the economic seminar began.

UK Chief Economist, who has previously worked in Number 10, took a detailed dive into the state of the global economy, looking both at the present and towards the future and o ﬀ ering his insights. He was followed by Sarah Rigby, who works in Handelsbanken Capital Markets and gave an interesting overview of what is happening with

interest and exchange rates.

Following this valuable look at the latest economic developments, guests were invited to stay and continue to network as more drinks and breakfast snacks were served.

At the close of the networking event, James visited the Leverhulme Suite in the Riley Sixth Form Centre for a session with Sixth Form Business and Economic students in Years 12 and 13. He spoke about his personal career journey before giving the audience a presentation called ‘The Intellectual Revolution’.

The morning was a wonderful opportunity for both members of the local business community and those students with a keen

interest in economics to hear from Handelsbanken’s experts in this fascinating ﬁeld.

In addition to co-hosting this economic seminar and networking event, Handelsbanken recently sponsored the kit for the Bolton School Girls’ Division Football Teams, allowing the girls to play in kit speciﬁcally designed for the Girls’ Division for the very ﬁrst time.

Chapter 8 Water Polo Players Making a Splash

Water Polo Players Making a Splash

Since the October half term, Bolton School’s water polo players have been making a splash in national and international competitions.

Amelia Crompton (Year 12) travelled to the Czech Republic to captain Great Britain in the EU Nations Cup. Following a magniﬁcent performance in the pool, the Junior Women’s team were ultimately crowned champions after beating Czechia 16-9 in the ﬁnal.

Jamie Logan (Year 13) and Harry Butler (Year 12) represented the North West of England in the inter-regional championships, achieving Bronze medals after helping the team to third place in the competition.

Sianna Tamlin (Year 10) and Holly Bromwell (Year 10) represented City of Liverpool together in the Under 15s National Age Group Championships, where the team ﬁnished second. Liv Irvine (Year 10), Harriet Kennedy (Year 10), Siyona Patel (Year 8) and Charlotte Buchanan (Year 7) represented Tyldesley in the same competition and placed eighth overall.

Congratulation to all of the Bolton School players who have competed in these high-level competitions.

Bolton School’s young Water polo players had an amazing summer, with exciting involvement in a wide variety of ﬁxtures.

Zahara Muhammad (Year 13) has been appointed as an assistant coach at the Regional Talent Centre in Bolton and started coaching junior players in the England talent pathway in September. This is the highest level of water polo coaching appointment that has ever been achieved by a current student. Mr David Teasdale, who coaches the School’s water polo teams, said: ‘I know that Zahara has worked hard to hone her coaching craft over several years of volunteering at school sessions, so it is fantastic to see her receiving external recognition for this with her outstanding appointment.’

A number of current and former pupils enjoyed representing their country in Water polo over the summer. Harriet Dickens (Class of 2024) and Lucy Blenkinship helped Great Britain to a ninth-place ﬁnish at the Under 19 European Championships, held in Zagreb, Croatia. Both were key members of the team and scored crucial goals at important moments to help the GB team to their highest ﬁnish since 2016. In addition, Amelia Crompton (Year 12) and Sam Fitzsimons (Class of 2024) were selected to represent the Great Britain Under 20s teams, and competed in the next Generation Cup in Barcelona in September.

Chapter 9 Old Boy and Chess Grandmaster returns to Bolton School

Old Boy and chess grandmaster Nigel Short returned to Bolton School to meet some of our budding chess players who span across Bolton School’s Junior and Senior Schools.

After giving a short talk on his life, Nigel, who earned the title of grandmaster at the age of 19 and was ranked third in the world by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) from July 1988 to July 1989, accepted questions from students from the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions and Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ Schools. Nigel touched upon his career in more detail, speaking about his current role as Director for Chess Development at the FIDE.

He also spoke about his life at Bolton School when he was a student. Class of 1983, Nigel attended Bolton School due to its illustrious chess team, national winning at that time, in which he played regularly. He faced many opponents and played in several competitions; however, Nigel maintains other parts of the curriculum were equally important in his journey to where he is now. He enjoyed English, stating the use of English and being able to think clearly and express yourself eﬀectively is priceless. These skills have certainly aided in his columnist career, writing articles for a number of publications, including The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph.

