Traditions old and new send Year 13 off from The Royal High School Bath with a bang!

Two days of spectacular celebrations marked the end of Year 13’s journey at Royal High and the beginning of Study Leave for their final A Level exams.  On a perfect May evening, in an elegant marquee on Chapel Field, memories were made at a Leavers’ Ball, a new tradition which we hope will be repeated for many years to come. Studded with lights, flowers and fireworks where girls, their ‘plus ones’ and members of staff, danced till late into the night, the evening was the perfect send off for soon-to-be alumnae.

And the fun didn’t stop there. On an equally dazzling afternoon the next day, the Year 13 Celebration and Prize-giving was followed by a sparkling cream tea on the Chapel Field. Proud parents enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate their daughters’ achievements with members of staff. Everywhere were flashes of beauty and splashes of colour: the ceremony began with a quintet of Year 12 girls singing two beautiful songs followed by the reading of poems, whilst the girls’ gorgeously vivid artwork was on view for all to gaze on.

Amidst the elegance, the popular tradition of ‘Muck-Up Day’ saw Year 13, the school building and many of the staff bedecked in full Harry Potter regalia earlier that day. Giant spiders and spider webs covered the stairs, a flying blue car hung from outside the banisters by the dining room and Deputy Head Mrs Dellar became Professor Umbrage for the morning. During a special assembly, wisdom was imparted to our Leavers by Head, Mrs Duncan, sporting a sorting hat, and Professor Hayward-Dumbledore, Head of Sixth Form, who showered the girls with lemon sherbets.

Of course, these celebrations would not have been complete without the popular leavers’ tradition of a final barbecue and a visit from the ice-cream van. Full of joy, goodies and plenty of sugar, our Year 13s head off into their study leave with smiles on their faces and wonderful new memories.