Agents Handbook
At Royal High Bath, we are proud of our long history of educating students from all over the world. Through our relationship with you as one of our approved agents, we look forward to developing a strong working relationship and enjoying a long and mutually beneficial partnership.
This handbook is designed to provide you with all you need to know about Royal High Bath, our processes and key information you may need to help you support students through the application process.
We want to support you to provide a high quality service to your students and prospective families, and to ensure that they are well-informed about all that Royal High School Bath has to offer.
We trust you find this information helpful and look forward to working with you in the future.
Sallie Taylor Director of External Relations
Royal High Bath, GDST
About Royal High Bath
We are a school designed For Girls. For Life.
Royal High Bath is a school where every girl in our care matters, every voice is heard and every girl is empowered to explore and to try anything. We are a school that nurtures compassion as much as excellence, where girls spark off one another and support each other as they build skills and confidence for life.
As a member of the British Boarding Schools Network (BBSN), the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) and the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), we are committed to maintaining high standards within the British boarding school sector.
We aim to deliver exceptional service to international agents to make the experience of matching our school with your families a positive and mutually beneficial one. We offer competitive commission rates in order to build trusted relationships with agents.
Royal High Bath is a community where girls achieve outstanding results, both in and beyond the classroom. The opportunities for growth and development for boarders are extensive, exciting and fun.
Our inspiring location in one of the most beautiful cities in the UK offers great transport connections and our wide-ranging curriculum includes a choice of A Level or International Baccalaureate pathways in Sixth Form.
Our Purpose and Values
Our Purpose
To educate and empower every girl by equipping her with the skills, confidence and compassion to live a life unlimited.
Our Values
Girls First We are proud to be part of the Girls’ Day School Trust, and share this core value with our 24 sister schools.
Excellence We value and expect nothing less, in our teaching, our staff and our students.
Kindness More than anything else, we value kindness across our school. We respect, support and care very much for each of our girls, and they care for one another through school and beyond.
Bravery We empower our girls to be confident and bold – unafraid to explore, to challenge, to try anything, to fail and to try again. Fearlessly heading into the future.
What is the difference at Royal High Bath?
Royal High Bath’s nurturing and dynamic culture provides a welcoming environment while ensuring our girls succeed. Combine this with our wonderful location, exceptional teaching, outstanding care for all our students, understanding of the needs of international students, excellent exam results and a happy environment - and it all adds up to the perfect place for girls to thrive.
We pride ourselves on a supportive, caring ethos where every girl is treated as an individual and known to all. Our girls-first approach, smaller class sizes and focus on the individual means we are able to tailor everything we do to the way girls learn best, delivering innovative learning right through to Sixth Form. We provide high quality, bespoke girls’ education and allow every girl to succeed to her full potential, regardless of where her talents lead.
Boarding is the perfect way to support the development of students –encouraging them to embrace new opportunities.
Routine and structure gives stability to our boarders who are encouraged and supported to increase their independence and resilience and build relationships that will last them for life.
In boarding, there is always someone to work with, to talk to, to explore ideas with, to spend time with and we create opportunities to pursue interests which go far beyond the classroom.
Why do families choose Royal High Bath?
Royal High Bath is for families who are looking for an all girls environment with a modern and contemporary approach to learning:
• Where strong values and international diversity and a sharing of cultures is celebrated;
• Where exceptional pastoral care is provided in a nurturing and caring environment;
• Where girls achieve excellent exam results and are supported to progress to Oxford, Cambridge, Russell Group, Ivy League and international universities;
• Where all students are treated with respect for their nationality, culture and orientation;
• Where international students are welcomed and integrated fully in the life of the school community;
• Where girls are encouraged to aim high, work hard and achieve the best results;
• Where girls are encouraged to take part in school life and try new things;
• The school has excellent facilities and is situated on the edge of the beautiful Unesco World Heritage city of Bath.
What parents and girls say
“You make friends for life within a cosy and happy environment.”
