The Girls’ Day School Trust

For parents faced with a bewildering choice of independent schools, there is a range of decisions: boarding, day, prep, all-through, single-sex, co-ed – let alone what the school can offer a child with a particular interest or talent, be it music, art, science, sport, languages or enterprise. All of these will play a part in reaching a decision. There are also two other factors worth considering when choosing a school, which may not be so obvious: whether the school is a charity or a commercial enterprise; and whether it benefits from being part of a larger group of schools.

One such group is the Girls’ Day School Trust, an education charity founded in 1872, of which I was, until very recently, Chairman. It is the largest group of independent schools in the UK, with 29 schools, over 20,000 students and 3,500 staff. Our schools are located throughout England and Wales, with 12 in and around London, and our students and staff at all schools benefit from being part of our organisation. Our commitment to education is at the heart of our charitable status and this commitment, along with our size, long history and sound operational management, provides the parents of our students with invaluable peace of mind. As a charity, our duty is, and will continue to be, to our current and future students, not unaccountable shareholders. All our income is reinvested in our schools for the benefit of the students. Co-operative programmes and collaborations flourish in individual schools and across the Trust, and we are keen to extend our range of partnerships, including working with the UK government on its Academy programme. Our governing council, along with local governors at all our schools and the Heads themselves, ensure that high standards are maintained in education, enrichment and pastoral care. Within our framework, individual schools retain the independence and flexibility to respond both to local needs and to changes on the national and global stage.

I have had many opportunities to visit GDST schools in my 17 years as a council member. Whenever I do so, I am always impressed and pleased by the sheer levels of activity in our schools, and delighted that so many of them are seizing the initiative to try out new ideas – be it embedding enterprise in the curriculum, as at Heathfield School, Pinner; offering the International Baccalaureate, as The Royal High School, Bath, is planning; or encouraging community activity in the school, like Blackheath High School with its Open Doors initiative.

The security of being part of this larger network means that schools can take a risk on such ventures without jeopardising their futures. This security also means that the GDST as a whole can develop new initiatives. We recognise that successful preparation of our students for life in a rapidly changing global society requires us to continue to grow and evolve, so we are making excellent progress with plans for a franchise for a small number of schools in Asia. These joint ventures will be the first overseas schools involving the GDST and, over time, the income our participation generates will be used to fund more bursaries across our schools. These links with China and, in due course, India form part of a wider development to prepare our UK students for life and work in a global economy, which will see each of our UK schools twinned with an international partner school in the long term. Nearly half of GDST Heads have already benefited from a GDST-funded trip to China to meet staff and heads of schools there as partnership plans develop. The internationalisation of the GDST curriculum is at the heart of this, and the past year has seen many more schools introduce Mandarin, whether as a compulsory element or an extra-curricular option.

Staff in our schools benefit from training and sharing best practice through our first class GDST staff training programme, whilst our accredited Masters-level leadership programme develops leaders within our schools. Recent workshops to share best practice in creativity in teaching and learning have been run by Nottingham Girls’ High Junior School and Great Houghton Prep School. Students also benefit from our network. As well as the many opportunities for collaboration and competition across the GDST such as the Chrystall prize for public speaking or Trust-wide sports rallies, last September we celebrated ten years of the GDST Head Girls’ Conference, during which time almost 1,000 young leaders have been through a programme which nurtures leadership and teamwork.

Across the GDST we are investing some £6m annually in ICT systems and hardware to underpin our teaching and learning and promote cross-GDST communications and collaboration. Our new MyPlace portal, offering remote access to online resources, was launched this year to enhance opportunities for pupils and staff. Staff are also exchanging ideas and opportunities on a wide range of topics through our GDST-wide Area Network. Streatham & Clapham High School’s annual ‘Day of Dance’ and Blackheath High’s Shakespeare Masterclass, for instance, were streamed live over the intranet so that other students could participate without leaving their own schools.
The GDST’s Minerva Network for current Sixth Formers and former students continues to grow and develop, offering them a unique set of opportunities to contact its 45,000 members for tailored, original careers advice and social and networking opportunities. Our ‘CareerStart’ programme, originally for Sixth Formers and now offered to girls in Years 10 and 11 too, is also expanding, with the addition of new modules on goal-setting, job interviews, creative thinking and career planning, in addition to existing workshops on financial skills, management and leadership.

The young people I meet at GDST schools learn that independence, ambition, hard work and self-discipline are important, but that the ties of family, friendship and community need their time and care too if they are to become fulfilled and balanced individuals. They are confident, articulate and fun. They learn to value their own and each others’ strengths and talents while aiming always to develop themselves and enhance their own skills. They learn to be energetic, enterprising and self-sufficient – skills they will need to succeed in a global economy and be leading citizens of a global society, whatever path in life they choose. Above all, they leave GDST schools with the academic achievements that allow them access to their first choice Universities and jobs.

Now that I have stepped down as Chairman, I look back and realise how far the GDST has come since its foundation in 1872. Our founders’ mission has been reinterpreted and adapted to the challenges faced by each generation. In my time with the GDST we have come to redefine our mission for the twenty-first century to ensure that the GDST remains at the forefront of education, extending excellence and innovation in dynamic educational settings. We aim to ensure that our young people have the knowledge, skills and experience to meet new challenges and succeed. No matter what the future holds, the GDST will be there to educate, support and guide them.
Elisabeth Elias

For more information visit our website at www.gdst.net