4 - 8 April 2011

Wanderers’ Steinsson Spreads Anti-Racism Message Year 7 boys were delighted to meet up with Wanderers' right back Gretar Steinsson during the final session of the SCARF project at Bolton School. For the past nine weeks nineteen boys, along with pupils from Sharples High School, have been enjoying practical and theory sessions run by Bolton Wanderers' Community Trust on the thorny issue of racism. The project, Schools, Communities and Anti-Racism in Football (SCARF), aims to promote community cohesion and reduce racism by removing barriers and encouraging positive interaction between groups and individuals of all ages. The whole of Year 7 has also enjoyed some professional training from four of BWFC's top coaches. After helping out in the session about racism, the Premiership star was grilled by the pupils on a whole range of topics - from racism to what goes on behind the scenes at Bolton Wanderers. Sticking with football, the Boys' Division U12s football team have won the Town Cup after beating Turton High School 4-3 in a thrilling final. The School also played host to the other Town Cup age group finals in an afternoon of wonderful football. Congratulations to all the boys involved!

Also this week, over two hundred and forty participants from across the Bolton School family demonstrated their musical prowess with a stunning performance of Josef Haydn's 'The Creation'. The School's Joint Orchestra, along with members of staff provided Haydn's colourful and imaginative instrumental accompaniment. The Girls' Division Senior Choir, Boys' Division Senior Choir, Bolton School Chamber Choir combined with the Parents' Choir, comprising parents, staff, governors, former pupils and friends of the School, to offer a magnificent choral ensemble for the challenging and exacting choruses. Junior Boys have also been showing off their musical talent with a host of seasonal music and song in the annual Spring Concert. The Boys' Division Great Hall was packed with family and friends who enjoyed performances from the schools' bands and ensembles and both the Lower and Upper School Choirs, along with solo performances from the boys on a number of different musical instruments including drums, guitar, piano, cornet, cello, and saxophone.

Year 7 boys have won the Greater Manchester Indoor Athletics Championships, overcoming nine other schools from across Greater Manchester as they took part in a range of track and field events. Craig Borrows took a gold medal in the long jump with an outstanding 4.51m effort and Andrew Lee and James Kay picked up silver medals in the 800m and 400m respectively. Niall Hesson gained a credible fourth place in the shot putt. And Bolton School staff took part in a teacher tag rugby league session at Smithills School to help promote rugby league in the Bolton area. The event was organised by Leigh Centurions player and Bolton community rugby league officer, John Duffy, who has been coaching at several schools in the borough including Bolton school. The first game against Rivington and Blackrod ended an honourable draw and in the second game our staff just lost out to Westhoughton. The night was a huge success and the teams will be meeting again as the official curtain raiser before the Leigh Centurions v Batley game on Sunday 1st May.

Senior Girls certainly seized the opportunity when they stumbled across a world record-breaking knitting effort taking place in Coventry Cathedral. The girls were there as part of their Stratford trip and ended up throwing themselves into the venture and helping raise thousands for Comic Relief. The story is here.