Quick facts about girls’ schools

What are the benefits of a girls’ school?

Single-sex schools create a culture of strong academic achievement, particularly for girls

  • A 2017 study of Year 3, 5 and 7 numeracy and literacy (NAPLAN) data by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) found that even when socio-economic status was taken into account, Year 7 girls at single-sex schools were 4.2 terms ahead of co-ed students in reading and 2.8 terms ahead in mathematics (Dix, 2017).
  • A study of Korean students found that the “the net effect of having single-sex peers for three years is strongly positive for girls”. When classes were converted from 100% female to 50% female, girls’ achievement in languages (Korean and English) fell by 8-15% of a standard deviation (Dustmann, Ku and Kwak (2017).
  • A report examining numeracy and literacy data for junior secondary students and the tertiary entrance scores of senior secondary students “confirmed the positive effects of single-sex schooling” in New South Wales, where there are 21 boys’ and 24 girls’ government high schools (Lu & Rickard, 2014).

Girls’ schools buck the trend in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths)

  • A Swiss study identified a “very robust” positive effect on mathematics proficiency for girls randomly assigned to single-sex classes in a Swiss high school and found that single-sex schooling strengthens girls’ self-confidence in mathematics (Eisenkopf, Hessami, Fischbacher & Ursprung, 2015).

Girls feel empowered to defy gender stereotypes

  • Austrian researchers have found that “in more female environments, girls are less restrained by gender stereotypes and are more likely to consider traditional male school types and careers” (Schneeweis & Zweimüller, 2012).

Girls’ schools build self-esteem and enhance wellbeing

Girls’ schools tailor teaching to girls and provide an aspirational environment

  • Single gender classes provide a learning environment where the female voice is not marginalised. The personal attributes of the teachers, most notably their encouragement, care and availability, motivate these female students from single gender schools to excel” (Tully & Jacobs, 2010).