“There’s probably more of a need for single-sex education now for girls than there was when Wimbledon High was founded in 1880,” says Jane. “Life is all so relentless for girls at the moment, and they need a safe place, a haven, where they can understand who they are.”
The fact is, says Jenny, a single-sex school helps build girls’ confidence. “And confidence is what it’s all about for girls. I know of girls who come out of Oxbridge still not confident about their abilities; it’s not about how bright they are.”