GDST Charter for Action

The GDST is Undivided.

Undivided in our commitment to putting our pupils first.

Undivided in our fearlessness.

Undivided in our sense of family, where every individual is valued, respected, and included.

In our mission to continually grow and improve, we set out the following Charter for Action.

We recognise the work that has been done to date and we acknowledge the steps that need to be taken to further improve the experience of everyone in our community. These are our commitments:

1. A culture of inclusion

• The GDST will continue to embed a culture of inclusion. A family of schools where everyone feels that they belong and where every person is valued and supported. This will encompass what and how we teach, the role models we elevate, the voices we amplify, and the cultures and faiths we celebrate.

2. Pupils – education and the school experience

• The GDST will support schools to create opportunities for pupils to share feedback, discuss ideas and contribute to their whole-school diversity and inclusion strategies, as well as that of the GDST.
• Every school will provide a representative to a new GDST Student Diversity Council which will feed into organisation-wide action plans for increased diversity and inclusion.
• The GDST will ensure that school policies are clear, visible, and inclusive of every pupil.
• The GDST will regularly survey our pupils so that their experiences can be channelled to make measurable improvements.

3. Schools

• The GDST will support each of its 25 schools to work with their school governors and other stakeholders in developing their own pledges on diversity and inclusion; the GDST will assess progress annually.
• The GDST will expect senior school leaders to engage with families regularly, to ensure everyone feels listened to and represented.
• The GDST will expect schools to share resources to help their wider school community to educate themselves on issues of diversity and inclusion.
• The GDST will encourage schools to share resources and work collaboratively with local schools in activities and subjects that support a diverse and inclusive education, as part of ongoing outreach work.

4. Staff, trustees and governors – representation, recruitment, training, and progression

• The GDST will regularly review its recruitment policies and practices, and ensure those engaged in recruitment are equipped to draw candidates from as wide and varied a pool as possible.
• The GDST will provide a robust programme of training for all staff on issues of bias, beliefs, and behaviours.
• The GDST will further enhance our continuing professional development programme to support the career progression of all staff.
• The GDST will commit to appointing candidates to leadership and governance positions that better reflect the diversity of our students and of society.

5. Alumnae – empowering our girls and alumnae through the power of our network

• The GDST will share progress against our Charter for Action with our alumnae and seek their input into our Undivided programme, to learn from their lived experiences and harness their expertise.
• The GDST will engage with our alumnae to provide inspirational role models for the younger generation through talks, interviews, and mentoring, sharing their stories and celebrating their journeys, especially those from under-represented groups.

We will set meaningful and challenging targets for our work in all these areas, and share progress with the GDST community regularly.