Royal High School Bath Review: Rankings, Fees And More

Welcome to our review of The Royal High School Bath. The Royal High School Bath is located within walking distance of the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath. Besides the diverse history and heritage of the region, the school is the sole provider of the International Baccalaureate programme in Bath. The school is also a member of the UK’s leading network of independent girls’ schools, The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), and it is the only GDST school to offer boarding options. 

royal high school bath review

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Table of Contents

Summary of School

  • Type of school: All-girls (day and boarding school)
  • Age range: 3-18
  • Pupils: 500, sixth formers: 114
  • Fees: Full Boarding fees ranges from £35,895 – £37,731 per annum
  • 2023 A-Level Results: 42.2% A*/A
  • 2023 GCSE Results: 65.4% 9-7
  • 2023 IB Results: Average points: 34.8

Royal High School Bath Overview

Royal High School Bath definitely stands out for its academic excellence. 91% of the 2021 cohort have secured a place at university. 68% of Royal High School Bath leavers went to Russell Group institutions. Specialist institutions in both the UK and overseas are also popular destinations. The top destinations for school leavers are Cardiff University, University of Birmingham, and University College London. Some  universities of choice in London are Imperial College London, University College London and King’s College London.

The school has a strong focus on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) with 28% of pupils studying related subjects. As a result, many school leavers have a strong inclination towards STEM subjects for their undergraduate programmes such as Architecture and Environmental Engineering, Biomedical Sciences Economics, Computer Science, Psychology, Animation, Computer Game Design and Product Design. Highly competitive Health courses such as Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy are also well-known options.

Another strength of Royal High School Bath is in languages. Around 16% of their pupils are going to study a language-related degree at the university level – most notably, two students have been accepted to study German and Spanish in Oxford, while another student has been accepted at Cardiff to study Spanish and Economics. 

The girls also took on highly sought-after apprenticeships in subjects such as Computer Science at Birmingham University with PWC and a highly competitive Army scholarship programme to study Classics at Exeter.

Royal High School Bath alumni have access to the support system of the GDST’s Alumnae Network including mentorship, university advice, career development and networking opportunities.

Royal High School Bath Courses / Programs

Royal High School Bath offers GCSE, A-Levels and IB Diploma.

IB

Royal High School Bath girls performed well with a point average of 34.8. The girls did well in general and are particularly strong in English Literature, Languages and STEM subjects, achieving the top grade of a 7 in subjects such as Design Technology, Computer Science and Physics. 

A-Level

Maths is the most popular A-Level subject in Royal High School Bath. The school also has a system where senior girls in Year 13 tutor younger junior students on their lunch breaks. In 2023, the school’s cohort managed to score 20.5% of all grades being A* and a quarter of the cohort receiving at least 3 A/A* grades.

GCSE

Language is another highlight with a choice among French, German, Italian, Spanish and Mandarin. The school encourages participation in an online vocabulary learning challenge called Vocab Express, where the girls have achieved as high as 8th place nationally.

Students at Royal High School Bath are offered various additional subjects such as Italian and Dance GCSEs, a Philosophy Certificate from the New College of Humanities, and an Additional Maths Level 3 qualification. 

There is also a customised preparation programme for future Sixth Formers called Intro to Sixth. Spanning across two weeks, this short programme includes talks, seminars and extended study sessions in each A Level subject of choice or IB Higher Level subject choices to assist the girls in their upcoming Sixth Form life. The girls also receive plenty of support from an IB/A Levels-themed Any Questions event. 

Sixth Formers have the extra options of EPQ. The majority of pupils do 10 to 11 GCSE subjects, including 2 to 3 sciences and at least one language.

Royal High School Bath Application Deadline

The registration and scholarships application deadline for Year 7 2024 was Monday 20 November 2023. Year 9 applications closed on Friday 5 January 2024 while the Year 12 application deadline was on Monday 6 November 2023.

Royal High School Bath Ranking

In 2020, Royal High School Bath were ranked by Education Advisors as being among the Top 50 Global IB School and the Top 20 IB School in the UK.

In 2022, their pupils’ average IB points were 37.4 while the global average is only 31.4. In the same year, the school managed to achieve 66.4% A*/A at the A-Levels and 77.4% (9-7/A*-A) at the GCSEs.

In 2023, Royal High School Bath stands at the 142nd spot on our league table and have the following academic achievements: 

  • 2023 A-Level Results: 42.2% A*/A
  • 2023 GCSE Results: 65.4% 9-7
  • 2023 IB Results: Average points: 34.8

Royal High School Bath Fees

Full Boarding Fees are as follows:

Senior (Year 7-9)£11,965 per term
Senior (Year 10-11)£12,139 per term
Sixth Form (Year 12-13)£12,577 per term

Daughters of Service families of Her Majesty’s Forces receive 10% off full boarding fees.

Weekly Boarding Fees

 
Senior (Year 7-9)£10,699 per term
Senior (Year 10-11)£10,852 per term
Sixth Form (Year 12-13)£11,305 per term

Casual Boarding

 

Flexible boarding is available on a first come first served basis subject to the boarding houses having beds available. Bookings are made with the relevant housemistress and can be booked for a maximum of three nights per week.

Sunday to Thursday night – £63.75 per night

Friday and Saturday nights – £80.50 per night

Please contact us for further information relating to fees

Royal High School Bath Entry Requirements

For Year 7 Entry

The entrance assessment includes an interview, then four tests in English, Maths, verbal reasoning and non-reasoning which take place on a different day. Current pupils from the junior school can take a transfer test to progress to the senior school. Boarding candidates can also sit for the assessment papers at the British Council offices, approved agencies or their current schools.

