What are all-girls schools really like?

Why some families

choose all-girls schools

A look at why Leicester girls opt for single-sex education at this ‘one of a kind’ school

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

Fifty-five languages are spoken at Sir Jonathan North College on the outskirts of the city centre. The school’s catchment area has recently grown, naturally rather than intentionally, creating a culturally diverse environment ‘where girls learn without limits’. It would seem girls and their caregivers are seeking out all-girls schools and are willing to look further afield if they have to. We took a closer look at Leicester’s only non-fee paying, multi-faith, all-girls school to find out more about the appeal of single-sex education.

Sir Jonathan North teaches students aged 11 to 16 and forms part of Leicestershire’s Lionheart Academies Trust in which students benefit from a central curriculum developed by subject specialists. The school has increasingly welcomed girls from further across the city and county while remaining a strong local choice, a key point Principal Rose Angus is keen to stress.

“The catchment area has organically grown beyond its core traditional local area because of the very reason that Sir Jonathan North is the only multi-faith all-girls state school in Leicestershire. We’ve found that parents are choosing to travel beyond their local school choices to attend Sir Jonathan North,” Principal Angus suggested.

“As a ‘one of a kind’ school in Leicester, Sir Jonathan North has attracted girls from across the county, making for a diverse community for our more immediately local students to benefit from, too. Some parents and students choose our school because it’s their preferred local choice, some because our exam results are high and we are recognised as outstanding, and some because they are specifically seeking a same-sex education.”

But why does a single-sex education appeal to local girls?

Preparing students for the real world

Single-sex education has been feared to deny students real-world experience; after all, boys are part of the world too. But at an age when girls and boys are delicately developing their self-esteem, values, and personalities, could one affect the other?

Same-sex school environments allow girls to feel confident, according to Girls’ School Association. They are more likely to raise their hand in class and try out different sports. The organisation says stereotyped gender expectations are minimised when boys are not present.

In all-girls schools: “There is no such thing as a girl’s subject or a boy’s subject and girls are free to follow their inclinations with little of the pressure they might otherwise feel,” claims Girls’ School Association.

The Institute of Physics supported this idea, reporting that students who attended an all-girls school were significantly more likely to study physics to A-level than girls in co-educational schools. Research has also found that girls participate more in sport when they’re in a singlesex environment (‘The Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: a Metaanalysis’ by Biddle, Braithwaite & Pearson).

At Sir Jonathan North specifically, Principal Angus says students’ educations are enriched. “Our now wider

catchment has added a rich cultural diversity to the school’s population, giving each girl the broad experience that some parents may fear is lost in a single-sex school. And all faiths and cultures are celebrated, meaning the school is truly reflective of Leicester’s wonderful diversity.”

While some may say co-ed schools allow girls and boys to relate to one another, education expert Robert Kennedy wrote for ThoughtCo. that in single-sex schools: “There are no boys to impress, no boys to compete for between other girls. They don’t have to worry about being called tomboys. Their peers understand what’s happening. Everybody feels comfortable being themselves.”

Parents also want the hard facts about a school before choosing their daughter’s education. A SchoolDash report, based on Department for Education data, showed that girls at single-sex state schools gained significantly better GCSE results than those at mixed schools.

Data from Sir Jonathan North’s last set of exams taken in 2019 puts them in the top 20% of schools nationally. The Progress 8 benchmark measures progress made in eight subject areas. The average score for all schools is 0. Sir Jonathan North has been above average for the last four years, and in 2019 achieved a score of 0.34. And of course, it’s great news to see the school graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, as well as receiving the World Class Quality Mark in 2019.

But it’s not just about the numbers, Sir Jonathan North has facilities including a huge indoor tennis centre and a trampolining centre. Principal Angus explained the school’s values: “We develop the whole child, ensuring that we not only teach and motivate each person to be the very best that they can be academically, but we pay equal importance to holistic development and the personal characteristics that are needed in today’s society.

“Every girl at Sir Jonathan North has the opportunity to become a leader, whether that be as a student councillor, Literacy, Numeracy or Sports Leader, or captain of a team. This helps our students to develop confidence, learn how to inspire others, shoulder responsibility and consider risks, which are all great skills that are needed beyond their education. These characteristics support academic success too.

“The real world includes people from all different backgrounds. It’s important the next generation is able to communicate effectively with people with different personalities, faiths, ideals, and experiences.”

You can register for the next open day at sirjonathannorth.org.uk. Scan the QR code to get a feel for life at Sir Jonathan North

There is no such thing as a girl’s subject or a boy’s subject and girls are free to follow their inclinations with little of the pressure they might otherwise feel