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Girls with Goals

At Royal High, we believe in the transformative power of education. We combine academic excellence with a deep commitment to wellbeing, character development and opportunity, ensuring that every student is supported and challenged to achieve their very best. Through outstanding teaching, enriching cocurricular experiences and a culture built on kindness, respect and belonging, we empower young people to become curious thinkers, courageous leaders and compassionate global citizens. This prospectus offers a glimpse into life at Royal High for girls in Year 9, a pivotal stage in their educational journey. It is a time when young people begin to broaden their horizons, embrace new ideas and discover more about themselves and the world around them. We encourage our students to be bold, adventurous and intellectually curious, giving them the confidence to explore their interests, take risks and develop the resilience that will serve them well in the years ahead. This is a time for exploration and growth, not complacency; a time to embrace opportunity and imagine what might be possible. While no document can fully capture the energy, warmth and sense of purpose that define our school community, I hope these pages convey the values that underpin all we do and the ambitions we hold for every young person in our care. At Royal High, we are committed to helping every student flourish academically, socially and personally, enabling them to lead lives of meaning, contribution and fulfilment. I am immensely proud of our students, our staff and all that we accomplish together. I warmly invite you to discover what makes Royal High such a remarkable place to learn, grow and thrive. Heidi-Jayne Boyes Head

Girls with Goals During the Middle School years, from Year 5 to Year 8, girls grow into confident and capable learners. They establish the foundations of strong scholarship within an environment in which they feel secure, known and supported. Our school values of Confidence, Curiosity and Connection lie at the heart of this journey. We want every student to develop confidence in her own abilities, curiosity about the subjects she studies and the wider world, and a strong sense of connection with those around her. Together, these values encourage girls to participate fully in school life, embrace new possibilities and recognise the contribution they can make to their community. These values are reflected in the Royal High Learner Qualities. Students are encouraged to be Brave, Reflective, Inquisitive, Collaborative, Kind and Sparky in their approach to learning. These qualities help them to understand how they learn, respond positively to challenge, work successfully with others and bring creativity and originality to their studies.

By the end of Year 8, these habits are firmly established. Students have developed their metacognitive skills: they understand more clearly how they learn, how to challenge themselves and how to contribute positively to the community around them. Year 9 is therefore a natural point at which to turn their attention more deliberately towards the future. Girls with Goals encourages students to look beyond the immediate life of the classroom, recognise their developing strengths and consider the opportunities and choices that lie ahead. From three simple words – Girls with Goals – ambitious futures begin.

A purposeful journey through Years 9–11 I am delighted to introduce our bespoke programme, Girls with Goals. This has been carefully designed to support your daughters during a pivotal year in their educational and personal journeys. At our school, learning is underpinned by our key learner qualities that help every girl flourish. We encourage students to take on challenges with confidence, think deeply about their learning, and engage actively with new ideas. Equally important are their ability to work alongside others, make a positive contribution to the community, and bring creativity and enthusiasm to everything they undertake. These qualities extend beyond academic achievement, playing a vital role in shaping confident, capable, and well rounded young people. As the girls navigate the emotional, social, and developmental complexities unique to Year 9, this initiative will embed our core values in a sustained and meaningful way. Through structured mentoring, guided reflection, and targeted careers advice, the programme aims to foster deep resilience, independence, empathy, leadership, and self-belief. By focusing on these areas now, we ensure the girls are confidently prepared for the transition to GCSE study, the challenges of Sixth Form, and their future aspirations. We look forward to partnering with you as we launch this initiative and watch the girls thrive.

