Of the local schools in my home town, one traditionally took only boys, one only girls. Having attended both mixed and single-sex schools through my education, I don't think this sort of segregation is good for anyone, but that's beside the point. These are both good schools that you have to test into, funded by the state, and likely to materially improve the life chances of anyone who attends.

When I attended in the late 90s, a very small number of girls attended what had been the boys' school. Now the numbers are much higher; at a visual inspection, perhaps a quarter.

The girls' school remains girls-only.

Obviously on one level that's straightforward sexism that would never be tolerated in the reverse situation. That's a daily reality we're all used to. There is a slightly more interesting interpretation than that, though.

How do we feel a young guy would be treated by other young guys if he expressed an interest in going to the girls' school? He might reasonably do that if he was interested in medicine, for instance; the school has a fantastic reputation for sending people to medical school.

Personally I think he might come in for quite a bit of teasing, which is not great.