Bolton School Boys’ Division and Bolton School Girls’ Division are two parts of the same historic independent school foundation in Greater Manchester. They share the same campus, traditions and overall governance, but they operate as separate single-sex schools for pupils aged 11–18.

Official school website
https://www.boltonschool.org/

Admissions and entry

Both divisions are selective independent schools and require pupils to pass entrance assessments before being offered a place.

The Boys’ Division admits boys from around age 7 through to sixth form. Entry normally involves assessments in subjects such as English, mathematics and reasoning, followed by interviews.

The Girls’ Division admits girls across the same age range and follows a similar admissions process, including entrance examinations taken during Year 6 for pupils hoping to join the senior school.

Because the two divisions are part of the same school foundation, their admissions standards and expectations are broadly similar.

Academic results

Both divisions achieve strong academic results and have a reputation for academic success in the North West.

The Boys’ Division regularly achieves high A-level results with a large proportion of grades at A*–A and A*–B.

The Girls’ Division also performs strongly academically and consistently achieves high GCSE and A-level results.

Students from both divisions progress to universities across the UK, including Russell Group institutions and occasionally Oxford and Cambridge.

School environment

Although the divisions share the same overall school foundation, their environments differ slightly because they are single-sex schools.

The Boys’ Division focuses on an all-boys educational environment, with teaching designed to support how boys learn and develop confidence both academically and socially.

The Girls’ Division emphasises collaborative learning and aims to build confidence and independence in girls, encouraging them to challenge themselves academically and personally.

Despite these differences, both divisions share similar values and traditions as part of the same school.

Facilities and extracurricular life

Both divisions benefit from the extensive facilities available across the Bolton School campus.

The school sits on a large site with sports fields, performance spaces and modern teaching facilities. Pupils from both divisions can take part in a wide range of extracurricular activities including music, drama, debating, sport and outdoor pursuits.

The school also runs an outdoor education centre in the Lake District and offers programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Sport is particularly strong in the Boys’ Division, with teams competing successfully in regional and national competitions.

Size and structure

Bolton School is one of the largest independent day schools in the UK with more than 2,500 pupils across its divisions.

The Boys’ Division and Girls’ Division each have their own buildings, teaching staff and leadership teams, although they share some facilities and the same wider school foundation.

In the sixth form, pupils from both divisions come together more frequently through shared facilities and activities.

Location

Both divisions are located on the same campus on Chorley New Road in Bolton in Greater Manchester.

The shared campus means pupils benefit from extensive facilities while still maintaining the advantages of single-sex education.

Overall

Bolton School Boys’ Division and Bolton School Girls’ Division are closely linked schools with the same heritage, facilities and academic expectations.

The Boys’ Division offers a traditional boys’ school environment focused on academic achievement, sport and leadership opportunities.

The Girls’ Division offers a similar academic standard within a girls-only environment that emphasises confidence, collaboration and independence.

For most families the choice between the two divisions is determined simply by the pupil’s gender, but both provide a very similar level of education, facilities and university preparation within the Bolton School foundation.