Nottingham Boys High School going co-ed

[NickL]

The headmaster has, just this morning, announced that, after 502 years, the High School will be enrolling girls from September 2015.

Would you send your girls there rather than across the street to the NGHS?

They announced it to the parents on Wednesday via email and the boys broke up for easter at Thursday lunch time so they wouldn't have had a great deal of time.

Ah, ds was off sick. Thank you

Having read the school information - which arrived woefully late after a full Twitter, text and PR campaign - it looks as though they need another 200 children to fund the future of the school. The school should remember it is addressing largely well-educated parents who can read between the lines.

I notice that Mr Fear still refers to himself as the Headmaster and that the Head of the Governors is cheerfully male Chairman. In this new co-ed world I do hope they address the patriachal, masculine language that abounds the place. Girls and their parents expect equality across the board for their money.

Also, did anyone else see the Headmaster's blog from 16 July 2011 which is now missing from the school website but is live and well on The Nottingham Evening Post website?

I'm relaxed about the school going co-ed, as is my son. It did make me wonder more though about reverting to state at A levels. There are excellent sixth forms across Notts and NHS has just wiped out its USP.

Lastly, who contributed to the surveys the school mentions in its literature as forming the basis for part of this decision? Not aware that any of the existing parents were invited to do so and yet the school is being changed as a result.

OP - I have a daughter at NGHS and I won't be moving her unless she requests to sit the entrance exam and try for a place. NHS has a 10 year plan to go co-ed and I can't see the point of her being a guinea pig at the boys' school. I'd urge any parent thinking of sending a girl there to go and see it in operation - it is a boys' school through and through at the moment. It will take more than a few new classrooms and facilities to change that. It's the ethos of the place. I'm going to have a look around The Becket as an alternative for 6th Form with my children as that's selective, co-ed and free.

I didn't know anything about this until the email on Wednesday so know nothing of the survey. I'm not convinced it's a financial decision due to the time frames involved. Surely if it was just financial they would rush into things?

I know what you mean about it being a 'boy's school through and through', kindatheart. I think a lot of the boys need to learn how to be respectful towards girls. I wasn't overly impressed to see a sticker of a practically naked woman on one of the boy's locker's!

It does feel as though they are rushing in to things, if they weren't they might have consulted more with parents. The 54 girls who may be offered a place at the infant school next year are a quick 325k approx in the bank, fingers crossed.

The whole place needs an overhaul if it is to be truly co-ed to its core and that doesn't bode particularly well for the handful of girls they may select to go into Y8,9 and 10 in Sept 2016. If I had a girl about to start school I might consider it alongside NGHS but not now for an older one.

P.S. The Head has posted a response to his own blog of 2011 and it makes good reading. I trust him to make the right decision for the school, it's the way it has been handled that is somewhat irksome.

Is that for this September?

It's sooo close to NGHS. I know they are both run by different people but surely parents with both boys and girls wouldn't mind taking their girls around the corner?

I haven't seen the blog post (yet).

The girls are from 2015 so the school needs to run one more year on just boys,

The girls'chool is just next door.

I'll send you a PM.

I'd like to know where exactly they are going to put them?

Lovell House can't take many more, they already have to run two plays at christmas since the hall is so small. The dining room can't take more. The junior school is bursting at the seams.

I'm annoyed that after years of being told "boys learn best in a single sex environment and we tailor our curriculum to appeal to boys." its now completely the reverse.

One of the parents at the gates on Wednesday compared it to 1984 newspeak which made me chuckle.

Interesting that they said class sizes won't increase. I don't buy that for a minute since we were told junior school class sizes wouldn't go above 24 and they already have.

They sent out a booklet saying they had space for 200, so were under occupied or whatever it's called. Why would they be going over the maximum class size if they have spaces?

Because until they go significantly over it means they have to have additional teachers teaching smaller groups of children.

They are already over the numbers they committed to in some junior school classes.

Is there some sort of parent's meeting being held? I'm not against girls attending but I did sign up for a boy's school so it seems unfair of them to change the goal posts with no consultation. The last letter I received from the school was about the head's appraisal.

I think parents will be invited in after 12 May. I will be going although it feels like a done deal to me.

I think so, kindatheart. Thank you.

I'm with littleredsquirrel in that the junior school feels full. Wouldn't want to be a girl on Taster Day in 2015 in the concrete playground!

Lord, no.

I think a lot of parents who really want a single sex education for their child will move them. There's always Derby Grammar school, it does take girls in the 6th form though.

Would seem something is going wrong from junior school through into senior school. If both Lovell House & Junior are bursting at the seams it would appear there is no shortage of parents wanting to place their sons at the school. So why on earth can they not fill the spaces at senior level? Would appear to me increasing the size of the junior school & bringing more numbers through that route would be a viable option. He's going to have stiff competition against NGHS. NGHS certainly knows about girls, I feel it's going to be a very different sort of girl that will want to attend NHS to the ones that currently attend NGHS

The senior school seem to have lost a fair few boys over the years for poor behaviour one thing or another. The fees are a lot higher too so it's a lot of pressure for the parents. There's no bursaries or help available other than for those entering year 7 and the 6th form, so if the worst happens then you're stuffed really. I'm sure all of this plays a part in the numbers.

Those first few parents who send their girls will be quite brave. The ratios won't sort themselves out for years so there will be far more boys than girls.

I guess as Junior parents we don't yet see the issues further up the school?

I've met a lot of parents with girls at NGHS who are thinking of sending their girls to NHS - or at least sitting the exam. It's a moot point though that NHS is looking only for the brightest and those don't necessarily go to NGHS. Unless NHS is actually only looking for those who can afford to sit the entrance exam and then pay the fees?

Interesting.
We were considering NGHS (verses loughborough) for dd1 in September 2017. (Year 7 entry)

However, having grown up attending a similar school set up elsewhere, I'd now be wary.
In our case, girls school consistently outperforms boys school, boys school admits girls on staggered basis, results improve, over the course of 5 years co-ed school goes from strength to strength, girls school numbers dwindled and eventually schools combine.
Sad as I feel strongly about a single sex secondary education for my DDs. Will be keeping an eye over the next few years.