Perspectives on the gender gap in English secondary schools

Abstract It has become clear in the 1990s that girls are achieving better results than boys in 16+ examinations in England and Wales. This paper examines some of the dimensions of the debate surrounding this, drawing on new intensive research undertaken in eight mixed selective and comprehensive schools. The methodology used, and the statistical components of the gender gap in these schools, are discussed before moving on to an interpretation of the gap, where we suggest ways in which the ethos of the school affects achievement. We look at the rhetoric and reality of policies aiming to address the gap in individual schools, drawing upon interviews with a range of staff in four schools. We also use quotations from focus‐group interviews with students in all eight schools to illustrate findings about differences in motivation between boys and girls, and the ways in which the schools' values and expectations are communicated to the students, both directly and indirectly. We argue in particular that early setting can have a negative effect on boys, who predominate in lower sets. Finally, we examine formal reward systems operating in the schools, the students' perspectives on these, and the importance of cultivating an ethos of praise in order to foster achievement for all students.