This year’s guest speaker for the Bolton School Girls’ Division Presentation Evening was Old Girl Ursula Newton (née Farrell, Class of 1983). After studying Mathematics at university, Ursula joined Price Waterhouse in 1988 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant, later becoming a Partner at PwC specialising in Capital Markets. During her career, she was also an adviser on the Financial Conduct Authority’s Listing Authority Advisory Panel and the London Stock Exchange’s Primary Markets Group. She retired from PwC in 2025.
She joined parents, families, staff and students in the Great Hall for this prestigious occasion, which annually celebrates the achievements of Girls’ Division students.
Ursula’s fascinating and encouraging address, which followed the presentation of GCSEs, A Levels and School Prizes, reflected on what her time at Bolton School and her subsequent career had taught her, and what might be most relevant to students as they look towards the opportunities ahead.
Ursula began by recalling her own Presentation Evenings as a Bolton School pupil, before considering the very different world today’s students are preparing to enter. She spoke about the rapid development of AI and technology alongside wider changes taking place across the world, but encouraged students to view these from a constructive perspective, reminding them that “one person’s challenge is another person’s opportunity”.
Reflecting on her career, Ursula explained that spending more than 40 years with the same firm did not mean doing the same job throughout. Her career brought a huge amount of variety, giving her opportunities to work around the world and experience different areas of the business. She had been fortunate to find something she was both passionate about and good at, but also believed that “we make our own luck”.
Throughout her career, Ursula had tried to say yes to anything new that came her way, reminding herself that not having done something before did not mean she could not learn. She encouraged the students to adopt the same positive approach, explaining that a reputation for saying yes can open up new opportunities.
Turning to AI and the future of work, Ursula reflected on the enormous technological changes she had experienced during her career. When she started work, communications were written by hand, typed by a secretary and sent through the post. Today’s workplace looks very different, but Ursula said change is guaranteed and those willing to adapt and embrace new technology will be best placed to make the most of it.
While AI will change how people work, Ursula stressed that human skills will continue to be vital. She said that developing the skills that allow us to think critically, adapt to change, communicate effectively and work successfully with others, alongside an ability to work with AI and technology, will be important for the future.
Reflecting again on her time at Bolton School, Ursula said one of the key messages she took away was the belief that she could do anything she wanted to if she really set her mind to it. Ursula encouraged the students not to be afraid to ask questions and, importantly, not to be afraid to “dream big”.
Finally, Ursula reminded the students of the importance of their achievements beyond their excellent examination results, with activities outside the classroom demonstrating their wide range of skills, their drive and commitment and the ability to work with others. As they look towards the different paths ahead, she encouraged them to do so with confidence and optimism, knowing that Bolton School had given them “a great foundation to stand on and set them up for a great future”.
Following the address, Head Girl Ashriya Fernando thanked Ursula for her speech and her words of advice.
The programme for Presentation Evening also included a musical performance of Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy, performed by Year 13 student Sasha Bartalotta, and, as is tradition, the audience was invited to join in singing two hymns: I Vow to Thee, My Country and Jerusalem. The evening also included an organ performance of Toccata by Georgi Muschel.
During the evening, the audience also heard from Ms Amanda Valentine (Class of 1983), Vice Chair of Governors for the Girls’ Division, who welcomed guests to the event on behalf of the Governing Body. She spoke about the Governors’ determination that Bolton School should remain affordable for as many families as possible and reflected on the School’s longstanding commitment to widening access, from the Open Door Bursary Campaign, launched exactly 50 years previously, to today’s Open Futures Bursary Campaign and its ambition to provide financial support for 1 in 3 pupils. Ms Valentine celebrated the sense of community recognised in the Girls’ Division’s successful inspection and commended the girls’ contribution to the wider community, including more than 5,700 hours of volunteering by last year’s Year 12 and over £22,000 raised for charity. Finally, she encouraged the newest Alumni to make the most of the opportunities ahead and remain part of the Bolton School network. She urged them to “be bold and try to make a difference for good”.
Mrs Lynne Kyle, the Head of Girls’ Division, also reflected on the many achievements celebrated in the Hall and across the School throughout the year. She congratulated pupils on their excellent GCSE and A Level outcomes, while reminding them that education is about much more than grades and celebrating the breadth of achievement beyond the classroom. Mrs Kyle thanked everyone who had supported the students throughout their time at School. Addressing the Year 13 leavers in particular, she reflected on the friendships they had formed and encouraged them to remain open to unexpected opportunities and the possibility that their ambitions might change, before raising a final toast “to your next chapter”.
Head of Foundation Philip Britton, MBE DL closed the evening with the inaugural presentation of the Nightingale Prize for Values in Action to Stella Rojek, the Margaret Dickinson Prize for Leadership to Madeleine Eccleshare Hornby, the Paulina Prize for Performing Arts to Eleanor Lowe, the Keenan Fritz Lower School Prize for History to Imogen Quint and the Keenan Fritz Prize for Water Sports to Sophie Huang – prizes established in the past year by Alumni of the School. He concluded by presenting the Ross Warburton Scholarships to Aisha Rahat and Sofia Riaz and the Riley Prize to Umme-Hani Khambalia.
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