Achievements in Science

Many of you will be looking at co-educational schools as well as single-sex schools. You may be wondering about the advantages of sending your daughter to a girls' school. There is now a huge amount of evidence based on research findings that show conclusively that girls achieve better examination results in girls' schools. Examination results from the DfES show that girls in Girls' Association schools achieve better results than girls and boys in either boys only schools or in co-educational schools, whether independent or state schools. In the BBC Education 2005 A Level League Tables, 16 of the 25 top ranked schools were girls only schools, 11 of which were independent.

The Girls' Schools Association has compiled statistics analysing the 2005 A Level results. The difference in the percentage of A grades achieved by students in GSA member schools as against female students in other schools is remarkable: Biological Sciences - 47.7% A Grades in GSA schools, 40.1% in other independent schools, 19.3% in maintained schools and, respectively: Chemistry: 51.6%, 44.2% and 25.4%; Maths: 70.3%, 61.6%, 35.6%; English: 53.6%, 37.7%, 17.6%; History: 52.6%, 43.0%, 20.1%.

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Exam success

Examination results are important but not the only criteria on which to judge success.  Students at girls' only schools benefit in many other ways:

• Equal opportunities

  Self-confidence is the key to turning skills and knowledge into success.  At a girls' school, students can learn and grow because they are free to express their thoughts and opinions without fear of put down or dismissal. In a co-educational school boys often dominate the interaction with the teacher by their normal boisterous behaviour and the girls sit back and let them. They can become passive and uncompetitive.

• In a girls' school the interaction is different: girls are more co-operative in their approach and they do not have to fight for the teachers' attentions. The girls are not passive, they contribute fully to the lessons, reinforcing a "can do" philosophy.

• Single-sex education is more than merely separating girls and boys. Boys and girls mature at different rates and learn in different ways. Girls' schools capitalise on all that we know about the ways girls learn. As a result, success in the traditionally male subjects is taken as the norm and at Manchester High we have large numbers of girls who excel in the traditional male subjects of maths, physics and technology.

• Media stereotypes of women are challenged on a daily basis.   And the girls are presented with very positive female role models.

• In a school such as Manchester High School for Girls, learning takes centre stage and girls are valued for their brains and hearts and not just for their looks.

• As girls get older and develop their natural interest in boys, there are no distractions as their social life is reserved for the time they have outside the classroom. 

• Leadership

  In a girls' school the pupils work collaboratively with one another but at Manchester High they are also encouraged through our extra-curricular activities programme, in particular sport, to be competitive and to develop their leadership skills.

• Girls' schools celebrate the female perspective and way of doing things. They are places where girls are accustomed to being heard and being valued for who they are, irrespective of what they look like or what they wear. The girls' school environment affirms and encourages young women in their capacities as confident individuals, leaders and agents of social change.