Single sex schools

[bewilderedofbearwood]

Hello. Good luck to everyone during the long wait for allocation of school places. I mainly lurk on this forum because I don't want to admit to an ongoing obsession with secondary schools when my DS is only in year 3.

Our nearest GS is Five Ways and DS (who was told about 11+ by other children - I'm not that pushy!) is adamant that it is the only one he would consider as he won't go to an all boys school. Many of his friends are girls and he would miss them! I know it's a way off yet but as both myself and my husband grew up in non grammar areas and went to mixed comps the idea of a single sex school is a little unfamiliar. It seems like there is some evidence to suggest that girls do better in a single sex environment but I haven't read much about the benefit for boys.

Would anyone be able to tell me if there are any mixed sex activities at the local boys grammar schools?
Thanks,
Bewildered

[worldcup14]

Can't really answer you specific question but do understand where you are at. I felt exactly as you did so FW was always first choice and we were lucky. After that it's about priorities. Grammer or mixed. Whats more important. Good luck.

[Petitpois]

One DP wrote

1) Bishop Vesey do a joint Disco with the Sutton Coldfield girls.
2) Camp Hill Boys is on the same site as the Girls
3) FW is mixed
4) Handworth Grammar Boys used to do stuff with the Girls but I don't know if that is still the case.

BTW if your in bearwood and considering a grammar why not HGS it is the same distance.

Not too long now, before you can get your tree from Webb's as well!!

Boys / Girls Vs Mixed arouse strong opinions.

[quasimodo]

For anyone north of Birmingham with notable exceptions(at least one in the famous five) the issue doesn't arise .Despite our preferences for a mixed education in a diverse environment, when the only mixed school is Five Ways, getting to the school in a reasonable commute puts it out of the picture and out of mind.The schools like the single sex KE Camp Hills schools due to distance are not on our horizon.

[bewilderedofbearwood]

Hello Petit Pois, thanks for the info. Yes Handsworth is just as close but no girls there. I do intend to visit them all but it is helpful to get a feel for these things in advance.

Will def be going to Webbs for my tree!

[bewilderedofbearwood]

I agree that everything is down to priorities and we have quite a few to work out. Our local mixed comps are not exactly bowling me over although again I realise I have to visit them before I can make a fair assessment.

We also haven't ruled out moving although this isn't really what we want to do.

[Petitpois]

Yep the local mixed comps are mediocre. Perryfields claims in this years admissions brochure that 75% have reached level 4 maths and english by Year 9.

If your serious about Grammar you should be looking at Level 5 by start of year 6. Although that has now become more difficult because its all been replaced by emerging, exceeding stuff.

It highlights the potential massive gap that opens up from year 7 onwards and how the grammars start to pull away, massively from year 7 onwards (aided by the huge homework schedule that comes with the territory). Last year full year results for Lordswood Boys your nearest boys comp, indicated just 10% getting 5 GCSE's A-C, I think nearly as many ended up NEET (not in education, employment or training).

My personal view - save the money for the move, but plan an effective 11+ campaign now and reap the rewards short term and Long term if you win.

[bewilderedofbearwood]

Well the only small grain of comfort is that apparently as we are in Sandwell LA we can't be allocated a place at Lordswood if we don't put it on the application form. If we don't get any of our 6 choices we will be allocated another school in Sandwell. It only took about 3 e-mail questions to Sandwell council to confirm this.

[Turtlegirl]

KE Aston and KEVIHS do drama productions and some activity days together. But the French exchange for KEVIHS was with Bishop Vesey boys! As far as I know (Year 10 KEVIHS daughter), KEVIHS have no activities with HGS.

QMGS and Bishop Vesey admit girls in the sixth form.

[Midlandsmom]

I would suggest being open minded to it, I was where you are now, very unsure about single sex education especially as my partner and I have never experienced that. We were very much KEFW or local comp. But... Having looked around an all boys school it was a massive eye opener - I had (naïvely, perhaps) never considered the fact that single sex means so much is then prepared and aimed at the boys/girls specific interests - there was a lot about the all boys school that made us really stop and think, in a wow, our son would love this, kind of way. I can actually begin to see how it works so well. I would recommend visiting the single sex schools to see for yourselves and don't totally discount them yet, equally your son may be interested to see - for example our son stood in the QM library just drinking in the books - because he'd never seen a library that catered so totally to his tastes before - we had a hard job dragging him out of there to carry on with the tour (it wasn't even an amazing library, just fully stocked with 'boys' books). If he's only year 3, in year 4/5 why not do a few of the single sex grammar open evenings and see what his thoughts are then?