Girls' Day School Trust
"At the forefront of education"
Mission
Our aim is to advance the education of young people (principally girls, but, where we think fit, also boys). Our mission for the 21st century is to ensure that the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) remains at the forefront of education, extending excellence and innovation in dynamic educational settings.
Profile
GDST is the one of the largest, longest established and most successful groups of independent schools in the UK, with 4,000 staff and 20,000 students between the ages of three and 18. As a charity that owns and runs a family of 29 schools in England and Wales, it reinvests all its income in its schools. With a long history of pioneering innovation in the education of girls, the GDST also educates boys in some of its schools, and has two co-educational sixth form colleges.
At the GDST our commitment to education is at the heart of our charitable status. 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. This commitment, along with our size, long history and sound operational management, provides the parents of our students with invaluable peace of mind.
Within our framework, our individual schools retain the independence and flexibility to respond both to local needs and changes on the national and global stage. Co-operative programmes and collaborations flourish both in the individual schools and at GDST level and we are keen to extend our range of partnerships.
Results
GDST schools continue to perform substantially ahead of both independent and national schools in both GCSE and A Level exams. This is clearly obvious in the achievement of the top grades. Since 2005, GDST schools achieved an average of over 80% of A Level grades at A and B. At GCSE the percentage of A*/A grades at GDST schools was over 70%. The Sunday Times annual survey of independent schools regularly identifies GDST schools as offering good value for money on the basis of A Level results and fees.
In addition, 99% of our students go on to higher education, the majority to their first choice of university. In 2007, over 10% of GDST A Level students gained places at Oxford or Cambridge. In the same year, 36.3% of our leavers are doing a science, medicine, maths, engineering or related subject and over 16% went on to study medicine, dentistry and related subjects.
