Are the girls in girls' schools very bitchy?

No more bitchy than girls at co-ed schools - boys can be (male word needed) 'bitchy' too. You can't win, that's life.

the girls that had been at same sex schools act slightly differently when a man is in the conversation/group/team/class at that age maybe, but I find it hard to believe that at 35, having worked for over a decade, that that average woman who attended an all girls school still doesn't know how to be around men just because she didn't know any from 11-16/8

I went to a mixed school and was mocked mercilessly by a large group of boys about my appearance, voice and weight. They also had a real problem with high achieving girls. The girls were all fine - a few of the usual teen friendship issues but supportive and nice. I have chosen single sex schools for my own children.

Surely by 16 or 18 when they get a job, go to Uni etc they're into mixed sex environments?

And in all of those environments, the girls that had been at same sex schools act slightly differently when a man is in the conversation/group/team/class. It’s subtle in a lot of cases, but I have found I can always tell from people watching. It’s not even flirting or vying for attention sometimes, it can be as small as a fluster or a blush or a little shuffle in their seat. Maybe it’s from not being around boys as contemporaries, who knows. Brothers aren’t the same either, because that’s a boy you don’t have to figure out how to act around.

..which gender stereotypes seem to inhibit in coed.

This is the point I was trying to make... that gender stereotypes are not necessarily down to the school.

As long as the school isn’t presenting one option for girls over another for boys.

For example, 2 girls could go to a co-ed school and 1 might not choose a male dominated subject as a GCSE option, and the other may feel not interested in it - possibly because there are only boys there, but that choice would be down to the girl’s personality.

I wouldn’t have said my DD is particularly independent - i’ve just pointed out that just because she is a girl it doesn’t mean she can’t like building things, electronics,electric cars, gadgets, etc.

In fact, her favourite pastime is watching gamers on YouTube...!!!

Only each parent knows their daughter and what environment suits them best.

PhilomenaButterfly it's still a good mix. I don't think it needs to have rugby or football just too make a point.

I went to an all girls school and although it could be bitchy I felt it was a better environment for learning. Compared to my sister who went to a mixed school - the girls were bitchier in the mixed school playing it up for the boys, especially as they got older. I'll be sending my daughter and my son to single sex schools! (pretty normal here in NI for schools to be single sex anyway)

I attended a girls' school from age 7 and often struggle with male friendships, all my close friends are women.

DH attended a boys' school from age 9, all his closest friends are women.

Make of that what you will!

I have noticed that even as an adult, you can always tell who went to an all girls school. There is something different about the way they act around other women. Almost competitive.

Really? not something I've noticed.

None of my grown up all girls school friends have male friends and question why I and other friends do, as if there is always an alterior motive when a man is involved
Most bizarre comment. All of my friends and I went off to Uni and make male friends, got jobs and made male friends. Surely by 16 or 18 when they get a job, go to Uni etc they're into mixed sex environments? And of the 6 of us, only half of us have brothers and all younger brothers so it's not even that influence

What sports do they do OP?

None of my grown up all girls school friends have male friends and question why I and other friends do, as if there is always an alterior motive when a man is involved.

DH reckoned he could tell which women in his company had been to one specific private girls' school, which we heard had a problem with bullying. The GS and the more academic private girls school didn't seem to cause the same sort of effect.

At all events, Now DD is at uni she seems to have a load of male friends. They appear to treat each other primarily as, er, interesting people.

I used to work in a girls’ school and they were very supportive of each other.

Having a boyfriend while going to an all girls school was quite a prize. I think that’s what started it for my friend.

No I don’t think so. My closest childhood friend went to an all girls school and I believe it has affected her relationships with men ever since. She had 2 brothers. Because of how close to me she was, I also see similarities in other friends at all girls schools. A lot of them are very jaded about men and yet still strive for their attention all the time. Not all to the same degree obviously, some are worse than others.

Today is the 25th Anniversary of my first day at school. Later this month I'm going out with 5 friends I made in that very first year, and who I've always stayed in touch with. Weddings, babies, moves, parents deaths. No divorces yet.

Yes it can be bitchy, but girls in mixed schools can be bitches too

I think it depends on the school environment. I’d be wary of a girls school with very “pink and sparkly” fashions on show. I’d check the science and sport facilities and staff.

I think single sec schools can avoid gender stereotypes OR they can buy into them full-scale. It depends on the school.

Not my experience at all. I loved being at a girls school and would encourage my daughters to do the same. Very freeing and positive to spend your school days in an all female experience, I feel.

I believe the stats show that boys do best in co-ed schools and girls in single-sex.
There are some horrible assumption in the question about "bitchiness" - why on earth would girls be worse that boys?
My son had a much worse time than his sisters did in the early years of secondary with other kids being unpleasant and all the perps were boys.

My daughter is at a girls school, never seen a pink backpack.. my dd is into boys bands, are there any? She does like some make up but you can’t wear it to school, she does find the eyebrows of some amusing but they all tend to get on fine and form their own friendship groups, none of hers are very girly girls. Daughter has an old vintage Adidas School bag as hers.

• I think this would be dependant on your DD's personality... for example, my DD has chosen Resistant Materials (DT) instead of Textiles in a co-ed school with a very large cohort (400~) and there is only 1 other girl in her option block taking it... my is DD completely unfazed...!

I was that rare girl when I was at school - I expect DD would have been too if she'd gone to a coed. But for all the others who don't have quite such an independent mindset at that age, going to a school where (to take the example from her gcse year) there's a whole set of girls doing Electronic products and two sets doing comp sci opens up a range of opportunities which gender stereotypes seem to inhibit in coed.

I have noticed that even as an adult, you can always tell who went to an all girls school. There is something different about the way they act around other women. Almost competitive. It’s even more heightened when a man is in the frame. None of my grown up all girls school friends have male friends and question why I and other friends do, as if there is always an alterior motive when a man is involved.