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 girls school. Our 6th form was mixed with the boys school down the road and which school you went to depended on which a levels you chose.

I ended up at the boys school. I had a bit of grief from the younger boys in the school in the corridor etc as I was one of only 20 or so girls in the building. But no bother at all from the boys in my classes.

I think the stats on girls performing better in a single sex classroom are in the younger years. By 6th form, everyone wants to be there, learn and perform to the best of their abilities.

But what is her problem with them in a classroom environment in the sixth form? Bear in mind mind that, if she's doing A levels, the vast majority of her classmates - whether boys or girls - are going the subject because it is one they like and are interested in; it's not like further down the school where you may get disruption because people are having to do subjects they dislike. In many subjects it's a positive plus getting the male POV when it comes to classroom discussions, and the boys may well bring standards up generally.

I agree, my DS changed from an all boys school to a mixed grammar school in Essex for 6th form, it may well have been your daughter’s school. He had two wonderful years there and his outcome was more than we could ever have expected. If it is the same school your daughter is very lucky, it’s a wonderful place and the headmaster is fantastic. Congratulations to your daughter on her GCSE results and best of luck for her future. xx

I can see both sides really. Studies do show girls educated in single-sex schools do better academically than girls in mixed schools. Not sure if there are any studies based on sixth form

Is there a private all girls school you can send her to just sixth form or is she happy with her current school?

Er, all rugby players are not misogynistic arses!

No more than football players are!

I was fully on board with you until your last sentence. Why should the boys not have the option for a single sex space in the same way you want your dd to have a single sex space. I disagree with girls in the boys space as much as the other way around.

Both my DS’s are at a boys Grammar School in Southend and I volunteer at the school. Trust me when I say the girls can be very distracting, my oldest is going into sixth form so we viewed all four schools in the last 12 months and there are many differences in the offerings. Not all offer the same subjects and realistically cannot afford to as it would require all four to increase the teaching staff. Even with certain subjects that all four offer the actual content differs history as an example covers different areas from school to school. Your daughter benefits from being in a Grammar School by being surrounded by other children who are academic and as such challenge each other but if you suddenly remove all the boys you are going to be dropping the entry requirements as the school will have taken those with the best GCSE grades so you will be moving down your list of applicants. If she wishes to go to university she will have to attend mixed lectures and tutor groups and if she studies away from home that will be two large adjustments she will deal with alone. Instead she has the opportunity to adjust to one situation now with your support.

I went to a single sex comprehensive in the '80s, but 6th form was shared with the boys - lessons only. Tutor groups, assembly, sports day, any extracurricular stuff was at your own school. I did all of one subject at the boys, all of one subject at the girls, and French was split between the two. Exams themselves were all at your own school site. If they hadn't done this, they simply couldn't have run some subjects, and things are tighter now than then.

Quite a few of the rugby lads did French. We could hold our own against them.

I have only been in the Southend area since 2015 having lived in the 'Potteries' Keele University and North Cheshire from 1992onwards. I moved down with DH to run the Southern part of his family business and entered my two girls into the Essex 11+ process via Prep schooling. Therefore, I guess the Grammar schools were fully single sex until relatively recently. I just enjoyed my time in my Kent Grammar Sixth Form between Sept 1989-June 1992 and believe there is enough time to discover the world.

Regarding, boys wanting Single Sex Sixth Form, personally I think Girls are more beneficial to Boys at 16/17, than the other way round. Thus, girls that want the co-ed option should have that via a boys school. Until recently it was the Boys schools, most notably in Private Schools Girls Schools remained Girls schools. This, obviously might be changing via the need to survive, not by desire. I just feel anything considered as traditional on here is roundly centred on and called out. There was a reason why historically Girls/Boys Grammar schools were single sex because it worked.

It is not feasible, even in the extremely unlikely situation where a Sixth Form place became available at CCHS, for DD1 to leave her current school.

June 1991 ! I left not June 1992

I have twin boys. They attend a single sex grammar. Why should they have to compete with girls for places in their 6th form if they are not also allowed to compete for places in the girls 6th form (for different subeljects) I genuinely dont understand how you think thats fair? So girls get twice the options of courses to take JUST BECAUSE THEYRE GIRLS?

