RHS celebrates the class of 2020
Sixth Form
UPDATE Tues 18 August 2020 - Following yesterday’s announcement, and the revision of this years’ A Level and IB results, we are pleased to note that several anomalies have been rectified for both our A level and our IB girls, some of whom are now eligible for their first choices university places. This clarification means the end of weeks of uncertainty allowing our remarkably resilient and highly motivated Year 13 students to deservedly focus on the next steps of their education.
This year has been like no other, full of uncertainty and change, and girls of Royal High School Bath joined students across the UK in facing many challenges during lockdown – none more so than the Year 13 students. Following on from International Baccalaureate (IB) results published in July, today was the turn of our A Level students who received the results they need for the next stage of their lives.
Today’s results mean that 86% of girls met the entry criteria for one of their chosen universities with 75% accepting their first choice university.
Yet again this has been a particularly strong year for STEM subjects with over a third of girls going on to study courses as diverse as Medical Bioscience at Imperial College, Physics at Kings College London, Civil Engineering at Sheffield and Industrial Design and Technology at Loughborough.
These results follow the School’s IB cohort who secured an average points score of 37 out of 45 – higher than the both the UK (34.87) and global averages (29.9), with an impressive nine girls out of 19 achieving over 40 points. Royal High School is the only school in Bath to offer this choice of IB or A Level pathway at Sixth Form and the IB Diploma
Notable is Grace Ruddick, Maths prodigy, who at only 16 followed a bespoke learning programme to accelerate her studies and has been accepted into Bristol University to study Maths and Computer Science. Laura de Remedios and Yiyan Zhao both scored an incredible 40 points and were fully invested in the IB programme developing a particular interest in politics and their roles as international citizens. They move to PPE at Warwick and Politics and Philosophy at the LSE representing the international and boarding culture of Royal High School Bath.
During lockdown, RHS Sixth Formers recognised the uncertainty surrounding their exam results and almost everyone took part in the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) Limitless Learning courses. The programme, which was created by the GDST, drew together experts from across their network of schools to run over 100 pre-university courses including Astrophysics, Politics, Philosophy and Economics, Medicine and Law. In addition, a remarkable 50% of A Level students also completed an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) which involved research skills and high levels of independent learning – ideal preparation for university life.
Head, Mrs Kate Reynolds paid tribute to the 2020 cohort saying: “We are proud of these students for so much more than their examination results. In addition to their academic achievements, these students have fully embraced the wealth of enrichment and co-curricular opportunities available to them, as well as making their mark on sports pitches, under spotlights and in concert halls.
“I have been struck by their grit and motivation especially during lockdown, and really impressed by their determination to give themselves the best chance of success in these uncertain times.
“This year group is a wonderful example of the importance of friendships which will last a lifetime, and I wish all the girls the very best as they head for the next stage of their educational journey.”