To move my DD to a co-ed school with only a few girls in her year?

I absolutely would not move her at this stage. She's happy, and I wouldn't choose for my daughter to be one of a few girls in a whole lot of boys. My daughters year group at school has more boys than girls, when she started the class had 5 girls and about 15 boys and it was awful for her. Boys can be lovely (I have my own) but the behavior in Group like that was,. different. I wouldn't choose that when she's already happy in a nice and homely feeling school! Maybe in future if it gets more equal.

Having so few girls will be an absolute recipe for disaster imo.

My state school decided to try split sex classes for GCSE science, then they realised they ‘needed’ to put some girls back in to ‘calm the boys down’ and I was 1 of about 5 girls switched with 5 boys to try and help. It made one of my worst subjects almost impossible. I was quiet, shy, had ADHD (I was only diagnosed in my early 30’s) and it was mortifying. The boys were of course dreadful- loud, obnoxious, rude, disrespectful… I had to have private tutoring for science added in to do ok at it.

if dd is happy, then leave her be. You can reasses on a year by year basis.

Absolutely not stay put.

the boys school have appointed a ‘head of girls’ red flag- othering from the very beginning.

taking siblings first = not ready and desperate.

dont send your daughter to he a minority in a world not designed for her when you are happy with her current wonderful set up.

No way why are you even thinking this - leave her there until at least year 9.

There is zero chance I’d move a girl to a school experimenting with co-ed unless it was for sixth form. I think un- balanced boy/girl ratios are not ideal. A genuine co-ed school is very different but I can’t see the school getting balanced numbers for a while. I’m never convinced that chucking a few girls into a very male dominated environment makes for a nice experience for the girls. I moved a girl from a school in a boy heavy year to an all girls school. She was desperate to go.

I looked at one private school that was nominally co-ed. It was 75% boys and one of the girls showing me around put me off within about 10 minutes as she was talking about the girls needing a safe space and crying at break time.

Would second that. There is no way I would move my daughter into that environment.

DD had issues with sexualised comments/ girls being expected to police boys behaviour/girls being expected to support boys in subjects they struggled in during year 5/6 in her boy heavy year (although nowhere near the levels you are talking about). By year 2 there was lots of chat about who was going to be girlfriend/boyfriends which some of the girls really struggled with. Boys taking over the playground space is also an issue with them trying to exclude girls - that was hard for the sporty girls. And this is in a very well regarded co-ed prep.

I myself went to a boy heavy school in sixth form and toughened up and had a great experience. There is absolutely no way I would do that to my primary aged daughter.

I wouldn't move a child who was happy, especially f she is due to work with an exceptional teacher next year.

I'd also be hesitant to move a girl to a school which largely caters for boys. Very different set up, teaching styles etc which will have historically been refined to cater to the learning styles and needs of boys. Girls might well get talked over, shouted down, overlooked if they are a tiny minority in a male environment.

Indeed. We had issues from Year 1 onwards. Boys hitting girls, telling them they could t do things ‘because you’re a girl’. Etc

Oh, believe me, the shit that girls have to put up with from boys starts very young.

We moved DD from a small co-ed with a boy heavy year group where she was 1 of 5 girls to start year 3 at an all girls school and it was the best thing we ever did. I think you’d be mad to do it knowingly tbh. We didn’t have issues with the boys behaviour (although granted the girls school is calmer) but it was bad for friendships and the girls sports provision will be crap no matter what they tell you because you can’t form any sort team for hockey or netball with only 5 of them.
I get you have concerns about the viability of the current school but the boys school isn’t exactly being overrun with applications from girls plus she’s a sibling so I think you can confidently assume she’ll have no issue getting a place should her current school actually close.

I went to an all girls school and left with a belief that women can do anything, and women can rule the world. I felt safe and protected in that environment. Please don’t mix her with boys in a very volatile climate (incel culture), and as a guinea pig in a new school model.

I started secondary school in 1982, and I can still remember the relief i felt when I learned that I had been successful in getting into an all girls school. Boys had made my life a misery in the latter years of primary school, and not having to tolerate them all day at school was bloody wonderful to me. I appreciate that others may have different experiences, including an awful time at an all girls school themselves, but my seven years there were very happy. In an ideal world, every child would be at a school that best suited them and which they were happiest, be that co ed or single sex.

Have the boys school said how they are going to cater for the girls? I went to a boys school and was 1 of 8 girls in my year, no girls in the 3 years above. We had a dedicated sports teacher so we could do netball, lacrosse and rounders instead of rugby and cricket. They out on more extra curricular activities that were more girl focused although all were open to boys and girls.

I actually loved it and wished I'd stayed rather than going back to single sex for secondary but this was 30 years ago. Now I'm no so sure I'd be so keen to send a girl to a predominantly male school.

I would absolutely not put my daughter in that situation either. Talk about lamb to the slaughter.

I understand. They have to start somewhere but I wouldn’t want my DD to be in such a small cohort.

Not sure how you arrive at a best case of 5; presumably they expect to attract girls from beyond just your current school?

FWIW I wouldn’t move her. She’s happy and just infant school age. Easy enough to move in a year or two if she recall does outgrow the current provision and once girls are more established at the boys school.

I have DDs in state schools in Y6 and Y8 and they would be very happy if all the boys disappeared overnight. DD1's favourite class is PE, she is not sporty but it is single sex.

I don't remember boys being such an issue when I was at school but I wouldn't move a girl into such a minority.

We had to move DD twice for work reasons (also pre-prep) and she struggled massively. I would never move her if she’s happy, don’t take it for granted

So you and your DD are happy with her current school but you want to move her in one where she might only have 2/3 other girls in her class?! Why would you do that, most girls would hate it.
If her school closes then yes, you move her, but what’s the point of doing it now?
I would honestly have resented my parents so much of they did that to me, and I suspect many girls would.

I would not move a happy child, especially to a school with such massive sex imbalance.

We had an imbalance at DD1s first school, and it was unpleasant. The misogyny was rife and we were glad to be able to leave.

stay where you are and watch what happens. They’ll take her in a year if you want to move then, and you’ll have a much better view as to how it’s going.

I wouldn't be too sure. It's a fundamental change to the ethos of the school... They might well be seeing the future and realising... So they need more pupils... And are now relying on girls

I'd definitely wait.

Why is the boy’s school going co-ed? Is it struggling? Be very careful!