Many girls are not natural risk-takers and girls’ schools can provide a ‘safe’ learning environment which encourages them to learn from their mistakes without fear of embarrassment. We encourage them to move beyond their ‘comfort zone’ and learn that making a mistake is not the end of the world – it happens to the best of us!
Girls can often lack confidence in their own abilities and look to others for approval. Girls’ schools are uniquely placed to nurture girls and help them build self-esteem and the confidence to be themselves.
Excellent pupil-teacher relationships are evident throughout the School; we know that girls learn better when they develop relationships based on mutual trust and respect, and are treated as individuals.
Building their leadership skills and giving girls positive female role models to look up to is also an important way in which we can encourage them to have faith in what women in general and they in particular, can achieve. At DHS girls are happy to put themselves forward.
A more relaxed environment is created because girls don’t need to worry about impressing boys. They can be themselves in class; our girls can – and do! – speak openly and honestly. Lessons are often bursting with ideas and free-thinking as a result. Teachers certainly don’t experience problems encouraging discussion and debate!
The curriculum at an independent girls’ school can be tailored by teachers so that individual elements have particular appeal to girls. For instance, lessons can focus on literature with strong heroines or on the contributions of women to science.
Girls’ schools can make a great difference in overcoming limiting gender stereotypes. Girls can gravitate without embarrassment towards subjects often considered to be male preserves. In girls’ schools, all the scientists and mathematicians are female, all the debaters are female and all the pupils in leadership positions are female.
Did you know…? Girls at Girls School Association schools are:
We are proud that we were one of the first schools in the North East to take girls’ education seriously and together, it’s time to change the world again. You in?
