NEWS

on why girls’ and women’s equality is more important now than ever.

One of the founding principles that our pioneering founders fought so hard for was the creation of a more equal world for all. This was the sentiment behind an important element of our celebrations. You can read more about the impact that a GDST bursary can have, with Aletha Shepherd’s story on page 28.

Cheryl Giovannoni, said, “For me, there is no better way to celebrate our 150th than to keep the legacy of our four founders at the core of all we do – and to keep building.”

We have come a long way since our four founders set up the Girls’ Public Day School Trust in 1872, and this year we have been celebrating our 150th anniversary in recognition of the visionary movement they started in girls’ education.

Founded on the belief that girls should have the same educational opportunities as their brothers, our first schools – Kensington Prep and Notting Hill & Ealing High School – were the start of it all. Now, with 25 schools and academies in England and Wales, the GDST is established as a global leader in girls’ education, and continues to innovate in empowering girls to change the world.

We have marked our 150 years with a range of celebrations and events, including the publication of our ground-breaking survey, The Girls’ Futures Report (read more on page 8), inviting our Head Girls, past and present, to share some of their advice on leadership, and bringing together the 20,000 students and 4,000 staff that make up our GDST family today to reflect

Last year, the GDST became a founding member of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS). With this, Cheryl Giovannoni, along with a number of GDST Heads and 17 GDST research fellows from the Global Action Research Collaborative (GARC) attended the ICGS’ Global Forum on Girls’ Education in Boston, USA.

The Forum brought together advocates for girls’ education from more than 225 girls’ schools and professional associations from 13 countries across the world, representing a community of over 300,000 female students, to discuss how best to prepare and empower girls to be ethical, globally minded change makers.

Fionnuala Kennedy, Head of Wimbledon High School, presented on the concept of ‘civil discourse’ and how to empower girls to engage in debate and disagreement in the current climate of cancel culture, polarisation of views and online pressures. “It's so important that we at the GDST are part of a global conversation to make sure that [girls] are put at the centre of innovation –as we have seen recently, particularly in America, that progress can go backwards very quickly if we become complacent,” she said.

Alison Sefton, Head of Norwich High School, added, “As the GDST turns 150, we must make sure we are continuing that pioneering work. Being here with the ICGS has made me even more committed to continuing the conversation about the relevance of girls’ education in a modern world.”

“We always say we offer access to a world beyond the town walls,”

Jo Sharrock, “To be representing my students on a global stage feels like living that promise.”

Cheryl Giovannoni summed up, "Our partnership with the ICGS is a brilliant platform to speak about the generations of work that have gone into designing girls' education at the GDST."

All GDST schools now have membership of the ICGS and are able to access a variety of resources, professional development opportunities and research.

As part of our drive to demonstrate how the GDST supports its pupils to follow their instincts and find their passions, we commissioned a series of films to spotlight girls across our schools in pursuit of their unique hobbies and interests – whether it is drama or skateboarding, badminton or beekeeping.

Available to view on the GDST’s YouTube channel, the early films in the Spotlight series give viewers a glimpse into the school lives of some of our pupils; girls who are challenging gender stereotypes, building their identities and perfecting their talents to become the next generation of ‘one-offs’, doing what they love and standing up for what they believe in.

www.youtube.com/@GDSTgirls

Timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, Year 7 pupils at Belvedere organised the school’s first intergenerational event, welcoming grandparents, great aunties, uncles, cousins and older family friends to the academy for its very first “Golden Agers” afternoon tea.

The gym was decked out with hearts, hanging decorations and even a Valentine-themed balloon arch, and tea, coffee, cream scones and heart-shaped biscuits were served to guests. After meeting their Year 7’s friends, everyone was given a full tour of the academy.

It was truly a heart-warming event, and visitors commented on the happy politeness of the pupils, the friendly welcome they received from staff, the amazing facilities and, of course, the cream scones! As one guest put it, “It was lovely to have the opportunity to see your wonderful school and the enthusiasm of your pupils. I really enjoyed my granddaughter showing me around.”

The guest speaker for this year’s Prize Giving was BHSA alumna Natalie Hancock. Natalie is a BBC journalist and multimedia trainer. Her speech, which incorporated powerful messages from BBC colleagues via video, greatly inspired the school’s students. Natalie gave a personal account of resilience and perseverance which has enabled her to thrive in the competitive world of broadcasting. She also gave a pertinent message about the importance of professional integrity. The evening was extra special as her old English and form teacher Avril Lock, now in her eighties, proudly listened to anecdotes shared by her former pupil illustrating the wonderful community that is BHSA.