Canon Slade School

Story

Canon Slade School is a Church of England secondary school in Bradshaw, Bolton, England.HistoryThe school was founded in 1855 by Canon James Slade as Bolton Church Institute, aimed at educating the poorer children of Bolton. The Church Institute was on Institute Street. Offices and the Society of Friends Meeting House occupy the original site next to St Peter's Church. The school moved to its current site on Bradshaw Brow in 1956. The school holds its annual Founder's Day service at St Peter's.The school became a direct grant grammar school, then a comprehensive. It celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2005 with a ceremony at the Bolton Arena. A range of items including a brief history - created by historian John Aldred - and a whole school photograph were produced to commemorate the occasion.About the schoolAlthough the school has changed since its inception, its motto "Ora Et Labora" is still its guiding principle. Its chapel, completed in 2004, bears witness to the centrality of the school's Christian faith.The school has around 1,700 pupils on roll, including 340 in the sixth form. It has a reputation for its academic work, for several years the sixth form has been ranked amongst the top thirty nationally for A-level results in a comprehensive state school, and also for sport, for music, drama and other activities. It is a Specialist Arts College, a Training School and has Healthy School and Leading Edge status. Since 2004 the school has been an Ambassador School for the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth. In 2009 the school was awarded Gold Standard by the Specialist School and Academies Trust for Community Cohesion.