Royal High Bath Alumna, Anna Lewis, chose the school for her two daughters, Jess Year 13 and Hattie Year 10.

Mother: Anna Lewis, Alumna Class of 1992

My name is Anna Lewis (nee Wrench) and I attended Bath High School from Transition until Sixth Form, leaving after taking my A Levels in 1992. After leaving school I went on to read Medicine at St. George’s Hospital Medical School, part of the University of London. I graduated in 1997 and specialised in Ophthalmology, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. After working in various places including Plymouth, Oxford and New Zealand, I returned to Bath and have been working at the Royal United Hospital for the last 20 years. My husband and I have two girls, Jessica (Year 13) and Harriet (Year 10).

What made you choose RHSB for your daughters?

When I met my husband, we moved back to Bath as we had both grown up here and wanted to bring up our own family here. We were blessed with two girls and there was really no contemplation of them going anywhere else. By then the school had merged with the Royal School and the Junior school was at Hope House, where I had spent my senior school years. It was so special that they could enjoy that same ‘Big Garden’ as I had. When we were shown round on an Open Day the teachers were so positive and dedicated, we instantly knew it was the right school.

What aspects of Royal High School Bath did you enjoy and find most rewarding?

I enjoyed the small community feel of the school. Not only did we know everyone in our own year but many girls in the years above and below as well.

What was your favourite subject in school?

Physics

Any key memories? Which teacher had the biggest impact on your life?

I remember my first day, aged four, very clearly. I joined Transition with Mrs Hirst and I spent a large part of the day sitting on her lap. She encouraged me to play with two friends, Ros and Becky, who I am still friends with 45 years later! My junior school memories include visiting the ‘Secret Garden’ off Upper Lansdown Mews with our beloved Headmistress Mrs Pinkstone.

We started Senior School with Miss Winfield joining the school as Headmistress in 1985. She was so inspirational and knew every one of our names. She made me feel special, she knew me and what made me tick and gave me the confidence to believe in myself. Mrs Tomkins was our Head of Sixth Form and my physics teacher as well as our Young Enterprise facilitator and she had an incredible impact on me, again by believing in me.

What is your happiest or funniest memory from school?

My happiest memories are of playing in the ‘Big Garden’ at Hope House where we spent our lunch breaks. We had dens in bushes, rolled down the grassy slopes with much hilarity, played around the edge of the bomb crater, ran up and down the paths at the top of the garden playing horses, jumping over sticks we’d set up as horse jumps. Our whole class played 40/40 at the Beech tree and as we got older, it would be British Bulldogs outside the science labs.

My funniest memory is playing Toto the dog in our self-directed and self-produced 3 Lower musical production of The Wizard of Oz – I like to think we were the first to start the tradition of the Year 6 production. My classmates did an amazing job with casting, scenery, costumes and scripts and we were given completely free rein.

What did you aspire to while at school?

I aspired to being the best I could be, not just academically but in all aspects of school life such as sport and music. I was a bit of a goody-goody (!)

How did RHSB empower you for your future?

I was relatively shy and quiet but the school empowered me by giving me leadership roles such as Captain of 1^st XI hockey and Deputy Head Girl. This gave me the confidence to know I could be successful in positions of responsibility going forward.

How did your studies at RHSB inspire you to follow your chosen career?

I was most definitely a scientist, although I also enjoyed sport (hockey, netball, tennis) and music (‘cello & piano). In the Sixth Form I studied Physics, Maths and Chemistry at A level and I was invited to attend parts of the biology course which would be useful for medical school. I particularly enjoyed Physics at school and looking back I can remember carrying out physics experiments with lights / prisms etc. I went on to use this knowledge in optics in my postgraduate ophthalmology exams, so the grounding I had in physics helped enormously.

What has been your proudest moment?

My proudest moment while at school was giving a Speech as Deputy Head Girl at Prizegiving at the Bath Pavilion. This has been surpassed as a parent, seeing our eldest daughter carrying out her duties as Head Girl.

What would you say to your 11-year-old self?

When faced with what may have been an intimidating teacher or two aged 11, I would love to have known that some 35 years later those same teachers would be lying on my operating table with me performing cataract surgery on them. What a way to be able to give back to some of the most inspiring people who taught me at school and were the reason I gained the grades which enabled me to go to medical school.

I would also tell myself there was an unexploded WW2 bomb under our school library!!

What are your hopes for the future?

I am actively involved with the Alumnae Committee, having previously been Secretary and then Chair for several years. I would like to keep in touch with the school and see it continue to go from strength to strength after our girls have left and become Alumnae too.

How do you think you might be different or similar to your daughters at school?

We all have one word in common on our school reports which is ‘conscientious’. I’m pleased to say that they don’t have the “rarely contributes in class” comment that I had in subjects I was less confident in. I’m certain all the amazing performing arts they took part in at the Prep school with the incredible partnerships of Mrs Millard & Miss Debby / Mrs Bazley helped bolster their confidence, although neither are natural extroverts. My eldest played the title role of ‘Annie’ in the school production a few years ago – something I would never have been able to do (I would have been playing the ‘cello in the orchestra). Both play a lot of sport like I did but to a much higher level with higher levels of commitment.

How do you feel attending an all-girls’ school benefitted you?

Being a scientist, I truly benefitted from being at an all-girls’ school. I would not have excelled in physics, maths & chemistry if I had been sharing a classroom with boys. I was free to be myself and not worry about appearances.

Daughter: Jess, currently in Year 13

How do you think you are different from your mother when she was at school?

I definitely take more subjects, as I study the IB Diploma!

How do you think you might be similar to your mother when she was at school?

She was Deputy Head Girl at school, and I’m lucky enough to be Head Girl at the moment, and we both were a part of school first teams in netball (myself) and hockey (my mother). We also both seem to be science-inclined, both studying Chemistry and Maths in Sixth Form.

What is your favourite subject in school?

Hard to choose! Probably Biology, linking to my future goals and aspirations at university. The IB gives me lots of breadth and depth though, so I often find myself being able to link subjects together, so my ‘favourite’ subject definitely changes!

What do you hope to do in the future?

I hope to study medicine at university and have recently gained 2 offers from Birmingham and Exeter for Medicine. I also hope to continue playing sports and staying generally busy, much as I have throughout Royal High Sixth Form.

How do you feel attending an all-girls’ school benefits you?

I feel that being at an all-girls’ school has definitely allowed me to strengthen my leadership skills, giving me the opportunity to enhance my communication and confidence to be able to share my ideas. This definitely helped me throughout university interviews and application processes, building the ability to articulate ideas because the school has always supported and developed my confidence.

What advice would you give to your grown-up self?

I would say to remain busy and be sure to maintain the skills RHS has taught me. I know that the leadership and communication skills I have learnt throughout my time at the school will remain with me for life.

Daughter: Hattie Year 10

How do you think you are different from your mother when she was at school?

I like sciences like my mother however I also like history and geography, being more of an all-rounder.

How do you think you might be similar to your mother when she was at school?

Both of us play sport being in netball, hockey and tennis teams.

What is your favourite subject in school?

History

What do you hope to do in the future?

Law

How do you feel attending an all-girls’ school benefits you?

I feel that being at an all-girls’ school you are able to focus and concentrate during lessons and reach your full potential.

What advice would you give to your grown-up self?

Welcome advice and help, you don’t always have to problem solve on your own.