Amelie, Year 7
“We loved how warm and caring the boarding staff were and how easily [our daughter has] settled in. She has made some really good friends and enjoyed so many amazing experiences. It has really been a good decision for us.”
Parent of Year 9 boarder
“I love being able to get to know other girls in different years, we’re like a big family.”
Holly, Year 7
We welcome applications directly from parents, however selecting the right boarding school from a distance can be a challenge. We work with a number of partner agents in different countries which helps to make the process for families as straightforward as possible.
We work very closely with our agents and partnership is important. Royal High Bath has worked with international agents for many years and we understand the need for prompt and efficient service. The Agents Handbook has been prepared to give you the key facts about us and to help you explain our school to prospective families.
For an agent to work with us, we prefer them to be members of the British Boarding Schools Network (BBSN) and/or the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA). This way we can ensure that those agents representing our school to families who are looking for a UK boarding school can deliver the very highest level of service, something that is very important to us.
What we can offer you:
• Efficient and friendly service;
• Excellent commission package;
• Marketing material and testimonials from former students;
• Regular news updates;
• Attendance at international fairs and exhibitions to meet potential students;
• Familiarisation trips for agents to visit Royal High Bath;
• Personalised individual School tours for your families.
We are closer than you think
We’re closer than you think
Situated in the beautiful UNESCO world heritage city of Bath, our school is just 1 hour 10 mins by train to central London and a 35 minute drive to Bristol Airport
1 hour 10 minutes
from Bath Spa to London Paddington
35 minutes
from Bath to Bristol Airport
1 hour 40 minutes from Bath to London Heathrow
2 hours from Bath to Birmingham Airport
2 hours 30 minutes from Bath to London Gatwick
Proud to be part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) family
• Experts in girls’ education
• 70,000-strong network of alumnae; mentors, friends and careers support
• Programme of higher education advice for UK, international and Oxbridge application
• LEAD - unique to the GDST, this innovative Leadership and Enterprise programme by UCL helps students develop skills to be future leaders and entrepreneurs
Situated in the beautiful UNESCO world heritage city of Bath, our School is just 1 hour 40 minutes from London Heathrow and a 35 minute drive from Bristol International Airport. We are also just a short train journey from Central London, it takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to London Paddington from Bath Spa. The Heathrow Express from Paddington takes 15 minutes.
Girls making their mark
BATH
LONDON
BRISTOL
BIRMINGHAM
GATWICK
BATH
LONDON
BRISTOL
BIRMINGHAM
GATWICK
HEATHROW
Key Selling Points
• As specialists in girls’ education, we tailor our teaching to the way girls learn best.
• All our students become part of the GDST Alumnae Network, a community of more than 70,000 former students and staff, connecting to like-minded women all over the world.
• Excellent public exam results - 42% of students achieved 3 A*/A grades at A Level in 2023.
• Superb boarding facilities, newly refurbished and described by the Good Schools Guide as “chic and contemporary”.
• Royal High Bath is set on a peaceful and safe site surrounded by beautiful countryside within walking distance of the city of Bath, which is ranked as one of the UK’s safest cities by the Complete University Guide.
• Choice of International Baccalaureate and A Level in Sixth Form. Top 50 IB school and Top 20 IB school in UK.
What we expect from our agents
• To work closely with us to recruit students that are well suited to Royal High Bath, who will do well academically and socially and make the most of the opportunities that our school offers;
• To support parents through the admissions process;
• To make the family aware of Royal High Bath’s ethos and expectation of behaviour and conduct;
• To keep up-to-date with the latest UKVI policies and make clear to students their obligation under conditions of their student visa;
• To assist families in appointing a UK based guardian;
• To keep us informed of developments in your territory and staff changes within your agency.
A Worldwide Community
International students form an integral part of academic and social life at Royal High Bath and there are many reasons why students choose to study with us. You can rest assured that when you are recommending Royal High Bath, you are offering an institution with a high quality education and unique student experience.
