Girls’ Day School Trust GDST advertising everywhere

[Nandy2]

We’re looking at one of their secondary schools for our DD. Knew about it as it’s local to us and has a good reputation, not through any advertising. But I must admit that the fact that I’m seeing glossy GDST adverts every day in the newspaper and even in train stations on massive posters, is a bit off putting. Does anyone know why they are feeling the need to spend so much on advertising at the moment? Surely a good school, or the trust behind it, should be able to use its reputation and not need this sort of advertising. I’ve always thought that schools that advertise are those that aren’t full or aren’t really that good. From what I can gather, the school we’re looking at already has multiple applications for every place. Would be very grateful to hear your thoughts. Should they be spending the money elsewhere or is the marketing really important for them to keep attracting students. Maybe in their range of schools some are popular and some aren’t, so this is helping to bring up some of those that aren’t doing so well? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Yes and I have considered why Scandinavian countries have a more equal society and its definitely not because they don't have single sex schools !!! If this was true then your logic would dictate that Mediterranean countries such as Greece and Italy would also have more equal societies as they don't have single sex schools in these countries? But there are not many Mediterranean countries in the top 20 countries in the world for Gender equality. And with that I leave you !

PS Please don't scare me with the thought of another 200 Boris Johnsons Can't bare the thought of it !

DD was at GDST school for four and a bit years - she still has friends there, some joined at reception and are thriving, others aren’t but their parents see the alternatives as less palatable. Many who have been at the same school from reception to gcse really like a change for A levels and the GDSTs near us have a lot of churn as a result at Thai stage so the sixth form in particular does need to attract new entrants and seems to struggle with numbers compared with other entrance points. Other regions may of course differ.

I think its true that, certainly in London, at least for some, you send your child to the best school possible, whether co ed or single sex.

However, we actively chose co ed for DD with girls only as back up. I think it depends on your child and often your own experience, good or bad. I can't see any evidence of DD not wanting to push herself academically or being subject to stereotypes because she's in a class with boys. Quite the opposite. I'm thrilled she has a mixed group of friends and her friends in girls only schools always ask her to introduce them to boys!

. I'm thrilled she has a mixed group of friends

Me too. I went to a girls school and I quite liked it so it’s not that I don’t know about girls schools but I’m extremely pro co-Ed schools. Not only do I see no limits to the girls learning at my children’s mixed school but I think that there are huge advantages to girls and boys learning together and developing strong platonic relationships. I have seen no evidence whatsoever in my children schools of girls being disadvantaged by having boys and I’m very happy that they have good friends from of both sexes. I think it’s much more representative of the real world.

Independent schools have to constantly market themselves. Every year is a new year, so there is a constant appeal for new students. It doesn’t go away, especially for girls’ schools.

Most girls’ schools cannot afford to actually advertise, but the GDST is a large organisation, and the types of advertising they are doing is low cost but far reaching.

Aside from the weight of the evidence I think girls draw strength from the single sex environment. In a culture that tells girls that pleasing men is paramount, spending your formative years in a place where they don’t count for an awful lot is quite fortifying. I certainly found that to be the case.

I attended a GDST as a direct grant pupil and I'm shocked to see how weak their results are relative to how they used to be and in comparison to the schools they used to rival. A really sad decline in standards.

I'm not a believer in all girls' schools either - they're incredibly unhealthy. My four girls all went to a co-ed state school and got a total of 42 A* and 2A between them in a far more 'normal' environment than the cloistered GDST environment.

That was GCSE.

They are advertising far and wide - at my local station there is no GDST school within commuting distance yet the revolving advert appears on two of the billboards. In terms of Girls/Boys/Co-Ed - My dd is at a girls school where the overall trust includes a boys school and a co-ed. The girls outperformed both the other schools at GCSE level, yet the Co-Ed is more selective and the girl's school takes the so-called rejects at admission intake years. The boy's school is slightly different because it's a boarding school ..but I am a firm believer in single-sex schools although I think the Diamond model system probably is a more balanced system.