Finally, Nigel oﬀered several pieces of advice that resonated with students, including, “learn from your mistakes or you are doomed to repeat them – you have to work hard to get better at things.”

Chapter 10 Young Racer ends Junior Championship Campaign in Style

Young Racer ends Junior Championship Campaign in Style

Charlie Hart, a Year 12 student at Bolton School Boys’ Division and 16-year-old racing prodigy from Rivington in Chorley, wrapped up his 2024 Ginetta Junior Championship campaign in style, securing third in the drivers’ standing.

This milestone achievement places him alongside the likes of McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris, who achieved 3rd in the championship back in 2014, highlighting Charlie’s potential in one of Europe's most competitive racing series.

In its 20th anniversary season,

the Ginetta Junior Championship continues to be the most prestigious junior racing series globally, oﬀering a platform for young drivers aged 14 to 17 to transition from karting to car racing before competing in either the single-seater or the increasingly popular GT pathways.

Since its inception in 2003, the championship has created a competitive environment, producing significant graduates such as Lando Norris, Harry King, Dan Harper, and Zak O'Sullivan. Charlie’s consistency shone through this season, finishing in the top six across the first 22 races of the season, achieving a total of two race wins, seven second place finishes, and three thirds. This extraordinary performance solidified his reputation as one of the

brightest talents in junior motorsport, earning praise from fans, sponsors, and industry experts alike.

In addition to his Ginetta achievements, Charlie made history in the final round of the Fun Cup Endurance Championship in October, as the first person to win the elusive cash prize for securing a podium on debut, which he achieved with teammate Jake Hill, 2024 BTCC Champion, displaying Charlie's versatility and skill across different racing series.

Looking ahead, Charlie is setting his sights ﬁrmly on the FIA GT4 category for the 2025 season, competing across Europe at circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps, Nurburgring and Zandvoort. He has already begun testing with Elite Motorsport in their McLaren Artura GT4 with strong performances in only his ﬁrst few days in the car.

As he continues his impressive ascent up the sporting ladder, Charlie remains determined to follow in the footsteps of previous Ginetta Junior alumni, aspiring to reach the highest level of his sport, all the while adding more race wins and titles to his name.

Chapter 11 School Holds Poignant Remembrance Service

Across Bolton School, pupils and teachers came together on Armistice Day to commemorate the lives lost during the First and Second World Wars, and all those who have died in conﬂicts since then.

The Boys’ Division held a special assembly to commemorate the Armistice, led by Dr. Holland and attended by Old Boys of the school. In addition to the traditional two minutes of silence, current pupils shared the stories of Old Boys who gave their lives 80 years ago in 1944, during the Second World War.

This year, the tributes were for Ordinary Seaman Kenneth Monk (29 January 1944, aged 17), Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Reginald Frederick Bass (29 June 1944, aged 21), Sergeant Robert Ronald

Smithie Parker (12 August 1944), Lance Corporal Donald Crowther (26 August 1944) and Captain Sydney William Raworth (18 October 1944). At the end of the service, wreath bearers processed out to lay their wreaths at the Memorial Staircase at the back of the Great Hall, which was installed to remember those who died in the First World War.

In 2014, an art installation at the Tower of London titled Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Redcommemorated 100 years since the beginning of the First World War. Bolton School purchased 81 of the 888,246 handmade ceramic poppies, each one representing a British military fatality, following the installation: one to commemorate each of the Old Boys who died in the First World War. These were gradually added to a display in the Riley Centre in 2014-2019, with each ﬂower added 100 years after the date of the Old Boy’s death.

The School has decided to repeat this commemoration to mark 110 years since the First World War, and the poppies will be added gradually over the next four years, with the last going on display in January 2029.

Chapter 12 Bolton Children’s Fiction Awards 2025 Shortlist

Bolton Children’s Fiction Awards 2025 Shortlist Announced

Bolton School is delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2025 Bolton Children’s Fiction Award.

The 2025 Longlist of six books was revealed at the end of the Summer Term when the 2024 winner (‘When I see Blue’ by Lily Bailey) was announced. Bolton School students, staﬀ and other external participants were invited to read the Longlist to help to select the Shortlist of three.

Library staﬀ at Bolton School said: ‘We hope that this year’s Shortlist will stretch pupils’ reading experiences and introduce them to new authors and genres.’

