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Single sex schoolsand ‘pupil innocence’Single sex schools allow pupils to keep their innocence for longer, accordingto Tony Little, headmaster of Eton. His comments, reported in the Telegraph,sparked a volley of opinions on everything from sex education to eatingdisorders, which only served to show that while the great British public maybe living in the twenty first century, they’re still all too ready to wheel outthe stereotypes, says Alun Jones....First we had Tony Little brandedunhelpfully as a Victorian relic.Then we had the eye-poppingheadline in Radhika Sanghani’sopinion piece ‘Sex, porn andmythical genitalia: Girls at singlesexschools aren’t that innocent’,followed by Telegraph columnistAllison Pearson claiming that girls’schools are ‘febrile and bitchy’.The truth, as they say, is out theresomewhere. As Allison Pearsonwas careful to acknowledge, “thereis no cap on female aspiration,nor any no-go subjects for girlsworried about being thoughtunfeminine” in a girls’ school. Inthat respect, the academic andconfidence-inspiring benefitsof single sex schools almost gowithout saying, though I won’tmiss this opportunity to reiteratesome of them.Do I think that single sex schoolsallow children to retain theirinnocence for longer? I thinkthat very much depends on whatwe mean by innocence. But Ido agree with Tony Little whenhe says that single sex schoolsenable children to “be themselves”.Whether this alleviates the needfor what he calls “pretty graphic”sex education at a young age is amoot point.Schools can do wonderful things,and single sex schools certainlyminimise gender stereotypedpressures on pupils when it comesto subject choice and personalconfidence. But no school –single sex, co-ed, day or boarding– exists in a vacuum. Pubescentgirls and boys are going to talkabout sex, find out about sex,and some of them are going toexperiment and even have sex,whatever kind of school theyattend. Schools can mitigate itbut they can’t prevent it, and theschools that are mindful of thisare the ones, I would suggest,that are most likely to deliver themost pertinent sex education.What single sex schools mostcertainly can do is to enablethe kind of ‘being yourself’ thatcomes from choosing to studyphysics because you like it andthere are no boys in the classto bring out the kind of genderstereotyped thinking – in pupilsor teachers – that whispers inyour ear, however subconsciously,this is for boys or I’ll let the boysanswer that one. The same is true,of course, for boys who choose tostudy English Literature.There are always exceptions tothe rule and the gap betweensingle sex and co-ed schools isless in the independent sectorthan it is in the state sector. Onesignificant study, Closing Doors * ,undertaken by the Institute ofPhysics, found both state-fundedand independent co-educationalschools that were achieving, orat least approaching, genderparity among students takingsix subjects with traditionallybig gender disparities at A-level.However, the proportions wererelatively low, i.e. 3.9 per cent ofstate-funded and 22.5 per centof independent co-educational*Institute of Physics, Closing Doors: Exploring Gender and Subject Choice in Schools, December 2013schools. The study observedthat the fact that so many coeducationalschools can be ator below average on ‘gendered’subject choices indicates thatsingle-sex schools are lesslikely to exacerbate genderimbalances. Furthermore, itconcluded: “Single sex schoolsare significantly better than coeducationalschools at counteringthe gender imbalances inprogression to these six subjects.”Do pupils at single sex schoolsneed sex education? Yes, ofcourse, and I would argue thatbeing able to discuss sex ingirls-only or boys-only groupscan be hugely beneficial. Aregirls in girls’ schools “febrileand bitchy” or subject to eatingdisorders? No more than girlsin any other kind of school. Idon’t know of any research thatpoints to single sex schools beingmore likely to engender either ofthese conditions, in either girlsor boys, and to suggest that theydo, based on nothing more thanpersonal experience of one schoolis ridiculous.Single sex schools head theleague tables year after year anddominate the group of top schoolsfor sending students to RussellGroup and Oxbridge universities.They continue to provide a hugeelement of choice for parents andstudents and I have no doubtthat means we will still be readingthe same old for and againstarguments for years to come.Alun Jones is President of the Girls’Schools Association which representsthe heads of UK independentgirls’ schools, is a member of theIndependent Schools Council and hasa worldwide associate membership.He is Head of St Gabriel’s School,Berkshire.Sea King visitsthe AldenhamFoundationA Sea King search and rescuehelicopter made a flying visit toAldenham School, Hertfordshire,and landed on the playingfields in front of an appreciativeaudience of St Hilda’s andAldenham Prep pupils. Thewindswept children cheered whenthe helicopter hovered noisily infront of them as it lowered itselfinto position.The helicopter was flown fromCuldrose in Cornwall by itssquadron of five Royal Navalofficers, especially to raiseawareness and to share theofficers’ personal experiencesof life as a search and rescuepilot and crew. Culdrose is justone of two Royal Navy basesof its kind in the country, andtogether with its partner base inScotland, saves hundreds of livesevery year as they roam largestretches of the British coastline.Their rescue missions often takeplace at night-time in pitch blackdarkness amidst violent weatherconditions. The officers take itin turn to be on call twenty-fourhours a day, seven days a week.The children were invited toexplore the helicopter in smallclass groups and quizzed theofficers enthusiastically. Thepupils, aged between fourand eleven, were struck by thetechnology of the cockpit, withone remarking that they were:“So clever to memorise all thosebuttons. I thought there wouldbe one big red button that