Academic facts & figures

It is important to remember that academic success is only one aspect of your daughter’s education and she should be valued for all her abilities, both in and out of the classroom. Whatever your daughter’s academic potential you will want to give her the best opportunity to shine. Government exam results give statistical reassurance of the sound academic philosophy of girls’ schools. Here are some facts about academic success in girls’ schools.

• At A level, girls in independent girls’ schools achieve on average nearly 8% more grade As across all subjects than girls in independent co-ed schools.
• At GCSE, girls in independent girls’ schools achieve on average nearly 13% more grade As and A*s in all subjects than girls in independent co-ed schools.
• In maths and sciences the average differential is over 8 % at A level.
• It is not only at the top grades that girls’ schools excel – girls’ schools add value across all abilities

Recent research on GCSE performance at independent schools from the Curriculum, Evaluation and Management (CEM) Centre at Durham University confirms that “Almost without exception, when ability variation is taken into account …. the average performance of pupils of both genders in single-sex schools is better than the average performance of their counterparts in mixed schools by a significant margin.”

What factors will help your daughter to reach her academic potential in a girls’ school?

• Expectation of success– If your daughter is happy and fulfilled at school she will tend to achieve in all aspects of school life. There is a link in girls’ schools between achievement in sport, music, and other extra-curricular activities and academic success. There is no shame in working hard in girls’ schools and there is an expectation of success. Your daughter will grow and develop in a culture which is supportive and celebrates achievement at all levels.
• Girl-centred teaching strategies Girl Centred – because teachers in girls’ schools know how girls learn they can enable your daughter to learn in the most appropriate and effective ways.
• Subject choice – Your daughter is more likely to reach her academic potential if she can study the subjects that she is passionate about. Girls’ schools aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum but she will have greater freedom to pursue her own interests when subjects don’t acquire masculine or feminine connotations.

Misconceptions about why girls’ schools enjoy academic success:

1.Girls’ schools achieve high academic results because they are more selective than co-ed schools…?

Fact: i)There are as many leading independent co-ed schools that are equally if not more selective than independent girls’ schools. Many of the former boys’ public schools that have become co-ed are highly selective and offer financial inducements to attract high performing girls to join them.

Fact ii) Many girls’ schools accept a broad range of abilities, focussing on enabling every girls to achieve her individual potential

2.Girls’ schools are ‘hothouses’ where girls are groomed to achieve academic results at the expense of a more rounded education…?

Fact i): In girls’ schools there is a link between involvement in extracurricular activities such as sport, music, drama and voluntary work and their academic success. Girls reach their academic potential because there is an expectation of achievement across the whole of school life.

Fact ii) “If you want something done ask a busy woman” applies in a girls’ school as it does in life! The more your daughter takes on new responsibilities, tries new activities, enjoys and succeeds the more she will grow in confidence and will flourish.