Single-sex schools aren’t a new concept. When my parents were children, they both attended single-sex grammar schools which they loved. My mum used to work as a teacher, and has often sung the praises of single-sex classrooms.
Despite single-sex schools being, well, old-school, they are still a popular choice in the modern world. Parents of children who attend all girls and all boys schools believe their children knuckle down and work harder without members of the opposite sex beside them in the classroom.
Although it’s a bit of a generalisation, some teacher friends who have experience of teaching at both mixed gender and same-sex schools finds a huge difference in work output. One teacher friend believes that it’s because the children are less likely to show off or wind each other up. She said that for some reason, if you mix girls and boys together they start trying to get each other’s attention. When you have a classroom full of girls alone, although there may be some disruptions – they’re few and far between.
A friend who teaches at an independent girls’ school in Hertfordshire noticed the difference straight away. She noted that when her classroom was a ‘girls only’ space, conversation about learning flowed more freely and the girls weren’t afraid to ask questions. Class sizes tend to be smaller in these sort of schools too, which can help give the children a more tailored learning experience.
Single sex schooling is something I would consider. My daughter has always been in a mixed environment, but was very shy in the classroom. If she hadn’t grown out of it, I think it would have been worth our time looking at girls’ school options. After speaking to my teaching friends, it seems that single-sex schools can not only help with confidence issues, but also provide a tailored learning environment.