Once again, there will be a Book Award Day celebration of the books and reading at Bolton School: this year’s event will take place on 3rd April. Readers will then have their say by voting for their favourite book and the winning title will be announced at the end of the Summer Term in an online event.

The three Shortlisted books are:

Library staﬀ at Bolton School said: ‘While all quite distinct titles, they do have common themes running through them –determination, resilience and maintaining a sense of humour when life is challenging. We hope that everyone reading them will enjoy them as much as we have.’

• ‘The Final Year’ by Matt Goodfellow

• ‘The Secrets of the Snakestone’ by Piu DasGupta

• ‘My Brilliant Plan to Fix Everything’ by Ben Davis

‘The Final Year’ by Matt Goodfellow

This is the ﬁrst time that a verse novel has been nominated, but we feel that it is well-deserved. All of our Longlist readers agreed that it was a deﬁnite for the shortlist.

Ten-year-old Nate lives with his mum and two younger brothers, Jax aged eight and Dylan, who’s four and thinks he’s Spiderman. The brothers are a tight little unit and, as the eldest, Nate takes care of the younger two when Mum is out with Auntie San at bingo, enjoying a few ciders.

When his best friend PS is put in a diﬀerent Year 6 class, Nate is gutted, especially when PS starts to hang out with Nate’s nemesis, school bully Turner. New teacher Mr. Joshua notices that Nate loves reading and writing so encourages him to use words to help process his emotions, giving him a special notebook so he can write down his thoughts and manage his anger. However, Nate’s world is turned upside-down when Dylan is rushed into hospital. How will he cope if his little brother doesn’t pull through?

Notes from the Library: This book is about the power of words to help us to understand ourselves and reach out to others. Everyone who read this book has commented upon what a powerful, gritty and moving book this is, and we knew as soon as we read it that we wanted to share it with you.

The Secrets of the Snakestone ’ by Piu DasGupta

In this fast-paced adventure, Zélie, a maid in a rich household and Jules, a sewer cleaner, face a deadly race to solve a family mystery and a vicious crime that stretches from the jungles of Calcutta to the sewers of Paris.

Zélie is often accused of being a witch, but she doesn’t believe in magic until Jules climbs up from the reeking Parisian sewer and hands Zélie the golden locket he discovered there. The locket once held the magical Snakestone, and Zélie knows that if she can ﬁnd the stone, she might also ﬁnd her missing father.

Meanwhile a dangerous secret society are equally desperate to get their hands on the Snakestone and its powers. With their lives under threat, Zélie and Jules embark on a desperate hunt for the treasure, facing strange riddles, a mysterious circus, and the miles of murky tunnels that twist beneath the ancient city above…

Notes from the Library: Championing new authors has always been a key part of the Book Awards and we are delighted to be able to promote Piu DasGupta, a writer based in Paris of English and Indian heritage.

We love an adventure and what an amazing place to set a story! Catacombs, the ancient burial places under cities such as Paris

are by their nature dark and creepy and we particularly enjoyed the sense of place in this gothic tale of dark magic.

This page-turner weaves in themes of colonialism, class, women, poverty, family friendship, a bit of humour, a very cute baby sloth and the message that we shouldn’t judge people on ﬁrst impressions. Whilst it includes serious themes these always come second place to the pace and the great story – Piu said in an interview that her top priority was to write a book that could command the attention of the reader and feedback from Longlist readers was that they were certainly gripped.

Intriguingly, some of the more ﬂamboyant characters in this book are actually based upon real-life people.

Dad just needs to get away from work for a while to do it.

Alex tricks his dad into thinking he's been selected for a creative sabbatical, and starts to do the postal deliveries himself. But it's harder than Alex had ever realised, and there are the bullies who throw his letters in the canal, an overly suspicious boss, and a lot of angry dogs to avoid!

He ﬁnds unexpected help in Willow, a girl on the canal who oﬀers to share the work ... but has a dark secret that might derail everything.

As Alex's ruse starts to fall apart, he needs his dad more than ever. Meanwhile, his dad comes to understand that the thing he needs most isn't publishing a novel ... it's Alex.

‘My Brilliant Plan to Fix Everything’ by Ben Davis In order to get his family back together, Alex comes up with a brilliant plan: if Dad ﬁnally writes the novel he's always talked about, he'll be happier again and his parents will fall back in love.

