Co-ed v Single-Sex secondary schools

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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BarnetDad
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:51 pm

Co-ed v Single-Sex secondary schools

Post by BarnetDad »

Firstly - Hello everyone. I've read through some amusing threads here, so thanks for those. Hope I can pick up the right vibe around here, please be gentle! ;-)

I've got a daughter (is that a "DD" in 11+speak?) in Year 4, and we're thinking about schools for her (and we have another one 2 years behind). One factor in making the decision is to what degree is co-ed a bad thing or not.

I guess this depends on her attitude to boys/peer pressure etc, but I'm interested in canvassing views on this topic.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

I posted a thread lik this sometime ago and the vast majority thought co-ed to be better. Personally, I think ss for boys is better but not for girls.Yes girls may do slightly better academically but I know of girls who went ss and they were all very niave when it came to boys. Whether we like it or not we do still live in a male-dominated working world so I think it would be more advantagous for girls to grow up and be educated around boys - but that is just my opinion. :)
watmum
Posts: 192
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:32 am
Location: Herts

Post by watmum »

Personally I would say co-ed every time.

I have a boy and a girl, both attend the same mixed school, and do well, with friends from both sexes, they both have a relaxed attitude around the opposite sex.

I have a couple of friends whose DD's attend the local single sex grammar, and they are in year 10, both regretting the decision to go single sex - this could be a girl thing, there is so much bitchiness and un healthy competition at the girls school (with issues such as weight/money/ posessions/boy friends etc) both of the girls want to transfer for their 6th form education to a co -ed school.

All comes down to personal opinion in the end, I guess.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Although not relevant to Barnetdad, I have had my boys in both environments and at ss they felt they could be themselves within the clasroom, especially when it came to putting on accents in french and reading poetry expressively. When girls wre around they chose to participate less as they did not want to look silly in front of them, or actually acted like clowns to try an impress the girls. I think the best of both worlds is to have two affiliated schools where the girls and boys come together to do drama, music, lectures, or even at break-times.
Bexley Mum 2
Posts: 851
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

I think much depends on the individual child. My eldest boy is at a single sex grammar and it is ideal for him. I think he can be more himself (interestingly his English marks have shot up and I wonder if this is because he has no girls to feel self-conscious around). I know there's an argument for saying it would be good for him to mix with girls, but I'm more concered about his education at the moment. Re Tipsy's comment, his school is affiliated with a nearby girls grammar so they do have some joint activities like discos and have a mixed sixth form.

However, my second son is also going there, but I think he would have been much better suited to a co-ed school - he's much more sociable and comfortable around girls. But the school had so much else going for it, at the end of the day, I decided that the single sex issue was secondary.

Having been to a mixed grammar, I think I would probably have been less self-conscious in subjects like english, drama and pe at a single-sex grammar - and probably less distracted!
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Bexley mum - I wonder if single gender may actually be better for your second son too as if he is more sociable and outgoing he may well be having too much fun chatting-up the girls than doing his work! :wink:
Bexley Mum 2
Posts: 851
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

Tipsy - there is that. His teacher told me last week that his favourite passtime at the moment is "winding up" the girls on his table...... :wink:
KB
Posts: 3030
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Post by KB »

Agree that other factors are more important than the single-sex / co-ed issue, although this factors into the ethos of the school, which is an important issue.

My DS went to ss because best school in the area - we made sure he attended out-of-school activties where he socialised with girls. Also has a sister. Girls enter his sixth-form & hasn't had any problem adjusting.

My DD chose not to attend equivalent girls school because of ethos - I think the ss nature contributed to this. She attended male dominated Independent & has learned how to cope with male behaviour. Her strengths are typically male subjects so isn't overshadowed by boys in these lessons.

Maybe in less selective schools where behaviour is more of an issue there is a queston about whether boys are the more disruptive?
guest42
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 12:32 pm

Post by guest42 »

I am the father of a DD at an all-girls prepschool. Is it just me or are girls always so bitchy?

I have selected a co-educational senior school partly because I have not liked how girls relate to one another in an all-girls environment.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

guest42 wrote:I am the father of a DD at an all-girls prepschool. Is it just me or are girls always so bitchy?

I have selected a co-educational senior school partly because I have not liked how girls relate to one another in an all-girls environment.
Guest42 - I am so glad I don't have a daughter because I am really pro single-sex and yet I think girls are very catty and I would have hated single-sex, although my results and behaviour would have been far better :roll: ! I conformed to peer pressure in every way! :oops:
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