GDST schools’ heads’ exodus?

[Spreadsheetssuck]

Does anyone know what is going on at GDST schools near south London right now? There seem to have been an exodus of heads. The head of Croydon is leaving, the head of Clapham and Streatham has resigned and both the senior and junior school heads at Sydenham are leaving. Am told by someone who works there this is an unusual churn.

Am considering sending DD (yes I have name changed) to one of them so genuine question to work out whether we do it or go down another route. I know there was controversy over pensions but not sure what the latest is and if that would be enough to force out the heads. If anyone works at one, how is staff morale? If anyone has a DD at one - particularly the ones I mentioned - how have you found it lately? I can also see that class size numbers have shot up recently.

Has anyone heard about possible replacements for Sydenham or Clapham and Streatham?

Sorry I don't know about the other heads but the Sept 22 arrival of the Croydon High head at Epsom College has gone down well and it fits with her career path esp as she was Deputy Head of St. John's Leatherhead.

I imagine career progression is a very valid reason and I did read somewhere that GDST schools don’t pay that well. Does anyone out there have a child in GDST and have they noticed burn out/lower morale etc?

The head at Bromley High School has also gone. It’s strange.

The Croydon High head had planned to leave a couple of years ago but decided to stay on (pre pandemic decisions IIRC which with hindsight were probably good!) so her departure is not surprising really.

It's likely just a coincidence that they are leaving at the same time. The GDST had a big pension dispute with teaching staff his year and days of strikes so I can't imagine that was much fun for the heads - but I think these 3 had all actually resigned before that. Not sure where the other two are going, but the Sydenham head is going to to Francis Holland where she will be paid more, it gets better results and free from the restraints they have as a GDST head. I would be concerned about the applicants they will have attracted given there were 3 posts at once in quite similar schools, and the time they were advertising was peak strike/staff chaos - not sure most people would want to take that over.

I don't know anything about the specific schools you mention but in relation to the wider sector I can tell you that there is very significant 'churn' across school staffing this summer. Recruitment has been much quieter than normal for the last two years and now three years' worth of movement is happening in one year.

I can imagine that the pandemic means that there is greater than average churn this year. Who wants to start a new job in the middle of lockdown learning, or land a successor with getting to know staff in such unusual circumstances?

I am reminded of the school I worked in that was threatened with closure. The largely loyal staff were reluctant to move on during that period, so there was a bigger than average turnover once they were reprieved - both retirements and moving for career development.

The Sydenham head of juniors is going to be head of juniors at JAGS which I would have thought would be career progression.

They didn't all resign at the same time. The Bromley Head informed the parents at the start of this school year that she was leaving and her replacement was recruited before the Croydon and Sydenham heads announced their departure. Personally I think it's natural churn delayed but the pandemic.

Croydon is getting a head who works in an international school in Hong Kong I think. Not sure about Sydenham replacement though.

It most certainly will be because if the pension change-heads will have known about leaving the pension scheme sooner than the rest of staff so will have begun their job search prior to the strikes, etc. If you knew your job was going to lose one of the massive financial benefits, surely you would leave as well? Anyway, knowing what you know, that gdst temporarily is staying in TPS but will inevitably leave, do you imagine they will continue to be able to attract and retain high quality staff when other schools will be offering a far superior pension, which is one of the major draws to a grueling profession? Would you want to send your child to a school that can't attract top teaching talent?

It most certainly will be because if the pension change

i think that's nonsense.

@WhatsThatNoisee that is absolute nonsense for Croydon, Bromley and Sydenham. I cannot comment on the others but very doubtful. I think the heads knew a tiny bit before staff about the pension but all staff in the GDST were told at the same time on the same day. A head has to give a long notice time for resignation so these heads all would have resigned before Christmas if not earlier - well before strike action. I think it is just a result of delayed movement due to lockdown.

Deputy Head of Syd Prep is stepping up to (Interim) Head. She has been with the school 10+ years. Head of Seniors is coming from Trinity. Staff morale seems fine (we have friends on the Prep teaching staff).

Gosh it's a small world in Greater London girls schools. The lady coming to Croydon High went to HK with Anne Haydon when she left Surbiton High to move to Harrow International. She was meant to be very good at Surbiton and I'm sure Croydon are delighted with the hire.

Thank you for the insight. Yes the post pandemic churn makes sense. Though of course lowering benefits may jeopardise recruitment especially when there is a shortage of teachers due to demographics and the much wider range of roles that can now be done at least partly remotely. Will a looming recession reduce applications for places I wonder? Good to know morale is high.

The head at Streatham & Clapham has been there since 2012, so that's quite a respectable length in post, not rapid churn.

Did he say what he'll be doing next? He's quite an unusual headmaster, so it'll be interesting to see what sort of appointment they make next

I know a couple of staff at a GDST school. Whilst they are staying in TPS for the moment, new staff will be offered an alternative pension which will, longer term, impact on their ability to recruit staff.

I am a senior management teacher and would now avoid GDST, having previously seen it as a great place to work.

They pay less than other schools, especially in London. There was a deputy head job advertised at £50-60k which would be £70-80k at least at other similar London schools.

The TPS thing will significantly impact recruitment, therefore if you are already in the schools you will be impacted. There are enough good independents still firmly in the pension scheme, and the more years you get 'in it' the better financially- by a long way.

All around the management of GDST has just made it a very unattractive place to work now. Only perk is I think they do offer good school fee discounts for staff children.

I wish our GDST Head would move on.

Been in the job for 3 years and I can't wait to get DD out of there now.

Not the place we signed up for at all.

Oh dear @GiraffeTwist I think I can guess where you are. Sorry to hear that. It seemed like a lovely place when I looked round but I can see how if they’re paying less, the good staff will eventually leave.

What are your issues with the head @BackT?

I was at Croydon High years ago, and it started to go downhill shortly after I left. I still hear things from siblings of school friends, and a couple of friends have recently pulled their daughters out of the primary school and won’t send them to the secondary school

Sorry might not have made it clear- I'm not at a GDST school thankfully. At a different successful independent but surrounded by GDST schools so watching with interest.

@Spreadsheetssuck it's all about the PR and the public face. Building works, changes in almost everything that was good about the place now.

Big emphasis on the prep which I suppose is the best way for them to keep numbers steady but zero interest in the kids.

Stock answer to every query to the head is that it's about building "resilience".

Clearly has a contact at The Times as the school is in it every 5 minutes showing a small handful of the girls doing some trendy activity that the majority of the girls never see!

Some staff are excellent and I can't really fault the support and teaching (mostly) but the whole feel and ethos of the school has changed.

It's all down to the head and her "vision".

Anyone with a girl there now will know which school I'm talking about.

Just to say I really like the Head of our GDST! I also had a chat with her the other day about staffing etc as a result of the strike. They have very few staff vacancies currently but she said they had had really strong candidates apply who hadn’t been put off by the pension changes. I don’t think she was spinning me a tale- she’s quite forthrite!

Which ones would people recommend for their daughters? What is Sydenham like? Blackheath? Candid replies please - with the caveat that I know views may differ. Weighing it all up before considering whether we just leave London.