Royal High Bath welcomes pupils from across the globe, and our international students comprise approximately 20% of the school population. Together with our UK pupils they create a school community enriched by cultural diversity and a variety of all-round educational experiences.
Royal High Bath is culturally diverse, with girls from a variety of backgrounds creating a rich and vibrant social environment. Royal High School Bath is home to approximately 500 students, mainly from the UK but also from countries across the world.
International students are fully integrated into school life and we value their contribution to the school.
Your girls will be going to a British school with an international and global outlook. This is one of the reasons why UK parents choose Royal High Bath - they want their girls to grow up alongside students from all over the world.
Boarding at Royal High Bath
Offering a home from home, Royal High Bath welcomes boarders from the age of 11 years. Boarders are made to feel part of a warm and caring community offering all the support they need to feel at home, to know that they belong and to help them achieve their very best in school.
Boarders soon become part of a close-knit school ‘family’ and quickly form strong friendships which will last all the way through the Senior School and beyond.
Boarding staff are a combination of both pastoral and teaching staff. Both teams have strong links with each other to ensure seamless support and monitor academic progress.
The boarding environment is without fail always busy and vibrant. Over 80% of Royal High Bath boarders are full time. However, we also have flexi boarders and weekly boarders that stay during the week.
A Home Away From Home
At Royal High Bath we provide the conditions for boarders to develop their intellectual talents through well-structured study conditions, access to staff, participation in activities in an atmosphere which values effort as well as actual achievement. Our policy of continuous refurbishment is aimed at providing accommodation that is comfortable, clean, safe and attractive and is suited to the needs of boarders whilst ensuring adequate levels of privacy. The House Leadership scheme, and the system of duty allocation within the boarding house, develop each boarder’s qualities of leadership and her ability to work as part of a team.
We acknowledge the special circumstances in which a boarder is living, learning and growing up. We recognise the reality of homesickness, whether it is experienced by boarders who board a great distance from their families or by those whose homes are much nearer. Every effort is made to work with parents to overcome this problem and this is just part of the general partnership we strive to establish between House staff and parents.
Our aim in boarding is to ensure that each boarder experiences:
• A happy and stable ‘family’ environment;
• A structured routine within the demands of school work and the need for time to relax;
• The opportunity to take part in a wide range of special weekend activities;
• Encouragement and support in meeting the requirements of Royal High School Bath’s curriculum;
• The support of House Staff with advice whenever needed;
• The opportunity to grow and develop as an independent and self-reliant person; ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious equal opportunities.
Our Boarding Houses
School House - Ages 11-16
School House is located on the top floor of our neo-gothic Main Building. With spacious common rooms, quiet study areas and quirky mezzanine bedrooms, our girls are supported both academically and pastorally through their formative years at senior school. Our RHB Learner Qualities extend into boarding recognising the achievements of our boarders and the unique skills they learn from living together away from home. We have a sizeable kitchen for cooking and baking together and this is where School House boarders will gather each day over a snack at the end of lessons before going to their clubs, practising in the Music School, enjoying art in the Art block or using the gym on site.
Gloucester House - Ages 16-18
Gloucester House offers Sixth Formers an exclusive space to socialise, study and enjoy their home from home. With single and twin study bedrooms, the girls have access to comfortable communal areas, a large modern kitchen and quiet study areas. Here, girls benefit from having more independence, while remaining an integral part of the school community. Sixth Formers are given the freedom to organise their own evening timetables, with structured time set aside for demanding academic work. Many take up community work and volunteering opportunities and enjoy the rich experiences that Bath has to offer.
Laundry
We provide an onsite laundry service for boarders. However, they also have access to washing machines and tumble dryers in their boarding houses should they occasionally wish to do their own washing.
Our fun-packed weekend programme encourages boarding girls to try new experiences – we actively support our girls as they step outside their comfort zone in a safe and caring environment.
Every weekend and during the evenings our boarders have access to the on-site fitness suite, our Steinway Music School and recording studio, and the Library as well as beautiful grounds overlooking Bath. We have links with other local schools, the local tennis club, nearby riding stables and access to Bath University’s sports facilities.