I’m fairness, I’m often surprised at the schools that I see advertised. One (in an independent schools’ magazine) was NLCS which I understand is incredibly difficult to get into.

The gdst where I live is popular up to sixth form level, but at that point the area has outstanding state 6th form colleges that attract privately educated children whose parents feel they have paid enough, or who want a change from the small environment and same people.
I work at a different nearby private school and our 6th form number struggle for exactly the same reason ; so we advertise even though we are very popular 11-16. So I guess it might be partly to do with that.

In my experience all private schools spread the word that they are oversubscribed....whatever the reality is .

Agree Surreyhillsbutnobike. The independents near us also make out that it's hard to get in, dish out massive congrats on this excellent achievement etc in the letter notifying parents of test results, when year after year they always find late places for almost any comers - it's all nonsense.

cakeisalwaystheanswer you are taking separate facts and then presenting them like they are causal. Scandinavia may well be a good place for women. Scandinavia may well have no single sex schools. This does not prove cause and effect. There are MANY reasons why Scandinavia is a good place for women and trying to use the data to back up your beliefs is fatuous and certainly not scientific. You may as well say 'Scandinavian's eat a lot of fish ergo eating fish makes Scandinavia a good place for women...'

Gosh I do apologise for being fatuous! I can't even be bothered to write you a proper reply.

Gosh I do apologise for being fatuous! I can't even be bothered to write you a proper reply.

I think it's due to the uniqueness of 24 girls schools in a group, sharing resources, ethos etc. It also shows the schools are in a group, which provides a bit more security when lots of private schools are shutting down.

Girls schools are not unhealthy. You may choose coed and your reasons may even be valid, and you may be contented with the result, but if you think that proves the Abu e assertion, I can only say I hope your children have been better educated than you were.

My DD is at a GDST school. We're very pleased we went single-sex for her, especially in the increasingly sexist climate.

There is definitely some value in being part of a group of schools. The GDST has events, competitions etc across the whole group which is good for the girls and sharing some of the costs, such as marketing, accounts, staff training etc is very efficient.

Was talking about the marketing campaign with the bursar a few weeks ago. We both think it's an excellent campaign. I think GDST schools have historically not been that well thought of - we all know there is an unstated rank and GDST. The campaign is helping to improve the brand which in turn will increase competition, improve the intake and results which will then become self-perpetuating.

Their ads tell me they don’t really know what they’re about. “GDST girls always put their hand up” I read in one of them. Well my state school DD does too. They should be doing much better than that. This is the weakness of the message that puts me off, not the ads themselves.

We would have sent DD to an all girls if we didn't get our preferred option , although it wasn't a GDST school as the one in our area is super intense (a friend's daughter goes to one in another part of the country and it seems more relaxed)

However, I really hate the marketing! In my view it perpetuates the thought (myth) that girls can't excel with boys, and need to be kept separate.

However, It's a great campaign, the person you spoke to is right. playing on some parents own views / fears, as does most of the best marketing. Again, an all boys school wouldn't do they same.

Until it isn't an issue, it will always be one

I suppose if you don't like single-sex education or think that there is absolutely no advantage to it for you daughter because your local alternatives are better, the GDST campaign, whatever it looks like, isn't going to convince you to send her to one of their schools.

Different schools suit different people but this campaign is all about brand awareness and it's worked because we're talking about it.

I completely agree walkingtheplank!

We clearly have very similar views with DDs at GDTS schools and DS starting at the same secondary school in September!

GDST advertising has some basis in fact for uptake of mathematical STEM subjects at A level from the often quoted IOP study in reports like this www.wisecampaign.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/not_for_people_like_me-full-report.pdf.

Interestingly societies with gender equality do less well than Arab countries in encouraging girls to study physical sciences including engineering at university www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/themes/gender-equality/resources/single-view-gender/news/women_still_a_minority_in_engineering_and_computer_science/