Hayesfield Girls School

Where Bath's Georgian terraces climb toward the southern hills, Hayesfield has been educating ambitious young women for over fifty years. The school's Progress 8 score of +0.76 places it among the top 5% of schools in England for the progress pupils make from their starting points. A co-educational sixth form adds boys to the mix at 16, creating a distinctive educational pathway that combines single-sex learning in the main school with mixed post-16 provision. Across two campuses connected by a seven-minute walk, approximately 1,160 girls in Years 7 to 11 and 340 sixth formers work toward their ambitions in a school where STEM subjects for girls receive particular emphasis. The school's educational roots stretch back a full century to 1922, when the City of Bath Girls' School first opened on the Upper Oldfield Park site.

The motto Achieving Ambitions runs through daily life here, visible not just on walls but in the culture of high aspiration that inspectors noted permeates every year group. Girls move between the two sites with calm purpose during the hour-long lessons that accommodate the trot between Upper Oldfield Park and Brougham Hayes. The former is all Bath stone, high ceilings, and stunning modern additions with commanding views across the city. The latter, while more functional, houses the Nucleus science centre that opened in 2012, a facility with eye-catching sustainable design that includes student contributions and innovative use of natural insulation materials, including hay in the walls.

The school's history reflects the evolution of Bath's educational landscape. Hayesfield was formed in 1973 when the City of Bath reorganised secondary education, merging West Twerton Secondary Modern School with City of Bath Girls' Grammar School to create a comprehensive. The Brougham Hayes campus (pronounced "Broom" for the uninitiated) has an even older history, originally established as Somerset Industrial School for Boys in 1832 before becoming a Domestic Science College in 1934. The school achieved Technology College status in 1999 and converted to academy status in August 2011. In 2021, Hayesfield joined the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership Trust, collaborating within the Bath Hub alongside Beechen Cliff and St Mark's schools.

Philip White has led the school since September 2022, bringing two decades of experience at Hayesfield to the headship. With both his degree in biochemistry and PGCE from Bristol University, Mr White's background reflects the school's commitment to science. His leadership has maintained the culture where staff and pupils remain attuned to each other. The review describes the deputy head greeting pupils individually as the school day begins — an example of the personal touch parents are said to praise consistently. Mr White arrived from the assistant headship, representing continuity of vision rather than external disruption.

The house system organises students into four competitive communities: Austen (blue), Earhart (green), Parks (orange), and Sharman (burgundy). Each name honours pioneering women, from the literary genius of Jane Austen to the aviation heroics of Amelia Earhart, the civil rights courage of Rosa Parks, and the scientific achievements of astronaut Helen Sharman. This deliberate choice signals the school's intent: girls here learn about powerful female role models and identify the qualities and achievements of those individuals. House competitions create friendly rivalry and foster a sense of belonging from Year 7.

Uniform is described as smart, in black‑and‑purple colours: a braided blazer, an open‑collared white blouse, and the choice of skirt or trousers. The rigorous enforcement means students present consistently well; this is amongst the most smartly worn uniform one might encounter. Sixth formers, by contrast, dress with marked individuality, liberated from the corporate dress codes that constrain so many post-16 students elsewhere.

Overall, the tone is of a school that foregrounds opportunity. Pupils’ particular strengths are expected to be nurtured and backed here. The review frames Hayesfield as offering opportunities without a price tag, and suggests families choose it as a social decision; pupils are described as coming from a wide spread of backgrounds, intended to reflect Britain as a whole. The intake closely mirrors England's population distribution, creating genuine social breadth.

GCSE Performance

GCSE results position Hayesfield firmly above the England average. The school's Attainment 8 score of 57.9 significantly exceeds the typical profile for non-selective schools. In 2024, 70% of students achieved grades 5 or above in both English and mathematics, compared to the England average of 45.9%. In 2025, 36% of grades reached 9 to 7, with 80% achieving grades 9 to 4 in both English and mathematics.

The school ranks 639th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 25% of schools in England. Locally, this translates to 5th position among schools in Bath, one of the top state school performers in an area with strong independent competition. The Progress 8 score of +0.76 is exceptional, indicating that pupils make significantly more progress than would be expected given their starting points. This figure consistently places Hayesfield in the top 5% of schools in England for value added, demonstrating genuine effectiveness rather than simply selecting able intakes.

A very high proportion of pupils achieve the English Baccalaureate subjects, with 39.6% achieving grades 5 or above across the full EBacc suite. The average EBacc point score of 5.4 comfortably exceeds the England average of 4.08. This broad academic foundation prepares students well for sixth form choices, whether academic or vocational.

