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| Newest class entirely girl-free | Newest class entirely girl-free |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A Devon head teacher is "absolutely amazed" to have welcomed the newest class to her mixed sex school that is made up entirely of boys. | A Devon head teacher is "absolutely amazed" to have welcomed the newest class to her mixed sex school that is made up entirely of boys. |
| Christine Jones, of Bassett's Farm Primary School in Exmouth, said it was the first time it had happened in her teaching career. | Christine Jones, of Bassett's Farm Primary School in Exmouth, said it was the first time it had happened in her teaching career. |
| And it has never happened before in the 30-year history of the school. | And it has never happened before in the 30-year history of the school. |
| The 20 four-year-olds started in the foundation class at the 320-pupil school on 7 January. | The 20 four-year-olds started in the foundation class at the 320-pupil school on 7 January. |
| We are making sure they are meeting girls Christine Jones | We are making sure they are meeting girls Christine Jones |
| Exmouth has a population of about 40,000 and pupils come from across the town to attend the school, which is made up of roughly even numbers of girls and boys. | Exmouth has a population of about 40,000 and pupils come from across the town to attend the school, which is made up of roughly even numbers of girls and boys. |
| The unusual make-up of the class first came to light when the school received a list of pupils for the new intake from the local education authority. | The unusual make-up of the class first came to light when the school received a list of pupils for the new intake from the local education authority. |
| "And we did have a number of induction days in the Autumn so the parents knew that the class were all going to be boys," said Mrs Jones. | "And we did have a number of induction days in the Autumn so the parents knew that the class were all going to be boys," said Mrs Jones. |
| Mrs Jones said teaching a class full of boys has not presented any particular challenges so far. | Mrs Jones said teaching a class full of boys has not presented any particular challenges so far. |
| "We are making sure they do mix with the other foundation class which is made up of 16 girls and 14 boys- especially for outside play," she said. | "We are making sure they do mix with the other foundation class which is made up of 16 girls and 14 boys- especially for outside play," she said. |
| "So we are making sure they are meeting girls. | "So we are making sure they are meeting girls. |
| "We just can't explain why this has happened, it's not something I have ever heard of before in all my years of teaching." | "We just can't explain why this has happened, it's not something I have ever heard of before in all my years of teaching." |
| Professor David McMullan from the University of Plymouth said the probability in the class of 20 students was "a one-in-a-million chance". | |
| Your comments | Your comments |
| When I was at primary school, my class was made up of 27 boys and seven girls! At that age, boys and girls didn't mix at all, so the seven of us were quite a close-knit group, but it didn't seem strange to us - we accepted it and grew up with it. I then went on to an all-girl's school which was a bigger shock!Alex, UK | When I was at primary school, my class was made up of 27 boys and seven girls! At that age, boys and girls didn't mix at all, so the seven of us were quite a close-knit group, but it didn't seem strange to us - we accepted it and grew up with it. I then went on to an all-girl's school which was a bigger shock!Alex, UK |
| My daughter Ella, was in a class of all boys for reception and year one. In September this year four girls joined her class. But the scenario has happened in the year below her.Sue Kelly, Letchworth Garden City, Herts | My daughter Ella, was in a class of all boys for reception and year one. In September this year four girls joined her class. But the scenario has happened in the year below her.Sue Kelly, Letchworth Garden City, Herts |
| In 1996 I joined Royston Comprehensive School in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and it was clear from the open day that girls would be really out-numbered. I think it was approx 21 girls to 80 boys, resulting in one whole-boy class. I know that the boys loved it, especially as their form tutor was female, but I think for the school it was a first. Must have been something in the water that year!Vicki Robinson, Barnsley, South Yorkshire | In 1996 I joined Royston Comprehensive School in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and it was clear from the open day that girls would be really out-numbered. I think it was approx 21 girls to 80 boys, resulting in one whole-boy class. I know that the boys loved it, especially as their form tutor was female, but I think for the school it was a first. Must have been something in the water that year!Vicki Robinson, Barnsley, South Yorkshire |
| Whilst doing my A levels, in two classes (Psychology and German) I was the only male, 12 to 1 and 16 to 1, it was very nice and I miss those lessons! Will, Hexham | Whilst doing my A levels, in two classes (Psychology and German) I was the only male, 12 to 1 and 16 to 1, it was very nice and I miss those lessons! Will, Hexham |
| Assuming an equal chance of a pupil being a girl or a boy, and assuming 20 is a fairly typical number for a primary school chance, there is about a one in a million chance of this happening. However, there are approximately 19,000 primary schools in the UK, so I'd expect this to happen somewhere about every fifty years or so.Stephen Penney, St Albans | Assuming an equal chance of a pupil being a girl or a boy, and assuming 20 is a fairly typical number for a primary school chance, there is about a one in a million chance of this happening. However, there are approximately 19,000 primary schools in the UK, so I'd expect this to happen somewhere about every fifty years or so.Stephen Penney, St Albans |
