How the right school in early years could transform your daughter’s future

Research shows girls and boys learn and develop very differently, and that time spent in early years is more important than we first realise. An all-girls environment has been proven to help more girls step out of their comfort zones to reach their full potential.

The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), are pioneers in, and shapers of the future of girls’ education with around 150 years of experience educating girls from the ages of 3 to 18 years old.

Multiple findings from a recent research report show that GDST Prep school girls are significantly more confident than their non-GDST peers. Not held back by gender stereotypes, or the pressures of conformity felt in mixed-sex classrooms, girls at a GDST Prep school are more likely to contribute to class discussions and achieve their goals.

One of the 25 schools in the GDST, and the only one based in the South West, Royal High School Bath (RHSB) prides itself on a supportive, caring ethos where every girl is treated as an individual and known to all. The Prep School’s award-winning Cranwell House site in eleven acres of tranquil woodland offers a stunning setting where girls are encouraged to explore the world around them, flourish in safe, secure surroundings while growing every day in confidence.

From the moment she walks through the doors, your daughter will be encouraged to learn without limits. Our ‘Cranwell Discovery Curriculum’, based on the Reggio Emilia approach, is engaging, diverse and girl-centred, stretching beyond national requirements with both class teachers and subject specialists there to challenge your daughter to reach her learning potential from day one. It focuses on creative approaches to learning in and outside the classroom, helping girls develop independent thinking and enquiry-based learning skills, whilst growing their understanding of the world, citizenship and collective responsibility.

So, it is no wonder that a recent survey showed GDST junior school girls are 20% more likely than their non-GDST peers to believe women’s equality is an important issue. And only 6% of GDST girls aged 9 say they avoid some activities because of their gender, compared to 37% of 9-year-old girls and 31% of boys in the national samples.

It is also worth noting that a higher proportion of girls attending single-sex schools go on to study what are often perceived as male dominated subjects such as STEM. This year, over 50% of RHSB students have chosen Maths as a Sixth Form subject. We aim to break down barriers to perceptions of what previously have been seen as traditionally ‘male’ vs ‘female’ by planting the seeds in the girls’ minds from an early age that any role is within their grasp.

Our school’s ethos is embedded in recognising every pupil’s potential, unlocking it and enabling your daughter to be herself, so that she is ready to seize opportunities and make her mark on the world, which is clearly evident in all areas of RHSB life.

Discover more by booking a visit or signing up to an Open Day event.