I went to a single sex school 11-16 and then the sixth form was mixed.

I did subjects that were more girl dominated but it was quite interesting that A level physics and maths were taught separately - I don't know if that was because it was felt the girls would be dominated, or put off, by the boys.

They didn't feel that was an issue the other way round though - the boys were in the minority in all my subjects and in one there were 10 girls and 2 boys.

You still haven’t said what it is that boys do to diminish the quality of the learning environment.

All I can see is you saying you liked not having boys in your own school. You have not had personal experience of having boys there and disliking it.

Come on, give some examples of things that anyone actually in a co-ed 6th form has told you about the negative effect of mixed sex classes.

This. Why should girls have a choice whether to mix or not, but boys don't?

Presumably because OP had a girl not a boy?

I think it's a healthy step in social development. And I'm talking educationally.

But also ... Where do you think the Trans and Non-binary students go?! Your DD has probably been sharing classrooms with people who are TNB or Intersex since Y7... In decent Grammar Schools this is done openly with support from the school. Because no student should live in fear.

During my teaching career (early 1980s to early 2010s) I worked in a. number of single-sex Grammar Schools, and noticed that increasingly boys grammars were opening their sixth forms to girls, thus 'poaching' some students from the local girls grammars. The result would be, in time, the girls' grammars would lose funding, have less good facilities and poorer pupil-staff ratios.

To avoid this girls grammars have to open their sixth forms as well, should local boys grammars do so...and vice-versa, of course.

I don’t think you can generalise about males from the shape of their balls, Maybe the entrance criteria shouldn’t be academic ability but if they prefer football and could be classed as hooligans or cissys who play hockey😂

Pretty insulting to boys! This is worded as if they are all a problem ‘doesn’t want them in the classroom environment’ in my experience girls can be a far worse influence than boys!

Ultimately the option you want doesn’t exist because it’s not financially viable. The sixth form itself wouldn’t exist without those boys so perhaps it might be better to do one better than tolerate them… or you’d be looking further for a new place.

My son went to a private school for secondary which was historically boys only but started taking girls decades ago. The corresponding girls only school didn’t take that step to allow boys and has just collapsed after over 140 years. The world has changed a lot over time…

My other children went to a mixed comprehensive school. Both genders. Both did/doing well. You may well find she gets something out of it this way - either way I hope she enjoys, best of luck to her.

I’m not sure which is more insulting, the fact that you clearly think boys are second class citizens and not worthy of the same educational opportunities as girls, or that they either cannot control themselves or will distract your precious daughters from their studies. No one has an issue with you having traditional values, but your views about boys are ridiculous and disrespectful.

I have a 15 year 9 months old Adopted son who has SEN who I have just taken out of State and begins a 'Co-Ed Private School repeating year 10 in two weeks time. Obviously, I would have no problem with a co-ed Sixth Form for him hopefully after completing his GCSE's with 'decent' grades. Though, I will be looking for something different for him, hopefully a school which hopes him develop as a person. So i do have skin in the game regarding educating boys especially ones who have out grown, what the state can offer in means of SEN and achievement. DS current state school could only take him to around grades '2-4' which given his starting point would be good. However, he is capable of 5/6s and maybe a 7 in History. The point to all this we require/want different academic settings for different children one with 9's and 8s and another repeating a year.

Based on my own experience OP, I agree with you. It did me no harm to be in single aex education till 18. I knew plenty of boys socially but it was nice to have an all girls education at school. And despite various posters' warnings I was fine at Uni and at work in mixed spaces. Single sex spaces can be very freeing and build young women's confidence before they face the world as adults.

If this worries you wait until she gets to mixed university halls full of hormonal boys and girls.
Get a real view on life !!!

My 4dc have all gone through single sex school and 6th form - dd3 has just finished year 13. I think it was good for them and made them more confident. Dd1 and dd2 are both married and dd2 works in a male dominated industry. Interestingly both of their dh went to boys' schools!