Opening Celebration for Hesketh House

Wednesday, 06 July 2011

Hesketh House, the Junior Girls' School of Bolton School has been officially opened by Sir Richard Brook, Director of the Leverhulme Trust.  In a ceremony attended by all 188 girls aged 7 to 11 years of age, he unveiled a plaque which marked the official opening of the new state-of-the-art school.  

The special assembly saw the Head Prefects at the School, Anu Jain and Amy Henderson, deliver their reflections on the year and the contents of the time capsule which is to be buried underneath the school.  There was flute playing and some joyous singing by the girls before Mrs Brierley, Headteacher at Hesketh House, told the girls that all present were privileged in being able to bring "life and soul into this new school" and that it was important to remember that each of us is blessed and should treat every day with wonder and awe. 

Parents then joined the party and there was a toast to the new school and a cake-cutting.  The afternoon ended with each child letting off a Hesketh House balloon, which symbolised the "learning without limits" ethos of the school. 

Girls and teachers have been enjoying this spacious and modern building since last September.  It comprises eight classrooms, its own large computer suite, a science room, a well-resourced library, an art, design and technology room and a main hall.  The £5m school, designed by architects Cassidy and Ashton and built by Bolton based contractors G & J Seddon in just over a year, is part of an £18m programme of investment in new buildings and facilities at Bolton School. 

The school was called "Hesketh House" as a tribute to Lord Leverhulme, whose full name was William Hesketh Lever.  It was Lord Leverhulme's vision and endowment in 1915 that brought Bolton High School for Girls and Bolton Grammar School for Boys together to become the Bolton School (Girls' Division and Boys' Division) that we know today.