TERM 1

Confidence Pastoral Evening ‘Raising Girls with Goals’ Tutor interviews to identify academic, social and extra-curricular goals Applications for positions of responsibility Students Join Year 10 for PE allowing greater opportunities for competitive sport in Under 15s PSHE Focus on Financial Management and Careers Academic Evening with Options Focus

TERM 2

Curiosity Options 1-1s with our Head of Careers and Tutors Special Aspire lecture Students invited to start Level 2 EPQ Year 9 Debate competition DofE Bronze Award Launched Careers and Networking Evening

TERM 3

Connected GCSE Core Courses Commence Girls review and reflect on their Goals Summer Research Competition Launched Girls with Goals Themed Activities week Goals for Connection – Project with the Crane Academy Celebration Evening and Awards Ceremony

Options subjects, GCSEs and choices YEAR 9 ACADEMICS – A YEAR OF FREEDOM AND FOCUS

Year 9 is an important bridge between Middle School and the GCSE years. In some core subjects (Sciences, Maths) students will begin their GCSE courses and in every subject they will lay important foundations for the study that follows. A specific focus of our pedagogy in this crucial year is to introduce greater depth and challenge in lessons, while facilitating increasingly independent and confident management of student’s learning. Throughout Middle School, the Royal Learner Qualities develop habits that enable students to learn successfully. In Year 9, we strengthen these habits and begin to help students apply them more deliberately to GCSE assessment criteria. There is an increased focus on examination technique: interpreting questions accurately, selecting and applying knowledge,

structuring extended responses and refining work in response to feedback. Our aim is that students begin to understand not only what they know, but how best to demonstrate their understanding. At the same time our Year 9 curriculum retains valuable freedoms: the final opportunity to learn for it’s own sake, a liberty to explore away from the demands of examination specifications. Teachers use this freedom to make the curriculum relevant, ambitious and engaging, introducing topics that broaden students’ perspectives and create opportunities for curiosity, creativity and intellectual risk-taking. This dual approach helps our girls to develop goals that are focused towards future exam success without losing the joy of intellectual curiosity and making connections across a broad and balanced curriculum – breadth and enjoyment should remain at the heart of an excellent education.

Identifying Goals for GCSE Study During Year 9, students begin the process of choosing their GCSE subjects. These are important decisions, and we ensure that they are made thoughtfully, with time for reflection, discussion and expert guidance. Our first term of PSHE is devoted to financial education, careers and employment, helping students explore their interests and strengths and consider how different subjects might connect with future pathways. Students will attend a Careers Fair, where they can encounter a wide range of professions and begin to appreciate the varied routes that may lead towards them. The formal options process begins with a dedicated Academic Evening in December, when families receive the full GCSE Options Booklet. This provides detailed information about the curriculum, individual subjects and the choices available. Students are encouraged to pursue subjects that interest and inspire them while maintaining a broad and balanced academic portfolio. The process is fully supported throughout. Guidance is provided by Ms Lowe, Form Tutors, Melanie Whalley (Careers Adviser), and members of the curriculum team – Mr Briggs (Deputy Head Academic), and Mr Graham, Director of Studies. Together, they help each student arrive at choices that reflect her abilities, interests and developing ambitions.

Support and challenge Challenge is built into every lesson. Teachers stretch students to deepen their knowledge, sharpen their thinking and develop the skills required for success at GCSE and beyond. Further opportunities are available through Aspire Lectures, seminars and special events, which allow students to encounter new ideas and engage with subjects beyond the classroom curriculum. Careful support underpins the Year 9 experience. Mrs Holly Whittle, SENCO, and Mrs Alison Parr, Examinations Access Coordinator, oversee close monitoring and appropriate provision, including examination-access screening for all pupils. Multilingual learners can also receive specialist English as an Additional Language support from Ms Natalie Cheers, helping them participate fully and confidently in the curriculum.

Some students may also choose to undertake additional qualifications. GCSE Dance course is available as an after-school programme beginning in Year 9, with examinations taken in Year 10 (students can also begin this in Year 10). Multilingual Learners may be able to take a GCSE in their native language, with the Modern Foreign Languages Department offering support with examination technique, entries and practical arrangements. Students may also begin a Level 2 Extended Project Qualification, completing it during Year 9 or continuing it alongside their GCSE studies. These opportunities allow students to pursue their particular strengths, interests and ambitions while developing as independent learners.

