Is a boy school or a mixed school better for a boy?

[Deb70]

I can't speak highly enough of AGS. My son is a typical boy, likes the usual boy stuff. He loves it. Also, there is quite a lot of interaction with AHS (the girls' grammar) which is right next door.

[nottbird]

I can't speak highly enough of AGS. My son is a typical boy, likes the usual boy stuff. He loves it. Also, there is quite a lot of interaction with AHS (the girls' grammar) which is right next door.

so do you know if there's many boys who are not typical boys in AGS? I wonder if my son will enjoy AGS if he has a chance...

[Guest55]

I can't speak highly enough of AGS. My son is a typical boy, likes the usual boy stuff. He loves it. Also, there is quite a lot of interaction with AHS (the girls' grammar) which is right next door.

It's not really 'next door' it's across a busy road .....

[anotherdad]

I can't speak highly enough of AGS. My son is a typical boy, likes the usual boy stuff. He loves it. Also, there is quite a lot of interaction with AHS (the girls' grammar) which is right next door.

so do you know if there's many boys who are not typical boys in AGS? I wonder if my son will enjoy AGS if he has a chance...

I think you need to dispel this idea of a "typical boy". He doesn't exist. We all say things like "typical boy!" when boys say or do something but only as a figure of speech. I went to AGS many years ago and I simply don't recognise this concept of a "typical boy". I doubt that has changed.

I'm sure AGS has 180 different boys in each year, I just don't see there being a stereotype. My daughter went to AHS and found the same. There were no "typical girls" there, either. Apart from anything else, you don't know who he might have as classmates if he qualifies and gets a place there.

I think the more pertinent question to ask, given you know your son better than any of us, is: I've now visited school x, can I see my son happy there?

[piggys]

Indeed. OP I think it's you who are perpetuating stereotypes here.

[Amber]

I think you need to dispel this idea of a "typical boy". He doesn't exist. We all say things like "typical boy!" when boys say or do something but only as a figure of speech. I went to AGS many years ago and I simply don't recognise this concept of a "typical boy". I doubt that has changed.

I have two wonderful and entirely different boys. Neither is 'typical' of anything other than themselves, just as I do not count myself as a 'typical' woman nor my daughter as a 'typical' girl. My sons went to a school which is all-boys till Y12 when it admits girls. I adore that school - apart from the fact it doesn't admit girls till Y12. Did it put me off it? No, because all the other aspects are so incredibly good. Choose the school and lose your fixation with gender right now is my advice!

[doodles]

Choose the school that offers your son the most and not only in academic terms. Take into account clubs, activities, trips, how far the journey is, there's all sorts of thing outside the of the classroom that make up the "school experience".

In fact both of my DS have been educated in all boys schools from the age of 4 and it's hasn't been a problem. In the 6th form their GS collaborates with the girls GS over the road and they both have a good mixed group of friends.

[loobylou]

I'm another who doesn't think "typical" boys exist. My ds is emotionally intelligent and mature for his age, enjoys the Xbox, loves sports, acts like a bit of an idiot when he's with his friends... I don't know how that compares with your ds.
He goes to a mixed school which suits him well. I didn't consider sending him to a boys' school u but there aren't any around us other than QEB. He definitely found the girls a benefit in year 7 when he found a lot of the other boys to be silly and immature; I think he's less bothered now.
If you're really uncertain then I'd let your ds decide where he prefers.

[lea2124]

every boy is different but no less of a boy but I do know what you mean. Our DS is not sporty at all (yet) quite geeky and a gentle giant!!!! We decided on AGS as our first choice. We also have a daughter and felt sending our son to a boy's only school would have no impact to his education and infact we think he'll be quite thankful to be away from girls for a while!!! His sister can be pretty demanding at times (they love each other so much and he's such a fab big brother). We honestly thought we would send them both to Sir Henry Floyd grammar school but after seeing the schools we decided the AGS was a much better fit for our son. I still think the Floyd will be better for our daughter though. It was the choice of subjects they could study at AGS that swayed it for our DS. He loves Classical studies and really wants to learn Latin!!!! We couldn't argue with his decision and as a plus AGS is walkable the Floyd is not.
I would always try and choose the school closest to us if I'm honest (unless it's really bad of course).

[RedPanda]

acts like a bit of an idiot when he's with his friends.

Sounds like a typical boy loobylou

A better way to look at this may be to decide if the differences between co-ed and single-sex schools are what you want and are prepared to deal with OP. The big one being the development of social skills and specifically the ability to mix naturally with girls. It may mean encouraging out of school clubs that cater for both genders.

There is an argument (and some data to back it up, I think) that single-sex schools get better results because there are less distractions. I'd guess it isn't a huge difference.

You definitely need to visit both though and take your son's thoughts into account. Obviously, my opinion.