| In my daughters school there is a class of Year 2 children (aged 7-8) who are all boys, however there are only eight in the class, it is a small school!!!Zoe Nash, Derby | In my daughters school there is a class of Year 2 children (aged 7-8) who are all boys, however there are only eight in the class, it is a small school!!!Zoe Nash, Derby |
| Yes, my class was all boys. Mind you, it was an all boys school and everyone achieved a lot more without the distraction of the opposite sex !Chris Harper, London, UK | Yes, my class was all boys. Mind you, it was an all boys school and everyone achieved a lot more without the distraction of the opposite sex !Chris Harper, London, UK |
| I once noted a strange phenomenon when examining statistics for post WWII births - the number of boys born far outweighed the girls. I was told that this was a common phenomenon after a war. Does this school have an armed forces intake? It seems bizarre but in nature's terms it is an ideal situation - therby replacing males lost in combat and restoring the balance of the population. What the mechanism is I have no idea.Jill Perry, Worthing, West Sussex | I once noted a strange phenomenon when examining statistics for post WWII births - the number of boys born far outweighed the girls. I was told that this was a common phenomenon after a war. Does this school have an armed forces intake? It seems bizarre but in nature's terms it is an ideal situation - therby replacing males lost in combat and restoring the balance of the population. What the mechanism is I have no idea.Jill Perry, Worthing, West Sussex |
| Better a class full of boys, than the class my little daughter had - 17 boys & 2 girls. She and her one friend were very unhappy and we eventually had to leave.Ade, London UK | Better a class full of boys, than the class my little daughter had - 17 boys & 2 girls. She and her one friend were very unhappy and we eventually had to leave.Ade, London UK |
| My primary school class in Maidstone, Kent was made up of 28 girls and 5 boys. I then went to a girls only secondary school followed by a girls grammar school. I got pregnant in my first year at university and sometimes wonder if I wouldn't have gone so boy-mad when I left home if I'd had the opportunity to mix with boys socially earlier on. My son is now about to go to uni and I envy the ease with which he mixes with both boys and girls - although he sometimes threatens to follow my 'example' and make me a grandmother at 37! Kate , Edinburgh | My primary school class in Maidstone, Kent was made up of 28 girls and 5 boys. I then went to a girls only secondary school followed by a girls grammar school. I got pregnant in my first year at university and sometimes wonder if I wouldn't have gone so boy-mad when I left home if I'd had the opportunity to mix with boys socially earlier on. My son is now about to go to uni and I envy the ease with which he mixes with both boys and girls - although he sometimes threatens to follow my 'example' and make me a grandmother at 37! Kate , Edinburgh |
| I can't agree with Kate from Edinburgh more. I was at an all girls boarding school and then pregnant in my first year of uni - I would say that getting the awkwardness and novelty of the opposite sex out the way early is an essential life skill and my daughter now deals with boys much more sensibly than I did at her age.Angela, Dunfermline, Fife | I can't agree with Kate from Edinburgh more. I was at an all girls boarding school and then pregnant in my first year of uni - I would say that getting the awkwardness and novelty of the opposite sex out the way early is an essential life skill and my daughter now deals with boys much more sensibly than I did at her age.Angela, Dunfermline, Fife |
| I am a Reception class teacher in the London Borough of Sutton. This year, I have 22 out of 30 children born in the summer months: June, July and August. This, too, has never happened before. I have checked last year's figures, where there were fewer than half that number of summer-born children in the year-group (a more normal proportion). Tracing back to find a common denominator, I blame the World Cup (2002) - I can only conclude that parents did not get around to trying for a baby until after the tournament was over (the 22 in my class must have been conceived from September onwards).Maura Bangs, Wallington, Surrey, Uk | I am a Reception class teacher in the London Borough of Sutton. This year, I have 22 out of 30 children born in the summer months: June, July and August. This, too, has never happened before. I have checked last year's figures, where there were fewer than half that number of summer-born children in the year-group (a more normal proportion). Tracing back to find a common denominator, I blame the World Cup (2002) - I can only conclude that parents did not get around to trying for a baby until after the tournament was over (the 22 in my class must have been conceived from September onwards).Maura Bangs, Wallington, Surrey, Uk |
| My daughters went to a girls only secondary from a mixed primary. In about the third week my eldest came home to announce that her class had locked their teacher in the cupboard. I was amazed - 'but you're girls,' I protested. Yes Dad, but we have to be naughty because there aren't any boys, to do it for us.Derek Amory, Richmond, Surrey | My daughters went to a girls only secondary from a mixed primary. In about the third week my eldest came home to announce that her class had locked their teacher in the cupboard. I was amazed - 'but you're girls,' I protested. Yes Dad, but we have to be naughty because there aren't any boys, to do it for us.Derek Amory, Richmond, Surrey |