The first Heads’ Blog

This week we are launching the new Bolton School blogging site. Various teachers, girls and boys have been blogging for a little while but we have now reached a critical moment when we can make this a significant part of school life.
The plan is to use the blogs as an innovative and modern learning method where girls and boys can shape ideas by discussion with each other and their teachers. Some of the blogs will help keep people in touch with our activities û the Tenacity blog is one of our oldest and has kept parents in touch during their childrenÆs voyages around the UK.
In this HeadsÆ blog we will take turns to share with you thoughts about what we have been doing recently at school and in the wider Bolton School Community as well as commenting on national and local educational issues.
Last week we both attended the Alumni dinner in Edinburgh. To be able to sustain a gathering of Old BoysÆ and GirlsÆ so far afield first tells us a lot about the wide reaching arm of Bolton School. The discussion was all about times past û the adventurous activities, sport, drama, music, the quirks and habits of teachers. What is always striking about these dinners is that the school and its ethos are enduring û we care about academic enrichment, seeking to find that spark of intellectual curiosity; we care about nurturing decent people; and we care about them having a breadth to their lives through taking up activities. Three Old Boys at school recently, including Tony Wadsworth, former Chief Executive of EMI records, have said that the interests they listed on their school leaving form are exactly those that they have today. School experience really does help shape a whole life.
This week we have had the PrefectsÆ and MonitorsÆ leaving party and later in the week the year 13 will head off on study leave. The leadership role they have had in school is terrific and in many cases they will not have such responsibilities for several more years to come in their careers. Developing leadership styles, learning by mistakes and taking responsibility for actions is a huge part of sixth form life and is only made possible in a school where there are younger children to lead. Soon we will meet them at Alumni dinners and they will tell their own tales.
What is sure is that the stories will be different to those we heard in Edinburgh û they will be in a different context, about different teachers and may well even mention their blogs, but they will share the same enduring ethos that makes a Bolton School boy and girl what they are.