Bolton School is proud to have been featured in The Social Mobility List 2026.
The Social Mobility List is an initiative organised by Making The Leap, which commends individuals, charities and companies who are making a significant impact towards advancing social mobility across the UK. Bolton School is one of 10 Schools/Colleges to be included nationally.
The School has been recognised in the 2026 List for its deep and longstanding commitment to ensuring that financial circumstances never limit a child’s access to an exceptional education. In recent years, impactful partnerships with OnSide Youth Zones and The Bursary Foundation have helped to increase equitable access to the School’s bursary scheme by identifying, nurturing and encouraging potential candidates. An innovative, tailored pastoral care programme for bursary recipients ensures that students are fully supported throughout their time at Bolton School and beyond as they move into adult life through alumni mentoring programmes.
In May 2025, the School launched the ambitious Open Futures Bursary Campaign, which aims to expand the School’s already nationally-leading bursary provision from supporting one in five to supporting one in three pupils. This campaign has galvanised the community and accelerated progress towards this vision: read more about its success in the Giving Report, published earlier this week.
This sustained and systematic work to enable social mobility for Bolton School pupils goes hand in hand with the School’s ongoing wider Partnership work.
In the past year, the School has worked with secondary schools, Higher Education (HE) providers, youth leaders and the wider community to provide a wide range of activities that have benefitted 3,050 young people. This includes curriculum workshops to suit partner schools’ needs in music, Classics, STEM, the arts and more; organising large-scale events such as the Primary Football Festival, Year 9 Physical Olympics and Bolton Children’s Fiction Awards; and sharing Bolton School facilities and staff expertise. All of these activities help broaden young people’s experiences and raise their aspirations, supporting social mobility for students across Bolton and the surrounding region.
Last year, Bolton School was named the ‘School/College of the Year’ at the 2025 UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs) for its work. These prestigious awards have been described as the ‘Oscars for Social Mobility’ and recognise organisations and individuals who go above and beyond to level the playing field for people from less-advantaged socio-economic backgrounds across the UK. The School was also named ‘Independent School of the Year for Contribution to Social Mobility 2025’ at the Independent School Parent magazine’s Independent School of the Year Awards.
Head of Foundation Philip Britton said:
“Everyone here is incredibly proud that Bolton School has been included in The Social Mobility List 2026. Being recognised in this way is a wonderful celebration of the work undertaken by so many colleagues, in so many different ways, to improve the prospects of young people - both those who wish to attend our Senior Schools with the support of a bursary, and the many hundreds of primary and secondary age students from across Bolton and beyond who take part in our partnership activities.”
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Year 6s Explore Spirals at School's STEM Event")
