A study into demand for single sex education in the City in 2006 was one of the of the widest consultations ever carried out by Nottingham City Council. The report following the consultation was published on Monday, 16 July 2007 and can be downloaded from this page.

Results

The headline results show that:

• 58.6 per cent of adults who took part are in favour of the provision of single sex education in Nottingham, saying it was important or very important to them;
• Ethnic and faith groups (including Muslims, Arabs, Bangladeshis, Kashmiris and Pakistanis) were strongly in favour of single sex education, although there was less support from women and girls, the very young and those born in Britain; and
• there is a demand for an all-girls school, but no requirement for a single sex boys’ school.

Extensive consultation

As as part of the consultation:

• almost 250 community groups and 40 members of the City Council’s Race Achievement Forum were contacted;
• 23 focus groups were held with adults and young people;
• radio phone-ins took place;
• stalls were set up at community events; and
• a questionnaire was posted on the City Council's website.

Questionnaires were also sent to City schools, parents and governors, staff and teaching unions, libraries, community centres, tenants groups, mosques, the City Council’s Area Committees and Nottinghamshire Police.

Next steps

The results of the survey will be fed into the City Council’s policies for transforming secondary education in Nottingham and will be used to develop the next phase of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Background

The study was initiated 18 months ago when Nottingham’s draft plans to transform secondary education through the Building Schools for the Future programme proposed the closure of Manning Comprehensive Girls School in Aspley, the City Council’s only single-sex school.  Although pupil numbers were falling there was a wave of support for a girls-only school and Manning was reprieved, pending an in-depth look at the demand for single-sex schools.

Click here to download the single sex education report (3mb)

Further information

Any enquiries about the report should be directed to:
catherine.conchar@nottinghamcity.gov.uk