A-Level Performance

At A-level, 27% of grades achieved A* or A in 2024, with 54.3% at A*-B. This solid performance sits in line with the middle 35% of sixth forms in England (25th to 60th percentile). The school ranks 909th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it 9th among sixth forms in Bath. The average points score of 36.97 exceeds both the local authority average of 35.61 and the England average of 34.45.

The mixed sixth form offers 26 A-level subjects including Classical Civilisation, Philosophy and Ethics, Politics, and Psychology alongside traditional academic disciplines. Students can combine vocational qualifications with A-levels, with options including Applied Business, Medical Science, Criminology, Stage Production, Early Years Education, and Health and Social Care. All students take three courses in Year 12, though some opt for four, with Further Mathematics offered as a fourth option. This flexibility allows students to tailor their curriculum to individual strengths and career aspirations.

Leaders have designed a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum where pupils follow what the school calls golden threads of learning mapped across five years. Teachers are explicit about the knowledge they want pupils to learn, and a cycle of assessment and feedback helps students improve their work over time. The November 2022 Ofsted inspection confirmed that pupils build and increase knowledge with frequent opportunities to reflect on and apply their learning.

Lessons tend toward traditional pedagogy, with students in rows facing the front. Technology supports rather than dominates; rules on personal devices are strict, with laptops travelling around school on trolleys as required. Staff and students consider computer provision adequate without allowing screens to substitute for direct instruction. Staff support is described as stretching beyond the timetable: extra pre‑exam sessions run on Saturdays and in the holidays, and teachers are said to be responsive to parent contact.

The Achievement First programme places literacy at the centre of the curriculum. Pupils read daily and share their choices with teachers and peers. A phonics programme supports those who arrive needing additional reading support. The book eyrie provides a dedicated space for reading, one of many opportunities pupils say they enjoy across the two sites. This deliberate focus on reading underpins achievement across all subjects.

The school sets in most subjects (with creative areas excluded), and argues the structure builds aspiration without slipping into demotivation. Latin and sociology feature at Key Stage 4 alongside vocational courses, offering breadth unusual in the maintained sector. The detailed careers programme includes year-group-specific careers days with guest speakers and employer engagement, contributing to the school's Employability Chartermark, a distinction few schools hold.

Learning Support

The Learning Support Faculty responds flexibly to needs as they arise. SEN provision is staffed by a faculty‑leading SENCo, supported by two part‑time dyslexia specialists and two part‑time higher‑level teaching assistants; the wider team also includes a full‑time TA with British Sign Language skills and six further part‑time TAs. Approximately 155 students currently appear on the SEN register, including nine with Education, Health and Care Plans.

The messaging is that the school isn’t only about top grades: it acknowledges not every student will be a high achiever, and says it aims to support pupils equally. The school describes strong liaison with external services — for example educational psychologists, speech and language therapy, the Sensory Impairment Support Service, and Fosseway ASD outreach. Workshops help parents support their children at home.

The inspection noted that leaders provide staff with guidance and training about pupil needs, though sometimes teachers do not provide intervention in a timely way during lessons. This remains an area for continued development.

After GCSEs, around one-third of pupils leave for other sixth forms or colleges, with the remainder continuing into Hayesfield's mixed post-16 provision. The co-educational element draws students from Beechen Cliff, Ralph Allen School, Writhlington School, and Frome Community College, with 63% of the sixth form coming from internal progression.

After A-levels or vocational qualifications, most leavers progress to higher or further education. The 2023/24 cohort of 150 students saw 45% progress to university, with 38% reaching Russell Group institutions. A further 6% continued to further education and 3% started apprenticeships. The employment figure of 33% is notably high but reflects the comprehensive nature of the cohort and the school's commitment to supporting all pathways rather than pushing everyone toward university regardless of suitability.

The school's Oxbridge and elite course programme supports those aiming for competitive applications. In the most recent data, 13 students applied to Oxford or Cambridge, with one securing a place at Cambridge. Three students secured Oxbridge places in 2025, with no medics this year. Recent successes include Holly Powell (Veterinary Science, Cambridge) and Jasmine Todman (Natural Sciences, Cambridge). Cardiff, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, and the London universities all attract significant numbers of leavers.

The artistic strength of the school shows in destination data: 19 students from the 2024 cohort progressed to art foundation courses at local colleges and further afield, a pathway the school actively supports rather than viewing as lesser than direct university entry. The creative pipeline remains vibrant.

Year 7 Entry

Applications for Year 7 are coordinated through Bath and North East Somerset Local Authority, with a published admission number of 224 places. The application deadline falls on 31 October 2025 for September 2026 entry, with National Offer Day on 1 March 2026. Year 7 intake is typically around 180 girls, drawn from a mix of local primaries and prep schools — mainly in Bath — with roughly one in five coming from beyond the Greater Bath Consortium.

