The Girls’ Day School Trust is the UK’s leading family of independent girls’ schools, united by a shared belief in the power of girls’ education to help pupils learn without limits. Across our schools, we are proud to combine academic excellence with a deep commitment to individuality, wellbeing and opportunity.
We are seeking an experienced and credible senior education leader to join us as Head of Education (Senior Schools) on a fixed-term maternity cover basis. This is an important Trust-wide role, supporting the quality, coherence and ambition of senior-phase education across GDST schools.
What you’ll be doing
Working closely with the Director of Education, you will provide high-quality academic leadership across senior schools, with a particular focus on curriculum quality, teaching and learning, school improvement and inspection readiness. You will work with Heads, senior leaders and colleagues across the Education Team to support strong academic standards, effective professional collaboration and well-coordinated support across Key Stages 3 to 5.
This role is deliberately focused on academic leadership and educational quality, sitting alongside complementary Trust roles that lead Sixth Form strategy and futures provision. It offers the opportunity to bring senior educational judgement, professional challenge and practical school improvement expertise to a family of schools that is ambitious for every girl.
What skills and experience you’ll bring to the role
You will bring significant senior leadership experience in secondary or senior school education, with a strong track record in curriculum, pedagogy, quality assurance and school improvement. You will be confident working with Heads and senior leadership teams, able to build trusted relationships quickly, and comfortable using evidence, data and professional dialogue to support improvement.
We are looking for someone who is collegiate, reflective and solutions-focused, with the credibility and judgement to work across different school contexts while supporting consistency of expectation and ambition across the Trust.
The successful candidate will be committed to the GDST’s mission and values, and to ensuring that safeguarding, inclusion, wellbeing and academic excellence remain central to the educational experience of pupils across our senior schools.
Who we are
The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) is the UK’s leading group of 24 independent girls’ schools and two academies across England and Wales. We educate around 19,000 students and employ 4,000 staff, all united for a shared purpose: to help girls learn without limits, so they can go on to lead lives without limits and make the world a better place for us all.
The organisation’s values serve as guiding principles:
• We put girls first
• We think and act fearlessly
• We embrace a forward-thinking mindset that shapes the educational offer for girls
• We are a family of schools
• We provide careers that are fulfilling and purposeful for our staff
As recognised global leaders in girls’ education, we combine 153 years of expertise and experience with a progressive and pace-setting vision for the future. We are dedicated to giving our students the tools to thrive, offering them access to innovative educational practices, excellent facilities, and an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued.
Why join us
As part of the GDST, the UK's leading network of independent girls' schools, we can offer a variety of benefits, such as:
• Competitive salaries and pay progression
• Access to extensive professional development opportunities
• Training grants for qualifications
• A discount of up to 50% on fees for children at GDST schools
• Generous pension schemes
• Free life assurance benefit
• Interest free loans for training, computer purchase loans and travel season ticket loans
• A Cycle to Work scheme
• Competitive terms and conditions of employment
There are many other good reasons to work with us. Each of our schools and our Trust Office has its own sense of community, and you’ll be part of it. You’ll be in the company of some of the best and brightest people in independent education. Most importantly, no matter what your role, you’ll be playing a major part in the highly regarded education we give our girls.
Our commitment
The GDST is committed to diversity, inclusion and real change. We want every colleague to feel valued, respected and supported, and we actively welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities.