The Johnston Memorial scholarship – reaching as many girls as possible

Over summer 2025, we welcomed two GDST students from Royal High School Bath and Portsmouth High School as part of the annual Johnston Memorial Scholarship. Aspiring lawyers, Aliya and Lucy (Year 13) spent three days with the Trust Office Legal team, immersing themselves into the world of education law and governance. From sitting in on contract reviews to contributing to policy discussions, they gained hands-on experience of the vital work that helps safeguard and support students and staff across our family of schools.

The Johnston Memorial scholarship is just one of the ways we’re committed to making an education accessible and reaching as many girls as possible, supporting and empowering them to reach their full potential. Providing development opportunities beyond the curriculum equips girls with the skills and attributes to become the leaders and changemakers of the future on their own terms.

Aliya and Lucy share their experience of shadowing our Legal Team.

What’s something you’ve learnt these past three days?

Aliya: Over these past few days, learning about what the GDST Legal team do, the queries they get, what they deal with on a day-to-day basis has been extremely eye opening. Learning about the support that’s been established for SEN pupils, specifically how it is the school’s duty to make reasonable adjustments for students with SEND or EHCP has been really interesting!

Lucy: Sitting with the Legal Team at Trust Office has helped me learn about the fascinating realities of the field beyond its representation on TV. I’ve gained a great understanding of how multi-faceted the career really is. Everyone has been so welcoming of Aliya and I, and we’ve enjoyed lots of inspiring chats over coffee about their paths to working in the GDST Legal team.

What inspired you to pursue law at university? What are your aspirations for the future?

Aliya: My own personal experiences and strong moral compass have inspired me to pursue law at university – I feel obliged to make society better actively by defending and supporting the voiceless. I aspire to become a barrister, actively and consistently speaking up for women and minorities who have faced injustice, regardless of their financial or cultural backgrounds.

Lucy: Law has always been a source of great interest to me – whether that be from listening to the court stories of barristers I know or reading books like Eve Was Framed by Helena Kennedy. The opportunity the subject provides to delve into my passions like feminism and women’s rights is incredibly exciting for me and studying English Law and French Law at university will enable me to fulfil my hopes to travel abroad too. At the moment I think that being an in-house solicitor at a publishing firm could be an exciting path.

What is the Johnston Memorial scholarship?

The scholarship was established as a tribute to Lady Betty Johnston, a distinguished lawyer and one of the first women to achieve a first-class honours in jurisprudence at Oxford University. Betty gave outstanding service to the GDST, not least through her membership of the Council for 35 years, serving as its Chair from 1975 – 1991 and as President at the time of her death in 1994.

Targeted towards students intending to read law at university and in receipt of a bursary and/or scholarship (accounting for at least 50% of fees), students applied for the scholarship and the incredible opportunity to receive £1,500 annually over the three years of their undergraduate degree. After a detailed application and interview process, the Selection Committee were struck by Aliya from Royal High School Bath, for her incisive answers and questions, who will receive the scholarship and thus £4,500 to support her during her studies. Lucy from Portsmouth High also impressed the committee and while there was only one scholarship to be awarded, she was offered the work experience opportunity alongside Aliya.