Single Sex / Mixed Schools
There is much evidence citing the benefits of single sexed schools, so the choice of mixed or single sexed is worth investigating.
- Some studies have shown that girls can get better results if they are educated in a single sexed environment.
- Girls’ schools are often more popular with parents as a single sexed option than boys’ schools. It is often the case therefore that girls’ schools in an area have a better reputation than boys’ schools.
- Some parents send their children to mixed schools partly because they want to educate them in socialising with the opposite sex.
- Some argue that mixed schools have a healthier dynamic in the classroom than single sexed schools. For example, a mixed classroom can bring to a subject a greater variety of learning styles and opinions than a single sex equivalent.
- Some parents send their child to single sexed schools because they do not want them to be distracted by the opposite sex. In my experience, this is often a mistake. Because they have reduced access to them, students in single sex schools can often become more fixated with the opposite sex.
- Single sexed schools usually attract more teachers of the same sex as the students.
- Some schools which are officially mixed often end up with more of one gender than the other. This often happens if there is a preponderance of girls’ or boys’ schools among their neighbours. This is potentially a cause for concern and needs investigating. For example, a school might not necessarily be right for your daughter if in Year 7 most classes have 75% boys.
- Some mixed schools teach some of their subjects in single sexed groups to respond to perceived different learning styles of girls and boys.
Further Information
Open Evening/Visit
Ask about gender ratios in the school. Ask the student showing you round about the distractions or otherwise of the opposite sex at their school.
Ask if any subjects are taught in single sexed groups, and why.
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