Why did you choose an all-girls School for your daughter?
At The Mount School York, we are passionate about girls and their education. There is a vast range of research that details the many benefits of an all-girls education. We witness this every day in our confident and compassionate pupils. We see the benefits evidenced outside of school by our former pupils. They are successful, happy and self –assured women who are making a huge contribution to the changing world.
We know the many advantages of single-sex Schools, however, we understand it is sometimes less understood by people who have not experienced it themselves. To provide families with some first-hand experience we asked our parents why they chose an all-girls education for their daughter(s) and how they feel their daughter(s) benefit from a Mount School education.
‘We chose an all-girls school for our daughter because of the nurturing environment, It allows girls to develop confidence and thrive academically. Since attending The Mount School in Reception, our daughter has flourished and gained in confidence. She has experienced so many opportunities such as being able to participate in outdoor education, a variety of sports, clubs and performing arts. It has been a joy to see her thrive and to genuinely want to go to school every day.’
Many parents comment on the confidence their daughters exhibit and the sense of belonging they experience at The Mount. ‘I am a huge advocate of girls only education – there is significant evidence to show that girls succeed not only academically but also in terms of their self-esteem and self-confidence. I see the evidence of this played out in my daughter’s experience at The Mount on a daily basis. I love the sense of girls’ empowerment and ‘can do’ attitude that infuses all aspects of the School’s curriculum, pastoral care and extra-curricular activities. I will always be grateful to The Mount for the way that they carefully create personalised learning and pastoral care programmes that are not just bespoke to girls but to individuals.’
‘The Mount is an environment in which girls can be themselves, have confidence in their abilities and recognise that anything is possible, and aspirations are achievable. I believe The Mount is quite unique. A nurturing, kind, caring and supportive environment for girls to thrive in and in which to prepare for an ever-changing and sometimes overwhelming world.’
Parents who have experienced both co-ed and an all-girls environment agree, ‘Despite it being a difficult decision to change schools, from another exceptional independent school, moving our daughter to The Mount was the right choice, as she is thriving in an all-girls environment. The Mount School has an incredibly nurturing attitude to the girls as a whole. It is somewhere that girls flourish and develop inner confidence as they are encouraged to try new things and take risks. There is a real team spirit among the girls, and they make life-long friendships. Each girl is allowed to explore their individual talents.’
Some families may worry that single sex education is not preparing pupils for the real world. ‘We chose The Mount for our daughters because of the overwhelming evidence that girls benefit most in an all-girl educational environment, whereas in a co-educational environment, it is the boys who get the most benefit. Why would we, as parents of girls, choose for any of our daughters an arrangement which put her at such a disadvantage? The evidence is consistent whether you are looking at STEM studies, sports, humanities, and so on. The Quaker ethos means each of our daughters has her own personality and pursues topics which interest her while having a healthy respect for the interests of others. I am constantly amazed at how well they articulate their views with no trace of arrogance.’
Finally, we asked our parents would you recommend The Mount to other families?
‘I would absolutely recommend The Mount to families. As far as I am concerned it is the best all-girl school in the North, if not the country.’
‘Of course, Maddie is and always has been so happy at The Mount. We could not ask for a better education for her.’
‘Definitely, The Mount is an incredible school – evidenced not only because of their outstanding exam results (which themselves are a reflection of an enormously dedicated and highly creative and enthusiastic teaching team) but because they not driven by a one size fits all metric agenda. The care and attention they pay to getting the best out of each girl – the personal development plans designed to stretch and challenge girls but not to over pressure them – has paid off in multiple ways including the incredibly supportive environment through which girls can excel and be themselves.’
‘I would strongly recommend The Mount to other families, particularly if they are looking for a school which has a very broad view of what education is about. We feel The Mount is not only helping our daughter to realise her academic potential, but also to prepare her for later life and to play a full part in the world. At The Mount she is developing what we term a ‘quiet self-confidence’, helping her to become assertive but not arrogant, and to aim high in what she wants to achieve in life’.