Melanie Sanderson is the managing editor of The Good Schools Guide. She has prolifically reviewed prep, grammar, state and independent day and boarding schools since 2013 and helped countless families choose the right school for their children as an educational consultant. In our new regular education column ‘Advice from The Good Schools Guide’, she answers your pressing questions on schooling. 

What are the pros and cons of single sex and co-educational schools? 

As it is universally accepted that boys and girls develop at different rates and have different interests and motivations, one of the most common questions parents ask us is whether a curriculum and teaching style devised specifically for one sex is more likely to produce better results than a system which caters to both sexes. 

Advocates of single sex girls’ education talk about a nurturing, less boisterous environment; there’s evidence of more girls choosing subjects such as science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in girls’ schools, and participating for longer in sports, when compared to those at co-ed schools. Our reviews of Dr Challoner’s High School, Wycombe Abbey and St Albans High School for Girls certainly bear this out. 

In contrast, the general perception is that boys do better in mixed sex settings. Indeed, in recent decades a steady trickle of boys’ schools, state and private, have become co-ed. There are now only three all-boys full boarding schools left in the country. 

But academic outcomes are just one factor when deciding what is better for your child. It is important to consider the whole picture, from the child’s hobbies and preferences when it comes to socialising, to family dynamics – is there a mix of sexes within the family unit?  

Some claim that single sex education in the 21st century is no longer fit for purpose because the real world is populated by both sexes. In an increasingly complex world when it comes to gender, the idea of a wholly single sex environment becomes even more challenging. 

My advice is to focus on finding a great school that suits your child, whether it’s single sex or co-educational.  Ask yourself, is the school well run, with strong pastoral care and inspirational teaching? If you get that right everything else will follow. 

How do I know whether a school is the right fit for my child? 

Choosing the right school for your child is a process of elimination. It is vital you research and see several schools so that you have a point of comparison and can confirm or counter instincts you have about each one.  

When picking schools to apply to, think about what motivates your child. Make an honest list of everything you want for your child, however frivolous or peripheral it may seem. Do you want a school that seeks full-on family involvement. Is religion important? What about state-of-the-art facilities? Would your child thrive in a narrowly academic setting, or would a more relaxed, creative outlook suit them more? Remember, a not-very-academic child will be much happier in the top half of a non-selective school than bumping along at the bottom of a league table topper whilst a not-very-sporty child could hate a school where the only high-fives you get in the playground are if you’ve been selected for the 1st XI or won the school another shining sporting trophy.  

Be realistic about your family logistics too. Does the school need to be within walking distance or is the school run route notoriously traffic heavy? Do you need a longer school day, after school provision or even boarding? 

Once you have your shortlist and are visiting schools, here are some things to consider: 

• Your gut reaction – the atmosphere should be tangible and excite you. If the school doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right. 
• The head – is he/she impressive? You don’t have to like him/her, but it helps; the head really does make or break a school; their values will become your child’s north star. 
• Staff – is there a member of staff at the school who is on the same wavelength as you? There must be someone you can turn to and feel in tune with. 
• The pupils – do you see your child sitting amongst them? 
• The bigger picture – it’s easy to judge a school exclusively by the bottom end because your child is young but look at the end product too. What might your child be like as a teenager, and which career path might they follow. What’s the best way to prepare for that? 

How much importance should I give school league tables? 

Newspaper league tables can be misleading as they focus on results achieved in public exams without any context. Admissions criteria, for example, can skew league table positions; clearly the more selective the school, the higher pupils’ exam grades are likely to be. They also rarely give subject breakdowns making it hard for parents to compare schools on an equal footing – some may offer a purely academic curriculum, others more creative subjects such as photography or textiles. 

A good place to get a clear idea of the quality of teaching in state schools is the gov.uk website which publishes Progress 8 scores. This is a measure of the academic progress that pupils make from the end of key stage 2 to the end of key stage 4 based on eight qualifications. Schools’ results are measured against the local authority and the UK average, giving a more accurate picture of the quality of teaching. Private schools should track value added data too and, if asked, clearly measure and demonstrate the progress made by pupils between the end of primary or prep school and GCSE. 

Ultimately, though, no amount of data will tell you whether a school is right for your child. Our advice is to look at several different resources: inspection reports and exam data play a role, but there’s nothing like visiting a school open event (or better still on a normal working day). The Good Schools Guide publishes straight-talking and unbiased reviews of 1,300 state and independent schools.