Chair of Council
The Girls Day School Trust
Remunerated at £30,000 per annum
Established in 1872 by four pioneering women who believed that girls should have the same educational opportunities as boys, 150 years later we remain rooted to our original purpose as a family of 25 girls’ schools including two academies. Today, we enjoy a reputation for academic excellence, for research-based innovation and for fostering a climate in all our schools that is positive, nurturing and aspirational. As experts in education, we understand the complexities of modern childhood and adolescence, particularly for girls and young women. We focus on equipping the girls in all our schools with the skills and attributes they will need for success in their lives in the 21st century. Our alumnae network of impressive women in all professional and creative fields is testament to the ongoing success of our mission and provides an unparalleled resource for our girls as they build their networks for the future.
The Role
Our Chair, Juliet Humphries, is standing down in July 2023 at the end of her eight-year term as Chair of Council during which she has tirelessly led Council and supported the Executive with vision and wisdom. We are now seeking an exceptional and experienced Chair to join us, one who can lead our committed Council and support our talented Executive team as we continue to meet the constantly evolving opportunities and challenges of providing an outstanding education in a complex contemporary world.
We are open to your professional background, so long as you bring effective governance experience, strategic thinking, strong commercial acumen and experience of leading change. Importantly, you will also share our commitment to the benefits of an all-girls’ education for young women today. You will need to be in touch with the realities of life for our students as they move through their school careers and on to higher education and their working lives and be ambitious for what GDST can achieve for our reputation and impact, as well as for opportunities for innovation.
We seek a strong communicator who can represent the Trust internally across our school communities and externally, we are looking for someone who will embrace this role with energy and commitment, working closely with the Chief Executive to recruit new Heads for our schools and being visible to our school governing bodies.
