Single Sex (Boys) Primary Schools

[breeminor]

I am looking at experiences of those who have put their children in single sex boys primary schools.
I'd appreciate any issues or gains from any one with direct experience.
I put together a few questions but any advice is welcome. Thanks.

1. Has it worked for you? What do you think are the Pros and Cons?

2. Are there other female siblings in the family? And if not are they okay mixing with girls?

3. How do they learn to have an appreciation of girls?

4. Have you gone on to mixed secondary schools or stayed single sex.
   Thanks again

I took my dss out of state primary school and put them into prep school - one at age 8 and one at age 7. They both went on to mixed secondary education in a partially selective comp. (Both very bright, got in via the exam).

Both happy with the mixed secondary - very good, sought after school, but both agree that the move to the all boys prep was the best thing that ever happened to them.

Had they not got into the partially selective comp, I would probably have continued to work full time to keep them at the private school.

Generally speaking I think that boys do well from 7 -11 in an all boys school. Their needs are completely different from girls' needs at that stage and I think the state system fails boys. However, I think that boys can do well in a mixed secondary school.

Girls do better in an all girls school and that is what I am aiming for for dd. (Back to full time work now, although I think she has a good chance for the local girls' grammar).

HTH

No direct experience.

However my DD goes to an all girl's prep school and will go on to all girl's high school.

Many of her friends have brothers who are already at, or due to go to, the all boy's schools.

We also have a few friends who have been to single sex schools, who are now adults.

All are normal! All mix well with both genders. None are obsessed with the other sex, and all manage to make normal relationships with males and females.

My DD does not have any siblings, but she still sees and mixes with boys - at swimming, at trampolining and socially - family friends have boys. DD has no problem playing with boys at all so far, and this is despite being a very girly girl.

How they grow up is very much dependent on many other factors, not just their schooling. If you as parents make sure your child grows up with a normal and healthy attitude to the opposite sex, and ensure they do occasionally meet the opposite sex, then they will be fine!

1. So far, but we're still in pre-prep with both of them. Ds1 is a very rowdy, noisy, lively boy. Ds2 is a rather pink boy (last Christmas wanted and got the Barbie HotTub party bus and Dora's castle).

The things I like:- Ds1 always stands out as exceptionally noisy in mixed company, but stands out less in a crowd of just boys. The "clever" children in the class are obviously boys. This induces the desire to excel to be part of the cool crowd. There are plenty of male teachers, including a number of younger male teachers who almost become older brothers especially in out of school activities. Certainly I would be proud of my sons if they turned out in the same mould as them. All the literature and curriculum are pretty much designed to appeal to boys - lots of science projects involving electricity and moving things from early one, a library full of books that boys would all be pleased to pick up and read etc. the teaching is adapted to the needs of boys - plenty of physical movement, concentrating on reading and maths in priority to writing at the start.

2. We don't have any female siblings. In terms of mixing with girls, they are fine if girls want to join in with or contribute to their games. Both the boys love imaginative play, but are likely to be boisterous. They don't have any pre-conceptions about girls and just assume that they are pretty much like boys.

3. See last line above. They will no doubt appreciate girls differently when they hit puberty.

4. Will almost certainly stay single sex, but depends on where we are living at the time.

Thanks to all who have responded, your comments are very helpful.

I know this it not an exact science and each child/school is different but it is still very helpful to hear what experiences others have had. Thanks again.

My son has blossomed since moving from a mixed primary (where he was happy enough and where the basics were very well taught) to a single sex prep school.

It's set up for boys. Fewer projects for homework but more time-limited exercises (Latin and French verbs, sums, English comprehension). Lots of competition and any aggression channelled into sport. Lots of male teachers who like jokes and nicknames. Less fuss over small details but real bollockings over big things. My son just seems to find this a more natural way of being taught. Funnily enough, he's not a naturally loud, rumbustious boy but he's a real team player and enjoys the fact that there's always a rugby team he can play for (even if it's only the Cs).

He has a small but vociferous sister--and a mother with plenty of strong views on equality, etc, so I think he gets a balanced outlook on life.

I've four boys, they all are at a single sex school and it has been excellent. like other posters have said the ability to design the curriculum to suit the different learning needs of boys, assembly fior YR-2 for example is immediately after lucnhtime play so the boys are happy to sit down for a short while. Learning is cool, the boys are switched on and motivated and imo there is probably less rough horse play than in a mixed similar age group school.
They have female cousins etc, and play very nicely with them, and my oldest has no problems socially with girls (lots of parties where the girls from the girls school in town also go along).
I like the fact that even at 13 they can play in the mud without there being pressure to be cool and trendy at breaktime