Notes from the Library: This story covers some serious issues but its situational humour balances the tone and is what attracted our Longlist readers. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments as poor Alex gets into a real pickle and his lies become more and more complicated.

Readers will also discover the workings of our Great British postal system and come to appreciate how important posties are to their local community and how diﬃcult it is to write a book!

Chapter 13 Partnership with Soul Padel to bring New Facility to Bolton

Partnership with Soul Padel to bring New Facility to Bolton

Soul Padel and Bolton School are pleased to announce an exciting new partnership to bring a top-tier padel facility to Bolton, transforming the School’s two disused shale courts at its Leverhulme Pavilion into a vibrant hub for this fast-growing sport. The planned facility will be accessible to both Bolton School students and the wider community, representing a signiﬁcant investment in local sports and recreational amenities.

Soul Padel, a leader in expanding padel across the UK, is working with Bolton School to create an inclusive facility that aligns with both organisations’ commitment to community engagement and accessibility. The planning application for the proposed site is currently in progress, and local residents are encouraged to provide their feedback on the proposals during that consultation process.

Philip Britton, MBE, Head of Foundation at Bolton School, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: ‘We are delighted to work with Soul Padel to provide a fantastic new facility that will allow our pupils to experience one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.

This new padel facility will also be open for community use in the evenings, at weekends, and during school holidays, creating an inclusive sporting environment for everyone. We value the feedback of our neighbours and look forward to reading their views about the

project when the Bolton Council Planning portal opens for comment.’

Padel, known for its accessibility and social nature, is growing rapidly across the UK. It is a racket sport, typically played in doubles on an enclosed court; similar to tennis, it shares the same scoring system, but uses di ﬀerent techniques and rules. With this partnership, Soul Padel and Bolton School aim to promote health, wellbeing, and active lifestyles among local residents, while providing an exciting opportunity for Bolton School students to experience and participate in a dynamic, engaging sport.

Mark Hewlett, Founder and CEO of Soul Padel, highlighted the community beneﬁts of the planned facility: ‘Padel is a sport that brings people together and fosters a healthy, active lifestyle. We’re thrilled to partner with Bolton School to introduce this new facility to the area, providing local residents with a high-quality venue that aligns with our mission to make padel accessible to everyone. We’re looking forward to collaborating with the community to ensure this facility brings maximum beneﬁt to Bolton.’

If approved, the new padel centre will support both personal ﬁtness and community engagement goals. By working together, Soul Padel and Bolton School aim to create a space where people can come together to meet, play, and connect through the sport of padel.

Chapter 14

School’s

£60,000 for Malawi Street Children

School’s £60,000 for Malawi Street Children

For the past several years, Bolton School has been raising money to support and uplift street children in Malawi. This fundraising, which was ﬁrst inspired by Junior Girls’ School teacher Mrs. Julia Marsden’s trip to Malawi in 2017, culminated in a whole school charity walk at the end of the Summer Term that brought the grand total to an incredible £60,000.

The money will support Great Minds Bright Futures, a charity founded by Bolton School parent Dave Armstrong, which aims to give Malawian children a better future by providing education opportunities, creating safe spaces for vulnerable children to grow, and supporting them as young adults into work.

The whole of the Bolton School Foundation was involved in the sponsored walk, from the youngest children in the Nursery all the way through to Sixth Form students.

1,200 Senior School pupils and Sixth Formers in the Girls’ and Boys’ Divisions undertook a whole-day walk from the School site on Chorley New Road to the top of Rivington Pike. Primary Division children did their bit too: Junior Boys and Girls walked around the School’s tiered playing ﬁelds, known as the Levels, while the Nursery and Infant School walked through their playground and garden. Primary Division children were also involved in dancing to Shakira’s ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’.

Great Minds Bright Futures representatives Mr. Armstrong, Joanne Braithwaite, Katie Porter and Jack Preston came into School to be presented with a cheque for £60,000 by children and young people from across the Bolton School Foundation, who were involved in the fundraising.

Mr. Armstrong said: ‘I am truly grateful for the contribution of each pupil, their families and the School. Sixty thousand pounds is an incredible amount that will go a long way in Malawi, supporting the education of orphaned and vulnerable children, not just this generation, but future generations.

