BEST FOR BOYS - FOR MANY, YES

Tim Haynes, the Headmaster of Tonbridge School, reflects on the benefits of a boys only school

 

Charities are very much in the news at present, especially the ancient charities whose purposes might seem to have been lost along with their origins in the mists of time. The Charity Commission is engaged in a major review of all sorts of charitable organisations and by no means only focusing on schools. Some of the greatest and most ancient of all grant-giving bodies are the Livery Companies of the City of London and especially the ‘Great Twelve’. One of these, the Skinners’ Company, though not a charity itself, is a major contributor to charities that educate the young and help the old in need.

The Company maintains the ancient tradition of Almshouses by providing high quality housing for older people, whilst it is at the forefront of educational progress thanks to its involvement in the Academies programme. In 1553, a member of the Skinners’ Company, Sir Andrew Judde, founded Tonbridge School, whose charter determined that the Worshipful Company of Skinners should be the governors of the school after the death of the founder. Tonbridge is one of four schools for which The Skinners’ Company is responsible. The other three are voluntary aided (ie maintained schools) and represent The Skinners’ Company’s commitment to education throughout society. All four schools are single sex.

The independent sector in the UK offers huge choice and diversity - this is one of its core strengths. And what makes an excellent school is a complex question and there are many facets to the answer. I would never want to argue that single sex/boys only is the best in every conceivable way; but it does undoubtedly impact the overall feel of a school and for many boys it provides the best environment in which they can grow, develop and achieve. It is about providing an environment where teenage boys are more easily able to be themselves and to discover themselves.

In their everyday school lives they are perhaps less prone to falling to stereotype by doing or being what they think a young male ought to be doing or being. That may manifest itself in all sorts of ways, in terms of the subjects that they choose to study or in their participation in the co-curricular programme. In a school such as Tonbridge the boys can enjoy their education in a less self-conscious atmosphere and they can, and do, participate in a very wide and balanced programme of education. Flautists and rugby players get an equal chance among their peers. The environment encourages selfexpression, participation and confidence.

A single sex boys environment is not really about removing the distraction of girls, and I would not be comfortable to be associated with a monastically single sex school or indeed one that is closed down to the outside world. At Tonbridge we routinely collaborate with local girls’ schools on all sorts of projects and initiatives and we encourage the boys to engage with those of other backgrounds and other cultures on a local and on an international platform.

I am no great fan of the various newspaper league tables but it is interesting to note that the top 50 or so places are invariably occupied by single sex boarding and day schools. It is now clearly accepted that boys and girls learn in different ways, they are wired differently neurologically, something which is particularly prevalent during the occasionally turbulent teenage years. To get the most out of boys, it makes sense to teach in appropriate styles and shape the day and the week in a way that works best for boys. It also makes sense to employ specialists, excellent teachers who understand boys, their various stages and challenges, and who can bring a subject to life in a way that appeals to boys, rather than attempting to appeal to both sexes’ very different needs.

In conclusion it is important to consider whether the benefits of single-sex education are right for your child, but also it is important that you consider the quality of staff, the values that drive a school, and the expectations that are intrinsic in all that it does. These are the factors which make an outstanding school.

Tim Haynes has been Headmaster of Tonbridge School since 2005 and before that was Headmaster of Monmouth School, a boys only school run under trust by the Worshipful Company of Skinners