In a space designed just for her, a girl finds her voice – and learns it matters.
At The Granville School, we wholeheartedly believe that an all-girls’ education offers unique and powerful benefits, not just academically but in their all-round education. Research and our own decades of experience have taught us that environments tailored to girls’ learning and development can help unlock their potential in every area of school life.
A Foundation for Life Beyond Prep School
“Girls’ schools are highly successful at preparing young women for future study, work and leadership.”
— GSA, The Role of Girls’ Schools
An all-girls’ education does more than prepare pupils for exams — it builds strong, confident young women ready to contribute to the world around them in a huge range of areas. The senior schools that our girls move on to repeatedly report how confident and well-prepared Granville girls are for the challenges of the next stage of their education, be that continuing in single-sex setting or moving to a co-educational one.
Academic Confidence and Achievement
In a girls-only classroom, pupils are often more willing to contribute ideas, ask questions and take intellectual risks. Teaching can be carefully tailored to how girls learn best, helping them build secure foundations during their formative years.
Encouraging STEM Participation
Research published by the Girls’ Schools Association shows that girls in single-sex schools are more likely to study STEM subjects at GCSE and A Level than girls in co-educational settings. This suggests that girls’ schools can play an important role in challenging gender stereotypes around subjects such as maths, physics and computing.
By removing unconscious bias and social pressure, all-girls’ schools can help pupils see STEM subjects as exciting and achievable.
Leadership, Confidence & Participation
In a girls’ school, every leadership role, such as form captain or sports prefect, is carried out by girls. This normalises female leadership and builds confidence, resilience and self-belief at every stage of school life. From the classroom to the sports field, girls are encouraged to lead, collaborate and take responsibility — skills that benefit them far beyond their school years.
Without the pressure of gender stereotypes, students are more willing to try new activities — from chess to debating to Jujitsu — and often take up activities and roles they might not otherwise consider.
Positive, Supportive Environment
At prep school age, feeling secure and supported is essential. A girls-only environment allows pupils to focus on learning and friendships without the pressures sometimes associated with mixed-gender classrooms. Our pastoral care is tailored towards the social and emotional journey that girls face as they grow up, incorporating the Girls on Board approach to friendships and the Positive Education philosophy of teaching resilience and how to build and maintain positive relationships and to connect with and manage emotions.
Freedom from Stereotypes
In girls’ schools, traditional gender expectations, such as assumptions about who “should” study certain subjects, are challenged every day. This means girls are more likely to pursue interests across all disciplines, from maths and design technology to languages and the arts.
With role models, tailored teaching and a school culture built around girls’ voices and aspirations, students learn to see possibilities, not limitations.
