ROYAL PREPARATION ACADEMY"Royal Preparation Academy: Women of Excellence, Leaders of Change"
In 2023 Queen Natalya made several significant changes to the rules surrounding the selection of future Queens. With support from the Priesthood she changed the law so that any future Queens would have to be 21 at the time they inherit the throne and have been a graduate of a government backed school / university known as the Royal Preparation Academy. The school welcomed its first students in September 2023 as they began pursuing University education. In 2024 the school will welcome its first students aged 16, in 2025 those aged 11 will begin their education here. By 2030 the schools will offer education from ages 11-21. The school is female only and has strict entry criteria. In 2026 the school will see its first graduates and on graduation day the Queen, after consultation with the priesthood, will pick one graduate who will be named as Crown Princess and will, for 12 months, be the heir to the throne. Until that time the Queen and the priesthood will name a 21 year old each summer to be the the heir. If during their 12 months the heir does not inherit the throne they will, on the day the new Crown Princess is named, lose their title but gain the title Lady Protector and will give them the right to sit on various councils for the rest of their life.
The school also intends to create a new cohort of diplomats and civil servants as Queen Natalya believes that Queen Sonya permitted women to be side-lined in many of the government roles.
SELECTIONOnce fully operational the school will have three criteria for admission. Each year there will be no more than 30 students in a year group. Students will be picked one a combination of "academic potential, beauty and patrician heritage". The decision about the cohort each year will be made by a combination of the Priesthood, the Principle of the School and a Royal representative. Once a student reaches 16 they may be removed from the school if it is believed they no longer fulfil the three criteria, additionally should there be anyone deemed to have "Undiscovered potential" they can be admitted for Higher Diploma studies and then again a final chance for admission is possible for degree at the age of 18.
CURRICULUMWhen fully operational students aged 11-16 will receive a broad education identical to any student in Lodja. The students will however also receive lessons on matters such as etiquette and current affairs.
At the age of 16 all students will, in line with Lodjain High School Diplomas, take three subjects. One of those subjects must be either History, Politics, Geography or Theology.
The University section of the Academy will offer just a handful of options. Students will have the ability to pick whether they want to study just "International Leadership Studies" a degree that will feature the study of historical examples, international law, politics, Sessifetism, economics and management sciences. Students may opt to do a joint honours degree by also adding one of the following to their degree course, Dance, Music, Literature, Linguistics, Philosophy or Business Management.
FACILITIESThe Academy is a boarding school at all levels. There are three distinct living accomodation blocks.
The Home House - This is for students aged between 11-16. Students share a room with two other students. The block is a three floor stone built building with each floor being a "Fellowship". The Home House features four common areas, one for each Fellowship and one for general use. These common rooms include communal TV areas, gaming zones, hobby stations, a kitchen, small library and various other things required for socialisation and relaxation. Each room has its own bathroom and a small loft area for use as a lounge.
A typical undecorated dorm room view in the Home House
The Scholars Barns - These are a series of five converted barns arranged around a courtyard that feature self contained bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Much like the Home House the Scholars Barn has in each of the barns a social area but also has a large communal area in a separate barn. Each student is also a member of a Fellowship
One of the Scholars Barns
The Annex - This is an old estate house set back from the main campus. It has a series of private ensuite bedrooms with a shared kitchen and dining room between four students. There is a large communal lounge and kitchen, a gym, swimming pool, computer lab, library and music room for students to use. In addition "The Annex" also is home to the schools ball room and theatre. These are accessed through an external entrance so no lower school student sets foot in the living areas of The Annex. One stark difference is that students in the annex have no curfew so long as their attendance to lectures is above 95%.
The Annex