‘Having volunteered supporting projects in Malawi for 20 years, I have seen ﬁrst-hand the impact of quality education on Malawians and how it can raise a family from poverty.

‘I want every pupil of Bolton School to be enormously proud of their efforts; it has been a pleasure working with them and the staff at the school, from Sergeants and Reception staff to teachers and Mr. Britton. I hope Great Minds Bright Futures and Bolton School have a long relationship working together to improve the lives of those less fortunate.’

Mrs. Marsden said: ‘I am eternally grateful to the pupils, parents, friends, and alumni of Bolton School, whose generosity has been nothing short of extraordinary. My deepest thanks also go to Great Minds Bright Futures for being the driving force behind this vision. Together, we are not just changing lives; we are shaping futures.’

Chapter 15 A snapshot of extra-curricular school life

For their success in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, congratulations to the following Year 13 boys:

Copper Award: Hashim Choudry, Adam Faulkner, Khushal Gola, Oscar Horrigan, Huzayfa Ismail and Adam Patel

Silver Award: Ramez Alio, Jonathan Frank and Jamie Logan

Congratulations to the following Year 13 boys on their success in the BM Schools Academic Quiz Challenge. A new competition this year, the quiz saw students from across the UK compete individually against the clock to secure the highest score in a challenging set of general knowledge questions.

Bronze awards were awarded to Adam Berisford and Fraser Sackﬁeld, Silver to Ryan Coombes and Anish Patel and Gold to Mark Lintott and Arun Patel. Scoring a Diamond award and tenth overall position in the competition was Adam Faulkner. Hopefully, this Sixth Form success will encourage younger boys to enter in the Intermediate and Junior competitions later this year.

Sebastian Chen (8d) is the first boy to read and review all three of the shortlisted books for the Bolton Children’s Fiction Awards 2025. Well done! In addition to this certificate and special badge, he will be invited to attend the Book Award Day on 3rd April 2025. Although it is aimed specifically at Year 7 students, we have pupils in all year groups (and teachers) who enjoy reading and participating in the Book Awards.

This academic year, the School is using Sparx Reader to engage boys with regular, focused reading. Already, boys have completed 4,668 hours of reading and read 1,107 books over this term, which is an amazing achievement.

In particular, the following boys have achieved ‘Gold Reader’ status. Some boys have retained their Gold Reader status from last half term, and some boys have achieved it for the ﬁrst time this year. They each receive a Distinction to commend their eﬀorts.

Year 7: Hashim Abbas, Yousif Abuelgasim, David Alalade, Deacon Alexander, Saifullah Amjad, Jason Vedh Bandaru, Reihan Becic, Om Chandar, Dong, Mosope Fasuyi, Amaan Gani,

Zachary Hanif, Ahmed Imtiaz, Ali Imtiaz, Isaac Jaiyeola, Muhammad Jusab, Dom Kerfoot, Yaman Leila, Michael Leong, Vincent Liu, Harlan Moore, Raa'id Motala, Yahya Seedat, Jude Tatin

Year 8 : Huzaifah Adam, Daksh Anand, Alistair Ashworth, Sebastian Chen, Jake Clarke, Noah Field, Joseph Grundy, Junaid

Jusab, Milan Kumar, Tadi Mambongo, Sasha Milne, Ashton Morrissey, Abdulmateen Ogunnusi, Chimdiebube Oraegbunam, Zaidan Master, Jawad Murtada, Rhys Parry, Joseph Stoddart

Year 9: Amir Gani, George Glover, Uzair Haris, Sabry Ibrahim, Saif

Karim, Moses Kopicki, Derek Leong, Justin Li, Daniel Linas, Egan Moore, Tejas Neelam, Aleks Neklesa-Ford, Muhammad Uzair

Pandor, Dhruv Parbat, James Peters, Max Preston, Ahmed Umar

The top readers for this year each receive a £10 gift vouchers to reward their eﬀorts:

Year 7: Zachary Hanif (7a) and Yahya Seedat (7f)

Year 8: Dawar Hassan (8b) and Chimdiebube Oraegbunam (8a)

Year 9: Mohammed Hussain (9e) and Tejas Neelam (9c)

Year 10: Adam Patel (10a)

The Drawing Competition was voted for by the current Year 7s:

1st place: Mateo Sprott (9d)

2nd place: Musa Akram (8d)

3rd place: Nish Gowda (9c)

Art Department Prize - Ritti Ma (13B, Girls’ Division)

Art Department Prize - Parveen Patel (13D, Girls’ Division)

Art Department Prize - Benjamin Sheard (10d)

The Photography Competition was voted for by visitors to Open Day.

