Why choose a single-sex education?
In summary
- Girls have the confidence and freedom to be themselves.
- Girls are likely to study subjects they enjoy and at which they excel; there are no gender stereotypes to influence them.
- We can focus only on girls: we don't need to worry about the boys
- We achieve outstanding academic results: the national league tables are evidence of this.
- We provide a challenging and supportive environment designed for girls where they are free to take risks and master new skills.
Research into single-sex education for girls
Extensive research shows that a single-sex education offers significant benefits and is very effective for girls, allowing them to excel in all areas of the curriculum. It is our belief that our all girls’ environment helps to create a sympathetic but challenging learning environment.
In girls’ schools across the country it has long been acknowledged that building confidence and self-esteem in girls is key to their success in the classroom, particularly with regard to the uptake of science and maths. The number of our girls pursuing STEM subjects at university continues to be high, and is in stark contrast with the figures released by EDF Energy in 2015, which showed a quarter of girls in Scotland aged between 11 and 16 do not think they are clever enough to become a scientist.
According to the Independent School Council’s Head of Research, Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, girls at Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) schools achieve a disproportionately large share of the top grades in sciences, maths and languages and are propping up these key subjects nationally. Girls at GSA schools are 75% more likely to take maths, 70% more likely to take chemistry and two and a half times as likely to take physics at examination level.
Useful links to relevant websites:
GSA - Where Girls do Better
