FOUR VICTORIAN WOMEN founded the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) in 1872. Countless more formidable females have since been educated at its 24 independent girls' schools and two academies. The trust comprises some of the UK's top-performing independent schools, such as South Hampstead School and Oxford High School. As a charity, it reinvests all income into them. With 4,309 employees across its schools and London head office, the GDST is one of just four big organisations on our not-for-profit list. Staff educate 20,000 pupils aged three to 18 in England and Wales, and benefit from the wider network of support and development opportunities offered by the trust. They know their contribution counts towards the GDST's success, and score this measure 84% positive — an unbeaten result among the big organisations on our list. Head teachers and leadership teams preside at each school, while the trust is overseen by chief executive Cheryl Giovannoni, who took the helm last year, and her senior team. Giovannoni attends school results days and prize-givings, and chairs monthly briefings for head- office staff. The chain of command works well and employees are confident in the leadership of senior managers (67%), who truly live the organisation's values (66%) — both top scores. The trust pays the living wage, which is calculated according to higher living costs in London, where many of its schools are located. The average salary for a GDST teacher is £43,936. Performance-related pay is awarded to employees for achieving targets and for the quality of their work, and everyone has access to a pension. Staff happiness with pay and benefits scored 64% in our survey. Only one organisation did better. www.gdst.net
