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Original poster

All girls/boys schools- did you go to one and would you want your kids to?

113 replies

lking679 · 31/08/2021 21:47

Just thinking about this, I went to an all girls high school and to be honest at university and beyond was really immature around and about boys. I only have sisters too.
Did you find the same and would you want your kids to go to an all girls or all boys school? I don’t think I want mine to!

OP posts:
whenwillthemadnessend · 31/08/2021 22:14

@Notdoingthis
Can you elaborate as a teacher and parent

SirVixofVixHall · 31/08/2021 22:16

I went to an all girls school and I would have liked to send my daughters to one but there isn’t an option locally and I did not want them to board.

MrsLCSofLichfield · 31/08/2021 22:16

No and no.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
Notdoingthis · 31/08/2021 22:17

I love teaching in a grammar. It suits my teaching style. I would like my son to go to a grammar. But the grammars here are single sex and he would hate that. So we will move to an area with no grammars.

Brighterblighter · 31/08/2021 22:17

I'd like to think that bra pinging etc is stamped out and would be dealt with.

And all the rest.

My dd is going mixed but grammar and I'm very pleased about it.

I'm hoping she will make some good friends of both sexes.

Brighterblighter · 31/08/2021 22:20

Sharp lily I admit I was probably more like your cousins!

Which is why I want to dd to be able to treat them like people

idontlikealdi · 31/08/2021 22:22

I went to all girls all the way through to 16. Moved countries and went to mixed for IB.

My kids are in mixed primary but will go to single sex secondary. The secondary has a corresponding boys school so they do do some things together. It's the best option for us.

DelurkingAJ · 31/08/2021 22:28

I went to a single sex secondary then a mixed sixth form. In my mind that was ideal. I left a mixed prep at 11 where there was sexual bullying from some of the 12 and 13 year old boys. For a hypothetical DD I would be asking what proportion of the mixed schools sixth form science classes are girls as a measure of the impact…I know teachers at selective mixed schools who complain that the boys simply assume they’re better at science and maths, even when they’re not, and this affects the girls confidence.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 31/08/2021 22:29

It was a mixed grammar I was happy to leave at 16 to go to a girls grammar. The boys ruled the place, especially in Sciences.

K8le · 31/08/2021 22:33

I went to both and felt far happier and confident in class in the single sex one especially in stem subjects.

Newchances · 31/08/2021 22:33

I went to an all girls,but had a lot of male friends in the street (who then went to all boy schools) a lot of us are still friends now...I think aslong as the y have outlets for the other sex such as streeet/clubs its OK

Georgie8 · 31/08/2021 22:37

Eldest was all girls until sixth form -enjoyed sixth form, but said she was v pleased she’d been all girls up until then. Was surprised by the casual sexism from staff as well as pupils. Lost confidence, if I’m honest, but the world is co-ed so she had to start somewhere.
Youngest asked to go co-ed in y7, now asking to go back to an all girls sixth form.
Huge problems with sexual harassment (not her, she’s been taught the Paddington Bear stare 😡 and I’m a scary mother), but she’s been caught up with several girls who’ve been “helped to move on” to another school so that the rugby 1st XI player who’s admitted sexual assault, can stay on, on a full scholarship.
To say we’re shocked would be an understatement.

Bootdilemma · 31/08/2021 22:37

I went to a single sex school and loved it. Always had boyfriends never had any problems with boys. Girls go to single sex and ds to a mixed school. I thi k mixed better for boys

purpledagger · 31/08/2021 22:42

My mum went to a single sex school and was adamant she wanted us to go to mixed schools, which we did.

I've deviated towards mixed schools for my children, but that's based on the school themselves.

Mamainthemaking · 31/08/2021 22:42

I went to an all girls Catholic school. Fantastic education. Terrible bullying. Went to a mixed grammar school for sixth form and was so much happier. Also a great education.

DramaAlpaca · 31/08/2021 22:54

I went to a girls' grammar that was mixed in sixth form. DH went to a boys' boarding school. We sent our sons to a mixed secondary school.

Jubilate · 31/08/2021 22:56

Yes and yes. I have daughters though, and if I had sons I would be keen they didn't go to a single sex school.

Ajl46 · 31/08/2021 23:04

I'd be sending DD to an all girls' school and DS to a mixed school if possible as this seems to generate the best results (esp for girls in STEM subjects) www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35419284

YourFinestPantaloons · 31/08/2021 23:06

I'd send my DD to an all-girls school

I wouldn't send my DS to an all-boys school

Essexgirlupnorth · 31/08/2021 23:07

I went to an all girls school and wouldn't want my daughter too though I don't live where I grew up and there is less options for single sex schools where I am now.

Travielkapelka · 31/08/2021 23:09

I am vehemently against single sex education. I believe firmly in mixed schools and have no regrets. Mine have been mixed throughout and that was intentional. They have thrived and I stand by my decision

Kite22 · 31/08/2021 23:24

I went to an all girls high school and to be honest at university and beyond was really immature around and about boys.

I went to an all girls school, but that wasn't my experience.
I meet up with some of the 'girls' I went to school with (45 years ago) and we've talked about this before - probably prompted by one of these regular threads on here Wink and it wasn't the experience of any of the others that meet up either.

and would you want your kids to go to an all girls or all boys school?

Yes, my ds went to the local boys' school and my dds went to the local girls' school. They went to those schools, because they were the schools that were the best for them, that they had a chance of getting in to at the time taking everything into consideration. We weren't seeking out single sex schools and would have been equally happy with coed or single sex. It wasn't really a deciding factor.
All my dc are young adults now and perfectly balanced socially. All confident and comfortable adults without any hang ups or issues with the other sex. All have friends of both sexes - as they did through their childhood and teens, which I think makes a lot of difference.

MistySkiesAfterRain · 31/08/2021 23:28

I'm 50/50. Some boys were disruptive but girls bullied more. But we had single sex spaces and extra curricular activities. I went and looked round a single sex school and it felt overwhelming.

irresistibleoverwhelm · 31/08/2021 23:42

I went to a single sex inner city state school and I would send DD to a single sex school if I could (unlikely as not many near here). There wasn’t much bullying at my school - it wasn’t completely free of it but it definitely was a lot less than I heard from friends at mixed schools who had to constantly deal with sexist bullying from the boys as well as bitchiness from the girls (why do people see to think girls aren’t bitchy or bullying in mixed schools? They still are and then there are boys to compete over and show off to as well!)

I never experienced any real sexism until I left school, which was a great blessing in academic terms (did STEM subjects and never once felt like I shouldn’t). We also didn’t have to worry about impressing anyone or how we looked - it was fine to just be a normal awkward lumpy oily sweaty teenage girl with awkward frumpy teenage hair and spots because everyone was Grin

Ibizan · 31/08/2021 23:46

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