Studying

Structure and Programs

From September 2026, Royal High School Bath introduces a unified pathway starting from Year 5, when girls move to the senior campus on Lansdown Road. This early transition gives them access to specialist teachers and laboratories at ages 9–10, allowing deeper engagement with sciences and languages before the traditional secondary threshold. In senior years, students choose at least one modern language—French, German, Spanish, or Mandarin—and study dual or triple sciences toward up to nine GCSEs, where quality of grades matters more than quantity. Sixth formers can select up to four A Levels from 25 disciplines, including economics, politics, and photography, which lets them build profiles ranging from academic to creative.

Learning stages:

• Years 5–6 — transition to senior campus, lessons with subject specialists
• Years 7–11 — GCSE program with dual or triple sciences
• Years 12–13 — A Level, AS options, academic and creative courses

Language Support at Royal High School Bath

International Programs Director Natalie Chiles founded the BAWESS research group at the University of Bath and trains teachers using the Teaching English in Multilingual Classrooms methodology. Rather than separating language learning, the approach embeds support directly into subject lessons—so girls master biology or history while acquiring academic terminology without leaving their classroom. Year 11 students studying English as an additional language recently achieved the top grade—grade 9—on the English as a Second Language GCSE, confirming that this integrated model works effectively.

Approach for Girls

Royal High School Bath draws on 150 years of GDST experience—a network exclusively for girls where students more often choose STEM subjects and leadership roles. Half of the 2023 leavers went on to study natural sciences at university, while the Girls’ Futures Report surveying 4,100 students found that single-sex environments help maintain confidence between ages 14 and 18, a period when peers in co-ed settings typically lose it. The curriculum also develops six Learner Qualities—courage, curiosity, reflection, collaboration, enthusiasm, and kindness—with Character Awards given every two weeks for demonstrating these traits in academic and campus life.

Future Skills Program

Sixth formers at Royal High School Bath complete the mandatory Future Skills program—fortnightly sessions over two years that prepare them for 21st-century challenges, from digital literacy to interview techniques. They meet business representatives and members of the GDST Alumnae network, where over 100,000 former students share insights on topics ranging from charity work to salary negotiation for women in the workplace. Through workshops, real-world projects, and UCAS or international application support, girls gain not only academic preparation but practical tools for university and early career steps.

Key modules:

• critical thinking and public speaking
• digital and AI literacy
• financial literacy
• career counseling and internship search
• research skills (EPQ component)
• UCAS and international university application support