Single sex versus mixed

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Hardwork786
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Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 8:09 pm

Single sex versus mixed

Post by Hardwork786 »

Just wondering what the results are like between the two schools. Does anyone have experience of one school having better results? Meaning single sex and mixed schools? Especially in comparing St Clemens Danes and the Watford grammar schools?
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by Daogroupie »

You can do this for yourself by simply looking at the results on the website. DG
HJJ
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Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by HJJ »

I think it's more looking at the trends over time between single sex and mixed schools. I'm lead to believe that schools like Chesham and St Clementdanes have recently done better than schools like Watford boys / girls?
PurpleDuck
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Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by PurpleDuck »

DS is in a single sex school - nothing to do with which type of school gest better results, but simply because that's what he was offered. He is very happy at school and I have been happy so far for lack of 'pretty girls distraction factor' but I am now getting to the point of thinking that an opportunity to mix with girls at school would be really good in terms of social skills development. Does anyone have a view on how difficult it may be for DCs to adjust to a mixed environment of a university after seven years of a single sex school?
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
Mgnmum
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Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by Mgnmum »

having been at a single sex school from the age of 5-18 ( including 7 years of boarding) it is what you do outside school and your personality that determines how well you mix with the opposite sex. I had no issues with mixing at university, the majority of my friends were male, with just 1 other girl in my close group of friends, although that expanded to the boys girlfriends over time. My eldest is at WGSG and loves being in a single sex environment for school but out of school 90% of her friends are boys! She does scouts, and a church youth group which has a male predominance in her year. She spent this weekend on a scout trip with 1 other girl, 10 male scouts and 4 male scout leaders so is very used to mixing. To her, boys especially those the same age as her, are very immature and sexist and many want a girlfriend just for the sake of having a girlfriend. She is very relieved at not having to deal with them in the classroom. They are however her friends and spends many an hour on whatsapp, instagram etc communicating with them when not actually seeing them.
I think social mixing is more important than school mixing. I think the only actual evidence is that girls are more like to choose and do better at science in a single sex environment than they do in a mixed environment. Not sure of any other impact that has been proven.
RedVelvet
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Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by RedVelvet »

PurpleDuck wrote:but I am now getting to the point of thinking that an opportunity to mix with girls at school would be really good in terms of social skills development.

All mine will end up in single sex schools, I was really concerned about this. DS1 is now in year 10, trust me it's not a problem, great social skills. Where there's a will...
Ladymuck
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Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by Ladymuck »

If you have the option of both, then it may be more down to your dc's personality and preferences, rather than the underlying results of the school. These schools are all good, and a child will be capable of performing well at any of the them, provided they are happy and motivated. If the cohort is large enough then it should be possible to find a good friendship group in either.

One of my sons was quite unsuited to the testosterone driven environment of the local boys school, even though its results were good and his elder brother was doing well. He thrived when moved to a co-ed environment.
PurpleDuck
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Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by PurpleDuck »

Mgnmum wrote:I think social mixing is more important than school mixing.
Ladymuck wrote:If you have the option of both, then it may be more down to your dc's personality and preferences, rather than the underlying results of the school.
RedVelvet wrote:All mine will end up in single sex schools, I was really concerned about this. DS1 is now in year 10, trust me it's not a problem, great social skills. Where there's a will...
That's a really helpful insight, thank you. We did ask DS before deciding on his school options whether he would prefer a single sex or a mixed school and he said that he didn't mind that much, but if he could choose, he would prefer a boys' school, because that would mean more friends to play football with. We applied to both, but as it happened, it was a boys' school that offered him a place.

DS is happy where he is, doing well grades-wise, but I wish his social group was more diverse. At the moment, pretty much all of his friends are boys (unless there is something I don't know about! :wink: ) and I think only one of them has a sister; in terms of after-school activities he does mainly sports, so again a largely single sex environment. There are some girls where he plays tennis, but from what I can see, girls tend to stay in their own little group and boys do the same.... Should I nudge him gently towards some more clubs/activities that cater for both boys and girls, so that he has more opportunities for social mixing or is it better to leave it and stay out of it all?
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
loobylou
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Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by loobylou »

PurpleDuck wrote:
Mgnmum wrote:I think social mixing is more important than school mixing.
Ladymuck wrote:If you have the option of both, then it may be more down to your dc's personality and preferences, rather than the underlying results of the school.
RedVelvet wrote:All mine will end up in single sex schools, I was really concerned about this. DS1 is now in year 10, trust me it's not a problem, great social skills. Where there's a will...
That's a really helpful insight, thank you. We did ask DS before deciding on his school options whether he would prefer a single sex or a mixed school and he said that he didn't mind that much, but if he could choose, he would prefer a boys' school, because that would mean more friends to play football with. We applied to both, but as it happened, it was a boys' school that offered him a place.

DS is happy where he is, doing well grades-wise, but I wish his social group was more diverse. At the moment, pretty much all of his friends are boys (unless there is something I don't know about! :wink: ) and I think only one of them has a sister; in terms of after-school activities he does mainly sports, so again a largely single sex environment. There are some girls where he plays tennis, but from what I can see, girls tend to stay in their own little group and boys do the same.... Should I nudge him gently towards some more clubs/activities that cater for both boys and girls, so that he has more opportunities for social mixing or is it better to leave it and stay out of it all?
How old is he? Dd is in year 8 in a mixed school. Other than having to sit next to boys in some lessons she has zero interest in talking to any of the boys whom she characterises (probably unfairly!) as "all" immature and silly. However she works with them well enough if she needs to. She has no boys in her friendship group there or at church. (Since her other out of school activities are guides and ballet she also has no boys there). Her friends who have older siblings at the school say that suddenly in year 10 the boys and girls start to get on well as friends and she assumes that's because the boys all suddenly grow up! So I would say that, even if he was in a mixed environment, he might not yet have girls as friends if he is a similar age to my dd?
(Obviously I can only talk for dd and her group of friends. There may be a lot more mixing than that in other groups that I'm unaware of).
PurpleDuck
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Re: Single sex versus mixed

Post by PurpleDuck »

loobylou wrote:How old is he? Dd is in year 8 in a mixed school. Other than having to sit next to boys in some lessons she has zero interest in talking to any of the boys whom she characterises (probably unfairly!) as "all" immature and silly. However she works with them well enough if she needs to. She has no boys in her friendship group there or at church. (Since her other out of school activities are guides and ballet she also has no boys there). Her friends who have older siblings at the school say that suddenly in year 10 the boys and girls start to get on well as friends and she assumes that's because the boys all suddenly grow up! So I would say that, even if he was in a mixed environment, he might not yet have girls as friends if he is a similar age to my dd?
(Obviously I can only talk for dd and her group of friends. There may be a lot more mixing than that in other groups that I'm unaware of).
That's an interesting point, Loobylou, and quite reassuring. DS is a 'young' year 10 and probably still quite silly by most girls' standards. :lol: I'm probably over-analysing the whole thing but I'm sort of torn between wanting him to have a more balanced social circle and worrying about him potentially losing focus at school when he will be doing his GCSEs next year. A bit like wanting to have my cake and eat it. :)
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
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