Single-sex schools 'punch above their weight in league tables'

Attending a single-sex school can be beneficial for students, it has been suggested.

Dr Helen Wright, president of the Girls' Schools Association (GSA), pointed out that single-sex schools top league tables, despite the fact that the majority of UK schools are co-educational.

"This does not mean that children in co-ed schools cannot match the examination performance of those in single sex schools – of course they can, and do. But what it does mean is that single sex schools punch well above their weight when it comes to public examination results, and this pedigree matters to parents – and young people," she commented.

The GSA is the professional association representing the heads of the country's leading independent girls' schools.

Speaking recently, Kimble Earl, editor of the Independent Schools Magazine, said there is a theory that young children should be taught together and teenagers should be taught in single-sex environments.
 

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