Single sex classes help boys with English, but not maths

Boys may perform significantly better at primary school if they are taught in single sex classes.

A study at Bristol University found that in Key Stage 1 and 2 boys did less well as the number of girls in the class rose.

But the effect was only noted in English classes and disappeared after the age of 11.

In science and maths classes it was discovered that having a largely female class improved the performances of both girls and boys.

Researcher Steven Proud said that the differences could be down to boys ‘hiding in the background’ and not trying as hard because girls generally outperform boys in English.

He concluded that it could possibly be due to female teachers – in the majority in primary schools – unconsciously targeting their teaching more towards girls.