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

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My DD1 has just collected her GCSE's from her school which is an Essex girls Grammar with high standards. DD1 has done very well and 'likes' single sex teaching (if she wanted to learn with boys she would got to the Boys Grammar for Sixth Form). However, like most Grammar Schools whether Boys or Girls they are Co -Ed or in my DD's School partially with around 30 Boys in both Year 12 and 13. I know this seems to be the fashion that Girls Schools which really should be single sex all through are admitting boys these days into year 12. I guess it is probably due to funding though personally I would prefer single sex availability for girls with the Boys Grammars offering the Co=Ed experience if wanted.

I went to a single sex school with a co-ed sixth form
It was fine. By the time they reach that age boys are much less disruptive in class and it gives a vital social development experience that you really dont want to experience first time when she goes to uni and is living in halls!

Sixth Form is different.

Not sure what you’re expecting from this thread.

If she wants to go to uni she will have to get used to boys being there and put up with them in the workplace. Life isn’t segregated.

I work in state grammar education and unfortunately the vast majority of schools are working with a huge financial deficit. The best way to increase income (balanced with costs incurred) is to increase the size of the sixth form.

To maintain the highest possible results, making a sixth form co-ed is one choice (so your intake is the brightest of each sex).

What are your concerns about boys being in the sixth form?

I was at a girls grammar in the 60s and sixth form was merged with the boys school for sixth form. It isn't new. It gave more choices for A levels.

Then she may find working alongside boys/men at university and in the workplace a bit tricky…..

Am guessing it might be the same one has my DD has attended. The numbers in 6th form as so high and the number of boys is so low that if they don't want to be with them then they can avoid them. In my DD's experience some of the girls were far more an issue than any of the boys. The vast majority of the boys she knew were all very lovely that went there. Give her 2 years she will be in the big wide world at uni or working with lots of boys - and they really aren't as horrible as some people on here make out - there are lots of lovely ones out there. Have you ever been to any of the school drama performances - they normally get the sixth form boys involved and you may see what positives they bring to the school to. Also some of the boys choose to go here as they specialise or do the subjects they want to study which they can't do at some of the others schools. My friends DD choose the boys grammar for this reason (and to escape the girls grammar!)

I think YABU! My daughter attended all girls to Y11. She said being in 6th form with boys reminded her they're not all just 'others'. It made her appreciate that some are lovely, some are okay, and some are utterly revolting. Good prep for uni.
Before that she only mixed with boys in her family, or boys who had similar interests, and avoided the rest.

I understand wanting single sex provision but why do you think girls should have the option of single sex but boys shouldn't?

Also the sort of boys who are happy to go to the girls school 6th form are usually the nice ones. The misogynistic rugby lads won’t want to go there anyway.

A discussion of the pros and cons?

I tend to agree with the OP. My dd went to a girls GS, the sixth form was imo particularly good. She had no problems whatever moving on to uni - on a very male-heavy course, lots of her friendship group there were lads.

I’d be interested in stats for the takeup by girls of subjects such as physics and FM for schools which go coed in the sixth form vs staying SS. Maybe the well known problem of such subjects still being seen as ‘for the boys’ in mixed sex schools v girls’ schools is sufficiently overcome by this stage, IDK.

Move her to another sixth form that is single sex then.

she needs to get used to being around and working with boys so seems a good time to start.

Rugby lads? Perfectly nice boys play rugby.

My DD did M FM and physics in a mixed sixth form. Lots of girls did

Its not that I am particularly worried about the social aspect, I just wish the opportunity to continue in a Single Sex educational environment was an option. DD1 has many male friends though Hockey and outside interests and does not necessary need or want them in a classroom environment. I also appreciate that funding is probably the greatest driver in the direction of either full Co Ed or partially CO ED Sixth Forms. Though, girls are better for boys than the other way round..

The other thing I’d be curious to know is whether, when pair3 single sex schools go mixed sex for the sixth form, theres any tendency for some subjects to concentrate more in one than the other. While that might be good for class sizes I’m not sure it’d be great from a feminist perspective. Again idk if that happens but it seems somewhat probable.

6th Form is voluntary to attend.
Anyone who doesn't want to be there (and will piss around and cause trouble) won't be there.

Next stop, the nunnery.

The thing about A levels, is that the young people are doing them because they want to be, so behaviour tends to be much better. I agree with PP, the world is not segregated. Girls and boys need to exposed to each other to normalise each other and learn how to get along.

I’d be more concerned about the football ‘lads’ than rugby if we’re going to stereotype!!!

But yes, I agree OP. I think it would be better if they admitted more girls into the sixth form to increase numbers.

That’s a shame for your DD but if it’s the only option she may prefer to just have the 20-30 boys (so I assume a 80/20 type split ration girls to boys) rather than a 50/50 or more boy heavy ratio.

fwiw, I went to all girls schools and didn’t really develop a way of dealing with men in the workplace getting being really passive/fawning which hadn’t been ideal! Im
now working with all women and loving it though 😁.

That’s an unrealistic suggestion. Very few areas have a choice of single sex sixth forms, if any. Whereas someone who has a child in a single sex secondary will have lots of options if they want to move to mixed sex sixth form.

That’s what DDs school does.

A good old moan about nasty, smelly, sex-obsessed teenage boys, obviously. And she’s no doubt come to the right place.

Is your DD worried?