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Rebecca Golland, Deputy Head (Pastoral) at Highgate School, explores how co-education fosters empathy, equality, and academic success in a supportive, forward-thinking environment.
At Highgate, the joys of co-education permeate all aspects of our school culture. This is a place where respectful relationships, and a belief in equality and fairness, underlie all our activities.
Fundamentally, we treat each individual child as themselves. Academically and pastorally, what we’re interested in is that they learn to challenge themselves to be the best they can be, in a welcoming and respectful community. Being in a school environment where young people learn to belong and co-exist with boys and girls helps them to prepare for wider life beyond.
We work hard to subvert subject stereotypes, encouraging pupils of all genders to engage in the full range of subjects and activities on offer. The best way for boys and girls to see that subject stereotypes are unhelpful is to witness boys excelling in English or girls excelling in Maths. Exam outcomes evidence the level playing field that we strive to create.
Having a co-educational classroom means you have as wide variety of voices and perspectives as possible, generating an exciting cross fertilisation of ideas. Pupils listen to new viewpoints and learn to display empathy to others, while still (possibly) having a different perspective. There are equal opportunities to lead discussion and collaborate with their peers, so that everyone learns to be respectful and disagree agreeably.
It can sometimes be a common myth that in a co-educational environment, girls won’t contribute as much to class discussion, but in our experience, that is not the case: girls absolutely have their voice heard. And that’s not just in a classroom setting, but in our pupil action committees and pupil voice groups which are fundamental in developing the school of the future.
With an equal number of women and men in senior leadership and in the teaching body, and a balance of boys and girls in the pupil leadership team, we ensure that all voices are represented and contribute to our strategic direction and co-ed school culture. Strong female and male role models amongst the older pupils and staff provide a powerful example of a healthy mixed-gender community.
Our PSHE curriculum is regularly reviewed and updated with pupil input. We work with groups of boys and girls to design the course and ensure it is empowering for all genders. In this way, we can help children address some of the issues they face in society today, navigating complex conversations and increasingly polarised narratives, so that they can both be part of the conversation and the solution.
Teaching about consent from a young age encourages pupils to understand personal boundaries and feel empowered to say no. Pupils have worked sensitively to explore conversations around masculinity and femininity to boost confidence and self-esteem. Learning about menstrual cycles and family planning in a co-ed setting is helpful, so that it’s not just considered a women’s ‘issue’. Greater awareness of men’s mental health promotes allyship from both genders, to help break down barriers and support their peers, boosting wellbeing.
All children have the same opportunities and access to every sporting pathway. SpEx classes are taught in co-educational groups, which help to build relationship, character and teamwork skills, along with the physical competencies. Our unique ‘Highgate Our Way’ campaign, originally designed to empower girls to develop physical confidence, has evolved to support boys finding joy in dance and gymnastics, or students of all genders exploring different sporting opportunities without limitations.
Ultimately, every child deserves to be in an environment where they feel valued and listened to, and at Highgate, we strive to move beyond gender stereotypes to foster the widest possibilities for young people to flourish and grow.
