Students and staff from the Royal High School Bath recently celebrated the successes and achievements in the Sixth Form over the last two years.
It was a fantastic, sunny day with plenty of laughter and joy. The morning started with a ‘Muck Up’ day dinosaur invasion. The girls had dressed the school the previous evening with Jurassic Park themed decorations, complete with dinosaur footprints and ‘Keep Out’ warning signs. The next morning, dressed up in dinosaur and explorer costumes, the Year 13s surprised the other year groups as they came up through the school gates with water pistols. After a farewell assembly, the Year 13s celebrated with the whole school by parading around the grounds, banging drums and blowing whistles.
At lunch, the girls enjoyed a barbecue on the Sixth Form lawn. It was a chance to relax and chat together and enjoy an enormous slice of cake. In the afternoon, it was the prize-giving ceremony. The girls dressed in mortarboards and gowns congregated in the Mem Hall with parents streaming in online. Musicians in lower years played the harp and piano, while Mr Benedict, Head of English, read out a wonderful poem written by Imogen Rafferty, Year 13.
Mrs Reynolds, the Head, spoke about the memories that every girl has made during their time at Royal High School, and the friendships they will cherish. In her speech, she highlighted the peaks and troughs over the last year for the girls studying at a key moment in their academic careers during lockdown. She referred to the girls as “the most unusual year group who have spent as much time remote learning as classroom learning.”
The Year 13s have certainly had the most unique year, but Mrs Reynold’s speech asked them to take stock of the things they have learnt this year to support them going forward. She advised the girls to focus on their friends and the shared experience that will bond them together forever, keep perspective and reflect on the things that bring them happiness, prioritise giving to others and finally, seize every opportunity by staying open minded and curious.
Mr Hayward, Head of Sixth Form, gave an emotional speech about what a unique and special year group this has been and how the students will develop their ‘ipseity’ – their individuality – as they go out into the world and pursue their future personal, academic and professional careers.
After the speeches, the girls came up to receive prizes. First, the academic prizes of which there were 28 in total and spanning all subjects. Then the Tripos Awards for a small number of girls who have pursued this school specific academic initiative, which aims to develop skills and experience outside the classroom environment. And finally, the special prizes awarded to girls who have shown commitment and integrity, kindness and originality.
Royal High School Sixth Form is a vibrant, supportive and ambitious place to study, where girls can either choose A Levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma – a unique offering in the local area. Both routes allow students to pursue their passions and facilitate entry to the highest quality universities through greater freedom and dynamic ways of learning. To find out more about the Royal High School Sixth Form, please go to http://bit.ly/RHSB-sixth-form.