To wish my DD's Girls Grammar School did not admit boys to the Sixth Form

It will be fine. My son went to a boys' school which changed to admitting girls in the sixth. e is now almost 47 and is still friends with girls he knew from that time, as well as men.

If she really cannot face it, find somewhere else but there are not many single sex sixth forms nowadays. She does need to get used to being with the opposite sex on an equal basis, this will ease her in to higher education and work.

If you want her to have a skewed view of life and the opposite sex, then keep it up. Her only options for meeting someone will be online because she won't be able to hold a conversation, which will lead to bad hookups and a warped view of relationships.

These days I'd say it's more important than ever to mix as soon as possible.

Sorry were boys with SEN favoured over girls with SEN
or do a higher proportion of the boys have SEN

Who are all these scary disruptive boys
mine are more sensible than me, and significantly better at relationships
they are always telling me how to adult 😂

Even teachers mention this at parents evening. 'Well, x I'm sure you'll be glad to get away from the group of disruptive boys this year' (as they've now dropped said subject due to it being an Option). So yes I'm afraid it very much IS a thing, and not at all a reflection on my DD. And that's before we get on to a friend who had a controlling BF in her class literally preventing her from reaching her potential by stopping her from working. And then there's sexual assaults. There's all sorts of issues thrown up by mixing younger teenage boys and girls together. But by sixth form these are usually less of a problem as everyone has grown up a bit and technically wants to be there rather than forced to. Having said all this, my DD has had male friends in her friendship group during her time at secondary and so I can see co-ed is beneficial socially too. There's no choice by me anyway - single sex schools don't exist in my part of the world

I really hate this attitude. What you're saying is that girls should have more options, and boys should have a much tougher scrabble for a sixth form place.

Why do you think it is ok for girls to infiltrate the boys' school but not vv?

What is so important to you? I am genuinely puzzled.

Its a good segway into the real life expectation that she will learn and work in mixed environments. I think in 6th form that's a good idea, I would be worried about a young adult heading off to live alone at uni with no experience of boys their own age. They are just boys not aliens! They will also, presumably be bright, academically focused boys choosing to attend a mainly girls grammar. She'll hopefully learn they're normal humans that she can happily learn alongside before she hits adulthood

I was at a girls grammar school in the 90s with a joint sixth form. I don’t actually remember there being any boys in any of my a level classes although there were always one or two hanging about in the upper sixth common room.

Sounds like the perfect time for her to get used to the real world. If she goes to uni she’s unlikely to be in a class with only girls, almost certainly won’t be in a work environment. School isn’t just about school work.

Having read all your posts OP I’m still not remotely clear what your concern is with mixed sex classes?

What does a girls school offer that they should be sticking by?

Why do you think mixed sex schools are selling the ‘study with a boyfriend’ brand?

I genuinely don’t understand the entire purpose of this post? Are you scared of her seeing boys at school due to disruption or sexual distraction from learning? If the latter better she learns to sit next to a boy in class now because once she discovers them in University the social dynamic will be quite different.

If we look at attainment grades - boys are doing better now and widening the gap. As such, could the argument not be made that girls may distract them from their academic excellence? Yes…it does sound stupid doesn’t it. 🙄

Wow. If some of the generalisations about men being spouted here were about women there would be uproar. Some boys are shy and say nothing in class. Some don’t play sport at all. Some love arts subjects. Some are great listeners. Surely there is a risk in any classroom that personalities will clash, regardless of the sex of the pupils. Literally the only issue I can think of is teenage sexual chemistry being all-consuming, but even that is still a risk in single sex.

It's not that they don't have faith in what they offer it's that retention often falls. Students often want to go to college rather than 6th form as it feels more grown up so all 6th forms whether grammar or state will struggle with retention. When your numbers drop you have to drop courses snd this is increasingly a problem for school being expected to make up unfunded government pay rises, reduced course options then makes you less attractive to potential students than colleges. It's all about numbers.

yanbu and I’d be disappointed too. Dd was in mixed education in primary, and moving to single sex was a breath of fresh air. The boys had been allowed to dominate the classroom, refused to pass the ball in sports, took up a disproportionate percentage of special ed resources.

She has plenty of interaction with boys through her hobbies, old school friends, family and ds’ friends. School might not be preparing her for the reality of working alongside men, but a short break from that is doing her the world of good,

Luckily the principal is a passionate advocate of single sex education and active in European forums so it’s unlikely to change,

I went to all girls from 8-18. Found co-ed at uni really difficult as boys/ men have a different way of speaking / arguing in seminars etc
wish boys had been introduced at 6th form tbh

Boys talk over girls. They believe themselves to be better at STEM subjects
Thats the biggest thing i noticed moving crom Mixed to All Girls at 16. (I moved due to A level combination, and found an added bonus)

"You can't always get what you want" 🎶🎵🎶

Do it yourself...

So you have never actually spent any time with a boy in a classroom environment since primary school? You still haven’t explained what, specifically, the boys will do to diminish the girls’ learning experience.

I went to an all girls school and then on to an all girls college. The college wasn't specifically single sex but it was a female heavy profession. Never had a problem dealing with men.

I'm not reading all the replies, I'm on holiday. DS1 went to an Essex Grammar, the top Essex one.. They admit girls in the sixth form. I think it's an excellent choice, it made his sixth form more rounded and more diverse. I'm generally against single sex and he went to this school because he wanted to go there and he got in. I think you're being unreasonable. The real world is mixed sex, school should be too.

If you didn't want your daughter mixing with boys then perhaps you should have sent her to a nunnery?

What do you think is going to happen at College, University and the wider working world?

My view of rugby lads is skewed by the behaviour of some of the elite rugby players who are unfortunately at DDs mixed 6th form. Admittedly not all of them but a group. They are absolutely hideous to the girls. Unspeakable. But the school won’t act because they are sponsored by a big name club 🙄🤮. I used to think rugby players were decent now I do not. The majority of normal boys detest them too.

Did you struggle to send you DD to this school in year 7 knowing there were boys there aged 16 to 18 years old - Did this worry you at all. Just curious . Or is it that they will be in the same class.

I hope and think, within a few weeks for you, it will be a non issue. (Unless she decides she takes a shine to one of them of course!!)

The only local secondary school with a sixth form is a boys school. They started accepting girls about 7 years ago. They’re competing with some very good and very large sixth form colleges in the area, it’s the only way they can survive. I suspect they will close it one day. I’m sure the same applies to your dds school.

Does your daughter feel as you do @redange ?

If you are both on the same page maybe you can have a conversation about moving to a single sex school.