With the safe city of Bath on the doorstep, our boarders benefit from all that it has to offer. From visiting the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey to shopping and cafes, not forgetting the annual Bath Festival. Your daughter will enjoy trips further afield too – from theatre visits in London to rock climbing in the Avon Gorge.
We also offer many activities within our school grounds, including theatre and movie prosthetic makeup workshops, zorbing and baking. We have our own outdoor pizza oven and enjoy outdoor movie nights. We encourage our girls to embrace all opportunities on offer at Royal High Bath.
Payment for Trips
Weekend trips are often free of charge to students or subsidised by the School. On some occasions, we may ask for a contribution. Where a trip is charged, we will make it clear in the termly trip brochure.
Years 7-13 there are 2 exeats in the Autumn Term, 1 in the Spring Term and 1 in the Summer Term.
The boarding houses close at 17:30 on Friday and re-open at 17:30 on Sunday.
Exeat weekends are not compulsory and students that choose to stay at school are charged an additional fee to remain, approximately £300.
Guardians
All International students must have a UK based guardian. It is essential that a guardian is nominated before the student joins Royal High School Bath. In the event of an emergency the guardian will be the first point of contact. Parents, of course, will also be contacted, but the guardian will act in their absence ‘in loco parentis’ which will include attending school meetings and parent evenings. This must be an AEGIS approved guardian www.aegisuk.net or a Boarding Schools Association (BSA) www.boarding. org.uk approved guardian.
Food at Royal High Bath
Our menus are varied and delicious, providing students with a high quality diet that is balanced, healthy and full of fresh ingredients, and we have a bright, airy and modern dining hall where girls are encouraged to come together to socialise and enjoy their meals.
All food is freshly prepared on site by Holroyd Howe, our award winning catering team who work exclusively with independent schools to create a premium, fresh and thoughtful food service.
All diets can be catered for, either for cultural, medical or religious reasons and our catering team pride themselves on offering food for every occasion - offering themed evenings for boarders such as Taco Tuesday or Curry Night, as well as really pulling out the stops for celebrations such as Christmas, Diwali and Chinese New Year.
Eating in the Boarding Houses
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are meals that are provided, and there are well-equipped kitchens in the boarding houses where boarders can make drinks, snacks or complete meals.
As a Year 7 to 11 boarder in School House, boarders eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together in the dining room. We also make sure ad hoc snacks (for example, cereals, bread, spreads, fruit and hot drinks) are available in the School House kitchen / common room.
As a Sixth Form student (Years 12 and 13) there are various places to eat at different times of the day: in the main school dining room, the Sixth Form café or Sixth Form boarders can cook for themselves. In Gloucester House there is a main kitchen and two kitchenettes on each floor with a kettle and a fridge for boarders to use.
Sixth Form Cafe
Understanding the need for independence and in preparation for life beyond RHB, our Sixth Form students have their own dedicated cafe where food and snacks are served. This is a light, contemporary and sociable space attached to Gloucester House. The café is open for late breakfasts and break as well as lunch and the Sixth Form students can choose to eat lunch here rather than in the main school dining room. The café can also be used in study periods for group study or to relax
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
We have many years’ experience of helping pupils learning English as an additional language (EAL) to become confident and secure learners who can use the language fluently.
We accept international students whose English is sufficiently advanced for them to learn alongside native English speakers.
A student’s need for EAL support will be reviewed on arrival. It is essential that her English skills allow her full access to all her subjects. Standard EAL support will usually be in small groups made up of others from the student’s peer group and is included in our tuition fees.
If our Head of International Students decides that extra support is needed, in addition to our usual provision, 1:1 tuition will be required, for which there is an additional charge.
EAL tuition focuses on the language skills which are needed both socially and academically in the subjects being studied, boosting students’ vocabulary and exploring the cultural references that enable full access to the curriculum and successful integration with UK teachers and peers.
