Bolton School, Bolton | Fees, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

My daughter has just completed her A-levels and my son is preparing to take his GCSEs. Both have attended Bolton School from Year 7. We have been incredibly pleased with every aspect of school in both divisions, but most especially with the wide range of opportunities offered to the children. Sport is very varied, meaning even those children who wouldn’t class themselves as ‘sporty’ can find themselves becoming passionate in certain areas. In our opinion, all children are encouraged to be the best they can be, which is everything we wanted from a school.

My daughter started in Y7 at Bolton School Girls’ Division at the beginning of September 2021. Having spent two years in turmoil during COVID, and knowing no-one in the school, we did have concerns over our daughter’s social wellbeing and her ability to cope with the academic side of secondary education. We have been overwhelmed by the pastoral support offered to the Girls, alongside the exceptional academic education. Our daughter was encouraged from day one, to develop wide friendship groups, commit herself fully to her studies, and involve herself in as many of the vast array of activities on offer that she wanted to. Bolton School involves parents and guardians, engaging with us every step of the way – academically and socially – giving my daughter an incredible start to young adulthood. With the new ‘Hive Hub’ launched this year to focus even more so on the Girls’ wellbeing, I feel incredibly thankful to Mrs Kyle for her leadership and input.

My son has attended Bolton School from the age of 5 and has just finished his A levels. He has lots of opportunities throughout his school life . Although his main extra curricular activities have revolved around sport where he has represented the school at football, cricket, water polo and hockey he has also been stretched into the arts having the opportunity to act, and play the trumpet in concerts. Discipline is strong in the school but I have found it fair. Academically he has progressed and has turned into a well rounded individual. Thank you Bolton School.

When you tell most people that you went to Bolton School, they respond by telling you how lucky you were. But the reality is very different.

First of all, bullying is very common (at least in the Boys’ Division where I attended). In fact, it’s encouraged by extremely unpleasant teachers who seem determined to create a school of bolshy posh blokes. I was bullied on a daily basis for four years with teachers caring very little. You are not treated as an individual, with competitiveness encouraged to the extreme. If you are quiet and thoughtful, you are made to feel as though something is wrong with you.

On a similar note, everyone is pushed in the same direction; it is just ‘assumed’ that you will enter the sixth form and pursue a traditional university degree after that. As a qualified teacher myself, I can see now how poor the teaching was that I experienced – ‘interactive lectures’ followed by a test was the norm with obviously little or no planning involved. If you are not getting straight A’s, then you are simply not trying!

The emperor has no clothes when it comes to Bolton School. I wouldn’t send my own children there in a million years; unless you are a rugby player or fluent in Ancient Greek, Bolton School is not for you.

Both our sons have been to Bolton school and we have been thoroughly delighted with the standard of education they received both academically and through broader extra curricular activities, opportunities are amazing. The pastoral care is outstanding too.
They started as young boys and left as well rounded young men. They made friends for life.