Positive experiences with all girls schools?

[Toomanydailydecisions]

Anyone have any? I would prefer co-ed but there's a couple of all girls schools i am going to add to my list for my daughter as I was very impressed during the open days and logistically travel is better too, but so many people I am discussing schools with seem so negative about it because it doesn't represent the real world.

Any pros/cons I need to think about?

My view is come A-levels many go co-ed anyhow (Camden, St Marylebone) so it's really only for GCSE years.

That's amazing to hear as I really liked it when visiting. Did she find it easy to settle, make new friends etc?

Of course girls can compete re STEM! But it’s about creating the conditions to maximise their confidence.

If 90% of the physics class is male that might put a girl off choosing that subject.

Girls can be more reticent about answering questions if they are not 100% confident of their answers (see also the data about women not applying for jobs unless they can meet 90% of the requirements, v the male equivalent %).

Data shows girls attending all-girls’ sixth forms are significantly more likely to study mathematics and
science at A-level than their counterparts in co-educational schools.

Data also confirms that girls in single-sex schools consistently outperform their peers in co-educational schools at both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.

Maybe the statistics have a point, but my daughter and I went to a 6th form open day at a well-known all-girls school and the Head's speech was about how girls are usually more into English and less confident than boys in answering questions etc (saying how their school counter-acts this). Both my daughter and I found it actually a very sexist view. From her friend group of girls at different schools, all are taking at least one and many two or more sciences at A-level. My daughter is also aiming for a STEM degree and no, she did not love English like apparently girls usually do 🙄 and much preferred the sciences. The top-performing pupil in Maths and Further Maths at my daughter's mixed school was a girl.

the Head's speech was about how girls are usually more into English and less confident than boys in answering questions etc (saying how their school counter-acts this). Both my daughter and I found it actually a very sexist view.

I think the Head's claim is partly statistical reality and partly stereotype, especially since statistics themselves evolve as attitudes and environments change. There is no need to throw an '-ist' label on it, though.

@XelaMI don’t actually believe the head of any girls school said the comment about English in the way you portray it. Statistically - way more girls take English A level than boys. There’s no disputing that but you then cannot say the girls at the school didn’t do sciences! They are completely different things. Girls can be less confident in sciences when boys hog the limelight.

We are really pleased with how it’s going so far and how well she has settled in. She seemed to make friends very quickly, which was a relief as only one other girl from her primary went there with her. The whole thing has been a lot less stressful than I feared!

My DD went to a girls school and knew no one. Girls can be nice friendly people.

I was at an all girls school. I wanted to go there as at 11 I hated boys as I was quite sensitive and found them overbearing. My parents believed I’d do better in maths and science in a girls school.. I wasn’t great at either!!! But I didn’t think science was a boys subject so that was positive.

it was somewhat limited in it’s curriculum. We only did cookery and needlework….no woodwork/TD/metalwork (sorry for outdated subjects…I’m 60.) However I dare say it’s illegal now not to offer traditional male subjects to girls. So my education suffered to a degree.

I found when I went to 6th form college I found boys alien and didn’t know how to respond despite having 2 older brothers. Tbh it took several years for me to get over that. It didn’t help when I left I was in a job that was about 80% female.

i don’t have kids so can’t offer a perspective from a different generation. It was also a Catholic school. While I can see both the advantages and disadvantages of single sex v co ed if I had kids I know I wouldn’t send them to a faith school unless I lived in an area where the local primaries are all c of e or something meaning I didn’t have a choice.

Would you please link to the research that you've seen that indicates girls do far better holistically in single sex schools? I'd like to know how they measured "holistically".

@Spidey66 The technology curriculum is indeed much broader and sciences are enjoyed by many girls. I’m older than you and I can assure you that, at a co Ed grammar, the girls did cookery and needlework. At my DDs girls school, they did neither.

I always wonder about the stats saying girls schools out perform mixed schools. I’m not doubting it but in the three counties I’ve lived in, the only girls schools were private or grammar so already have the more intelligent kids in them. I wonder if the stats take account of this or compare to comprehensive schools which doesn’t seem right. I’d be interested to know

14 year old dad is at a girls grammar. She is having the best time, doing all sorts of clubs. She has a lovely group of friends who are as yet not all that interested in boys, more interested in socialising together. And there is evidence that girls flourish better at school without being overwhelmed by the boys’ behaviour. It’s lovely to have a space for girls to develop like this. And it is easy for the girls to choose a co ed sixth form if that is what they want later

This is a good point. Henrietta Barnet is probably one of the best performing schools in the country, but it's more competitive to get into HBS than to Oxbridge from what I understand, so obviously it will already have the absolute cream of top-performing girls.

Yeah, I’m not convinced there are enough single sex comprehensive schools to make a fair comparison for stats purposes. So do these girls do better because they’re at a girls school or because they’re already more intelligent having passed an entrance exam? Happy to be open minded on this point but I’ve never understood how there are enough single sex comps out there to show this properly. There could also be other issues like cultural ones, or other demographics to be considered. We all know stats can be more complex that first sight. That’s not to say girls don’t do better at single sex schools but is it is simply down to there being no boys? I think there may be a lot more to it

Furthermore, in the most of the UK, single sex vs coed education is a parental choice. Studies which indicate that girls attending single sex schools are more likely to study STEM at A Levels and university are weakened if either of the following are true:

1. Parents who want their girls to study STEM topics are more likely to try to send them to single sex schools or
2. Parents whose girls exhibit an interest in STEM topics in late primary are more likely to try to send them to single sex schools

You can compare like for like - via sats.

I’m really thinking of GCSEs though , isn’t that the benchmark for who does best, school against school?

And it has to be further complicated by large amounts of the population, particularly in rural and coastal areas, having no access to state single sex education at all.

It simply isn't available to us. There is one (private) all girls' school about 30 mins away and an all girls selective state grammar more like 45 mins away (where catchment is relevant).

So any comparisons are already based on limited data.

Grammar school entrants will have passed an exam to get in; private school pupils often don't need an exam to get in, and in fact many pupils are placed by parents in private schools because they have some special educational need that might be catered for in a private setting.

Yes I guess there are schools like this but it’s fair to say that most single sex private schools have an entrance exam? At least all the ones I know

useful to know….its more likely a generational thing then.

I’ve just looked it up, apparently in the uk 70-80% of private secondary schools have an entrance exam

I wouldn't say that was representative of independent schools - in the current market a lot of parents are paying for selective and academically advantageous education. Many private schools trade on their percentage of top grades, high level sport, music, drama and ability to provide a calm, motivating learning environment.

While some fee paying schools are non selective or set up to accommodate more complex special needs, they are rarely without gatekeeping for those who struggle with academic achievement, participation or behaviour. Friends who have had children with additional needs in private schools have been made to pay even more for any additional support required too. So they are very socially and financially selective at very least.

The majority of single sex private schools have an entrance exam. Mine are at an academically selective single sex private school.

My DD went to a mixed school but really wanted to go to single sex for sixth form. Though she said it was better once they had sets for GCSEs she said the boys needed 80% of the teachers attention for one reason or another. She didn’t like dealing with their disruptive behaviour and has just revealed to me that one if the first things boys do once they hit puberty is to taunt girls with sexual noises! Gross. She said she wanted to go to school to learn, and boys sometimes got in the way of that.
She didn’t love her sixth form, nor make any long lasting friends, but she did earn three A*s.