At AESG we are proud to educate girls and to be a member of the Girls’ School Association. GSA schools are experts in educating girls, and encourage the highest standards of education, pastoral care and co-curricular activity, with a wealth of extra-curricular opportunity in art, music, drama, science, sport and more.
“Rigorous research compellingly proves the power of a girls’ education, built for girls,” says Donna Stevens, CEO of The Girls' School Association. She continues, “The facts are that girls’ schools are crucial to achieving gender equality; they level the playing field for girls and consistently campaign for the benefit of girls and women and always have.” Countless studies show how in mixed settings, it is often boys who absorb the lion’s share of teacher time and attention. At a girls’ school, everything is focussed on the needs of the girls: what motivates them, what inspires them and what helps them thrive.
A school that puts girls’ ambitions at its heart cannot be overstated. The School’s Leadership Team and Governors firmly believe single sex schools have transformative outcomes. Girls in single sex classrooms are more likely to pursue ambitious goals and achieve a disproportionately large share of the top exam grade in the UK.
At AESG, strong female leadership permeates through all corners of the school and girls are eager to put themselves forward for leadership roles including The Head Girls’ Team, House Captains, Academic Mentors, School Council Representatives and Wellbeing Champions to mention a few.
The girls are challenged in all aspects of school life, whether that be in the classroom, on the sports field or whilst learning out of school. In an all-girls' setting girls are more confident, less self-conscious, and less afraid to ‘have a go’ as they are not worried about what other people think of them and less afraid of failure. Girls tend to be more supportive of each other and create a more caring environment.
Detractors insist that all-female settings are unrepresentative of the real world and are ‘overly protective’. I would argue that in an age where stress, anxiety and depression among teenage girls are at an all-time high, same-sex schools can be a safe-haven where girls can grow into their skin, at their own pace and in a secure and supportive environment.
Now, who wouldn’t want a culture such as this?