Nonsuch High School for Girls

Wallington High School for Girls

The Trust was originally established in September 2015 as the Nonsuch & Wallington Education Trust , bringing together Nonsuch High School for Girls and Wallington High School for Girls, two established and successful grammar schools in the London Borough of Sutton.

The partnership was founded on a shared commitment to high academic standards, exceptional opportunities for girls and young women, and the benefits of closer collaboration between schools.

Both schools retained their distinctive identities and traditions, while beginning to develop the governance, leadership and organisational arrangements necessary to operate as a multi-academy trust.

In 2018, the organisation adopted the name Girls' Learning Trust, reflecting a broader educational ambition and creating an identity that could encompass schools with different characteristics and approaches.

Later that year, Carshalton High School for Girls joined the Trust, becoming its third school and its first comprehensive school.

This was a significant development in the Trust's history. Bringing together selective and comprehensive schools demonstrated a shared commitment to girls' education that extended beyond any particular admissions model.

It also created new opportunities for collaboration between colleagues working in different educational contexts, enriching the expertise and experience available across the Trust.

During the following years, the GLT focused on strengthening the foundations of the organisation and developing the arrangements needed to support its three schools effectively.

This included the development of shared professional services, stronger governance and financial oversight, and opportunities for greater collaboration between school leaders and staff.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented considerable challenges for schools across the country. For the GLT, this period reinforced the importance of effective communication, shared expertise, organisational resilience and the ability to respond collectively to difficult circumstances.

As the Trust developed, greater attention was given to how central professional expertise could support schools, reduce duplication and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of day-to-day operations.

Throughout this period, the three schools continued to maintain their individual identities, educational approaches and strong connections with their local communities.

The appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer in September 2024 and a new Chair of Trust Board in 2025 marked the beginning of a further period of strategic and organisational development.

The GLT undertook a comprehensive review of its purpose, educational mission and future direction, informed by engagement with Trustees, Governors, school leaders and staff.

This work led to the development of a new Strategy and Operating Model, establishing a clearer shared purpose: transforming lives through girls' education.

The strategy placed particular emphasis on educational excellence, inclusion, personal development and the opportunities that come from being part of a wider organisation.

It also established a more clearly defined approach to how the Trust and its schools should work together, recognising the importance of school autonomy within a shared framework of accountability, collaboration and organisational support.

Alongside this, the GLT continued to strengthen its governance, professional services and Education Development and Assurance Framework, creating a stronger foundation for its future development.

On 1 November 2026, Weald of Kent Grammar School formally joined the GLT, becoming the fourth school in the Trust and extending its geographical reach beyond Sutton into Kent.

The decision followed an extensive process of discussion, consultation, due diligence and planning, with the Department for Education providing its consent in March 2026 and both Trust Boards formally approving the partnership in April.

Weald brought a distinguished history, an established reputation for academic excellence and a strong commitment to the wider development of its students.

Its two campuses in Tonbridge and Sevenoaks also introduced a new geographical dimension to the Trust, creating opportunities for collaboration between schools serving different communities.

The partnership was founded on a shared educational purpose and a commitment to maintaining Weald's distinctive identity, character and leadership.

Importantly, Weald joined as a partner with expertise and experience to contribute to the wider organisation, rather than simply as a school receiving support from an established Trust.

Its arrival marked an important milestone in the GLT's development and created new opportunities for professional learning, educational collaboration and the sharing of resources and expertise across all four schools.