1st place: Abbas Khambalia (9d)

2nd place: William Martin (13f)

Art Department Prize - Elizabeth Green (13A Girls’ Division)

Art Department Prize - Thomas Morrison (11b)

Well done to all involved. All work can be viewed outside the A12 Art Studio.

Congratulations to the following pupils who recently gained the following music qualiﬁcations during this Autumn Term:

Peter McCreedy 11e Grade 5 Violin Distinction

Lucas Ng 11b Grade 5 Organ Merit

Rith Narla 11e Grade 5 Piano Merit. Taran Guduru 8d Grade 5 Piano Pass

George Pickett 9d Grade 4 Cello Pass

Aaron Pierson 7a Grade 3 Violin Merit.

Harlan Moore 7d Grade 2 Piano Merit.

Tyler Humphreys 8b Grade 1 Bassoon Distinction

The Top Commendations this term were awarded to:

Vedh Bandaru (7e) 74

Alex Metcalfe (8e) 100

Tejas Neelam (9c) 66.

Lucas Bishop (10e) 63

Zain Burrill (11a) 33

Nathan Watts (12c) 14

William Martin (13f) 11

Bolton School recently hosted the qualifying round of the English Schools Chess Championship . Teams from King’s Macclesﬁeld and Cheadle Hulme came to challenge us and, three hours of rapid play later, we were clear winners.

Congratulations to both our ‘A team’ (Luke Burns, Leon McGuigan Lazo, Amrit Mishra, Samarth Misra, Marlon Wen and Zac Walsh) and our ‘B team’ (Edward Chu, Thomas Humphreys, Ryan Hung, Marton Lange, Ashton Morrissey, Dheer Shah, and Daniel Titiloye) who qualiﬁed for the knockout stages. The ‘A team’ won all three of their matches and the ‘B team’ won two out of three, losing out only to our ‘A team’. Well done to everyone who took part.

Congratulations to Rory Freestone (10b), who sailed in the ILCA UK 2024 Inland Championships at Grafham Water Sailing Club over half term. Rory only recently started sailing in this fleet and the competition is tough (there are some very experienced and much older sailors in the fleet). Rory managed to finish all his races, learnt a lot about his boat and achieved some encouraging results. Well done, Rory!

Over the past 12 months or so, students have had the opportunity to participate in sailing at school. For some, it was a taster whilst for others, it was to develop their racing skills.

Students have worked towards gaining their Royal Yachting Association Youth Scheme certiﬁcates. Very well done to them.

The following students have achieved Stage 1 of the scheme:

Mohammedessa Ali (10g), Sammy Ali (8f), Srikar Bandaru (8f), Ethan Cao (8a), Jensen Heath (9a), Charles Kaboutian (10b), Justin Li (9a), Aaron Susol (9f), Philip Tsang (10d), Janek Zarobkiewicz (8a) and Oliver Zhu (8b)

The Football 1st Xl beat RGS Newcastle 2-1 on last week in the last 16 and they are now in the National Quarter Finals – very well done, boys. The Rugby season has continued to be a successful one. The Under 12s and Under 13s have continued to develop well, with almost 70 boys representing school between the two year groups. The Under 14s have progressed to the Lancashire Cup Quarterﬁnal, facing Hutton Grammar School later in December.

The Under 15s played MGS for the National Bowl; it was a very close call: 22-17 to

MGS. They play Ormskirk Grammar in the Lancashire Cup Quarter-ﬁnal later in December. The Seniors played King William’s College, Isle of Man, for the ﬁrst time in many years earlier in the term and we look forward to heading over there, on tour, next season. Individually, we have had several players selected for representative sides this term.

The last of the summer sport ﬁxtures took place in midSeptember with the Year 8s playing the postponed Under 12s Lancashire Cricket Cup Final against Manchester Grammar School. This closely-fought game of schoolboy cricket was hosted by Egerton Cricket Club, and went to the very last over with the Bolton team in an agonising run chase. Though they at last fell short by eight with a ﬁnal score of 121, it was a great achievement to reach the Final and take second place.