In the Sixth Form, support continues so that students can achieve an IELTS Level 7 by the time they leave: this satisfies the English Language Entry Requirements for leading UK universities.
Entry Requirements and Programmes Offered
We are ambitious for all our girls, encouraging them to work hard. For international students we test their English level, as it is important they can access the curriculum and fully participate in classroom discussions. We welcome our international students to join us on the following programmes:
Years 7 to 9 (Key Stage 3): Ages 11 to 13
The girls will study a range of subjects and this is a good time to lay the foundations for their English language skills.
Years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4): Ages 14 to 16
This is a two year GCSE Course. Girls joining Year 10 will study up to ten subjects at GCSE level. Studying GCSEs over two years allows the girls to fully develop their language skills as well as their friendships.
As an alternative, we also offer a one-year Sixth Form Foundation programme.
Years 12 and 13 (Sixth Form / Key Stage 5): Age 16+
We offer International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) or A-Level pathways.
Please visit our website for more details about the programmes and the subjects we offer.
The normal joining point is September but we may be able to take new starters in January or April into Years 7, 8 and 9. Entry at these times into Years 10 and 12 for short term enrolments are also possible if we have sufficient places.
Application Process
Step 1: Registration
Parents / Agents are required to complete the online registration form and pay a non-refundable registration fee of £100 to secure a place in the admissions process. A Learning Support form is sent to the registered email address which should be completed and returned as soon as possible.
Step 2: Assessment
The entrance process comprises: entrance examinations, an interview and receipt of a confidential reference from the student’s current headteacher.
Step 3: Outcome
Following the assessments, interview and receipt of the reference, each girl’s performance is carefully considered by the Head. Places are offered on the basis of strong results in the examinations, good performance in the interview and a recommendation from the current headteacher. Offers of places are made digitally, via the admissions portal; copies of offer letters are sent to agents.
Step 4: Acceptance
Parents will be asked to log into the admissions portal to accept the offer digitally and pay a deposit. The acceptance deadline is usually two weeks after offer. The term before a student starts, they will receive a Welcome Pack with lots of information to help them prepare for joining us.
Visits
We encourage agents, and prospective students and their families, to visit and experience the atmosphere for themselves. We are happy to arrange a personal visit to Royal High School Bath and to welcome your potential students to the School.
We recommend that visits should take place Monday to Friday in term time to experience the School when both day and boarding girls are on site, and to ensure you are able to meet key academic and boarding staff. The visit will include a tour of the grounds, the facilities and a boarding house.
What are the travel arrangements for international students?
We encourage parents or guardians to accompany new international joiners on their first day if at all possible.
Thereafter, we provide transport for returning pupils (only to and from Heathrow Airport) on the day the boarders are expected back in school and also on the last day of each term. If a boarder leaves before the end of term, we can book them a taxi but we are unable to drive them to Heathrow. When they return at the beginning of term we arrange pick-up from Heathrow (depending on flight times), however we are unable to book any taxis for returning students at the beginning of term as flight plans may change.
Life After Royal High Bath
Virtually all Royal High Bath girls progress to university at the end of Year 13, with some taking a gap year first. All students are individually supported through the university application system by their tutor and a UCAS adviser.
The Royal High School Bath Alumnae Network provides our former students with a life-long connection to our school. Our alumnae network is part of the wider GDST alumnae community which spans the world and every professional sector. The GDST has over 100,000 alumnae members and provides access to many opportunities such as mentoring, professional networking, self-development and social events.
Recent University Destinations
Affiliations
Royal High Bath is proud to be a member of the British Boarding Schools Association (BBSN), the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students (AEGIS), the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), the British Boarding School Association (BSA) and the British Association of Independent Schools with International Students (BAISIS).
If you are an international education agent and would like to discuss the possibilities of working with Royal High Bath, please contact:
Sallie Taylor, Director of External Relations
e: s.taylor@rhsb.gdst.net w: www.royalhighbath.gdst.net
t: 01225 313877