The Bolton School Foundation has a long history rooted in the advancement of social mobility. Both our boys’ and girls’ schools - the Bolton Grammar School for Boys, first recorded as a “going concern” in 1516, and the Bolton Girls’ Day School, established in 1877 – were originally founded with the intention of offering a rounded education to bright young people in the town, regardless of family wealth or standing.
This ethos was reinforced by Lord Leverhulme’s re-foundation of the School in 1915. Since then, thousands of pupils from across the North West and from all backgrounds have benefited from a Bolton School education, which has provided them with the opportunity to realise their potential through an outstanding education. So many have subsequently gone out into the world and made a difference for good, serving as role models within their local communities and to the next generation of the School’s pupils, as well as contributing positively to wider society throughout their lives.
We currently offer bursary support to one in every five pupils, many of whom attend on fully-funded places. The growth of our bursary scheme has only been made possible through the generosity of our School community, particularly Alumni, and through local and national philanthropists keen to ensure that the ladder of social mobility remains in good repair for the next generation of Boltonians. Our aim is, by 2030, to offer support to one in three pupils. Beyond that, our vision is to be the school that any talented child from Bolton and across the region can come to, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay the fees.
As one of only a handful of independent schools nationally that can realistically hope to achieve such an ambitious goal, we feel it is incumbent upon us to pursue this ambition wholeheartedly. To achieve it will require significant financial support and will only be realised with the continued generosity of donors and supporters.
If you feel you can help – either with our provision or with financing a pupil - please consider supporting us in whatever way you can.
To support hardship funding, academic prizes and university scholarships for current pupils, extra-curricular funding for bursary recipients or funding for capital projects at School or Patterdale Hall, your gift should be directed to Bolton School, using the forms below;
To support Bolton School’s bursary scheme, your gift should be directed to the Bolton School Bursary Foundation (BSBF), using the forms below;
Find Out More About Supporting Us
The objects of the Bolton School Foundation Charity are: the provision and support of a day school or schools in or near Bolton and advancing the education of a pupil attending any such school or schools.
As a charity, our objective is to advance education by carrying on in Great Britain a school, or schools, in which infants, children and students may obtain education and instruction in academic, sporting, musical, cultural, scientific, technical, religious, vocational, social and commercial subjects, as well as in activities and crafts of every description and also, where possible, to make the same available for the public at large.
The objects of the Bolton School Bursary Fund are: the advancement of education for the public benefit of those who need financial assistance in particular but not exclusively by the provision to Bolton School of bursary support for the benefit of pupils who would be unable to continue in education at the School or who would be unable to commence education at the School despite being accepted, without financial assistance.
Our Charity Number is 1110703.
