Reeds Cobham - is the Death of the Boys-Only Independent School is truly upon us..

[AndreaKnowsBest]

Reed’s School in Cobham has just announced (May 2026) that it will welcome girls into Year 7 from September 2027. It’s joining a long and growing list: Abingdon, RGS Guildford, Magdalen College School...

What was once a proud tradition of single-sex boys’ education now feels like it’s on life support. Seems boys’ schools are rushing to “diversify” or “future-proof” themselves by going co-ed.

Financial pressures, falling numbers in some cases, parental demand for sibling continuity, and the broader societal shift away from single-sex models seem to be the drivers. Even schools that were oversubscribed are making the move.

Meanwhile, many girls’ schools continue as single-sex safe spaces, with far less pressure to open to boys. There are still more fully girls-only independents (around 139) than boys-only ones (92), according to ISC data, and the top holdouts like some of the leading girls’ schools show no sign of changing.

Is this the inevitable end for boys-only schools outside the very elite few (Eton, Harrow, Radley etc.)? Or is something lost when we erase these environments that many argue helped boys focus, build confidence in certain subjects, and develop without the social dynamics of mixed classes during formative years?

Reed’s timing feels particularly late, as an example, announcing now for a 2027 start means the change is already upon us with little debate time. Families planning ahead for 11+ might feel blindsided, despite them proclaiming it is a return the their roots - no organisation woukd do this for purely historical reasons, finances and future proofing always pay a role - especially at seemingly short notice...

Would love to hear others’ thoughts, especially parents of boys who valued (or are losing) the single-sex option. I know at RGS who are not happy about the move, but, is co-ed always better, or are we losing something valuable for boys specifically?

I think you’re being a big emotional about this. Private schools are businesses. It’s supply and demand. For the same reason prep school boarding has plummeted. They all offer flexi boarding now, if at all.

Its not really emotional, I just see it as more of a debate. Of course they can do what they want. It's just sad that the state of affairs is slowly eroding the diversity of choice our world revered independent school market once had.

It’s not unusual now for schools to federate and give places more readily to pupils in the preps. Eg Winchester House and Swanbourne are linked to Stowe in their family of schools. It’s not a through school but it’s less jeopardy.

I can’t see any benefit in Hampton swallowing up Halliford.. two very distinctive schools serving very different parts of the market. I hope not anyway!

Watch this space....!

Ooh that’s interesting. Is that why the Halliford head is leaving? I’m looking at Halliford for one of my children so anything else you can share would be appreciated

Cant say much - but defo go ask some questions! Sadly i think it will become the less academic annex of a bigger entitiy in due course!

Its a shame, he was always a great Head and fun to talk to at school events.

Yet it was the single sex boys schools who were mainly implicated by ‘everyone’s invited’.

Single sex schools don’t reflect the reality of life

We’ve been delighted with it. Happy to help if you’d like to PM me.

This!
I would never consider single sex for my son, my daughter is going to an all girls school.

Well just watching the Gareth Southgate documentary & strikes me that an education setting dedicated to supporting boys in the way they learn/ operate, if done well, is most beneficial.

You do appreciate there’s an inbuilt contradiction there…

It’s ok for other peoples daughters to go to school with your son and his friends but not your own.

Indeed - saw it too.

But I think it highlights the fact that parents sometimes prefer having girls around with their boys, as it diversifies the environment and helps boys learn - so studies say....

But for girls, many parents want single sex, as girls learn way better in their own setting, free of boys.

So I think the posters comment is very much "have my cake and eat it" - in this case, contrary to the saying - they actually can!

Growing up in an area where the local comprehensives were single sex I ended up feeling very strongly against girls only secondaries - the results of that school were nowhere near those of the boys school, and it was cliquey and unpleasant for many girls who went there from what I heard. I went to neither in the end as my parents felt the same way about it and found an alternative, so my experience was a co-ed grammar - but I had friends at them. As a parent now myself, I've done more research into it, and academic result stats don't swing it for me - I still think co-ed is preferable, but I do understand those who feel that girls get less 'stereotyped' in girls-only education.

@ElectionEnnuiGirls are less ogled and commented on in a girls school. Girls who want boys around would always say they prefer co Ed. Until they have to put up with some of the boys and their banter. My DDs were pleased to be shot of some of them and were able to be discerning about boys. As indeed they were about girls!

