BOLTON School has won the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS).

The unique national honour was created by The Queen in 2002 to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee, recognising excellence in voluntary activities carried out by groups in the community.

It is the highest accolade given to local volunteer groups and is the equivalent of an MBE for an individual.

To celebrate winning the award, school representatives attended a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

The award is for the whole school which has a Nursery to Sixth Form offer. Headmistress of the school's Girls' Division, Sue Hincks, said: "We are absolutely delighted to win this award, which reflects the wide range of community activities that our pupils are involved with — from our infants singing for local older residents to our sixth formers committing thousands of hours of their time to voluntary service."

The QAVS has been awarded in recognition of the voluntary work done by the entire school — from its nursery up to sixth form.

Boys' Division headmaster Philip Britton was equally pleased with the award.

He added: "Our pupils serve local, national and international communities and, in doing so, establish a habit of volunteering for the benefit of themselves and others.

"Our thanks go out to all who have contributed to this prestigious award. We believe we are the first school in the country to be honoured in this way."

A letter from the QAVS Service Team to the school said: "The work your group does for the community was very much admired by the independent assessment committee, chaired by Sir Martyn Lewis CBE, and I am delighted to inform you that your group has been selected as a recipient for The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2017.

"The award represents a tremendous achievement for your organisation. We hope that everyone involved, and particularly your volunteers, feel immensely proud of the recognition that this award represents."