The Royal Lapurisian Academy of Higher Arts

"2 years of preparation. 2 years of exams, off-world interviews and sleepless nights. Thousands of pounds spent and…the hard work hasn’t even begun."

- Mrs A. Abretti on reading her daughter's acceptance letter

The Royal Lapurisian Academy of Higher Arts (RLAHA) is by far the most prestigious centre for academic excellence across the 13 galaxies of the Empire. Unlike other Royal Academies, RLAHA has received direct funding from the Crown and Military since its establishment in 1IE. Taking on students at the age of 13, the Academy strives to cultivate graduates suited to positions of high power following in the footsteps of its most notable alumni.
Graduation from any Royal Academy is heralded, however, just mere acceptance into the Academy of Higher Arts is undoubtedly a life-altering moment of rising social capital and economic status.

Purpose

Established in 1IE RLAHA was founded in the heart of a blooming Inter-Galatic Empire to provide an intense but well-rounded education for the premiere youth of Lapursia. Whilst you may expect a rather insular school, enrolling the same families generation after generation, a complex admissions process seeks to select a diverse population from the applicant pool.
Additionally, in the fight against scholastic insularity, the Academy has forged deep local community ties to the nearby city of Cerillion. Students of the Royal Academy are often seen in their green capes, offering help in local shops and institutions such as the Royal Library of Cerillion or the Museum of the Kalitonian People.
The intergalactic nature of the student body affords for the Academy to act as a focal point of the Empire. Any student from any planet has the option to apply for a place at RHALA and the Academy is often requested to provide performances at or participate in large-scale Empire events. Such events include the coronation of a new monarch, performances at intergalactic musical and sporting events sponsored by the Crown the return of specialised military units from the front lines.

Historic Campus

The Royal Lapurisian Academy of Higher Arts is based on a single campus towards the Crestillion seaboard of Northern Kalitos. Established in 1IE, the Campus initially consisted of 4 buildings and a clock tower. Students hailed only from the Central Solar Set until 30IE when those from the Centriscus Galaxy were permitted to apply. It wasn’t until 126IE that the Academy began to accept students from all over the Empire.

Diploma’s Offered

Lower Form

The Lower Form has a distinctly academic focus for students aged 14-17. After one levelling year ensuring the intergalactic body of students is up to the same standards, the second and third years of Lower Form afford for ‘specified studies’. During this time, students narrow their academic timetables towards in-depth research and skill development.
The Lower Form has two major examination periods, failure in either prevents a student from receiving their diplomas. Additionally, the Form also has four minor examination periods.
On passing the Lower Form students are granted LCAEs in their specified studies as well as a Royal Academy Arts Diploma.
On completion of the Lower Form, the majority of the students leave RLAHA to attend University.

Upper Form

The Academy's Upper Form is in direct collaboration with the Lapurisian military and is tailored to the needs of each student. Students have classes in groups of less than five and commonly have 1-to-1 tuition. The Upper Form has a much more physical emphasis with the purpose of priming students for enrolment into positions of military command.
40% of students in the Upper Form pass and receive the Royal Higher Arts Diploma. Students who completed Upper Form but did not pass still receive the Higher Arts Diploma.
Any of the three diploma’s offered by the RLAHA hold prestige as the highest academic qualifications for young people in Lapurisia. In addition, acceptance and attendance to RLAHA is well regarded with rich academic transcriptions, excellent tutor reviews and cultural prominence as the premiere Academy of the Empire.

Notable Graduates

George Villiers

Captain Kressler

Ministeer Hawthorne

Major Jouai Purusch

King Averion Ipenseer

Captain Jeosra

Royal Academies

RLAHA is at the pinnacle of the Royal Academies system of the Lapurisian Empire, a series of deeply connected schools which primarily receive funding through the Lapurisan Crown rather than by government allocation. All major Solar Sets in the Lapurisian Empire are home to a Royal Academy and the schools often compete against each other in inter-scholarly academic decathlons and sporting events.
Royal Academies are commonly split into 5 key stages starting at the age of 5 through to the age of 18. The student demographics largely consist of pupils from high social and economic backgrounds although rhetoric around the institutions purports that “anyone” can gain admittance.
Overall, the Royal Academies have a “graduates into further education” (GFE) rate of 99.6%. Is this due to their rigorous push for academic achievement or are other factors at play?

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