Those of you who have followed my previous posts will know that I’m interested in the choices that students make at Key Stage 5. And – having spent many years at the Institute of Physics before joining Datalab – I’m particularly interested in A-Level physics.
Anyone who knows anything about A-Level physics probably knows it has an issue with gender balance (among other diversity issues). Just 22% of those who took the subject in 2021 were female. Only computer science had a lower proportion of female students.
But back at the Institute of Physics, we produced research showing that girls who attend single sex schools are far more likely to go on to study A-Level physics than those who attend mixed schools.
One possible explanation for the higher proportions in single sex schools choosing physics is that those taught in a single sex environment are less likely to see some subjects as being ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’.