For Year 8-10 Entry

Candidates will need to take assessments in English and Maths for Year 8 as well as Science for Years 9-10. They will also need to submit a report from their current school and attend an interview with the Head of Modern Languages to assess their language ability.

For Sixth-form Entry

Interested applicants are required to achieve a minimum of six GCSE at grade 6 and above, including a grade 7 in the subject that they want to study at the A Level or the International Baccalaureate. A minimum of grade 4 in both English and Mathematics is also required. Applicants will also need to submit their predicted grades and references from their current school.

International students will sit for assessments in English and Maths. Assessments in their chosen IB or A-level subjects may also be required. They are also required to attend a Skype interview.

Royal High School Bath Reviews

Grace - Year 10
5/5

“We’re encouraged to get involved, to enjoy all sports. It’s great being part of different teams.”

Senior School parent
5/5

“It’s so hard to put into words… but I know that my daughter would not be who she is without the school. She is growing daily, and she is achieving more than I could have hoped for. I can see a very bright future for her and that is down to the staff at the school, who is driving her forward to achieve her very best.”

Rhiannon
5/5

“I had an amazing time at the Royal High School and made friends for life. RHS gave me the confidence to follow my dreams and become a professional actor and performer. I gained a sense that there were no limitations to what I could achieve and that my place in the world was justified.”

Parents of Year 7 and Year 9 students
5/5

“From our very first visit to the school, my family and I were struck by the wonderfully positive and vibrant atmosphere generated by smiling girls and cheerful staff.”

Royal High School Bath Accommodation

There are two boarding houses: School House for younger girls and Gloucester House for Sixth Formers. These houses can accommodate up to 140 girls, with around two-thirds of the boarders hailing from over 30 countries around the world.

The houses are accommodating and chic. Junior girls will share dorms with four or five other girls while Sixth Formers can get a double or single room. School House boarders can access an all-weather pitch for hockey games or play the piano and paint during their free time. Sixth Form girls can start experiencing life at university by cooking in a large modern kitchen and doing their own washing in comfortable communal areas. There are plenty of weekend activities for the girls to attend from pottery painting, baking, and Zumba, to expeditions, theatre and cultural trips.

Royal High School Bath Student Services and Extracurricular Activities

Pastoral Care

The girls at Royal High School Bath can participate in a one-hour Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHEE) session per fortnight. Meanwhile, their parents can attend the Your Daughter programme to discuss topics relating to their daughters’ wellbeing such as developing resilience and happiness, navigating social media and teaching them the dangers of illegal drugs. The girls can occasionally attend these talks with their parents when suitable.

Pastoral care is always available at the school – the girls may always go to the student welfare coordinator if they needed emotional support or had any other well being-related concerns. The school also has a support dog called Spitfire, an 18-month-old black lurcher.

There is also the annual GDST Young Leaders’ Conference for the participation of leaders in Year 13 across all25 GDST member schools to network, build team spirit, and listen to talks by inspiring guest speakers. The participants will then be invited to share what they’ve learned from the conference to the rest of the school during assembly. Girls from Year 10 onwards can take up leadership positions such as the Head Girl, boarding deputy, day deputy and prefects via popular votes of the staff and their fellow pupils. Year 13 girls can mentor junior girls. The girls take great pride and inspiration in the admirable women whose names are represented in the four houses – Austen, Bronte, Wollstonecraft and Du Pré.

Extracurricular Activities

Music and Drama

Performing arts is the strongest extracurricular activity at the Royal High School Bath. Their Director of Music is a composer who worked for EMI and the BBC, and is excellent at creating a nurturing environment for girls of all standards and abilities. There are more than 35 musical events per year involving 5 choirs, orchestra, swing band, strings group and more. Their musical endeavour is supported by the new Steinway Music Hall and two new recording studios.

All Year 7-9 pupils get an hour of classroom music per week. For some students at Royal High School Bath, music becomes more than just an extracurricular activity, as around 14 students each year take up Music in the GCSEs and around 8 students take up the subject at the A-Levels.

As for art lovers, the art school offers four studios with panoramic views to inspire the girls. Up to 40 girls each year take GCSE Art, 20 pupils take Art at the A-Levels and 4-5 pupils pursue Art in IB as well. Their efforts are also supported by an ultra-sophisticated 3D printer and a four-axis router.

Meanwhile, drama and dance pupils get to explore their craft in the Sophie Cameron Performing Arts Centre and the school’s dance studio. There is a drama club for Year 7 girls run by their Year 13 seniors. All students get to enjoy various school and house productions throughout the year.

Sports

Royal High School Bath has achieved a lot of success in sports, especially in Hockey, Netball, Athletics, Swimming, Fencing and Taekwondo. The school has invested in numerous facilities to meet a wide range of interests including a sports hall, outdoor swimming pool, fitness suite, hockey pitches, netball courts and a new Astro pitch. The girls can also access the University of Bath’s sports pitches.

Royal High School Bath Contact Information

  • Official website: https://www.royalhighbath.gdst.net/
  • Phone call: +44 (0)1225 313877 (Senior and Sixth Form); +44 (0) 1225 422931 (Nursery and Prep).
  • Email: [email protected].
  • Location: Lansdown Road, Bath BA1 5SZ (Senior and Sixth Form); Cranwell House, Weston Park East, Bath BA1 2UZ (Nursery and Prep).

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