Mrs Richards, Headmistress of Bolton School Girls' Division, welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, Mr & Mrs Connell, the High Sheriff and her husband, Mrs & Mr Conn, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bolton, Dr George Holmes, the Mace Bearer, Mr Derek Truffas as well as the Chair of Governors, Mr Michael Griffiths, the special guest Mrs Anne Dean, Assistant Director of The Leverhulme Trust, governors, staff, parents and pupils.
Mrs Richards' address told of how, in its 130th year, the School had once again celebrated a strong set of academic results. At A Level an impressive 80% of entries were graded A or B and almost all girls were going to their first choice of university. A third of the cohort gained 3, 4 or 5 A grades at A Level. This standard is achieved by only one in thirty students nationally. The GCSE results were also very good with 75% of entries graded A* or A and almost 2/3 of the cohort gaining 9A* or A grades. This set of results meant the Girls’ Division was ranked 75th best independent school in the country at GCSE. The AS Level results also boded well for next year.
The top 10 independent schools were all single-sex schools and Mrs Richards reiterated her strong conviction that girls do better in single sex environments where gender stereotyping is reduced.
Mrs Richards also condemned the media clamour to denounce today’s A Levels. She made reference to how A Levels today are different in their structure from exams ten years ago and that the skills of analysis and judgment are now more important than memory. She commented: "Tell these girls here tonight, their teachers and parents that A Levels are easy and I do not think you will find they agree with you. Those girls who gain high grades deserve them.”
The speech proclaimed the Girls’ Division as being in good health - with both the Nursery and Beech House Infants’ School having to provide waiting lists. The Junior and Senior Schools were also thriving and offering outstanding opportunities for girls in a whole range of extra-curricular activities – in Sports, Drama, Music, charity work, trips and outdoor activities. This holistic education provides them with skills such as teamwork, risk taking, confidence, adaptability, enterprise and inventiveness which they will require in the world of work.
Mrs Richards told the audience that only this week it had been reported that the number of women at the top of the business world is in decline again, the worst for five years. She said: "The world awaits you ladies, why not follow in the footsteps of Caroline Plumb of Freshminds or Sara Murray of Confused.com, both old girls of the School?"
"A celebration of outstanding success" is how the new Chairman of Governors, Mr Michael Griffiths, summed up the year in Bolton School Girls’ Division. In his opening address, he praised both teaching staff and the girls on another highly successful year. He also thanked the guest speaker Dr Anne Dean, Assistant Director of The Leverhulme Trust for attending the event and handing out prizes. He noted the important link that the school has with the Leverhulme name – ever since Lord Leverhulme re-endowed the School in 1913 on the proviso that the School offers an education to all academically gifted children, irrespective of parental income. Today the School offers almost three hundred pupils bursary assistance and is striving to double the bursary fund over the next 10 years.
Dr Anne Dean, the Assistant Director of The Leverhulme Trust, presented the prizes and gave an inspirational speech. She told those graduating students to aim for perfection in all that they do and, even if perfection is not reached, the results will still be spectacular. She hoped that the girls would lead "happy lives, full of interest and purpose."
The evening ended with a Vote of Thanks from the Head Girl, Jessica Smith, and rousing renditions of Jerusalem and The School Song.