No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Guest55
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No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by Guest55 »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/20 ... ures-show/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"The number of pupils studying at private girls schools is decreasing as parents see no reason to 'segregate their children', new figures show."

"This year showed the total number of pupils at girls' schools is 79,973, a 0.8 per cent drop from 80,578 in 2015, the ISC census showed.

There was also a decline of 0.2 per cent from 2014 to 2015, while between 2013 and 2014 there was a 0.5 drop."
PurpleDuck
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by PurpleDuck »

I wonder whether there has been a similar analysis regarding boys-only schools. Our local private boys schools don't seem to suffer from a lack of candidates; in fact, HT of one of the schools I visited mentioned a possibility of a slightly increased intake. Either it's just local demographics, or boys' parents are generally less worried about the potential downsides of single sex education than parents of girls. It would be interesting to know if there is a difference in attitudes.
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Daogroupie
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by Daogroupie »

Very interesting. I hear many more parents wanting their girls to be "protected" from boys. The science argument is always wheeled out about how boys stop girls from answering questions in science. DG
PettswoodFiona
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by PettswoodFiona »

Bromley High (a private GDST school) just added an extra year for their Sept 2016 Y7 due to exceptional demand and those sitting for Newstead all girls grammar (appreciate not private but mentioning for the general single sex point) is at its highest for years so seems some schools are bucking the trend! Some schools however I see have been reclassified as no longer being technically girls schools as they take boys in the sixth form (and vice verse for the boys schools) so I wonder if some of the data is skewed by more of a data issue than real life?????
11+pass
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by 11+pass »

Below is the response one of the head's of an independent girls school:


I cannot let the comments about girls’ schools made by Richard Cairns, the Headmaster of Brighton College, pass without some comment. I think the case for schools such as ours was most clearly and ably expressed by Caroline Jordan, the new President of the Girls’ School Association who wrote: “Whilst Mr Cairns may find it unpalatable, the truth is that girls’ schools feature heavily at the top of the league tables for independent schools and have done for decades. It may also have escaped his attention that all girls’ schools provide plenty of appropriate opportunities for interaction with boys; in fact, it is rather old-fashioned to assume anything other. Finally, it is not just the ‘brightest’ who do better at STEM in girls’ schools - a recent and extensive survey by the Institute of Physics found that girls in independent girls’ schools are 1.5 times more likely to study A Level physics than girls in independent co-ed schools. It is time for Mr Cairns to cease his rather tiresome attacks on independent schools colleagues – the sector benefits from diversity and choice and I am sure he would agree with that.”
Guest55
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by Guest55 »

She would say that wouldn't she!

Even Ofsted thinks mixed education is better ... the schools are only top of the League tables because they are so selective - there is no measure of 'value added'.
11+pass
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by 11+pass »

Of course she would Guest55.
Catseye
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by Catseye »

g55 why pick on private schools surely the same applies to single gender state schools ?
I know the article you quote is from ISC.

I now regret sending my DD to an all girl state school rather than my sons co-ed private school.

“Parents don't just want good grades for their children. They want them to be fully equipped for all life's challenges.”

I think this is very true.
11+pass
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by 11+pass »

One of our local boys GS is taking girls in their sixth form from September 2016. Their reasoning is that they would want their boys to start getting used to a co-ed working environment before they go to university.
silverysea
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Re: No. of girls at single gender Private schools is falling

Post by silverysea »

I did an analysis for my own use, not perfect, of grades and numbers of girls taking physics in various 6th forms in the past year or 2. I chose physics because dd was possibly interested in it and it seemed the most boy heavy basic facilitating science subject.

It seemed clear that the proportion of girls, out of all girls, choosing to take physics was higher in all girls schools. There were also better grades achieved by more girls in all-girls schools, though that is hard to compare properly in the several mixed schools with physics cohorts containing with hardly any girls. Why is that not addressed effectively?

Anecdotally, with one daughter in a mixed and the other in all girls, my dd and her female best friend are the only two who compete with boys for top marks in physics. They have been relentlessly put down and ostracised by other girls for years in part for beings so "masculine", to the point that they no longer care but also don't go to events like school parties and proms, due to the female company they would have to keep. Otherwise boys completely dominate in the lessons. Obviously that is not an issue for the all-girls dd, and her conversation is entirely about trying her best and others doing the same, give and take trying to help each other, and jokes and laughs, maybe some ribbing but not the same level of nastiness by a long stretch, they have had during the day. And she is my anxious one!

Just my two pence worth.
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