Kings Wimbledon my go co-ed in sixth form

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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surreymum
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

Kings Wimbledon my go co-ed in sixth form

Post by surreymum »

Thought people might be interested in this

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news ... ing_girls/
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

I read this last week and was quite surprised. There is still a market for single-sex (especially in London) and its just going to make it tougher for those parents who want single-sex to get into a smaller pool of schools. The vast majority of all boys schools left in London and the South East are some of the most expensive now, and its a shame that you will only be able to get into a boys school if you're academically brilliant and can afford it! :(
guest42
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 12:32 pm

Post by guest42 »

Well having sent my DD to a boys school that went co-ed after 148 years the whole changeover has been a complete and absolute non-issue.

There are clearly many people who have a vested interest in maintaining the current singlesex system (GSA etc with dubious statistics).

My view is that there are still not enough co-ed independent schools-(particularly at the top end) for those who want them.

So there :lol:
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Guest 42 - I don't know where you live but virtually all boys schools have gone co-ed including the very top e.g. Stowe, Rugby, Worth, Marlborough. Granted very few girls schools have but I think people should have a choice and to have only 5 all boys full boarding schools left in the country is pretty rubbish as girls have choice over single-sex or co-ed but most boys only have the co-ed choice.
Thea
Posts: 250
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 4:01 pm
Location: Richmond

Post by Thea »

This is a shame. I fuly anticipate that when my sons ( now 10 & 8) get to 6th form there will be no choice. they meet plenty of girls OUTSIDE school, but we had hoped that whilst in lessons tey coul concentrate wihout distraction. I went to a school that was girls only until 16 and then co-ed and it WAS a distraction!
Best Regards,
Thea
Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Post by Snowdrops »

One possibility we're looking at is Leeds Grammar School which has an interesting set up.

The school was single sex but has very recently become co-ed by joining forces with a girls school.

To quote from their website:

Between the ages of 11 and 16, boys and girls are taught separately for their academic studies, although pastoral groups, assemblies, relaxation and most extra-curricular activities remain wholly co-educational

This enables us to adapt our teaching styles and subject content to the particular needs of boys and girls during adolescence, the period of life when gender differences in attitudes to work, and approaches to learning, are most pronounced. At the same time, it enables pupils to mix freely in all other activities.


Seems a very sensible compromise to me!!
Thea
Posts: 250
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 4:01 pm
Location: Richmond

Post by Thea »

Yes - the Leeds model sounds ideal!
Best Regards,
Thea
guest42
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 12:32 pm

Post by guest42 »

OK This is my experience of my DD going to an independent school that has just gone co-ed.

Of course there are concerns about individual learning styles but that is a general issue rather than just relating to gender. The way they deal with this is teaching in classes of 12. Small classes are far more important to me than the mix of boys and girls.

The school going co-ed seems to mean that everyone wants to stay in school for extra-curriculum activities rather than doing stuff outside, as one of the key motivations for outside activity is gone. I see that as a positive thing as it as it builds up the strength of the school. In other words there isn't the distraction of the opposite sex outside school which can be just as distracting (Here I am talking about pupils from the single sex grammar schools spending their evenings hanging around outside pubs from the age of 14 to hook up with the boys/girls)

Honestly any decent independent school will NOT let co-education have an adverse impact on academic performance.

No it's not like the all-girls prep school she went to. There is none of the bitchiness that blighted her time there and hopefully she will come out at the other end a much more-rounded individual who can deal withe realworld than if she had stayed with the GSA school.
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