BOLTON School — one of the country's leading schools — has launched an ambitious campaign to provide one in three pupils with financial support to keep alive the legacy of its founder.

The 100 Campaign for Bolton School Bursaries was launched at a celebration dinner marking the centenary of the creation of the Bolton School Foundation by Lord Leverhulme.

Girls' division headteacher Sue Hincks said: “In 1915 Leverhulme’s vision had been to give the brightest children an excellent education, whatever their background.

"This remains our aim and, during the last century, we have been a real powerhouse for social mobility in Bolton.

"We were able to offer open access up until 1997 when crucial state funding was withdrawn.

"The principle of open access remains our priority and since 1997 the school community has built a bursary fund of £20 million.

"This means, today, one in every five pupils receives financial support but this is still not enough — for every bursary pupil we admit, another talented child is turned away because of a lack of funding.

"Our aim is to be able to fund one in three pupils, taking in the brightest children who apply, no matter what their financial means.

"To do this, we need to increase our fund from £20 million to £50 million.”

The school aims to meet its target over the next 15 years and its first goal is to raise £5 million by 2018.

Fundraising began at the start of the academic year — £1.26 million has already been secured as it launched the campaign.

Philip Britton, headteacher of the boys’ division, said: “Bolton School is a special place.

"We have helped generations of Boltonians to break through social barriers and achieve success in the wider world.

"The campaign is deliberately ambitious but very much achievable for a number of reasons — our long-standing commitment to keep access open.

"It is something we do rather than something we have been required to do by political pressure.

"We have shown over the years that if we commit to move towards a target little by little over a long time span we can reach our goal.

"We already have substantial bursary funding on which we can build, and, most importantly, we have a very special commitment in Bolton from our Old Boys and Old Girls who feel a great connection to the school and its role in shaping their lives."

The centenary dinner was attended by the Rt Hon Lady Jane Heber-Percy, the great grand-daughter of Lord Leverhulme.

Guests toasted the anniversary of Lord Leverhulme’s 1915 re-endowment of the school as the Bolton School Foundation and its siting on Chorley New Road.

The oldest guests on the night were 88-year-old Alan Watson, who was captain of the boys’ division from 1943-44, and Margaret Davies who was headgirl from 1945-46.