Benefits of GDST

[LondonMum8]

What are the concrete benefits confered to pupils by school's membership in GDST. From what I've gathered so far they organise some interschool events such as a maths competition. On the flipside, any actual downsides to the GDST brand (e.g. more bureaucracy/less flexibility)?

My daughter is at a GDST school, not a London one, I also worked there before I had DS. As far as I can tell, the school is very much autonomous in terms of day to day running, the major benefits are financial. Being part of a large trust gives them access to funding for big spend projects that they might otherwise not be able to afford.

Also, the GDST has a huge alumni network, which means they have contacts in every industry and field you can imagine, which can be very useful when they get to 16+ and are looking for mentors etc.

I certainly don't think it's a reason to discount a school.

Don't GDST schools also tend to be a bit cheaper? I'm sure that Brighton and Hove High School was much cheaper than Brighton College (although this was back in the day - may have changed).

yes, usually a little cheaper
The GDST funded the whole cost of South Hampstead's swanky new building