# Westholme School

Westholme School is an educational private school in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which was founded in 1923. The school educates pupils aged 4 to 18 years. In 2018, the school became fully coeducational.
Mr. Paul Taylor became the principal in October 2024.

## History

Westholme School was founded in Blackburn, Lancashire, England by Emily Singleton on 19 April, 1923. Originally from Blackburn, Singleton decided to form a small primary school during the Great Depression due to a perceived lack of alternatives in the local area. She began by offering space and education to a small group of local children in her parents' house, Westholme, located on Preston New Road in Blackburn.
By 1948, the school had increased enrollment to around 135 pupils and was officially recognized by the government as a formal place of education. This growth led to the formation of a secondary school and a move to larger premises. As Singleton approached retirement age, she sought a new owner who could continue her work at the school. She reached an agreement with World War I veteran Mr. Arthur Rouse, who became the new school principal, joining from the University of Salford.
In 1968, the school became a charity administered by a board of governors, and a sixth form was established along with a ten-acre site-building program that included an assembly hall, laboratories, a swimming pool, a sports hall, playing fields, a music centre, and art studios. The school then consisted of a primary school, secondary school, and sixth form, based at separate locations.
The school's expansion continued in the late 1990s under a new principal, Lillian Croston. New facilities and extensions were built, and each location was modernized.
Mrs. Croston led the school for 25 years before retiring in 2013, and Mrs. Lynne Horner became principal of the school in September 2013. In January 2021, Dr. Richard Robson became principal as the school approached its centenary year. As of October 2024, Mr. Paul Taylor is the current principal.

## Present day

Westholme became fully coeducational in September 2018 and currently accepts children between the ages of 4 and 18 years. Currently, over 700 girls and boys attend the school from areas throughout Lancashire.
The school is independently run and charges tuition fees. Scholarships are available to pupils in various areas at the discretion of the principal for entry into Year 3, Year 7, and Year 12. Bursaries can be applied for before entry into Year 7 and Year 12, in line with the school's charitable status. The value of the bursary is related to the financial resources of the student's family and the school's available funds.
The Infant and Junior schools, previously located in Billinge House and Beardwood Bank, were relocated to a new modern prep school that opened in September 2022 and is now on the same site as the Senior School and Sixth Form campus situated at Wilmar Lodge.

## Sports and extracurricular activities

Westholme School offers sports including football, rugby, cricket, hockey, netball, cross-country, and swimming. Students use on-site facilities and local amenities such as the athletics track at Witton Park and cricket grounds at Cherry Tree Cricket Club.
Facilities include:
Indoor
* Sports Hall, including cricket nets
* 20m swimming pool and baby pool
* Fitness suite
* Dance studio
Outdoor
* Full-size synthetic hockey pitch
* Football pitches
* Rugby pitch
* Tennis/netball hard courts
* Grass athletics track
* Onsite cross-country course
The school promotes inter-house competitions where students compete against each other throughout the year at events such as sports days, swimming galas, music and reading competitions. Music and drama programs are also offered, with teaching and productions in multipurpose facilities on the school campus. Theatrical productions take place every year at the school and often involve the cooperation of the school orchestra. Past productions include Beauty & the Beast, Miss Saigon, and Phantom of the Opera. For the last 20 years, members of the school choir have undertaken a performing tour during the summer holidays and have performed in different international locations, including Salzburg, New York, Monte Carlo, and Paris.
Westholme partners with several sports clubs and local organizations, including Accrington Stanley FC, Blackburn Rovers FC, Preston Grasshoppers RFC, Blackburn Rugby Club, and Blackburn Cathedral, where the schools carol services are held annually.

## Notable alumni

* Professor Sophie Scott - Neuroscientist and deputy director of UCL's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
* Seema Kennedy - Former Westholme Head Girl and former Conservative MP for South Ribble
* Diana Vickers - Singer-songwriter and stage actress
* Helen Flanagan - Actress
* Jessica Cunningham - The Apprentice winner 2016
* Charlotte OC - Singer–songwriter