Bolton School is one of the oldest schools in Lancashire. The
origins of the Boys' School can be traced back to at least 1516
when the Bolton Grammar School for Boys was recorded as being "a
going concern". In 1644 it was endowed by Robert Lever and so began
a long and close relationship with the Lever name.
The Bolton Girls' Day School was established in 1877 and was one
of the earliest public day schools for girls in the country. It was
quickly renamed to Bolton High School for Girls and moved to the
Park Road site (where the current Junior Boys' School stands) in
1891, where it was opened by the suffragist Mrs Millicent
Fawcett with 67 girls.
In 1913 Sir William Hesketh Lever, the first Viscount
Leverhulme, gave a generous joint endowment to the High School for
Girls and the Bolton Grammar School for Boys on condition that the
two should be equal partners known as Bolton School (Boys' and
Girls' Divisions). On 1 April 1915, the Bolton School Foundation
formally came into existence.
William Lever's vision included the building of a new school,
with one wing for boys and one for girls. War delayed the
construction and it did not begin until 1924: it was only fully
completed in 1965.
The School is looking forward to celebrating 500 years of
history and will begin a year of activities in 2015 (100 years
after the School was re-endowed), culminating with a 500 year party
in 2016.
A full history of the School can be downloaded from the bottom
of the page.
| Year |
Event |
| ante 1516 |
Bolton Grammar School for Boys is "a going concern" |
| 1644 |
Robert Lever endows the Bolton Grammar School |
| 17th Century |
Robert Lever funds the School's move from its original Tudor
building with white washed walls and thatched roof to a site next
to Bolton Parish Church |
| 1st October 1877 |
Bolton Girls' Day School is established: it is one of the
earliest public day schools for girls in the country |
| 1891 |
The Girls' Day School quickly changes its name to Bolton High
School for Girls and moves to a site on Park Road (where the
current Junior Boys' School stands) |
| 1899 |
The Bolton Grammar School for Boys moves from its site next to
the Parish Church in Bolton to Westbourne (where the current Boys'
Division Senior School stands) and amalgamates with Bolton High
School for Girls |
| 1908 |
A swimming pool, now the Arts and Conference Centre, is
constructed on the Chorley New Road site |
| 1913 |
William Hesketh Lever, Baronet (later the 1st Viscount
Leverhulme) realises his dream of amalgamating the Bolton
Grammar School for Boys with the Bolton High School for Girls; he
re-endows the School and the Bolton School Foundation formally
comes into existence on 1 April 1915
|
| 1923 |
The School coat-of-arms is granted |
| 1924 |
Construction of new buildings on Chorley New Road begins: one
wing for the Boys' Division and one for the Girls' Division |
| 1950s |
The Tillotson Pavilion is erected through the generosity of the
Tillotson family |
| 1965 |
Completion of the building of the main wings of Bolton School
on Chorley New Road |
| 1982 |
Leverhulme Pavilion at Oldfield on Chorley New Road is
opened |
| 1993 |
The Arts & Conference Centre replaces the old swimming
pool: it is officially opened by the Princess of Wales |
| 1998 |
Bolton School Nursery is opened |
| 1998 |
Beech House After School Club begins and, subsequently, becomes
Kidzone |
| June 2009 |
Infants move into their brand new school on Dobson Road |
| December 2009 |
The opening of the Junior Boys' School's £1.5m
extension and refurbishments |
| September 2010 |
The new state-of-the-art Junior Girls' School 'Hesketh House'
is completed and pupils move in at the start of the new school
year |
Download a full
history from our downloads section.