About The Girls' Day School Trust

At the Girls’ Day School Trust, the Senior Management Team refer to their values when presenting or participating in workshops. They are also used as a framework when difficult decisions need to be taken. They have appointed subject champions to promote collaboration between their staff and have also increased the range of events for students to allow them more opportunities to collaborate and compete. The CEO's stated aim is that 10% of staff in every school will spend one day a year in one of their other schools or academies. Putting girls first guides their approach to key investments in their estate, as they want the teaching and learning environment to be first-rate for all the pupils in their care. The Girls’ Day School Trust’s Leader engages with employees on a day to day basis through regular email updates, vlogs, regular school visits, annual school reviews with Heads and their Senior Leadership Team. She will always attend results day and prize giving in the schools and regularly speaks at school events.

To improve team interaction and communication at The Girls’ Day School Trust, conferences are held to bring together people in similar roles across all trust schools. There are also shared portals, allowing for the sharing of resources and expertise across schools, plus a cross phase working during INSET days. Each school holds various activities throughout the year with different groups of staff. At one of the schools they hold joint staff parties with teaching and support staff, which the school subsidises. The organisation have just introduced a “shout out for staff” board in each staff room where you can acknowledge an unsung hero. Additionally a member of the Leadership team leads on a fitness regime, which happens for 50 days and leads to staff becoming very competitive! Friendly Fridays - once a half term goodies are placed in two areas of the school to encourage all staff to interact with one another rather than stay in small groups round the school. One of the schools have introduced a Staff choir, which raises morale and brings staff together, plus they now perform at all major events. There is even a staff social committee, which organises two events per term from greyhound racing and ghost walks to wine tasting and nature visits. The Head has introduced writing a birthday card to every employee, which has had massive impact on wellbeing. Finally twice yearly there is a staff outing to the West End to see a show.

Most years at The Girls’ Day School Trust the Senior Management Team do a series of ‘roadshows’ with all the staff in their schools, sharing with them the aims, values and priorities of the organisation. These are also embedded in all their training and continuous professional development of their staff, as well as in their performance rating scheme. The mentoring and coaching that all Heads enjoy help them to uphold the values and deliver their aims in schools and academies. In addition to this, their new CEO has introduced VLOGs as a way to further communicate with all staff and embed the values and mission to all employees.