Our leadership team
We have 3,500 staff supporting our students and this dedicated, high quality workforce is one of the GDST’s greatest assets.

The organisation has its headquarters, Trust Office, based in central London from where the Chief Executive and her senior management team supervise the overall strategic direction for the schools’ educational programmes, along with a wide range of professional and administrative services. These include legal, ICT, financial, property, human resources, marketing and fundraising related expertise.

GDST is both a registered charity (one of the largest education charities in the UK) and a company limited by shares. Its schools are not separate legal entities, and the GDST is run as one organisation. Its Trustees, who are also its directors, operate as a Council, led by their Chairman.

The Members of the Council of the GDST are legally responsible for its running, both as trustees and as directors of a limited company. This includes the maintenance of financial viability and probity and the realisation of their duties as employers of all GDST staff.

The Council sets the budgets and fees for the schools, authorises the building and other capital development programmes and oversees matters of educational policy. It may delegate specific tasks to Committees, Heads and Local Governing Bodies, but will not delegate its ultimate responsibilities.