I think this is going to be fascinating re market dynamics. I know more and more people looking at single sex schooling for girls for 11-16 but don’t know any boy parents who were keen on single sex. I’m not convinced some of these boys’ schools going co-ed will be that popular with girls unless they throw money at them.

I would far prefer my son went to mixed sex and my imaginary daughter to single

Agree totally - and they'll have to throw money to attract girls I reckon - which will cause all sorts of issues amongst the parents of boys at newly co-ed schools. In Guildford i have friends of parents at the RGS, going coed next year and they are all over it - watching to make sure there are no incentives and bonuses to attract girls, which they, as loyal customers (or just parents of boys) may not get.

I agree with them on this point too; lots of those same parents of boys, even in the prep school, are saying "why on earth would you send your daughter here for prep, senior, or anything but sixth form, maybe. Its jammed with boys to the rafters and they've never taught boys, they don't even have girls toilets, facilities or spaces, if I had a daughter there's no chance I'd want her to be part of the 'Lynx Africa smelling' (one parent's words, not mine!) experiment - at least until it was well established (chicken and egg!)"

Yes this is the thing. There is no way I’d want my daughter to be one of 50-100 girls in a school of 1000 boys. That to me would be a terrible risk rather than going somewhere genuinely 50:50. I think it is so odd for RGS given how strong the girls’ schools are in the area. Honestly why would anyone take that punt for year 7 at a time when their girls are entering puberty etc?. I think you’d have to be offering 40-50% of fees to make people shift. Reception might be different and I think sixth form different again but I really don’t know why anyone would take the gamble for year 7.

I can't really see any positives to all boys schools. I think it would breed misogyny and would mean young men don't have enough understanding of the opposite sex. That goes for state or private.

So I'm all for there being no all boys schools. Girls on the other hand actually do benefit from single sex environments in many cases.

Go back 20 years and the market was completely different. I don’t think this is just a co-ed = demand thing but about ensuring long term stability after VAT. If you’re single-sex you’re limiting your market. Surrey used to only have a handful of private day senior schools. It was one for every bit of Surrey in effect. Caterham, CLFS, CFC, Kingston Grammar and Reigate all had very distinct markets. The market now is very different, a lot more weekly boarders and day pupils at what were once “public schools”, 20 different co-ed’s fighting for the same students with 30 different bus routes to transport them from god knows where. If you’ve got a bright kid you’re in luck as it is a buyers market. But sadly this is a symptom of a squeezed system where schools are being reduced to businesses whether through necessity or buy outs from PE and foreign investors.

I think this is a very 'now' view. I really think that all girls schools were seen much more negatively than co-ed (and possibly even all boys) schools 30 years ago. How much it's to do with league tables (less of a thing then) or the rise of toxic masculinity as a concern I'm not sure. Personally I'm not at all convinced that all girl environments are that great, either at the time (girls are actually often pretty horrible to each other) or in preparation for real life. I feel the same about all boys too btw and would put all of my children through co-ed. But I do agree that it's a brave parent that puts their daughter into a newly co-ed (just converted from all boy) school though!

As a parent of one of each, dont agree on the girls school side of things, not like that at all these days and my dd has been amazing I single sex. For my ds, co-ed or single sex, doesnt really make much difference.

But where we very much agree - youve got to be nuts to send your dd to a co-ed experiment, even if thats reception! id go single sex or existing, and long standing, co-ed.

Surprises me the rgs felt the need to move in Guildford. Always thought they were doing well. No move to co-ed (including reeds) is done out of some new found philosophy, its done on financial planning and long term sustainability. The writing is on the walls, so to speak.

Just sad, I guess, maybe, that it seems the only schools with principles are the girls only ones, who value their specific offering deeply and dont want to sell out - even if that means getting a little smaller as a result of VAT

As a parent of one of each, dont agree on the girls school side of things, not like that at all these days and my dd has been amazing in single sex. For my ds, co-ed or single sex, doesnt really make much difference.

But where we very much agree - you've got to be nuts to send your dd to a co-ed experiment, even if thats reception! I'd go single sex or existing, and long standing, co-ed.

Surprises me the RGS felt the need to move in Guildford. Always thought they were doing well. No move to co-ed (including Reeds) is done out of some new found philosophical epiphany, its done on financial planning and long term sustainability. The writing is on the walls, so to speak.

Just sad, I guess, maybe, that it seems the only schools with principles are the girls only ones, who value their specific offering deeply and dont want to sell out - even if that means getting a little smaller as a result of VAT