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Education

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Original poster

Are single sex schools good or bad?

102 replies

Wills · 05/09/2006 14:25

My gut instinct is bad but I'm not sure why I feel like this.

To give you the background. We've just moved counties and focused on finding dd1 an infant school. Having done that we are now having to look (almost immeidately) at Junior schools. Our house is basically placed between two that seem fairly similar on paper (need to visit of course) so I thought I'd have a quick look at the senior schools to see if there was an obvious better one. I was completely blown away by how good the senior schools are but.... most of them are single sex. There is only one good mixed school.

From articles I've read in the newspapers it appears that single sex schools can focus their teaching style appropriately and therefore get better results. BUT I want my kids to grow up realising that the opposite is merely the opposite sex and not something that should be put either on a pedestal or to be scared of. Are my fears stupid?

OP posts:

schneebly · 05/09/2006 14:31

I would probably feel the same as you TBH.

Gobbledigook · 05/09/2006 14:31

I prefer mixed for primary age (up to 11). After that I prefer single sex schools for secondary.

Gobbledigook · 05/09/2006 14:32

I went to an all girls secondary and didn't have any problems mixing and socialising with boys. School is not the only opportunity to mix and socialise with others is it?!

clumsymum · 05/09/2006 14:34

I went into a single sex school at age 13, and did much better. As long as you keep friends with other families with mixed children, I don't see a problem. Lots of single sex schools mix with other schools for social events too. Worth asking about that.

Original poster

Wills · 05/09/2006 14:35

True Gobbledie, but the bulk of their day is spent at school during the week. If its a single sex then I would feel pressure to ensure they socialise with the opposite sex during after school clubs whereas at the moment they do what they want to.

OP posts:

Gobbledigook · 05/09/2006 14:39

I just don't see it as an issue tbh. It's not like you never see boys just cos you go to a girls school. I went to the girls grammar and we were closely affiliated to the boys grammar - we merged to do certain things (oo-er!) and I knew some of the boys through my brothers, from primary school, through walking to and from the bus station, through running (member of athletics club), through birthday parties, through weekend jobs when I got to about 16....

spook · 05/09/2006 14:45

Hi Wills. Both my boys are at single sex school and although my gut instinct was against it too now I'm not so sure.
I think-as others have said-that they socialise with girls (other friends girls etc) and have activities then there is no problem.
Having said that they are 6 and 9 so it could all change!!
But at the end of the day I really think its the quality of the teaching and the atmosphere of the school that really matters. HTH.

Gobbledigook · 05/09/2006 14:47

Absolutely spook. Where did this idea come from that you learn everything about life in school. I don't mean anyone on this thread, I just mean in general. IT's as if it's the be all and end all. I know it's important but there is a life to be had outside of school hours as well.

Marina · 05/09/2006 14:49

My experiences were like GDG's Wills. Personally I think it was a blessed relief not having boys cluttering the place up at my girls' grammar. We did loads of joint projects, including some joint teaching of minority subjects, with our twin boys' grammar, but more importantly IMO, my relationships with the opposite sex were able to develop independently of the hothouse setting of school. That you spend so many hours there per week is IMO a very good reason not to have all your social life dependent on it too.
I will choose what my dcs want when the time comes but if a child is happy with single-sex education it can be a great experience.

Marina · 05/09/2006 14:50

Oh snap cross-posting. In terms of relating to other people all my learning happened elsewhere. School was work. Theatre group was life.

Gobbledigook · 05/09/2006 14:52

Ditto - school was work and going to work (from about 16) and sport stuff was 'life'.

nappyaddict · 05/09/2006 15:16

i went to a girls school from age 8 and then at 16 i went to a boys school which had just started taking girls for the 6th form part so i've had both extremes!!i think girls generally do better in single sex girls than boys. maybe because girls get distracted by boys but boys would probably tend to play up more in a class full of boys than a mixec class iygwim

Judy1234 · 05/09/2006 20:12

I went to single sex schools and our children have too. Why? They get the best exam results. I didn't want them distracted as teenagers by the opposite sex - they can do that out of school. I wanted gender specific teaching too. I don't like early sex and sexual relationships and I found with single sex schools there was less of that. Just about every school at the top of the recent A and GCSE league tables was single sex.

hulababy · 05/09/2006 20:16

DD started PrePrep 1 at an all girl's school today. I have no concerns at all for her. She will, more than likely, go to an all girl's secondary also.

The socialising aspect is not an issue for us. there are plenty of boys in DD's life.

Know of a few adults who went to girl's schools. None have had any issues with boys at all.

admylin · 05/09/2006 20:17

Yes I have just been reading those league tables and noticed taht there were a lot of girls schools at the top of he list. I would send mine that way after seeing those results if I could!

CountessDracula · 05/09/2006 20:22

I went to a girl's school and I certainly didn't miss out on boys!

Uwila · 05/09/2006 20:46

I think there is a common belief that single sex schools are better, especially for girls. The theory is that girls will not miss out and be overlooked if there are no boys there to get the preferential treatment. Things like running for class president (though that might be an American thing?). But, you get the idea.

Personally, I think the mixed is prehaps my preference because I want my girl's surroundings in education to reflect the real world. When she goes to work, she will find men there. So she might as well learn to work with them in school at an early age. Also, if she excels t something like math I want her to compete with boys (who typically do better in math).

I don't feel very strongly about it, but I lean towards mixed schools. I'd probably be more interested in the school's test scores than I would the gender of her classmates.

cat64 · 05/09/2006 20:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SSSandy · 05/09/2006 20:53

Haven't you noticed that your confident women friends are often quiet as mice in a mixed setting even when they attended co-ed schools? You get a few women who are the same with men around, most go fairly quiet.

That's why I prefer single sex secondary schools for girls.

NotAnOtter · 05/09/2006 20:57

both my eldest go to single sex ( one started today) against my better judgment. I do believe school= work bus home ( with boys)=play!

Wordsmith · 05/09/2006 20:59

Academically, I think it's been proven that girls get better results in single sex schools. However, in every other way, I'd have to say not. Every girl I know who went to a single sex school came out of it a total nymphomaniac. Without exception. And the boys were all self-obsessed nerds. I think boys and girls need to grow up competing against each other on a level playing field and seeing each other warts and all. They do tend to idealise the opposite sex if they don't have to see them day in, day out.

However once you're grown up (in your 30's or so) I can definitely recommend women-only offices!

LIZS · 05/09/2006 21:01

We have sent ours to a mixed Prep and like the balance and convenience of having them at the same school, but would consider a single sex secondary education which we both had. Most single sex schools will team up with another opposite sex one for social, art, music etc type activities anyway.

hulababy · 05/09/2006 21:02

Women-only offices My idea of hell!!! I much prefer a mixed work place. Would have prefered a single sex school though, I am pretty sure of that.

All our single sex graduates, all adults who we know, are pretty normal adults in normal type relationships!

Blu · 05/09/2006 21:03

Ahem, Wordsmith...I went to a girls-only school, and I am sure I am NOT a total nymphomaniac!

Wordsmith · 05/09/2006 21:05

Obviously I don't know you Blu - I only know a few who went to an all girls' school, and they were all gagging for it at 18. Anyone would do, whereas by then we co-eds were a bit more selective. However I can happily accept that it's not a scientific survey!

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