In what can best be described as a rollercoaster of a week for expectant GCSE students and Royal High School Bath staff, we are happy to celebrate the achievements of an exceptional group of young women.

It is with admiration that over the past academic year we have watched this group of students work towards their GCSEs, face lockdown with resolve, and take full advantage of the GDST Into The Sixth programme to give them the best chance of success, regardless of grades. Several industrious students used lockdown to enhance their skills and launch small businesses – of particular note are the four Year 11 girls behind ‘Teddy & Me’, an idea generated when the girls took part in the GDST's Design Thinking course.

Head, Mrs Kate Reynolds said: “We regret the uncertainty around the publication of this year's exam results and are pleased that the government’s U turn ensures our students have achieved the results they so richly deserved. Many of our students have used lockdown to grow and develop their ideas and studies further, and all of them should be rightly proud of their achievements. We look forward to welcoming them back to our Sixth Form to begin their IB or A Level studies in September.”

This cohort followed a path laid by previous years and their achievements equal those of their high achieving predecessors. This indicates that a professional, robust and rigorous process was carried out to ensure the students grades were truly indicative of their abilities.

An impressive 54.5% were graded 8/9 – equivalent to the top old style A/A* grades with an overall 99.3% pass grade. This represents a 10% increase in grade 8 and 9s. Congratulations to the 4 girls who gained all grade 9 in their examinations and to the English and Maths Departments for their 100% pass rate, half of these with the top Grade 9 in English Language and 41% with the top 8/9 in Maths. Science results were commendably strong once more with the top 8/9 grade received by 52% of the Physics candidates, 50% of Biology and 47% of Chemistry students taking the single award option.

We offer particular congratulations to a number of students, who have rightly achieved the very highest grades – Grace Ruddick is an exceptional student who was working towards 7 GCSEs (for which she achieved grades 8 and 9) as well as 3 A Levels. Grace is an early entrant and is off to Bristol University to study Maths and Computer Science.

Mrs Reynolds continues: “Along with celebrating the girls’ significant attainments, I want to recognise the tireless professionalism and teamwork of our Royal High School staff, who have relentlessly maintained high expectations and support for all our students, especially those in exam years. We are all looking forward to welcoming the girls back to the Sixth Form and guiding through their IB and A Level studies with our hallmark academic challenge.”