The Power of GDST ConnectEd
Limitless Learning
The educational landscape is shifting and the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) is leading the charge with ConnectEd – a pioneering shared learning initiative designed to give our students the ultimate competitive edge. Acting as a digital bridge with agility and choice at its heart, our students benefit from traditional face-to-face instruction, as well as online classroom experiences with peers joining from Nottingham Girls, Northampton High School and Sheffield Girls’.
ConnectEd opens the door to niche subjects and specialised academic pathways that might otherwise be unavailable in a single school setting, allowing our girls to access the very best specialist educational from across our 26-school network.
A Level subjects currently offered through ConnectEd at Norwich High School for Girls are: Classic Civilisation, Latin, German and Computer Science.
Innovation in Action
ConnectEd is designed to be as immediate and interactive as a traditional seminar, but with a tech-forward twist. By pooling students from multiple schools, we create a critical mass that fuels high-level academic discussion.
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- Best-in-Class Teaching: Students learn from subject specialists across the Trust. If a particular school is the centre of excellence for a niche subject, those experts are now available to more GDST girls through regional networks including one encompassing Nottingham Girls, Northampton High School, Norwich High School for Girls and Sheffield Girls’.
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- Collaborative Tech: Students use shared digital workspaces to collaborate on projects, participate in debates and submit work, mirroring the professional environments they will encounter at university and in their future careers. From learning how to present confidently online to mastering cross-location project management, ConnectEd gives our girls a distinct professional advantage. They enter higher education and the workplace with a level of digital autonomy, resilience and maturity that sets them miles ahead of their peers.
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- In-Person Synergy: We believe in the power of human interaction. Periodically, ConnectEd cohorts meet up in person – either at a host school or the GDST Trust Office – to participate in workshops, field trips and social events. These joint ventures allow students to bond with peers who share their specific academic passions, creating a supportive network that extends far beyond the curriculum.
The GDST Difference: Why it Matters
Our approach is unapologetically Girls First. In a GDST Sixth Form, every leadership role, every lead in the play and every seat in the physics lab is held by a girl. This isn’t just a philosophy; it’s research-backed.
Data from our landmark Girls’ Futures Report shows that GDST students are significantly more confident, more comfortable taking risks and feel less restricted by gender stereotypes than their peers in co-educational settings.
By the time they reach Year 12, our students are prepared to lead, challenge and collaborate in a world that is still navigating structural inequalities.
Read moreInvestment in Her Future
We believe a GDST education offers unparalleled value for money. It is an investment in a specialised environment designed entirely for how girls learn and thrive. With high-definition hybrid technology like ConnectEd, access to world-class mentors and a curriculum informed by the latest pedagogical research, we don’t just prepare girls for exams – we prepare them for life.
Beyond the Classroom: The GDST Experience
While initiatives like ConnectEd showcase our commitment to academic innovation, being a GDST student – particularly in the Sixth Form – offers a supercharged education that extends far beyond the timetable.
The Girls’ Day School Trust is the UK’s leading network of independent girls’ schools. For our students, this means being part of a 20,000-strong sisterhood that provides opportunities no single school could offer alone.
The Student Verdict
The feedback is clear: Girls love it. They enjoy the novelty of leaving their local school for a few hours a week to join a wider peer group. It builds their networks early, fosters independence and – most importantly – leads to great academic outcomes.
“We are directly preparing Sixth Formers for the future of work by simulating real-world hybrid practices. Having students work remotely for 50% of their Computer Science lessons mirrors modern professional environments perfectly.” Mr Ian Horne, Head of Computer Science, Norwich High School for Girls.
“Exploring the lesson content and questions with others makes the work more approachable, and at times easier. I have also grown in my ability to work through tasks with others. Outside of the lesson, I have been able to discuss wider topics with my classmates which further enriches my overall knowledge in all areas.” – Wendy, Year 12 Computer Science, Nottingham Girls.
“I enjoyed when my classmates from Sheffield came over and we watched the film that we’re studying in the performing arts centre at our school. It was like a cinema and it was really fun.” – Rosie, Year 12 German, Nottingham Girls.