GSA: Where Girls Excel

Girls’ Schools Association

WHERE GIRLS EXCEL

The Girls’ Schools Association is the expert voice of girls’ education, helping girls and their teachers to flourish. We represent the Heads of a diverse range of girls’ schools, among which are some of the topperforming schools in the UK. GSA schools are experts in educating girls. They encourage the highest standards of education, pastoral care and co-curricular activity, with a wealth of extra-curricular opportunity in art, music, drama, science, sport and more. They share experience, specialisms, events and facilities in a variety of inter-school partnerships, and most of our independent sector schools offer means-tested bursaries for families of limited means.

GSA highlights the benefits of being taught in a predominantly girls-only environment, helping to inform and influence the national education debate, and enabling continual professional development through a wide range of collaborative conferences and courses.

We work closely with the Association of School and College Leaders, are a member of the Independent Schools Council, and join hands with organisations in the UK and internationally – such as the Association of State Girls’ Schools (UK), the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (USA), the European Association of Single-sex Education (EASSE) and the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia – in the interests of girls’ education worldwide.

79

79 Fellows Fellowship is bestowed upon individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to girls’ education

151

151 Schools The schools in our membership are highly diverse - day, boarding/flexi, prep/ primary, senior, all-through, UK, overseas, state, independent – with pupil rolls from 69 to 1852

310

310 Members Full, Associate, International, Emeritus and Fellows

10,000 100,000

10,000+ Teachers Our schools employ more than 10,000 teachers 100,000 Girls Our schools educate almost 100,000 girls

Compared to girls in other schools, girls in girls’ schools: • are 2.5 times as likely to take further maths and physics at A Level • have a higher uptake of other sciences eg computer science 72% higher • outperform students in co-ed schools, at both KS4 and KS5 • have higher attainment across all subjects as a whole According to the latest available DfE School Comparison data for England

Girls in GSA schools receive an excellent education in the fullest sense. Tremendous extra and co-curricular opportunities, lack of gender stereotyping, and highquality teaching enable students to develop the resilience, skills and confidence to lead a healthy, fulfilling life, with their mental and physical well-being a top priority.

A large proportion of girls in GSA schools choose to take maths, sciences, and languages to an advanced level. The overwhelming majority continue their studies at top universities in the UK, the US and elsewhere, and there is a growing interest in higher and degree apprenticeships.

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, BANCO SANTANDER ANITA BOTIN

ASTROPHYSICIST JOCELYN BURNELL

WRITER, ACTIVIST, CO-FOUNDER OF THE WOMEN’S EQUALITY PARTY AND PRIMADONNA FESTIVAL CATHERINE MAYER

ASTROPHYSICIST & SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR DR BECKY SMETHURST

IN GOOD COMPANY...

SCULPTOR LUCY UNWIN

WRITER & HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER ZERBANOO GIFFORD

THE ECONOMIST EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ZANNY MINTON BEDDOES PHOTO: MICHAEL WEURTENBERG ©WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

CAMPAIGNER SOMA SARA

ALEX DANSON-BENNETT MBE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST

CONSULTANT, SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVIST, #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS COORDINATOR HABIBA BALOGAN (NEE ATTA)

WRITER MONICA ALI

PHYSICIST & CAMPAIGNER DR JESS WADE

PHOTO: LIZ EMERSON

Girls’ school alumnae lead the way in male-dominated professions, in scientific, sporting & artistic endeavour and as campaigners & activists

CHIEF NEWS PRESENTER, BBC WORLD NEWS MARYAM MOSHIRI

FIRST CHURCH OF ENGLAND WOMAN BISHOP THE RT REV LIBBY LANE

WOMEN’S EDUCATION ACTIVIST MALALA YOUSAFZAI

ENGINEER & CROSSBENCH MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS JULIA KING, BARONESS BROWN OF CAMBRIDGE

100% of GSA schools have partnerships with state schools and the community 95% of GSA schools invite pupils from local state schools to attend lessons, workshops or other educational events 28.7% of students in GSA schools receive financial assistance £10,799 is the average annual per pupil amount for means-tested financial assistance SOURCE: INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS COUNCIL CENSUS (2019)

GSA schools play a pivotal role in their communities, instilling students with a strong sense of social responsibility.

Most schools have a wide variety of innovative partnerships with local state schools, most provide bursary support to students of limited financial means, and almost all have international connections, giving students the opportunity to experience other cultures. GSA schools attract pupils from throughout the UK and around the world.

Research indicates that girls in girls’ schools are more confident and emotionally in control than girls in co-educational schools.

The research suggests that girls in GSA girls’ schools generally possess higher mental toughness scores than girls in state and independent co-educational schools, particularly for emotional control and confidence.

SOURCE: SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND GENDER, AN ANALYSIS OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS AT UK INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, AQR INTERNATIONAL (JUNE 2021)

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“Girls do better, in terms of educational attainment, at single sex schools”

Dr Alice Sullivan, Institute of Education, University of London

OUR VALUES

Independence

Contribution & Collaboration

Diversity & Inclusion

Global & Cultural Awareness

Excellence

THE EXPERT VOICE OF GIRLS’ EDUCATION, HELPING GIRLS AND THEIR TEACHERS TO FLOURISH

Social Mobility & Opportunity

Visit www.gsa.uk.com/schools for a list of GSA schools

Girls’ Schools Association Suite 105 108 New Walk Leicester LE1 7EA This brochure is printed on FSC certified paper

Tel: +44 (0)116 254 1619 Email: office@gsa.uk.com Twitter: @GSAUK www.gsa.uk.com 2021