Careers CAREERS FAIR, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE

Our Head of Careers works closely with students in Year 9 to support them during their selection of GCSE ‘Options’. This includes the Head of Careers visiting each Tutor group to align with the Options Evening for students and parents. We hold popular ‘Year 9 only’ drop-in lunchtime careers sessions with our in-house Level 6 Qualified Careers Adviser throughout January and February; to align with the options choices deadline. Students may also choose to arrange an individual careers advice session at any point during the year, and some also choose to invite their parents to attend with them. The emphasis of our careers programme is on keeping as many doors open as possible, with the recognition that these students are likely to have a variety of different careers in their lifetime. A careers fair is held with the express purpose of broadening their understanding of the many different types of careers that exist and to provide them with the opportunity to practise their networking and communication skills with professionals in a supported environment.

PSHE The PSHE programme encourages our Year 9 students to think outward – applying their curiosity beyond the school gates and to their wider world and their future. An emphasis on financial literacy includes sessions on learning about investing, including a ‘stock picking’ challenge for the students to put their theory into practice. Other topics include understanding inflation, how mortgages work as well as ways to identify and avoid online financial fraud, an important area as they make more independent purchasing decisions.

A series of lessons focuses on the ‘Options’ choices that every student will make in Year 9 for their future GCSE study. This includes practical sessions led by a Level 6 Qualified Career Adviser. on how to conduct careers research and analyse Labour Market Information (LMI). We recognise that Girls with Goals need to learn to be critical in their online consumption, with a particular focus on an age-appropriate understanding of the rise of online misogyny, the ‘manosphere’ and what influences this has on popular culture and their lived experience as young women.

Responsibility and leadership At the end of Year 8, our students will have had the opportunity to apply to become a Year 9 Ambassador. The Ambassadors work closely with the Head of Admissions and the Deputy Head Pastoral and Boarding to lead tours for prospective parents and represent the school at key open events. It is a role that develops communication skills and confidence as students progress through this pivotal year at Royal High.

The Year 9 curriculum The following pages describe the distinctive Year 9 experience in each subject. They focus on the knowledge, skills and opportunities students encounter as they begin to connect present learning with future goals.

Subject

Lessons per fortnight

English

Mathematics

Science

Modern Foreign Languages

Technology

Art

Drama

History

Geography

Computing

Music

Religion and Philosophy

Physical Education

Classics: Latin, Gratin or Classical Civilisation

RHSE

Total

Art In Year 9, students continue to strengthen their observational drawing skills, whilst the emphasis shifts further towards a personal response to a theme. They explore a range of media and processes, developing their understanding of tone, scale and colour while learning how different techniques can enhance their work. Traditional approaches are balanced with opportunities to investigate contemporary art through research. Students are encouraged to ask why an object or image looks the way it does, why particular forms, colours or shapes have been selected and how effectively the work communicates an idea. As Year 9 becomes a stepping stone towards GCSE, students undertake more sustained research and development, experiment, take creative risks and work with growing independence. Studio access at lunchtime and after school enables students to extend their work. LEARNER QUALITIES

Students develop bravery through scale and experimentation, inquisitiveness through research and reflection through the evaluation and refinement of their work. Beyond the classroom The Art School offers a wide range of opportunities, including termly Art Clubs, run by Art Staff and KS4 and 5 Scholars, access to the Darkroom to explore traditional and Digital Photography and encouragement to use the Art School independently to nurture creative freedom. This is enhanced by the bookable Watch This Space gallery which allows individuals and groups of students in any year to plan and curate their own exhibition.

Classics: Latin, Gratin and Classical Civilisation Whether studying Latin, Gratin or Classical Civilisation, Year 9 students continue to explore the languages, literature, history and culture of the Greek and Roman world. In their study of classical languages, they develop their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar while each course considers its ancient context, including mythology, religion, society, historical figures and the legacy of the ancient world. Students work with increasingly challenging original and adapted material, make links between language and culture and develop wellsupported interpretations of ancient sources. Year 9 provides a strong foundation for further study of Latin or Classical Civilisation at GCSE, while also strengthening analytical thinking, precision and confident written argument. LEARNER QUALITIES

Classics encourages students to be inquisitive about unfamiliar societies, reflective in their interpretation of evidence and brave when tackling demanding language and ideas. Beyond the classroom Students can extend their interest through subject clubs, competitions, lectures, trips and performances connected with the classical world. Popular experiences include the Classical Symposium and an annual talk from Sunday Times best-selling author, Ben Kane on daily life in Ancient Rome.

