HEADMASTER of Bolton School boys' division praised students for their work and enthusiasm during the most challenging of times.

Philip Britton said: "It is such a joy to celebrate with the boys this morning as they receive their results and make plans for the next steps in their life beyond Bolton School.

"They had essentially one normal term of Sixth Form life before the pandemic. Throughout that time, they have kept motivated, worked from home and, when in school, fully engaged with all we can do. They have acted in filmed plays, recorded for online concerts, spoken at Zoom assemblies and played matches within school when they could not play other schools.

"The spirit they have shown in enjoying what can be rather than moaning about what could not happen has been exceptional.

"Although the public reports were that exams were cancelled, actually assembling the basket of evidence probably involved more sustained preparation and assessment than the normal exam process and certainly in more difficult circumstances.

"That the results are terrific this morning and allow students to move on to their next steps is all about their tenacity and the professionalism and determination of their teachers.

"It is not a day for trying to compare results with previous years, because this year, like last, is not like any other year. We must remember that this last few years have disrupted education more than any event since the Second World War. Trying to imagine things would be normal and comparable is wrong – of course things are not normal.

"But what is just as usual is that the Bolton School boys have been adaptable and determined, just as they always are.’

The Bolton News: Bolton School boys on A-level day. Photo by Mark Power at www.karlkramer.co.uk

(Bolton School boys on A-level day. Photo by Mark Power at www.karlkramer.co.uk)

 

Four of the school’s athletes will be travelling to the US for their studies after securing sports scholarships: Alfie Yearsley and Tom Simpson will begin their studies this September, with Luca Williams-Denton and Jensen Myerscough deferring their places to 2022.

Three boys head to Oxbridge places: Jude Ashcroft to study Classics at Cambridge, Thomas Britton to read History at Oxford and Jack Danson to study MFL at Oxford.

A breakdown shows that 70 per cent of students in the boys’ division achieved at least ABB grades, which allows access to the top universities. Almost two thirds (62.6%) of grades awarded this year were A* or A, of which 26.5 per cent are A*, and 84.9 per cent of grades were between A* and B. The pass rate for the cohort of 110 was 100 per cent.