Girls school or mixed education

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EJ43
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 10:46 pm

Girls school or mixed education

Post by EJ43 »

Is single sex education a good or bad thing?
Undecided as to which school to go for should my daughter pass
Have a choice between Simon Langton Girls or Barton Court
Anyone have any opinions on either school?
Thank you
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by Tinkers »

I think it is very dependent on the individual child.

I would have hated a girls' school, but DD loves it and it is absolutely right for her. If she was more like I was as a child, it would be absolutely wrong for her.

There are loads of generalised pros and cons for both.
Locally at least girls general are more likely to do science A levels at a girls' school. One local mixed one bucks the trend, but apparently they have tried teaching the girls separately for GCSE science.
However the real world has both genders in it, and it might affect them socially if they at a single sex school.

You have to consider what's best for your own child.
booellesmum
Posts: 611
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:44 am

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by booellesmum »

Totally agree. I disliked my single sex education, and DH disliked his. We were adamant we would send our kids to a mixed school. DD1 decided wanted to go to GS - the same one I went to. She is now in year 10 and loving it. DD2 has
also just started there - time will tell if she regrets it!!! We let them make their own informed decision, and the fact we both disliked it did not sway them!
Good luck with the decision.
PurpleDog
Posts: 223
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 1:21 pm

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by PurpleDog »

I went to an all girls school and loved my school days but still didn't want my daughters to go to single sex schools.
However, we looked at TGS and were convinced it was the right choice.
I think the evidence shows that girls do better in single sex schools especially in science subjects.
The great thing about TGS and lots of other single sex schools is that they have mixed sixth forms so the best of both worlds I think!
neveragainmum
Posts: 97
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:30 pm

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by neveragainmum »

Hi I too have often deliberated over this question.

I attended an all girls school and thoroughly enjoyed it without the hangups of having boys around, which may have distracted me. However on leaving school I was painfully shy of boys never really having mixed with them much socially and I felt it took me years to acclimate myself with males. This may have been exasperated by the fact there were not many males in my family.

Nowadays I still feel single sex could benefit many children, and I have asked my son what would he prefer, he has told me all boys because they do boy things ie no silly dance for PE etc.. Also I feel single sex caters for the sexes in a way that embraces the differences, both academically and emotionally. However if I had to go one step further I also believe that girls excel more among girls for many different reasons, but perhaps boys less, and the impact on having girls around is not so important, but also beneficial for them. So in a nut shell, if I had a daughter unless she specifically stated otherwise, I would prefer to educate her among girls, and with boys feel this is less of an issue, but again maybe of value. The lack of boys around for girls would have to be addressed outside of the home to help being able to socialise with the opposite sex. I have many friends with daughters that feel as I do, and friends with boys who also feel that its not so important. Interesting really and I guess it boils down to what you feel is best for your child.
Tolstoy
Posts: 2755
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by Tolstoy »

Okay different view point to other posters who have possibly different experiences.


I was in the last year of a single sex school and I always said I would not send my DC to one. Due to a failing school Comprehensive option as opposed to single sex Grammar option I was 'forced' to send DSs to single sex. Yes they didn't have the issue of having to watch DGs get away with stuff they couldn't but for one it was a disaster. I do have some regrets that they left that school and continued in a mixed environment but socially and educationally I am happier with the result.

We are now faced with a choice ( depending on results) of a single sex or co-ed grammar for another DC and haven't really looked at the single sex grammar despite it's outstanding results. (Possibly, if the open evening hadn't clashed with other things and they had been more flexible about daytime visits, I'd have popped along for a nosy around to see what all the fuss was about) DC also adamant he wishes to go co-ed, probably influenced by us. Right from the off I insisted DC had mixed parties. I think it is unhealthy to have a them and us attitude towards the opposite sex. OH also a product of single sex education not interested in pursuing the single sex grammar option.
Reading Mum
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Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:44 am
Location: Reading

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by Reading Mum »

PurpleDog wrote:The great thing about TGS and lots of other single sex schools is that they have mixed sixth forms so the best of both worlds I think!
I went to a girls GS which had a joint 6th form with the local boys GS. I did a lot better in my O levels than my A levels!
That being said - it was a stupid setup with the 6th form on a separate site with the teachers all popping in for their lessons and then disappearing again. There must have been an adult onsite at all times but I have no idea who or where. We used to have to beg a PE teacher to come across on a Friday morning as everyone doing Phys/Chem/Maths had the entire morning free and we weren't allowed to get the badminton stuff out without supervision!
I chose single sex primary and secondary for my DD - she will pick the boy interaction up outside of school.
loobylou
Posts: 2032
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by loobylou »

So variable isn't it? I had this conversation with my best friend last week as we both attended the same girls' grammar school.

I didn't hate my education nor did I love it. I was bullied but I think I probably was in a situation where any school would have been the same if I'm honest.

I didn't even consider for one minute sending my dd to a single-sex school. It honestly didn't cross my radar despite the fact that we are relatively close to HBS. I think that that was partly because she is very close in age to my ds so we just sort of assumed they would go to school together (and I think they would hate to be at different schools) and partly because I just couldn't imagine her in an all-girls' environment. She's very very happy in her mixed school.

BF's daughters go to an all-girls' school. One of them (year 7) is very happy, lots of friends and doing very well. The other (year 9) is not happy and would much rather be with boys. However she said that, if she had tried to predict who would enjoy the all-girls environment more when she sent them there (both year 5) she would have expected the older one to thrive and the younger one to be unhappy.

In summary - I think it depends on the child!
loobylou
Posts: 2032
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by loobylou »

Oh and just to add - so far (year 8) there is definitely no stigma attached to being good at science/maths etc in a mixed environment. They all seem to be very competitive but not unhealthily so and there were definitely more girls than boys receiving prizes (for achievement) at the end of year 7.
Tolstoy
Posts: 2755
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Re: Girls school or mixed education

Post by Tolstoy »

loobylou wrote:So variable isn't it? I had this conversation with my best friend last week as we both attended the same girls' grammar school.
I didn't even consider for one minute sending my dd to a single-sex school. It honestly didn't cross my radar despite the fact that we are relatively close to HBS. I think that that was partly because she is very close in age to my ds so we just sort of assumed they would go to school together

In summary - I think it depends on the child!
Very important point to factor in siblings. Circumstances, age being one of them, have led to us trying to juggle two or three different schools at once. Be prepared to miss performances, sports days, parents evenings, fund raising events you actually want to attend or go solo if that is possible. It is physically impossible to be in two places at once and there will be clashes. :roll:
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