Alumna Spotlight: Jane Pearce, Innovate UK Women in Innovation award 2025

Jane Pearce, class of 2023, is CEO of Rookwood Operations Ltd, a pioneering company that is transforming how we handle phosphate in water treatment. With five years of business leadership experience, she transitioned to environmental innovation, driven by the opportunity to create meaningful change. Her achievements include securing a 2023 Innovate UK Smart Grant to develop an innovative container system for water treatment sites. In June 2025, she won the prestigious Innovate UK Women in Innovation award to celebrate her inspiring solution with the unveiling a purple plaque at the school in her honour. 

Jane said about her award; “I’m honoured and excited to be receiving the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award at my old school, Royal High Bath. I remember my time there fondly and it was a real pleasure to come back to the school to talk to the students about my innovation project and to help inspire the next female innovators.” 

Jane was recently featured on the BBC’s Country File and has been nominated for The Earth Shot Prize, founded by Prince William, which aims to find game-changing innovations that will repair our planet. 

What aspects of Royal High Bath did you enjoy and find most rewarding?

I really loved the sense of belonging; it was a very comfortable environment to be in every day. I enjoyed sport, but never really excelled at it but I was good enough to participate in school teams.   

Any key memories or favourite teachers?  

I have lots of really great memories of spending time with friends at school – it never felt like a chore. We had good fun. 

What did you aspire to while at school?

Honestly, I was never sure what I wanted to do when I left school. I knew I wanted to do something that wasn’t the norm, but I had no idea what that would actually be!

How did Royal High Bath empower you for your future? 

Whilst I didn’t think it at the time, being at school gave me confidence in approaching unknown situations. Being an entrepreneur is really challenging, and you end up doing lots of things you may have never done or even thought about doing or being able to do – but you just have to give it a go. I think at school, there were never any barriers or ceilings to our ambitions, and I think that environment gave me, or certainly enhanced my feeling that I can and should give most things a go. 

How do you feel being at an all-girls’ school has benefitted you since leaving school? 

It’s something I don’t think I fully appreciated at the time but can reflect on now. Being around so many brilliant girls, most of whom were much more talented or intelligent than I was, showed me daily how brilliant women are and that we are constantly succeeding and achieving.  

When it came to fundraising for the business - statistics are horrendous for investment into businesses led by women - but I always went in with the mindset that I know a whole heap of women who have achieved so much, so I don’t see why there is a bias. I think always being surrounded by girls succeeding gave me confidence when entering what is a truly skewed process. 

How did your studies at Royal High Bath inspire you to follow your chosen career?   

As I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, I tried to choose things I either thought were hard or that I enjoyed. Not sure that’s great logic but it was what I did. 

What has been your proudest moment so far?

Winning the Innovate UK Women in Innovation award has been a highlight, and I’m very proud the project has been nominated for The Earthshot Prize 2025.

What would you say to your 11-year-old self?

I think probably that it’s OK to not go down a traditional job route, it doesn’t make you any less successful and that whilst there isn’t a “path”, which is why maybe I couldn’t explain my end goal at the time, my ambitions were still valid.  

Also, to get as much experience as possible and to study hard for your exams. 

What are your hopes for the future?  

To continue to build my start up, Rookwood out, hopefully, take it internationally. Then maybe see what other problems I can solve… 

What would you say to a student who may be thinking about attending Royal High or to parents thinking about sending their daughter to the school?  

I hadn’t been back to the school for 20 years but after going back recently it felt very familiar, and I didn’t feel like a stranger, with many things I remembered well and some welcome upgrades (like the fantastic lunch and the uniform!). I had very fond memories of my time at Royal High Bath so would encourage students and their parents to consider it.