ABSTRACT

Hitherto only a small proportion of the research on private education has been on the schooling of girls. Debate on the subject, while often heated, even prejudiced, proceeds largely in ignorance of the historical development of private schooling, the currently changing nature of private schooling, and the wide diversity of provision of private schooling. This collection of previously unpublished essays presents important new research on the history and development of girls' private schools, their present role and the experience of privately educated girls. Taken together, the findings are both enlightening and likely to stimulate further exploration of this surprisingly under-researched area.

chapter |8 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|24 pages

Girls' Private Schooling

Past and Present

chapter 2|23 pages

‘Playing the Game’ and ‘Playing the Piano’

Physical Culture and Culture at Girls' Public Schools c. 1850-1914

chapter 4|22 pages

The Beech-covered Hillside

Self-presentation in the Histories of the Girls' Schools

chapter 7|21 pages

‘We're just here to make up the numbers really.’

The Experience of Girls in Boys' Public Schools

chapter 8|13 pages

Take Three Girls

A Comparison of Girls' A-level Achievement in Three Types of Sixth Form within the Independent Sector