Oversubscription criteria prioritise looked-after children and those previously in care, followed by children of staff employed for two or more years or recruited to skill-shortage positions. Twenty places are reserved for aptitude: ten for sporting aptitude and ten for musical aptitude. Those with brothers at Beechen Cliff, as well as those with sisters at Hayesfield, receive priority under the siblings policy.

Aptitude tests typically occur in early October, with the sporting test lasting approximately one hour covering agility, balance, endurance, flexibility, strength, speed, and reaction time. The musical test takes around 20 minutes, assessing aural perception of pitch, rhythm, and meter. The closing date for aptitude applications is typically late September.

The remaining places divide 80% to children within the Bath City Boundary and 20% to those living beyond it. Distance serves as the tiebreaker, measured in a straight line from home to the Upper Oldfield Park campus using the Local Authority's geographic information system.

The school receives approximately 420 applications for 231 offers, creating a subscription ratio of 1.82. This makes Year 7 entry competitive without being impossible for families within reasonable distance. Hayesfield is described as full but not wildly oversubscribed; some parents reportedly still hedge by also applying to the many Bath independents. Open days typically run in September and October.

Sixth Form Entry

External students can join the mixed sixth form, where around 65 new students enter each year. Boys can join at sixth form, but they make up under a quarter of the roughly 310-strong sixth-form cohort. Teaching occurs jointly with Beechen Cliff School for some subjects, creating a broader peer group and subject combination possibilities.

The stated baseline is six GCSEs at grade 4+ — and English and maths are included within that requirement. Those unsuccessful in these subjects are expected to retake. Some A-level subjects require grade 6 for further study. Those with lower or fewer GCSEs may be directed toward BTEC courses rather than A-levels, and the pastoral manager works to find appropriate pathways for all students rather than turning away those who might not reach university.

Open days typically run in September and October. Contact the school directly for specific dates and to register attendance.

Pastoral support receives consistently high praise, described by some enthusiastic parents as second to none. The system operates through year-group-based teams led by Directors of Achievement, with dedicated pastoral managers overseeing student welfare. Mrs Abby Donaldson leads Year 7 transition, while Ms Alison Norris and Ms Rebecca Beddoe jointly manage Years 8 to 10.

Girls describe feeling safe, valued, and happy. They speak of being able to approach anyone when things go wrong, whether the school nurse, the counsellor, or any member of staff. An effective buddy system pairs Year 7 entrants with the year above. Bullying is rare, and leaders resolve it when it occurs. The school's anti-bullying initiatives include a sixth-form photography project creating positive images of friendship displayed around the school in a photo booth format.

A clear system of sanctions operates rarely and fairly, starting with detentions for academic lapses. The line is clear that pupils shouldn’t derail others’ learning; in persistent cases, the school may place a disruptive student at Beechen Cliff for lessons — framed as a final step before exclusion — though the review suggests this is rare.

The school nurse, Mrs Evette Taylor, provides on-site health support. A counsellor visits weekly for students needing additional emotional support. The school takes mental health seriously, with pastoral care emphasising safeguarding alongside academic progress.

Approximately 90 extracurricular activities and clubs operate throughout the week, and all pupils from Year 7 to Year 13 are expected to attend at least one. Period 6 (the after‑school enrichment programme) runs Monday to Thursday, and girls are expected to commit to at least two sessions each week. This structured approach ensures breadth of experience rather than leaving extracurricular engagement to chance.

Music

Music thrives here. Two auditioned choirs, Hush and Host, regularly win awards in Bath and perform at city events. Other ensembles provide opportunities for singers and instrumentalists at all levels. By building music lessons and practice time into the school day, the timetable signals that music is treated as core rather than peripheral — not simply an add‑on.

The music year is anchored by three headline events: a Bath Abbey carol service, alongside the winter concert and the summer concert. The Hayes music suite houses individual lessons, ensemble rehearsals, and music production workshops. Over half the pupils learn an instrument, creating a culture where musical achievement is normalised rather than exceptional.

Performing Arts

Drama is supported by the Roper Theatre — a professional‑quality venue named after a local philanthropic family trust that helped fund its construction in return for backing community events. Productions range from full-scale musicals (Beauty and the Beast among recent offerings) to smaller showcases. Art of all kinds features prominently, with excellent studios and exhibition space. Outstanding student work appears throughout the atrium of the new building, from intricate textile pieces with feather trim to installations inspired by Antony Gormley using tiny clay figurines.

