Celebrating GDST Teachers, the True Designers of the Future of Girls’ Education
October marks the 30th anniversary of World Teachers’ Day, held to celebrate the hard work and dedication of teachers all around the globe. National Teachers’ Day also falls this month, and in the summer, our family of GDST schools took part in National Thank a Teacher Day. There are arguments for and against Awareness Days – of course teachers should be celebrated every day – but there is a strong case to be made for more international moments to recognise the significant contributions that teachers make in shaping young people’s lives. Not least because teachers play a key role in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 of inclusive and equitable quality education. However, UNESCO’s recent global report on teachers shows that teacher shortages are now a global issue, with a critical need to recruit 44 million primary and secondary teachers worldwide by 2030. Even a brief look at education news headlines recently confirms that these challenges ring true in the UK.
Teaching is a demanding profession; it takes resilience, empathy and, more often than not, courage to take on the responsibility of inspiring young people with an education that prepares them for a future full of possibility. But the sad truth remains that, in spite of the immeasurable contribution that teachers make to the outcomes of young people, there is currently a real need to recognise the true value of the profession to society. The GDST and our school leadership teams work tirelessly to ensure we reward and recognise our teachers for the powerful work they do every day in our schools. Educational institutions must ensure that teachers and professional staff are appreciated as precious assets that need treasuring.
GDST’s 100,000 alumnae are a source of real inspiration when it comes to speaking about the impact that a teacher has had on their lives. Multi-award-winning author and journalist Linda Grant, who attended Belvedere Academy in the sixties, credits her teacher, Miss Vera Smith, as the person who made her a writer. She says, ‘‘Miss Smith had studied English at Liverpool University, graduating at the beginning of the Thirties, and was the first teacher to make me see that there was a world of literature out there in which I might find a place.’’ Nottingham Girls’ High School alumna, Charlene Hunter MBE, CEO and founder of Coding Black Females, recalls her teachers providing a culture where girls were routinely asked for their opinions and invited to expand on them. She continues to be an active member of the Nottingham Girls’ community, and is still appreciative of the time teachers make and the respect they show to the students, making sure that they learn not just academically, but about themselves as people, too.
It is not only former GDST girls who were motivated by their teachers to make the world a better place. When you view a favourite teacher through the eyes of a current GDST student, it is a humbling experience that captures the inextricable link between the promise of a more equitable future and inspirational teaching in the classroom. Why? For many of our girls, a teacher is the very first role model they may encounter outside their families. Fortunately, GDST schools have a sizable number of female teachers and leaders, providing numerous opportunities for girls from nursery through to Sixth Form to experience female leadership at its best. From London to Newcastle, Cardiff and down to Portsmouth, Heads, Department Heads and co-curricular leads consistently model the kind of highly capable, empathetic and inclusive leadership that our research has shown girls aspire to.
Providing the skills, knowledge and resources to facilitate success is a good segue into what I believe is the most pertinent part of this year’s 30th anniversary World Teachers’ Day celebrations. UNESCO, the organisers, recommended that it was also used as a day to ‘reflect on the support teachers need to fully deploy their talent and vocation, and to rethink the way ahead for the profession globally.’
I wholeheartedly agree with this call to create more supportive environments for all teachers. At the GDST, we have an outstanding professional development programme which spans all aspects of working and developing your professional career with us.
We have always made it our business to invest in our staff so they can enjoy rewarding careers and purposeful lives. Some specific examples: our Space Technology Programme has provided opportunities to upskill teachers in coding, while the emergence of AI technology has led to some exciting teacher- led collaborations to identify new approaches to enhance teaching and learning outcomes and streamline administrative processes. We are focused on building a culture of innovation that encourages the adoption of AI when appropriate and are working with teachers and Heads to develop guidelines for best practice and strategies for use across GDST schools.
We know that our core mission to reach as many girls as possible would not have endured for over a century without our teachers’ commitment and dedication in all aspects of our educational offering. We also know that every talented teacher across our family of schools is instrumental in designing the future of girls’ education, and we will always value their incredible contribution to students in our schools.
If tomorrow’s leaders can set an example by holding their teachers in the highest regard, then we must, as current leaders and decision makers, commit to doing everything in our collective power to restore the esteem in which teachers are held, thereby elevating the teaching profession across the world.
The GDST Difference
The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) is the UK’s leading family of 25 girls’ schools including 23 independent schools and two academies. In 2023, the GDST published ‘The GDST Difference’ – a booklet compiling our own research, and analysis of the findings, setting out to break down why GDST schools and all-girl learning environments can offer the best start in life for young women.
Discover more about The GDST Difference