Bolton School has a long standing commitment to Outdoor Learning, which it regards as an essential strand of character education for young people.

The school has its own outdoor pursuits centre in Patterdale in the Lake District but chooses to regularly use the Anderton Centre as it is an Approved Activity Provider for Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions and in a convenient location.

Every year, the school uses the Anderton Centre to train 140 boys for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition. The boys from Year 10 spent their training day being instructed in various skills such as navigation, camp and bush craft, pitching tents, and cooking on stoves. The boys then return to the centre in June to undertake an unaccompanied ‘Qualifying Expedition’ which will include a long hike and an overnight camp on nearby Rivington Moor.

Headmaster Philip Britton said “The location and facilities at the Anderton Centre make it a great base for a range of school activities close to Bolton. The instructors are extremely professional and work well to both develop the skills of the pupils but also to see that outdoor learning is about far more than that”

Steve Bradley, Head of Outdoor Learning at the school, said “We use the Anderton Centre a lot. The instructors are extremely professional and highly trained in many outdoor activities. The pupils love it there and the cost is very competitive compared to other centres in the North West. We have had a good working relationship with the Centre for many years now.”

Every January, on Monday afternoons, around 100 boys from the school visit the centre as part of the SPACE programme. They enjoy paddle boarding, climbing and other outdoor activities as part of the curriculum enrichment scheme.

Bolton School has its own sailing club that the centre runs on behalf of the school. Pupils spend weekly sessions on the water in canoes and dinghies.

Steve added “The sailing club is extremely popular with all the boys and girls, and they all look forward to their Thursday afternoon sailing lessons. The instructors are very supportive and very enthusiastic with the pupils – it’s a great educational environment. We are very grateful the centre provides this service for the school.”