Boys only boarding

[peonypower]

My son goes into y6 next year, and we need to think more seriously about secondary schools. He will be a full boarder (military family).

I have a daughter too and she's going to a coed boarding school (2 years older than him). My first instinct was to get them at same school as it makes life easier logistically.

He's decided he wants to apply for a boys school as his best friend is likely going there. He's certainly academically capable enough to get in. But I'm not convinced by single sex education. What are the advantages of it? Some of the other parents at the children's (CO-Ed) prep school think boys do better in a "more competitive" boys only environment. My son is certainly spurred on by competition. But is that true, that boys schools focus more on competition?

Does anyone have a boy who loved the idea of no yucky girls at age 10 and is bitterly regretting it once they turned 14/15? Suspect this could happen

Also, is single sex any kind of preparation for the real world?

My husband and I both coed boarded, so no experience of single sex ourselves

Any thoughts welcome

I went to an all girls school (not boarding) and don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it but I would never ever send my child to a single sex school. In my opinion the shouldn’t even exist. It’s not natural to only speak/interact with your own sex, when in adult life do you do you only do this? I’m a very confident woman but left school extremely shy and nervous around boys and I hated it.

That being said I have no idea about boarding schools so my post is probably irrelevant

@Doyouavocado Your post highlights how subjective it all is! I went to an girls-only day school from 5-18, as did my sisters (no brothers). SS school made me ridiculously confident around everyone, despite the fact that I didn't speak to a boy until I went to university (had no interest in speaking to them, even if I'd created the opportunity for myself). It hasn't affected my relationships since then, though it was definitely good for my education.

@BoardingSchoolMater yes you are probably right, it would be different for each individual. For me personally, I didn’t leave school with a very good education, not because I wasn’t able to-I was just a bit of a brat back then. However if I did go to a mixed school I would have probably had the same outcome as I would have been too interested in boys. I guess it was a lose lose situation for me!