Computer Science

Drama

Computer Science in Year 9 builds confidence to not only use but create the technology of the future. Girls gain an insight into how systems work and how computing concepts link with the tech they encounter every day. Lessons focus on four areas:

Year 9 Drama offers further opportunities for collaboration, creativity and confident performance. Students explore theatrical forms and practitioners, devise original work and respond to challenging themes and contemporary issues. They learn to shape ideas for an audience through character, movement, voice, staging and design.

• How it works: Students discover the people,

companies and algorithms that shape our use of technology and the way data connects us at work and play. • Programming: Girls unlock the mystery of code and finish Year 9 equipped to confidently write and specify programs. AI: We examine the opportunities and risks of • artificial intelligence and teach how to use AI safely and responsibly. • Digital literacy: Following their end of year exams students build a digital portfolio to celebrate and reflect on their Year 9 achievements. LEARNER QUALITIES

Computer Science lessons develop creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration and resilience. Girls are encouraged to try out ideas and reflect on their learning journey. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Girls in Tech and Unlock Cyber days provide a taste of university life and opportunities to experience how tech firms operate. Year 9 students choose the focus of the lunchtime cyber club, allowing them to pursue areas of interest. Girls can also take part in the new First Lego League robotics and AI competition.

Practical work is supported by evaluation and reflection. Students learn how to rehearse purposefully, give and receive constructive feedback and refine a performance over time. The course develops the independence and expressive confidence needed for further study while also strengthening communication, empathy and teamwork. LEARNER QUALITIES

Students are brave when performing and experimenting, collaborative throughout rehearsal, reflective when refining work and kind in creating an ensemble in which others can succeed. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

The department offers productions, performance projects, theatre visits, workshops and opportunities to contribute through acting, directing, design, technical theatre, dance and music.

English

Geography

Year 9 English develops confident, perceptive readers, writers and speakers. Students encounter ambitious fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction, learning to analyse how writers use language, form and structure and to support interpretations with carefully selected evidence. Texts are chosen to broaden perspectives, stimulate discussion and prepare students for the demands of GCSE study.

In Year 9, students investigate risk and the ways in which people and places respond to natural hazards. Work on plate tectonics includes earthquakes and volcanic events, with students comparing impacts, levels of preparedness and approaches to management in contrasting locations.

Students write for different audiences and purposes, developing accuracy, control and an individual voice. Discussion, debate, performance, drafting and redrafting help them to express complex ideas with increasing clarity. They also build the independent reading habits and critical vocabulary needed to engage thoughtfully with literature and the wider world. LEARNER QUALITIES

The course then broadens into major geographical issues, including ecosystems and hot deserts, human impacts on landscapes and changing global population patterns. Students use maps, data, geographical information systems, case studies and fieldwork evidence to explain relationships and evaluate possible responses. This prepares them to think critically about sustainability and their responsibilities as global citizens. LEARNER QUALITIES

English asks students to be inquisitive readers, brave in offering interpretations, collaborative in discussion and reflective when improving their writing.

Geography develops inquisitive and reflective thinkers who collaborate in fieldwork, analyse evidence carefully and are brave enough to engage with complex global questions.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Opportunities include creative-writing activities, reading groups, competitions, author events, performances, debating and wider literary enrichment.

Many Year 9 students have taken up the opportunity of participating in our Iceland trip in October time where they learn about the unique physical geography of the country. They have attended our lunch time club where they learn more about Iceland, its culture and the forces shaping the landscape. Many have entered year group geographical competitions including photography and essay writing challenges as well as quizzes.

History

Mathematics

Year 9 History focuses on the twentieth century. Students begin with the First World War before studying the campaign for women’s suffrage and end the year studying the Holocaust and significant developments in modern Britain and the wider world. They examine the experiences of both prominent figures and ordinary people, considering how events were shaped by power, conflict, belief and social change.

Year 9 consolidates the essential knowledge of Key Stage 3 and prepares students for GCSE Mathematics. The curriculum develops fluency in number and algebra alongside work on ratio, proportion, geometry, measures, statistics and probability. Students meet increasingly demanding multi-step problems and learn to select methods rather than simply follow a familiar procedure.

