It has become a commonly held view that girls who attend co-educational schools are better prepared for life afterwards than those from single-sex schools. Here, a head teacher challenges that assumption A recent article saying that girls educated in single-sex schools are at a huge disadvantage provoked the expected responses from head teachers. What struck me, though, was the reaction from Old Cornelians – former students at Mayfield School, where I am headmistress – who responded passionately and immediately. Richard Cairns, a head of the co-educational Brighton College private school, described single-sex education as “a deeply unrealistic world”, saying that girls at single-sex schools can achieve top grades but they leave unable to talk to boys. This is but