Is St Dunstan's good for girls?

[SouthEastLondonMama]

Hello. Sorry, yet another post on secondary schools. We are looking at private as well as state secondary options for my daughter and we are interested in St Dunstan's. But then I heard that they no longer offer netball as a sport and that the girls are playing football instead. More importantly I also heard that the girls are in a minority. I wondered if anyone at the school had any thoughts on this? I had really liked the schools ethos but not sure I want to send my daughter if girls are at a disadvantage.

Do you consider single sex schools? Croydon High, Blackheath High or Bromley High? All those GDST schools are lovely- they seem less academic but results are so similar with St Dunstan’s. My daughters previous school was coed and changed to single sex school last year… and I am so so sooooo happy with the choice! They both focused more on their studies… Plus, they are acting like a little lady now. They do have sheets every 2 weeks to read how kind and helpful people they need to be. They used to say gossh, jezz words a lot at before in their previous coed school now they are changed a lot. I am also more relax and comfortable when they go to the residential trips and/or once they attend after school club or study club. Good luck with your choice x

What does acting like a little lady actually entail?

@Motnight Well, that was my experience. It is impossible to answer your question here with typing. You know my girls. I have been in both system and spend a lot time in coed so I shared my experience. Plus, I was never wanted my daugthers to go to girls only school before - But I changed my mind when I attended open day for one of the girls only school.

My dd went to an all girls school. She never acted like a little lady. Thank fuck.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that girls are in the minority at St Dunstan's? I would say it's fairly evenly balanced. As for sport, netball is still available should pupils want to play nut yes, they all get to play football and hockey too. Numerous other sports are available as clubs too. My dd loves it!

@Motnight which your respond I do clearly understand the reason why she didn’t. Have a lovely day.

For me the question would be whether I could trust the Head to show proper judgement and good leadership. The recent fiasco with inviting Peter Tatchell, a paedophile apologist, into a school to talk to children would suggest not.

My daughter goes to a state girls school. They are not little ladies. They are into cricket, football, social justice and feminism. Why pigeonhole your child? I assume private girls schools promote the same values?

I know of Dunstans. My daughter has friends of both sexes there. They seem happy enough.

Not saying what sport they like is indicative of their outlook. I'm just saying girls should play, do and experience everything boys do. I wouldn't pay for a school that turned my child into a "little lady"

My daughter also plays football, netball and hockey in her school. By “lady” I was try to mean she is more kind to us and others. The GDST schools care about that a lot - all girls only schools are not the same. If you notice I mentioned about the GDST schools to OP, not all single sex schools! Its really depends how you think but I don’t even want my daughter to talk to her female friends like “come on man, you d.ckhead” etc. It might sound so normal for other families I do respect that but for us it is a no!

🤣😂🤣

@alwayssparkleandshine the irony is my dd spent 9 years at a GDST school. She did amazingly well academically and left a really well rounded and polite young woman. The school certainly encouraged pupils to respect each other, and behave in an appropriate manner. But at no point ever was 'behaving like a little lady' mentioned. Instead an ethos of positivity, confidence and the aim to succeed was encouraged.

I just heard via other mums that the girls were in the minority and wondered if that was the experience that others felt. Ideally my daughter would go co-ed but I would prefer that to be balanced rather than very boy heavy. Is your dd at the senior school@snapcrabbytastic ?

But the Head cancelled the talk and wrote a letter explaining why to parents. I am fully confident that he is an excellent Head and have never had cause to question his judgement. My children thrive at the school and are developing into well-rounded individuals.

Yes, my dd is in the Senior School. I also have a ds there too. Both are in very strong, mixed friendship groups and I feel really benefit from the co-ed aspects of the school. Due to the huge number of additional clubs and opportunities offered to my children, they both have younger and older friends across the whole school - it's a great environment for them.

Thank you@snapcrabbytastic . That was very helpful.

I had also heard it was more boys than girls, possibly as there is a very good state girls school v close to St Dunstans. The girls showing us around did casually say they felt they were more boys than girls when I asked but parents I know with kids at the school said they didn’t feel that was the case at all and that it was pretty evenly split. We have also looked at some of the local GDST schools though, like Blackheath or Sydenham High, and they were pretty convincing about the value of girls only education. My daughter surprised me by really liking them more than St Dunstans, as she is in a coed state primary and has lots of friends who are boys and girls.

Girls are definitely not in a minority! It’s a full co-d school. My daughter loves it. Plenty of sport options she does loads of netball (plays outside of school too) but is also trying hockey and football too. Her class is 50/50 split.

@ghislaine I also have full confidence in the head. He cares deeply about nurturing well rounded children.

It's interesting that some people think it is boy heavy but others have a different experience. I wonder if it depends on the year group? I did meet a mum the other day whose daughter was in Year 8, and her view was that the girls are quite outnumbered. As always Mumsnetters, I appreciate your input.

I wouldn’t call it boy heavy; but there is normally more boys than girls; I would say 60 % boys and 40 % Girls. It is a good school and my daughter has been happy there and done well academically and socially.

I don’t think the girls sports are very strong and they do focus more in Hockey. My daughter was frustrated with how badly they always did at the netball matches; she doesn’t like hockey; now in year 11 they don’t have netball; not sure if this has also changed for other years.