Students work critically with a wide range of primary and secondary sources. They assess interpretations, identify bias and limitations, construct supported arguments and recognise that historical accounts may be contested. This develops both secure chronological understanding and the intellectual independence needed for GCSE. LEARNER QUALITIES

Explanation and mathematical reasoning are central. Students are expected to justify conclusions, identify patterns, compare approaches and communicate solutions accurately. Mistakes are treated as a useful part of learning, helping students to become resilient, independent mathematicians who are willing to try unfamiliar ideas. LEARNER QUALITIES

History encourages students to be inquisitive about evidence, reflective about differing perspectives, brave in testing interpretations and collaborative in debate.

Mathematics develops brave problem-solvers, inquisitive pattern-spotters and reflective learners who can collaborate and explain their thinking with precision.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

We run a trip to the Battlefields of the First World War in Belgium and France where we visit sites and cemeteries and, alongside the English department and expert guides, explore the events and poetry of the conflict. For each of our main topic areas, we also encourage students to read novels and to watch films to deepen their knowledge and understanding and to bring the past to life. Finally, we work with the Holocaust Educational Trust to deliver a digital education programme, ‘Holocaust 360’, which combines interactive eyewitness testimony with virtual reality technology, revolutionising how students engage with Holocaust survivor stories and historical sites.

Students can extend their learning through mathematics challenges, individual and team competitions, clubs, listening to guest speakers and attending other enrichment activities.

Modern Foreign Languages Languages in Year 9 develop students’ confidence in listening, speaking, reading and writing while deepening their understanding of other cultures. Students learn to communicate with greater spontaneity, express and justify opinions and manipulate increasingly complex vocabulary and grammar. They are encouraged to take risks, respond independently and see language learning as a gateway to future study, travel and work. Indicative themes include free time, health and lifestyle, and holidays in French; holidays, media, food and drink, health and fitness in German; holidays, media, food and eating out, clothes and daily routine in Spanish; and countries and languages, jobs and school issues, transport, time and daily routine in Mandarin. LEARNER QUALITIES

Languages develop brave communicators who are inquisitive about cultures, reflective about accuracy and collaborative in conversation. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

tudents may take part in language clubs, competitions, cultural events, international cookery, trips and other opportunities to use languages beyond the classroom.

Music Year 9 Music is collaborative and embraces hands-on music-making alongside more advanced theoretical understanding. Pupils continue to explore the three strands of performing, composing, listening and appraising. Pupils study five different projects during the year:

• Musical Theatre (including a trip to see a musical) • Film Music • Samba • Song Structure • Reggae LEARNER QUALITIES

In 2026, research commissioned by the Royal College of Music found that business leaders ranked music first across five of seven competency areas, including creativity and innovation, teamwork and collaboration, adaptability and flexibility, communication skills and time management. Music nurtures sparky creativity, brave performance, reflective practice and the kindness and collaboration required for successful ensemble work. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

We have a thriving co-curricular and concerts programme. We have four choirs, a jazz band, symphony orchestra, concert band, and smaller groups for brass and strings. From small chamber groups to large ensembles and groups for beginner level to advanced musicians, we have something for everyone.

Physical Education Year 9 students take part in a broad and ambitious programme of physical activity. The increased allocation of eight lessons per fortnight gives students more time to develop fitness, skill, tactical understanding and confidence across individual and team activities. The programme may include athletics, badminton, cricket, dance, football, gymnastics, hockey, netball, pickleball, rounders, rugby, swimming, tennis and volleyball. Alongside performance, students learn how to analyse and improve their own and others’ work, lead activities and understand the importance of health, wellbeing, cooperation and fair play. The range of experiences helps every student identify activities she can enjoy and sustain beyond school. LEARNER QUALITIES

PE develops brave and resilient performers, reflective learners, collaborative teammates and kind leaders who value the contribution of others. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

The department offers an extensive programme of clubs, teams, fixtures, tours and competitions. Opportunities range from recreational participation to performance pathways and leadership roles. Could you be more specific?

