The Boys' Division celebrated a highly successful year at their annual Prizegiving Ceremony.  Headmaster, Mr Mervyn Brooker, addressed a packed audience of pupils, teachers, parents and governors in the Great Hall.  There had been many highlights over the year.  Academically, new records had been set at A Level with 81.2% of the cohort receiving A and B grades: at GCSE it was the School's largest entry on record and candidates averaged 9.7 passes each, with 50 pupils gaining 9A* and A grades.

The year had also seen the School receive an excellent report from the ISI Inspectorate.  It had been deemed "a remarkable school” and the report commented that “the School is most successful in achieving its aims to meet pupils’ needs through the pursuit of excellence in academic attainment, in the acquisition of knowledge and skills and in achievement across a wide range of activities.”

As well as academic excellence, Mr Brooker emphasised the holistic education on offer at the School.  At Easter, over one third of the staff had been involved in foreign and residential trips and there were now over 90 extra-curricular clubs on offer to the pupils.

Nothing embodied the ethos of holistic education more than the building of a 48 foot sailing boat, “Tenacity of Bolton”, which was completed in May of this year.  This was a community based project involving past and present staff, current and former parents, local volunteers, supporters from the business world and over 1,000 pupils.  The boat will allow pupils to sail in the Irish Sea and off the coast of Scotland.  The efforts of Mr Mike Whitmarsh, ex-Head of Technology and Project Coordinator, had been recognised and he was presented with the North-West Teacher of the Year for Enterprise Award; he will go on to the national final to be seen on BBC TV in October.

Matthew Wilkinson, a Year 13 pupil, would also be going on to represent the School in a national final, having developed and constructed an i-sink and having become the North-West Region Young Engineer for Britain.

As ever there had been many sporting highlights - winning the Lancashire U19 Plate at rugby, the U15s success at the national ISFA football 6-a-side championships, the U18 badminton team winning the Greater Manchester league and cup, the Senior Squad water polo team were runners-up in the National Schools’ Championship, in golf, Paul Drinkwater was crowned as U15 Champion at the Lancashire Schools’ Championships and in tennis the School retained the Boys’ Schools’ Northern U19 Lawn Tennis Trophy.

However, the award for outstanding performance went to Year 12 student, Daniel Sliwinski, who is the UK Schools’ Games Gold Medallist in 100m breaststroke and holder of the British Junior Record for 50m breaststroke.  He became the double British Junior Champion two years ahead of his age group in 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.  He is now part of the British Swimming’s World Class Development programme.

Pupils were also commended for putting something back into the community.  Local primary schools joined our musicians for a joint concert and pupils helped to run the Primary Schools’ Football Tournament, the Junior Schools’ Science Festival, the Junior Schools’ Sports Festival, the Patterdale Challenge for secondary schools as well as raising over £7,000 for different charities.

The assistance of Old Boltonians over the year was also recognised, including their provision of a Sixth Form bursary.  The Tillotson Lecture had been given by an Old Boy, Professor Nigel Slater and the next lecture would also be given by an Old Boy, Professor Chris Higson of London Business School.

Mr Brooker paid thanks to some outstanding contributions from teachers that were retiring or moving on.  Mr Colin Edmundson had been at the School for 22 years during which time he had taught Music, Latin, Greek and Law.  Mr Richard Freem had been a masters in the Boys’ Division for 37 years; the Headmaster commented “this is the kind of loyalty that has helped to make our Division what it is today.”  Mr Kevin Knibbs, who had been at the School for 12 years, was also commended for the excellent results he had achieved, including many Oxbridge successes.

Special guest at the event was the School’s Chairman of Governors, Sir Alan Cockshaw.  Sir Alan has been Chairman for 10 years, becoming a governor in 1991 and the Chair in 1997.  In a rousing speech, he talked about the wonderful opportunities that lie ahead for pupils and the importance of aiming high in life and grasping these opportunities.  His wife presented prizes to pupils.

The afternoon was rounded off with the pupils giving their traditional rendition of “Jerusalem”.