said‘go’!” One pupil giggled as shealmost fell backwards trying onan officer’s heavy helmet. Butone thing they all unanimouslyagreed upon was that it was an‘opportunity of a lifetime’ andthat the officers were ‘very brave’.Pictured: Mr James Fowler (Headmaster ofAldenham School); Miss Sarah Styles (Headof St Hilda’s Prep School for Girls); Mrs VickyGocher (Head of Aldenham Prep School)Gillian Bowser will leave hercurrent position of Headteacher ata Community Primary School atthe end of this academic year totake over at the helm of the KingHenry VIII Preparatory School, WestMidlands.She will replace Nicholas Lovell.Mrs Bowser is from Coventry andwas a pupil at Hollyfast PrimarySchool and Coundon Court Schoolbefore graduating and qualifyingas a teacher from the University ofWarwick in 1995.Her teaching career began atCourthouse Green Primary School,followed by Pearl Hyde PrimarySchool.Whilst undertaking her Headshipqualification, she was a leadingteacher for numeracy with CoventryLocal Education Authority.She went on to be part of theleadership team that helped tobring Moseley Primary School outof special measures.The foundations for taking onher first headship at Alderman’sGreen in 2008 were cemented atWalsgrave CE Primary School whereshe spent three years as DeputyHeadteacher.Mrs Bowser is the first woman tobe appointed Headteacher withinthe Coventry School Foundation,and her appointment followson from Julia McNaney recentlybecoming the first female Chairof Governors of Coventry SchoolFoundation.Pictured: Left to right, Gillian Bowser and Julia McNaney at King Henry VIII Preparatory School.The Governorsof LordWandsworthCollege,Hampshire, haveannounced theappointment ofAdam Williams as Headmaster fromJanuary 2016.Adam is currently Senior DeputyHead at The Glasgow Academy.He has been running the Seniorschool for the past three years witha specific focus on pastoral care,the pupil voice and deepeninga boarding ethos within a dayschool.Adam was schooled at MilbourneLodge and Bradfield College; hegraduated from Durham UniversityNick Gregory hasbeen named asthe new Head ofWycliffe College,Gloucestershire.Nick waseducated atIpswich School and the Universityof Nottingham where he studiedFrench and Spanish.After eight years’ managementexperience with Barclays, Nickchose to move to a teaching career.He taught modern languageswith a degree in Geography andin his spare time he representedthe cricket and golf sides, winningnational honours. Adam hasworked at a range of boarding andday schools; he has been Headof Geography at both BradfieldCollege and Oakham School, beforebecoming a housemaster for nineyears at the latter. He is a keensportsman and singer and holds acoaching qualification in cricket,as well as having been an officer inthe CCF.Adam is also a family man; his wifeKaren grew up in Hampshire andis a consultant histopathologist.They will be joined by their threechildren; Alex (8), Charlie (6) andSophie (3).at Barnard Castle School andMerchant Taylor’s Northwoodbefore becoming a boardinghousemaster at Old SwinfordHospital.Nick is currently Deputy Head(Pastoral) at Mill Hill School. Hetherefore has a strong boarding andacademic profile. He is also a keensportsman. He is married to Helenand they have three sons. He willreplace current head Margie BurnetWard, who is retiring. He will takeup his post in September.New head atyour school?Please let us have a brief biog and image forinclusion in a future issue. There is no charge.We’ll add them to our complimentary-copymailing list too.WoodhouseGrove School,Yorkshire, haveannounced theappointmentof former pupilJames Lockwood as Headmasterfrom January 2016.James attended Hoyle CourtPrimary School and LadderbanksMiddle School (now closed) both inBaildon, before joining WoodhouseGrove aged 13 in 1986. He wenton to be Head prefect and RugbyCaptain at the school beforeleaving for University in 1992.Having completed an Honoursdegree at Manchester, he went onto gain an MA with distinctionin Education Management at theUniversity of Surrey.His teaching career began at ExeterSchool in 1996. He then spentten years at St John’s School,Leatherhead, where he was aHousemaster of a boys’ boardinghouse, Master i/c Rugby and,latterly, a member of the school’ssenior management team, withspecific responsibility for theco-curricular life of the school.Following this he moved to beDeputy Head at the Royal HospitalSchool (near Ipswich) and waspromoted to Headmaster in 2012.Felsted School, Essex, has announced that Mr ChrisTownsend has been appointed the new Headmaster as of1st September 2015.Chris, the current Deputy Headmaster at Felsted is aClassics graduate from Brasenose College, Oxford, wherehe was an Exhibitioner and won three Cricket Blues.Chris began his teaching career at Dean Close, where he was at schoolhimself, and following a three year post as Housemaster, he moved toStowe, where he was a Housemaster and Head of Boarding. In 2010 Chrismoved to Felsted as Deputy Head.HeadmistressMrs AlisonTurner hasleft her postas head ofExeter JuniorSchool, and is off to begin the nextstage of her life and career in NewYork CityHeadmaster Mr Bob Griffin said MrsTurner’s approach was characterisedfrom the outset by her kindness,her interest in, and respect for, allmembers of the community andher wish to educate her pupils inthe widest sense, instilling in themfundamental Christian values andimbuing them with her tremendoussense of fun.As an ordained Church of Englandpriest, Mrs Turner immediatelyestablished strong links for theschool with Exeter Cathedral, ledworship in the Junior School andpresided alongside the Chaplain atmany Founders’ Days.Deputy Head of Exeter School,Mr Paul Šljivic, will be taking overas interim Head of Exeter JuniorSchool for the Summer term. Heis pictured with Mrs Turner andpupils.He is very much looking forwardto getting to know Junior Schoolpupils and families better in hisnew role until the arrival of MrsSue Marks in September.18 Independent Schools MagazineIndependent Schools Magazine 19