Sport

For a city‑based school operating on two sites, the facilities are portrayed as wider‑ranging than you might expect. The Amy Williams Sports Centre honours the Bath-born Olympic skeleton gold medallist and former pupil. The West Wing complex includes a sports hall, gymnasium, fitness suite, outdoor netball courts, and all-weather astroturf pitch. The Hayesfield Performing Arts and Sports Centre, designed by architects AWW and opened in 2011, houses a sports hall, theatre, cafeteria, fitness room, and music facilities. This extension cost £10 million, funded by the sale of the school's playing fields in Odd Down.

Main games are hockey and netball, though the Period 6 programme broadens the offer considerably. Sport includes lacrosse, cricket, rowing and fencing, and Hayesfield also uses Bath University’s sports facilities (a short drive up the hill), as is common for Bath schools. Several fixtures take place weekly against local schools, with competitions at county level.

The aptitude places for sport acknowledge genuine athletic potential, with students competing at regional and national levels across multiple disciplines.

STEM

The Nucleus science centre, opened on the Brougham Hayes Campus in September 2012 and extended in 2019, represents a significant investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. The facility's sustainable design incorporates student ideas and showcases what the school calls serious green credentials combined with extreme functionality. Write-on walls appear throughout, covered with formulae in progress. The design is presented as functional as well as attractive — not just a pretty face.

The Design Studio at Brougham Hayes, equipped with industry-quality machinery provided with support from Dyson, offers facilities usually beyond a school's budget. This practical STEM emphasis extends to encouraging girls specifically into physics, chemistry, and mathematics at A-level, an area where the school places particular emphasis.

Character Development

The Duke of Edinburgh Award programme runs jointly with Beechen Cliff School, while the Combined Cadet Force operates in partnership with King Edward's School. The LEAP initiative (a character development programme), Student Leadership opportunities, and Enrichment Week round out the provision. Period 6 is presented as a home for the intellectually curious, with options such as basic Russian, a polyglots’ club, computing and the Hayesfield newspaper — and it also provides homework clubs for catching up in weaker subjects.

Language exchanges and cultural trips are described as regular features, and the school points to the Bath–Suzhou Education Partnership as a route to ongoing links with China. The ski trip to Canada exemplifies the adventurous opportunities available.

The school day runs from 8:50am to 3:15pm. Hour-long lessons accommodate movement between the two campuses, which sit approximately a seven-minute walk apart. Brougham Hayes focuses on science, technology, and mathematics, while Upper Oldfield Park houses the sixth form centre, opened in 2014.

The refectory offers home-cooked choices, with menus including dishes like chicken and leek pie alongside equally tasty vegetarian options. The school strives to operate cashless where possible, though parents report some frustrations with the Tucasi system failing to flag low balances.

Transport links serve both sites, with the city centre accessible on foot. Parking is limited, reflecting the urban location within a World Heritage Site. The Upper Oldfield Park campus sits within a residential area where considerate parking matters for community relations.

Two-site operation. The seven-minute walk between campuses becomes routine quickly, but parents should understand that girls will commute between sites daily. Hour-long lessons accommodate the transit time, but the physical layout differs from single-campus schools. The Brougham Hayes site is widely acknowledged to need a facelift, though it boasts the new Nucleus science centre.

Mixed sixth form dynamics. Boys constitute no more than a quarter of sixth formers. Some feel this ratio could increase to 60/40 to create more viable boys' sports teams and activities. Families wanting fully co-educational post-16 provision might find the balance unusual.

Results at A-level. While GCSE performance and Progress 8 scores are exceptional, A-level results sit closer to the England average. Families seeking elite A-level outcomes may find better statistics at selective independent schools in Bath, though value added remains strong.

**Breadth versus depth in sport.Fixtures are said to run weekly, but some parents suggest staffing constraints can mean fewer opportunities for the B/C/D teams — which can reduce match time and chances to represent the school. Students seeking extensive match play may find provision tighter than at independent alternatives.

Hayesfield delivers on its promise of ambition. The exceptional Progress 8 score demonstrates that girls here make significantly more progress than equivalent students elsewhere. A curriculum that takes STEM seriously for girls, combined with genuine strengths in music and art, creates multiple pathways to success.

Best suited to families seeking a girls' school experience with single-sex education to 16 followed by a mixed sixth form. The school suits academically able girls who will thrive on the breadth of opportunity, as well as those with artistic or sporting talents who will find specialist pathways through aptitude places and extensive extracurricular provision. The Bath location within a World Heritage site adds cultural richness to the experience.

Notable alumni including Dame Mary Berry, Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams, and England cricketer Anya Shrubsole demonstrate the range of success the school produces. For families within the catchment who want first-rate education without fees, Hayesfield represents excellent value and genuine ambition. Reaching for the stars is literally possible here.