Parents were sent a letter on Monday evening setting out how the upper school would start accepting girls from September 2021.
At pick-up time yesterday, parents were keen to give their views, but did not wish to be identified.
One mother said she had a child at Acorn House [the Elizabeth College Pre-Preparatory School], one at Ladies’ College and one at Elizabeth College.
‘I have lots of thoughts on this but I don’t know if I can say them,’ she said.
‘I think Ladies’ is a great school, and a bit of healthy competition will make it even greater. My son will benefit from having girls around too I’m sure. I love co-ed, and it seems especially good at primary school.’
Another mother had mixed feelings on the plans.
‘Personally I think boys do better on their own from age 11 to Year 13, but I also think that they do well to be integrated with girls,’ she said.
‘I am overall unsure whether it is a good decision. Boys can do without distractions while they are studying, but the social benefits of being in a learning environment around girls is needed too.’
Conflicted feelings were a common trend to the responses.
‘My son goes here and I think it is a good thing, although I can understand why people were upset to hear it,’ said a different mother.
‘This has been happening elsewhere in the UK where single-sex schools are becoming mixed. I think it’s probably more the Old Elizabethans who don’t like the change, because they are part of a tradition that goes back hundreds of years, though I can’t see any problems.’
One parent said that teachers also had not been told prior to the announcement.
‘I don’t know really, I think it’s a shame, although I can see the benefits,’ said another parent.
‘They are getting into modern times by doing this. I have one daughter at Ladies’ and, because of the uncertainty surrounding that, it is quite concerning. I was also surprised to hear that the teachers also had no notification, I heard they found out the same time everyone else did. I don’t have any problems with it really though, only that prior consultation would have been nice.’
Sixth-form student Alex Varley, 18, said he thought the proposals were a good thing.
‘I’m in upper sixth at Elizabeth College and it has almost been unsustainable at the moment to have a fully single-sex school,’ he said.
‘You do see most boys’ schools becoming co-educational now, so it’s quite a pragmatic decision. It’s been a long time coming with Beechwood and the purchase of Canada Court anyway.’
