Bolton School (Girls’ Division and Boys’ Division) has won Independent School Parent magazine’s inaugural Independent School of the Year Award as decided upon by a judging panel comprising leading figures from the sector. The submission focussed on the School’s work in and with the local community, pupils’ volunteering as well as the wide range of extra-curricular and academic achievement across both divisions. In the same awards, the Boys’ Division was named Independent Boys’ School of the Year and the Girls’ Division was highly commended in the Independent Girls’ School of the Year category. The School was also highly commended in the Independent School of the Year for Community Outreach section, where the entry focused on the hosting and organising of the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award. There were almost 250 entries to the awards.
Chair of the Awards, Dr Helen Wright, said: “Well done on the success of your school, and the great work that you do!”.
Girls’ Division Headmistress and GSA President-Elect for 2019 Sue Hincks said: “We are delighted to receive this award. We are a large school and across both divisions there is so much to celebrate both in and out of the classroom. It is gratifying that our engagement with the local community has been recognised, including our enrichment lectures, educational and sporting festivals for local children, our SHINE Saturday morning programme, our Sixth Formers providing afternoon tea for local residents and our organising of the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award.”
Philip Britton, Headmaster of the Boys’ Division said: “We strive to ensure that our pupils go out into the world capable of making a difference for good so for their volunteering work, including large numbers of pupils who undertake DofE and NCS, to be acknowledged is particularly pleasing. The Award also recognises the part we play in the community, including recently becoming the Northern hub school for the DfE’s drive to recruit more MFL and Maths and Physics teachers.”
Henry Barton of Independent School Parent said: “I would like to congratulate you for winning both the Independent School of the Year Award and The Boys' School of the Year Award. You were also highly commended in the Girls' School of the Year award which is just a fantastic achievement. We were overwhelmed by the response to our inaugural awards and it was a highly competitive category so an incredible achievement to have won.”
The Independent School Parent Magazine tweeted news of the award by saying: “Among many other fantastic achievements, last year the school was the first in the country to be awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. Many congratulations!” and, reflecting on the Awards, commented that: “The judges were delighted by the positive and public response to the awards, which were held to celebrate the quality of the student experience in British independent schools. They scrutinised every entry and enjoyed reading stories of transformative and innovative projects in schools from Scotland to Cornwall. What the entries to the awards showed was an independent school sector that is truly thriving: from small rural pre-preps through to senior schools which are household names.”