Religion and Philosophy The principal focus in Year 9 is philosophical debates. Students examine some classic philosophical debates from the Philosophy of Religion. They consider a range of religious and non-religious approaches with a focus on developing critical argument skills. Topics include what it means to be human and responses to evil and suffering. Study of Muslim beliefs and practices, helps student consider how beliefs influence actions and attitudes. Students learn to distinguish assertion from argument, use evidence to support explanations, weigh up alternate viewpoints and reach reasoned conclusions. A project on Islam at the end of the course allows students to develop their research and presentation skills along lines of interest. LEARNER QUALITIES

Religion and Philosophy develops inquisitive thinkers who listen kindly, debate bravely, collaborate respectfully and reflect before reaching a judgement. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Students can extend their learning through Philosophy Club, visiting speakers, debates, competitions and Amnesty-related activities.

Science Year 9 Science provides a secure bridge towards GCSE study while retaining a strong emphasis on practical enquiry. In Biology, students study organisms in their environment, photosynthesis, cycles, movement of molecules into and out of cells, levels of organisation, cell structure, human impacts on the environment and biological molecules. Chemistry includes chemistry in the world around us, particles and separating mixtures, the structure of the atom and an introduction to reaction rates. Physics explores Living Beyond Earth, energy in the twenty-first century, medical physics and communication. Across all three sciences, students plan investigations, handle apparatus safely, analyse data, evaluate evidence and communicate explanations using increasingly precise scientific language. LEARNER QUALITIES

Science develops inquisitive investigators, brave practical learners, reflective analysts and collaborative problem-solvers. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

The department offers science clubs, including Lego league, CREST Awards and Flight club. We encourage all girls to take part in a range of stretching competitions such as The National Scientific Thinking Challenge and other activities that extend learning beyond the curriculum.

Technology: Design Technology Year 9 Design Technology is broken down into a graphics rotation as well as workshop rotation. These rotations prepare them for GCSE and challenge students to identify needs, generate creative ideas and manufacture well-resolved products. Projects develop accurate drawing and modelling, confident use of workshop tools and machinery and understanding of materials and processes. Students use computer-aided design and manufacture alongside traditional practical techniques. The design process is iterative: students research users, write specifications, test possibilities, manufacture prototypes and evaluate outcomes. Increasingly open briefs give them scope to make independent decisions and develop products with an identifiable purpose and personal character. LEARNER QUALITIES

Design Technology develops sparky designers who are inquisitive about how things work, brave in testing ideas, reflective when refining prototypes and collaborative in the workshop. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

The department offers scholarships for Year 9 in Design Technology – the application process is in Year 8. Alongside this we have an open workshop as well as a focused making club.

Technology: Food Technology

Design Technology: Textiles

In Year 9 Food Technology, students build a repertoire of increasingly complex dishes and develop the practical independence needed to work safely and efficiently. They plan and organise recipes, manage time, use a wider range of equipment and apply accurate cooking techniques.

Year 9 the practical work introduces more demanding textile processes and students develop confidence whilst become increasingly accurate makers.

Theory and practical work are closely connected. Students consider nutrition, healthy eating, food provenance, sustainability, food choice and the scientific principles that explain what happens during preparation and cooking. They evaluate outcomes and adapt recipes for different needs, laying strong foundations for further study. LEARNER QUALITIES

Food Technology develops independent and reflective cooks who collaborate safely, show creativity and understand the importance of responsible choices. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Students can take part in cookery clubs based on sugar craft and enter the yearly ‘Bake off’ competition centred around a different theme each year.

Students gain specific dress making skills and learn how to use a pattern, follow instruction, select materials, use sewing machines safely and construct a well-finished product. They learn to test, evaluate and refine their ideas throughout the design process. The course provides an excellent foundation for GCSE Design Technology while also developing useful creative and practical skills. LEARNER QUALITIES

Textiles encourages sparky creativity, brave experimentation, reflective refinement and considerate collaboration in a shared practical environment. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Students have the opportunity to enter Young Fashion Designer UK. As well as an open Textiles room, plus embroidery and upcycle clubs.

Royal High Bath, GDST Lansdown Road Bath BA1 5SZ United Kingdom royalhigh@rhsb.gdst.net +44 (0)1225 313877