Both our Year 7 and Year 8/9 Cross Country teams won the Town Cross Country events . Out of the best runners from

the twenty schools in the town, with over 150 runners in each race, several boys ﬁnished in the top 20. The combined positions of each school’s top 6 runners were recorded.

Aryan Nunkoo won the Year 8/9 race, while Daniel Bleakley ﬁnished runner-up. Amos Thompson came second in the Year 7 race.

Ethan Kennair and Mateo Sprott were selected for the Under 14s North West Inter-regional water polo team, which competed recently.

Bolton School’s Intermediate Swimming Team, consisting of Ethan Blyth, Oliver Carter,

Aryan Nunkoo and James Vaughan, has achieved a remarkable feat, ﬁnishing 26th in the country at the prestigious English Schools’ Swimming Association Finals. After qualifying

through a strong regional performance in Blackpool, the team advanced to the Finals, which were held at the Sandwell Aquatic Centre in Birmingham. The team's impressive journey saw them compete against some of the best school swimmers across the nation. Their performance in the Final was testament to their hard work, dedication and teamwork, with the boys showcasing exceptional skill and resilience throughout the competition.

The end of October saw the Year 12 boys head to Patterdale Hall for the highly anticipated annual Amatt Challenge. This thrilling event involved navigating the Lake District, camping out, and earning points through various tasks. Fierce competition ensued throughout the week, as 15 teams strategized their way to victory. Some teams opted for a strategy of covering longer distances and accumulating points by completing more puzzles and challenges, while others focused on climbing peaks to earn higher points at the top.

In the end, Group 2 emerged victorious with an impressive 11,625 points, claiming the top spot in this intense and adventurous competition. Well done to William Earnshaw, Ethan Herring, Marcus Law, Kelsey Liu, Billy Minshull, Austin Shelly and James Wilson.

This year, Blackburn House is continuing to support Blackburn Foodbank, Chorley House is supporting Cardiac Risk in the Young, Manchester House is raising money to buy deﬁbrillators for local sports clubs and Wigan House is continuing to support

Bolton Green Umbrella. Thank you for your continued support in what are excellent causes.

The ﬁrst Non-uniform Day raised £1500. The Charities Committee has decided to use the funds from House Day to support three charities, each receiving £500 each:

The Nest – This is helping to purchase a minibus for a local nursery to provide new opportunities for low-income families with children who have special needs.

Help for Heroes – The money has gone towards supporting families who have had military experience including ﬁnding accommodation, new work skills etc.

Holly’s Hearts – a North West based charity, which improve the lives of children with cancer by providing gifts and experiences to create heart-warming memories.

In November, the school foundation generously donated £1637 towards the Poppy appeal, a signiﬁcant increase on last year’s total. Currently we are nearing the end of our Hamper challenge for Urban Outreach and closing in on our target of 2000 cans, which will form part of the Christmas Hampers that will be delivered to families in need during the holidays.

There is still time to donate to the School Christmas charities and get yourself one of our superb ‘Socks in the Box’ gifts for your loved ones to open on Christmas Day. These are selling on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Haselden Room by the Dining Hall at morning break and at lunchtimes. The money raised will go to the Emmaus Social Enterprise Community, who work with people who have experienced homelessness and Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, who care for unwanted pets abandoned after Christmas. Mr. Newbold would like to thank all of the Sixth Form Charities Team for the eﬀorts this term in helping to make all of this possible.

Credits

Editor: Miss K.S. Wrathmell

Contributors: Miss A. Bradshaw, Miss. A. Wilson, Mr. N.L. Ford, Mr. P.J. Britton, Ms. N.R. Lord, Mr. M.G. Chilton, Ms. S.V. Burgess, Mr. P. Lovatt, Mr. C. Hunt, Mr. D. Kettle, Mr. D.F. Teasdale, Mrs. M. Howarth, Mrs. A. Caller, Mrs. L.R. Acton, Mrs. C.A. Brace, Ms. J.Z. Sigrist, Mrs. M.A. Ryder, Mr. I.K. Forgrieve, Mr. P. Costello, Dr. M. Procter, Mr. L. Watkinson, Mrs. M.A. Lapinskas, Mr. P.J. Newbold