Arguments for mixed education

Some parents prefer their children to be educated in a mixed environment, one that includes both boys and girls. Co-education has both advantages and disadvantages for children and adolescents; here are some of the benefits:

• It reflects the wider world, so may help some children to feel comfortable socially in other environments, including the world of work and their future profession.
• A mixed-gender environment can help children to see things from others’ points of view and better accept difference.

Benefits of single gender schools

Research shows that in the battle of coeducation vs single gender education, for many young people, single sex schooling comes out on top. That’s because of a number of different factors that enable single gender schools to get better results.

• Boys and girls tend to have different learning styles, so a one-size-fits-all approach in a co-ed school won’t always produce the best educational outcomes for all pupils. One of the advantages of single sex schools is that teaching a single gender group allows teachers to better tailor their approach to boys’ and girls’ individual educational needs.
• Single sex schools allow children to maximise their potential in any field, free from the pressure to conform to gender stereotypes by sticking to more traditionally ‘male’ or ‘female’ subjects. For instance, boys can more easily pursue interests, such as music and poetry.
• At a time in life when young people are beginning to discover the opposite sex, single sex schools provide a distraction-free environment for pupils where they can concentrate fully on their studies. After more than a year of uncertainty and disruption with schools having to close, it’s more important than ever for children to have as few distractions as possible to fully focus on their studies and make up for valuable lost education time. 
• The proof is in the pudding: single sex schools produce better exam results.

Why choose single education for your son?

If you’re still swinging between the two, you might like to consider some of the reasons why boys in particular can benefit from a single-sex school environment.

• In mixed schools, girls are outperforming boys academically. That’s a big issue, but boys’ schools are better placed to enable boys to learn in a style that suits them. They can tailor their teaching to play to boys’ strengths by emphasising movement, visual learning and lots of action.
• Competition within single gender schools tends to lead to a general acceptance amongst peers that it is ‘cool’ to work hard and excel when it comes to academic, musical, sporting and dramatic achievements. In contrast, competition within a mixed environment can sometimes knock the confidence and motivation of children who are extroverted and those who aren’t as out-going as others.
• Boys benefit hugely from the male role models that they encounter in male-only environments. With more male teachers and older boys to look up to than in a mixed-sex school, boys naturally strive to emulate their mentors.
• All-male boarding schools offer a supportive and friendly community of individuals where your son will feel at home, with pastoral care tailored to young males.

Whether you are leaning towards co-education or a single gender school for your son, come and visit us at Aldwickbury and discover our happy and successful school. We are a boys’ school offering exceptional opportunities for boys from 4-13.

Searching for a new school for your son to start at in 2022? Get in touch with us today and sign up for our October 2021 Open Day to help you get a true feel for what Aldwickbury is all about.