Same sex education..pros and cons please

[GenerationGap]

That's it really, anyone with any experience what are the benefits and disadvantages of all girls/boys schools?

I was at single sex school from 8yo, with no boys school interaction. Would not recommend complete isolation.

My dd goes to a single sex school with an associated boys school. This works well, in lessons no distraction from the opposite sex, but they are not an alien species as interact at breaks, social functions etc.

I'm currently on teaching placement at an all girls school.

To be honest, I don't like the environment all that much. To me, it feels very claustrophobic. All the girls know each others' business, there are a lot of bitchy arguments, and quite a lot of hysterics.

On the other hand, when a group gels well together, there's a really nice supportive atmosphere (but in my experience this is the minority of clases).

There's also a noticable lack of the girls being desperate to impress boys, so ultra short skirts, trowelled make-up etc are at a minimum (but that CERTAINLY doesn't mean the girls aren't involved with boys at all...)

I went to an all-girls' secondary school - uber bitchiness and immaturity are my overwhelming memories. Couldn't wait to leave for sixth form college, was a breath of fresh air.

My dd goes to an al girls school and yes there is cattiness but there woudl be in amixed school too amongst the girls.

But there is also a huge emphasis from the girls and staff on achievement academically, not who snogged who at break.

I really wish I ahd gone to a same sex school, would have made me more focussed on my work and less worrried about stupid teenage boys.

I am sorry I did, I thought men were a different species until ... well actually, aren't they?

this is a hard one. I would say same sex for a girl but mixed for a boy.

Society is mixed. I prefer schools mixed.

DD goes to a mixed secondary and they do not go on about who snogged who at break. They are boys and girls working at school together. Yes they do have strict rules in place about how they behave, but ultimately they are getting on in a mixed environment. She has friends who are boys and girls.

In the UK, girls achieve better grades in single sex schools than in mixed schools, with the gap especially pronounced in maths and science subjects. This is especially true of girls who are not high achievers at primary school.

I'm not sure why people think single sex schools exclude kids from socialising with members of the opposite sex, unless said kids literally go home after school and stay in their bedrooms till Monday.

I went to both and have a theory. Mixed the focus is who fancies who, who's snogged/ shagged who etc etc. In a girls school the focus is bitch bitch bitch. Lots of anorexics and self harmers. But every school will be different. And you can never expect schoolwork to automatically come first!

rednadgreen's post rings as bell, this was my experience too

basically, the teen years are very much about finding your place within a group- so it's going to be about impressing someb ody, whether the cute boy in Yr 9 or the alpha girl

in some ways, when you look at young teens, even making eyes at cute boys is really more about impressing the other girls than about a relationship with an actual member of the opposite sex

so I don't think you can get away from that

but am quite pleased that dd also has to learn to work and cooperate (not just socialise) with boys in an everyday environment

I prefer mixed for primary and single sex for secondary. I've worked in single sex girls schools and mixed and much prefer single sex for both.

My children go to a mixed secondary school. They have for the past couple of years had a few single sex lessons - science, English and RE. I think that gives the best of both worlds!

It all depends on the individual child (doesn't it always??). Single sex schools tend not to identify subjects as 'boy subjects' i.e maths and science or 'girls subjects' i.e English. Which can happen in a co-ed school.
I have a dd whose strength is maths and science, and a ds who is good at English and drama. So single sex works well.

They also have plenty of socialisation with both sexes outside of school.

I went to mixed all through then single sex convent for a-levels.
I have never met such a bitchy bunch of anorexic nymphomaniacs in my life. The girls there were much further forward (sexually) than those at my mixed comp. Make something inaccessible and all people want to do is get their hands on it.
FWIW I dont believe in single sex schools, we are not separated in society so why separate at school?

I think that part of the issue with the single sex vs mixed question is that a lot of single sex girls' schools are (a) private, and (b) academically quite intense.

I went to a single sex girls' comprehensive, which was not particularly academic at all, and never saw any of the bitchiness or 'hothouse' effect. No anorexics that I knew of, quite a few teenage pregnancies - but I think that was also true of the nearest equivalent mixed school on the other side of the big estate that both schools served.

We hung out at break and lunchtimes with the boys from the boys comp across the road, so no particular socialising issue, and were mixed for the sixth form (not many in either school stayed on past 16 though, maybe 10% or less).

I hope that it isn't an issue now, but certainly compared to my friend who went to a mixed school, there was much more chance as a girl to take maths, physics etc without getting grief at my school. Equally, though, the disadvantage was that I didn't have the chance to take Further maths A level, as it wasn't offered - I think it was at the mixed schools - but then only boys really took it, so you couldn't win . . .

Our mixed school is boy heavy because so many people do the "mixed for boys, single sex for girls" thing around here. DS1 (16) says the girls from the single sex schools are "a bit, you know, they don't have a great reputation..." but he thinks the girls in his school are "sound" which I reckon says it all.

FWIW I went to an all girls school and had a really positive experience, but my daughter will definitely be staying at the same school as her brothers. Much better socially, and I am not totally convinced on the academic arguments.

I think it?s about the DCs isn?t it? You have to do what seems right for your children rather than fit them into some preconceived notion of what is better.

FWIW we do the opposite to received wisdom ? DS goes to single-sex and DD to mixed ? because this suits their characters and personalities. DS is very much a typical boy and into sport and computer games, whereas DD hates all that girly, cliquey stuff and enjoys male company (though obviously we?re hoping not too much )

Academically I think boys benefit from the steadying influence of girls but I think girls suffer a bit as a result of the louder, more confident boys. Academically I think girls do better alone and boys do better in a mixed environment. Socially I think a mixed environment is better for both boys and girls. I have taught in both boys' and girls' single sex schools and in a mixed school.

My Dd1 is in Yr8 in a mixed comprehensive and is in top sets for maths and science - she tells me the tops sets in both subjects are two-thirds girls. I don't think it has ever crossed any of their minds not to do their best and try to excel. I am not sure this 'girls do better in single-sex' argument is all that valid.
I went to a single-sex school myself and I wouldn't do that to my DDs - they need to learn to mix and get on with boys as equals/friends/competitors. I don't thinking putting them in semi-purdah is a good preparation for life.

I've taught in mixed and single sex schools, and I would say the opposite of what some people have said here, that I prefer single sex for boys and mixed for girls. I have found girls' schools very bitchy and claustrophibic as others have mentioned, whereas boys' schools allow the boys to remain children for longer and retain their youthful enthusiasm through Yr 7 and 8 especially, as they are not trying to keep up with the girls who naturally mature earlier. I know of a couple of schools which are mixed but have single sex lessons, I think this is a fantastic idea giving the best of both worlds, as, despite my dislike of girls' schools, I do think girls often miss out on learning due to boys playing up in mixed classes.

Here is a good website:

mydaughter.co.uk

Hi. I taught in girls' schools, boys' schools and mixed schools. To be honest, I think there's no hard and fast rule. Whether they're co-ed or single sex, state or independent, there are good schools and bad schools. Suggest you make the judgement on how good the school is and leave it at that.

I went to a single sex girls school, although academically I did well , I would never put my DD in one because I found it very difficult to relate to boys after school. I didn't have any male friends and TBH I saw all boys as possible boyfriends/snogs and couldn't get just having male friends. I know most my friends felt they same and only changed at uni but thats just my experiance I'm sure others have had it different