Only female in A level class

I was the only girl in my sixth form doing chemistry and physics.

I think it depends on the teacher. I was in the same spot in physics 25 years ago, and the teacher picked on me continuously until I quit.

I was also the only girl in CDT for GCSE, and in Computer Science for A-level - in CDT I was ignored by the teacher, so made it through, in Computer Science I thrived and got an A.

So I'd say, as long as the teacher isn't a misogynist jerk like mine was, she'll be fine (as I was in the classes where the teachers were good)

Secondary timetabling is unbelievably complex. It’s not reasonable to expect a whole timetable for a thousand or more students to be written around the gender balance in one class. There is an alternative on offer and if this doesn’t mean she would have to drop or pick up a subject then this is better than she’d find in many schools and colleges.

You don’t know that any other girls in the class would automatically be friendly with your daughter, or be more confident than her.
Presumably she knows the boys she’s with even if she’s not friends with them, and I bet some of them are as nervous around girls as she is around boys.
She knows the teacher has her back, it’s a few hours a week, so honestly, she needs to give it a go before upending her whole timetable.

I was one of 5 women on an engineering degree and have worked in all male environments and it’s been fine. I’m not saying they haven’t come across some dickhead men but you are going to come across dickhead men in all kinds of situations.

The school could have prevented this with better timetabling in the first place.

There was only one girl doing A level physics in DS small sixth form but both year 12 teachers were female which rebalanced it a bit.

Some girls would be fine but If she's uncomfortable with the situation then I would definitely investigate the alternative timetable so she's not the only girl.

It is 40 years since I did physics A level, so the syllabus has likely changed, but are the pupils still paired up to do experiments? If so, your DD will be with a boy every single time. I would worry that she would let him dominate and possibly lose confidence in her own practical ability, rather than “giving it a go” with another girl.

This totally.
That’s my Daughters experience if physics boys. She said they are all so nice.

Unfortunately not. Some of the lads in my nieces Physics class still didn’t do homework, acted like they didn’t want to be there, chatted over the teacher, and outside of class made sexually inappropriate comments to girls etc. I did Chemistry, Biology and Maths years ago and it was the same back then. The subjects seen as more academic are no protection from this sort of behaviour unfortunately.

I think by A Level boys who have chosen physics are overwhelmingly the sensible nerdy type. That's not to say they get everything right in interacting with girls, but it's not like in lower years where many of the boys will be disruptive and deliberately obnoxious.

I was the only girl to study engineering science - quite similar to physics but more engineering specific based - for standard grade, higher and advanced higher. It was fine. In my case there was no option to change class because that was the only one but it didn't occur to me. I didn't find my learning impacted in any way by being the only girl.

I was then 1 of 3 women on my civil engineering course, and I got a first class degree. The numbers balanced more at postgrad, but still male dominated.

Now I work in a sector of engineering which is quite male dominated.

I don't feel like my ability to learn, study, take exams, etc has been in any way impacted. I've always felt quite proud to be representing women in a space dominated by males!

I did my physics A level with just me and 3 boys. Wasn’t an issue. Not many girls did physics in the 90s.
Boys tend to get a lot more sensible in 6th form too as they mature so likely to be completely fine with her

No classroom is a “male space”.

Being comfortable with boys/men will be important if she's looking to do science or engineering in her career, many areas are still very male dominated.

Likewise and in pure maths and applied maths too, the few other girls doing maths chose to do combined maths.

Only she knows how much of an issue this is to her. I can understand why she’s a bit apprehensive and I think I’d change classes in her position. My niece did Physics and it was boy heavy. She used to study in a group from her class, which really helped, and I know she wouldn’t have wanted to do that if it was with all boys as they sometimes spent t8me at each others houses without parents there.

Give it time. Honestly, all students are concerned about something early on in A Levels. Some posters here seem to think that schools can magic female Physics teachers and students out of the ether - not possible. There is a massive drive to get more women into STEM but we are still a very long way from parity.

Keep chatting to her but I wouldn't overplay it. There were only 2 women on my first degree course and it was a little strange at first but I got used to it.

I think I'd suggest giving it a go for a few weeks. She will feel
more comfortable once they start into the work properly and the dynamic of the class becomes leas important some how .

I was the same, OP ; the only girl in my year who did A level Physics. It was fine. We were the ‘boring swots’, we shared interests in all manner of uncool geeky stuff and we all wanted to go to good universities.

The lads were my mates. Spending time with them was actually a nice respite from all the nonsense teenage girls get up to, like friendship group politics. I remained good friends with ‘Andy’ & ‘Paul’ for many years & went to their weddings. Happy memories.

Only girl in A Level Physics 30 years ago, aware of it but was fine

That's exactly what I said in my previous post.

I know it's not a social occasion, but the people you sit with in class are also the ones you see in the canteen and sit with because you know them, or walk into town with at lunchtime, then it becomes a social occasion, that is how people make friends at college.

But she can still do that with her peers from the other subjects.
This is only one of her classes, not the entire 6th form.

I teach physics. I know that, however well meaning the boys are, when there are lots of them and one girl, it can be difficult for her to feel comfortable and confident. Students tend to discuss answers to problems, both in class and as part of their homework, with each other and I can see her getting left out.

Yes, she will be moving in a male dominated world if she continues with physics based subjects, but she’ll be an adult then not 16.

If the school say that moving her group is possible, I’d speak to them and see what it will mean for other subjects then make a more informed decision.

I was the only girl who did physics higher in my year. The teacher was also male. It was a bit uncomfortable to begin with but I settled in. I’d suggest she give it a few weeks and see how she feels then.

The same physics students will be in mixed male/female classes for their other subjects. You fear that they ll descend into horrible sexism, once they are in a class with just the one girl.... It's possible, but probably unlikely?
If the teacher is sensitive to your DDs disquiet now, then he's probably on board to not indulge sexist comments/behaviour further down the line.