Students at The Royal High School Bath have completed a two-week Festival of Ideas that explored modern leadership through the achievements and experiences of women in science, politics, business, sport, the arts and social change.
Centred on the theme ‘LeadHership’, the festival brought together pupils from The Royal High School Bath and fellow GDST schools Howells and Redmaids’ High. The programme encouraged girls to examine the barriers women have historically faced in leadership roles and reflect on the qualities that define courageous, collaborative and authentic leaders.
The festival began with a two-day immersive project for Year 8 students delivered in partnership with the One Day Film School.
The launch session was led by business leader Laura Hagan, whose career has included senior roles at Deliveroo, Gymshark, Dyson and Fever-Tree. She challenged students to think of leadership not as authority, but as the ability to build culture, communicate effectively and help others thrive.
Students then explored themes including courage, resilience, creativity and determination before selecting a female role model to research in depth.
On the second day, the girls worked with the One Day Film School to script, storyboard, film and edit their own short films inspired by the leadership stories they had studied. Their work was showcased at the school’s Royal High Oscars celebration.
The quality of the films impressed judges, with one production earning a nomination for the 10 Shot Film Awards, which recognise filmmaking excellence across more than 150 schools in the UK and internationally.
The second week shifted focus to a series of talks from women leading in fields including STEM, defence, business, sport and social action.
Speakers included:
- Claire Young and Linda Plant – From Apprenticeship to LeadHERship
- Zhenya Shkil – LeadHERship in Action: Standing with Ukraine
- Danielle Davis, Royal High School Bath alumna – Get Back Up: LeadHERship Lessons from Skateboarding
- Alison Cartwright, Royal High School Bath alumna – Engineering the Future: LeadHERship in STEM
- Major Emily Lawson – No One Leads Alone: Lessons in Collaboration and Courage
A highlight for many students was the visit from The Apprentice stars Claire Young and Linda Plant. Their session offered practical advice on resilience, confidence and communication, while a lively question-and-answer session gave students the chance to explore the realities of business leadership and entrepreneurship.
Hadrian Briggs, Deputy Head Academic at The Royal High School Bath and leader of the Festival of Ideas, said, “Across both weeks, the Festival of Ideas truly embodied the qualities we aim to nurture in our students — being brave, reflective, inquisitive, collaborative, kind and sparky. It gave them the chance to encounter inspiring role models while seeing leadership presented in forms that are collaborative, thoughtful and diverse, and it encouraged them to think critically about what leadership means and what it can look like for them.”
The festival forms part of the school’s commitment to helping girls develop confidence, ambition and leadership skills while providing opportunities to learn from successful women across a wide range of industries and professions.
