Why Are Girls Schools Better for Girls?

The aim of an excellent school is to support and assist pupils to realise their full potential and to equip them for success and fulfilment in later life. Girls’ schools [and specifically the Girls Day School Trust (GDST)] are founded on the principle that these aims are best achieved by educating girls separately.

So, why are girls schools better for girls? Girls schools are better for girls as they encourage girls to break away from gendered stereotypes to become their own person, whilst also giving girls the space to develop their confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of self, as well as to make informed and unconstrained choices about interests, subjects, and careers. What’s more, all-girls schools tend to adapt their educational environment to suit the needs and requirements of girls to encourage high achievement.

Read on to learn more about the benefits of girls attending girls schools over co-educational schools.

Are Girls Schools Better for Girls?

Dr Kevin Stannard, Director of Education at the GDST has undertaken some important research, drawn from studies across the world, that shows definitively that girls only schools are better for girls.  There are a great number of reasons in his research ‘Why (and how) girls thrive in girls-only schools‘ to support why girls schools help girls to feel more empowered and more confident than co-education schools. Many of these reasons centre around the idea that an all-girls school creates an environment that is tailored towards the unique needs and preferences of girls.  

David King, Deputy Head (Pastoral) at Croydon High School says “At Croydon High School we want our girls’ education to be reflected in our whole school ecosystem, from how we teach in the classroom, to the curricular and co-curricular offer, teaching and learning approaches, and in our whole-school culture, allowing girls to develop personal and interpersonal skills, and their sense of self, all of which allows them to flourish.”

There is strong evidence and also extensive data (including from our own GDST Girls’ Futures Report which looks at the hopes and challenges facing all girls across the UK) to support the view that girls-only education leads to higher academic achievement, greater diversity of subject choice, stronger self-confidence and resilience, and enhanced career progression.

As Dr Kevin Stannard’s research ‘Why (and how) girls thrive in girls-only schools‘  states: “There is a common misapprehension that educating the sexes separately reflects a historical hangover from a period when boys and girls were destined for different occupations and roles; and that, by extension, co-ed settings reflect a more equal and more modern society… but the contemporary case for girls-only education is founded on the desire to offer every opportunity to girls by fashioning an environment that encourages development and realisation of their potential as individuals, by tailoring education to girls’ learning needs and preferences; and by offering activities and academic opportunities free of constraints imposed by gender-stereotyping. For GDST schools, excellence in education means all of these things.”

David King explains: “Single-sex  schools provide a safe space for girls as they experience the most important years in their development. Surrounded by their peers, they are presented with many opportunities to develop their personal and professional skills alongside confidence and mental strength. At Croydon High School, we are very fortunate to be part of the GDST, a network of 25 girls’ schools which means that not only can we offer a tailored education that elevates girls but we are also supported by the opportunities that the GDST can offer our girls.”

From the Student’s Perspective:

From the perspective of students, benefits of attending a girls school like Croydon High School include:

• Greater variety of opportunities, free from gender stereotypes
• Less distraction
• Positive self-image and enhanced self-esteem
• Strong sense of community
• “Every girl, every day” ensures that girls’ experiences are considered during each and every lesson or activity

The benefits to Croydon High School pupils of being part of the Girls Day School Trust include:

• Network wide academic and co-curricular competitions
• Conferences and trips
• Tailored guidance and career support
• Access to an extensive network of professional women
• Confidence in their futures

From the Perspective of Staff:

Meanwhile, from the perspective of the staff, drawing from statistically based evidence in the GDST ‘Why (and how) girls thrive in girls-only schools’ research and the Girls Futures research, the key benefits of girls-only education are that:

• It typically leads to higher academic achievement, greater diversity of subject choice.
• Girls are less likely to conform to a priori gender stereotypes 
• Girls are less constrained in a choice of subject impacted by gender stereotyping as may be the case in co-educational schools
• Girls show a greater propensity to take risks and innovate, 
• Girls perform better in examinations, 
• Girls have more opportunities to show leadership
• Girls are more successful in the job market and experience enhanced career progression

In essence, it is the tailored environment offered by girls schools that ensures the needs and preferences of girls are met in order to have a positive impact on both their school experiences and on their future. Research shows that girls tend to respond differently in various educational settings to boys, therefore an educational environment tailored to the needs of girls is a paramount benefit.

Benefits of Girls Schools for Girls

We’ve already highlighted some of the key benefits of girls schools for girls; learn more about these benefits, below.

Higher Academic Achievement and Tailored Support

It is thought that girls and boys require different educational environments to succeed. Girls tend to prefer cooperative, discursive learning environments; they adapt better to coursework tasks and collaborative, project-based activities. David King says “At Croydon High School, we tailor our learning environment to suit, but we do not indulge gender stereotypes which seek to impose limits on our students. We simply respect that girls generally respond differently in educational settings to boys.”

Greater Diversity of Subject Choice

In co-educational schools, gender stereotypes and expectations often have an impact on what subjects girls choose. Stereotypically, girls don’t choose science subjects or go on to achieve success in maths, IT or technology, and they stereotypically don’t like cricket or rugby. However, at Croydon High School, girls reject gender stereotypes in all areas of subject choice, sports and career paths, and are given the space to feel empowered to choose STEM subjects or play typically ‘male sports’, for example. 

Stronger Self-Confidence and Resilience

Girls schools benefit girls personally as well as academically. David King says, “Here at Croydon High School, for example, we give our girls space to develop a strong sense of themselves, their value and worth, and develop their confidence to make their own choices devoid of gender stereotypes and expectations.” All-girls schools allow students to break free of the mould and write their own script.

We know from the Girls’ Futures research that two thirds of girls give up physical activity by age 9 and that also by age 9 girls’ abilities in maths will be underestimated when compared to boys. Kevin Stannard, Director of Education at the GDST says, “This stereotype threat starts early, and we need to build a reservoir of resilience at Junior School level.” 

In the Girls’ Futures research we saw that “girls’ confidence declines between the ages of 14-18 and that a third of girls choose not to take part in certain activities because of their gender. GDST girls, however, were much less likely to experience this fall in confidence supporting previous research which has found that single-sex environments produce girls who are confident to pursue their interests unhindered by stereotypes and gender-based expectations. Over the course of their school careers, their confidence falls slightly but maps much more closely to the trajectory of boys’ confidence than the national sample of girls.” 

A Level Playing Field

Research suggests that in co-educational environments, girls often adapt their behaviour to their disadvantage, for example, girls often adopt a more supporting or moderating role during discussions, succumb to gender stereotypes when choosing subjects or career paths, and become more reticent about risk-taking in inquiry. What’s more, gender stereotyping, expectations and self-image are thought to affect girls’ behaviours, attitudes, choices and opinions in co-educational environments.

However, in a girls-only environment, girls are offered a level playing field where their needs and preferences are prioritised, and where they don’t need to, even subconsciously, negatively adapt their behaviour. 

Shape Your Daughter’s Future at Croydon High School

At Croydon High School, we adopt the Every Girl, Every Day mantra, meaning that we aim to ensure that each student has the best learning experience every day, tailored specifically to the requirements and preferences of young girls. We understand and respect that each girl is unique and, whatever their goals and ambitions for the future, they have the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. To find out more about the many advantages of girls only education,  specifically at Croydon High School, book a tour today.
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