A study by AQR International, which specialises in psychometric assessments, found that girls in single sex schools scored particularly highly for emotional control and confidence.
They warned that the Government must take into account how differences in mental toughness may have widened during the pandemic when designing school catch-up schemes.
Mental toughness correlates with attainment and well-being, but researchers emphasised that those without it can develop the trait.
The report also included a study from Huddersfield University which indicated that the more mentally robust a person is the better able they are to deal with being anxious, stressed or depressed.
Donna Stevens, chief executive of the Girls’ Schools Association, said: “This is a fascinating insight to the environmental impact of a single-sex school on girls’ confidence and emotional resilience and may well explain why girls in girls’ schools typically tend to do better academically.”
Doug Strycharczyk, AQR chief executive, said: “This has significant implications for much of the population, during and after the pandemic. It shows the importance of being aware of an individual’s and an organisation’s mental toughness. Differences in mental toughness may well have widened during the pandemic. Any Government ‘catch-up’ scheme would do well to take this into account.”
The findings were presented at the Girls’ Schools Association’s annual summer briefing.
