Starting sixth form

[Paradiseseeker]

It's been clear this summer that my dd no longer enjoys her current school. This mainly seems to be due to the other girls in her year and specifically her 'group'. She has distanced herself over the summer and although she has her bff she has totally disengaged from others. She's a great girl, bright, sociable and kind. Part of her issue is that she can't 'fake' it and finds it difficult to cope with the petty and bitchy nature of girls. With just days to go until gcse results and a week before school starts she is seriously considering not returning to her single sex extremely competitive sixth form. She went as far to visit a co-ed out of town school this week. I want to give her the best advice and if I'm honest her academic life will suffer but I want her own happiness always to be her priority. I'm nervous though that if she moves & loses contact with bff and doesn't settle into new group at school then she will be even more disengaged and sad. Any advice?

The only advice I have is from my own DS's experience. He is going into Y13 at a
Co-Ed college and is part of a mixed social group. They are very supportive of each other and I really believe that the mix of male & female friendships as well as different personalities is what makes their group work.

After a tricky few years socially in secondary school, my DS has blossomed. I don't think he would have in a single sex environment (but that is true for him, other personalities are different)

My own and DH experience is coed both my DD chose this particular single sex school due to outstanding academic performance- both regret the choice. It saddens me they don't have the same wonderful and fond memories of 6th form that I had. My eldest endured it as she viewed it as a trade off between enjoyment and top grades, average a level grades are AAA but my youngest dd really wants to enjoy the next two years and imagines wonderful new friendships in a less competitive and judgemental environment. My DS enjoys his less academic co ed but I have to say the expectation at his school and amount of work is far lower than dd school thus a more relaxed atmosphere.

Risks can be good. Fresh starts. Prove that there's always a way to make things better and that you can face challenges and thrive. I'd support her in whichever decision she wants.

I underachieved in school b/c I was miserable socially (bullied at the special school for clever kids). Happiness in Social life always trumps supposed higher academic standards.