Single-Sex or Co-Ed?

This article was written in March 2023 for the Spring 2023 Edition of Education Choices Magazine. 

Single-sex schools are an important component of Britain’s renowned education system, with the prestige of many world-famous institutions attracting students from all over the globe. Today, around 12% of government-funded schools are single-sex, with independent single-sex schools making up just 6% of schools in England. 

 However, there are many who don’t believe that single-sex schools are appropriate in our modern age. With the growing prominence of gender inclusivity efforts, the division of students according to a traditional gender binary model has led some to claim that single-sex education may be a little outdated. Many also feel as though these schools perhaps hark back to a more patriarchal time in our history, in which boys and girls were taught different subjects in separate spaces, potentially lessening the opportunities available for women in the wider world. 

However, it cannot be denied that single-sex schools – girls’ schools in particular – seem to dominate the independent schools league tables for GCSE and A Level performance. Despite girls’ schools making up just 13% of the independent sector, they often fill up to half of the top 30 places in the Sunday Times Independent Schools league tables. 

Putney High School GDST is one such girls’ school. Putney High states: “Girls’ schools are overwhelmingly among the highest academic performing schools in the country, so clearly, they must be doing something right.” They believe that: “Certainly, when it comes to academic achievement, with fewer distractions and an environment where they feel nurtured and supported, girls feel empowered to discover their passions and to excel in whatever they choose.” Helen Carrington, Head of Physics at Putney High School, also speaks up as to the benefits of a single-sex environment on the intake of students in STEM subjects, which are traditionally thought to be male-dominated fields: “We don’t have the problem of getting students to take STEM, or speak up in lessons, or achieve good grades – so we can focus on their enjoyment and enchantment with the subjects themselves.”

Similarly, St Catherine’s School, Bramley praises the benefits of a girls-only environment in terms of physical education and extra-curriculars: “It is widely proven that physical exercise is critical to young people’s physical and emotional wellbeing, and that participation supports academic achievement. Over 70% of girls aged 11 to 18 represent St Catherine’s in a sports team. These statistics bely Women in Sports 2022 analysis of the national picture of 1.3 million girls dropping sport due to fear of being judged and because they lack confidence. Team sports give our girls critical life skills such as discipline, leadership, teamwork and resilience.” These leadership values are particularly emphasised at St Catherine’s and they state: “In a girls’ only school, there is no forced selection of one Head Boy and one Head Girl, one male Science Prefect and one female Science Prefect. All our girls take leadership roles as Prefects or Subject Mentors and deliver them in their way, be that collaboratively, authoritatively or creatively. The young women at St Catherine’s are catalysts for change.” 

Many criticisms of single-sex schools, however, often arise from the idea that students will be socially disadvantaged in terms of their ability to communicate with colleagues of another gender in future workplaces, but many single-sex schools have strong links and partnerships that seek to prevent this. St Paul’s School, London, is one such boys’ school. The High Master, Sally-Anne Huang, explains how they are: “Uniquely placed,” as they “work so closely with St Paul’s Girls’ School and provide ‘the best of both worlds’ – the specialist nature of a single-sex environment, with a thorough programme of both academic and co-curricular activities, where the two schools work together and pupils make friends and meet as equals. It’s an exciting offer for families to see the highest performing boys’ school in the country partnering with the highest performing girls’ school.”

Therefore, many single-sex schools offer some of the same benefits associated with mixed gender ones. Mr. Stuart Turner, Deputy Head of the co-educational Emanuel School, London, believes that students of all genders at Emanuel: “thrive by sharing fresh perspectives with one another.” Emanuel has also established “a number of pupil voice groups in recent years that allow pupils to explore matters of diversity at a variety of levels”, which allows them “to ensure that all pupils feel valued and appreciated at the school.” For instance, ‘The Bridge’ is their gender equality group, whilst ‘The Athena Society’ is an academic discussion and debate group that focuses upon feminist matters. So, gender inclusion is certainly possible in either a single-sex or co-educational environment. Furthermore, Mr. Guy Sanderson, Headmaster of Eltham College, echoes this sentiment: “The world is full of men and women living together and working together in all sorts of roles. As it is the world that young boys and girls will themselves grow into, it seems very natural for school to be a place that helps nurture and inspire young minds, and helps them learn together, collaborate and compete with one another, and laugh and play together with equal access and opportunities to develop their potential as individuals, irrespective of gender.”  

A lot of research has taken place and the results so far seem to suggest that differences in outcomes have less to do with the division of gender and is more a product of the culture of aspiration and support that successful schools develop and instil within their pupils, giving them the confidence to take risks and aim high. When deciding whether to choose single-sex or co-ed for your child, it is best to consider the schools that you have available and visit them well in advance. Every child is different and therefore it is important to consider their personality, interests and the schools that are the best fit for them.