Girls' schools 'rejecting traditionally feminine subjects' Speaking at the GSA annual conference in Newcastle, Hilary French, the group's president, said: "In a girls" school, the pressure to opt for the subjects which are perceived as more "feminine" just doesn't exist and so the potentially talented female scientists, mathematicians and linguists are able to pursue their interests and achieve their full potential." In today's study, researchers analysed A-level subject choice and performance among girls educated in the 180 fee-paying GSA schools. It was compared with all girls nationally, including those in state schools and co-educational private schools. The data - compiled by the Independent Schools Council - showed that 38.5 per cent of girls in single-sex private schools took an A-level in maths in 2012 compared with 21.7 per cent of other girls. In biology, 30.3 per cent of GSA girls studied the subject compared with 22.8 per cent of girls in other schools. Some 26.6 per cent of girls in GSA schools took chemistry A-levels compared with 15.6 per cent of other girls, while 11.6 per cent studied physics compared with 4.5 per cent of their peers. It also emerged that girls in leading single-sex private schools were less likely to opt for traditionally female disciplines. Just 24.8 per cent of GSA girls took an A-level in English compared with 41.2 per cent of girls in other schools. They were also less likely to study art and design, sociology and psychology. Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, deputy general secretary of the Independent Schools Council, which is the umbrella group for the fee-paying sector, said girls in single-sex schools were "propping up" some subjects. "Girls" schools can quite rightly be very proud of these figures," he said. GSA schools, though relatively small in number, are preparing a disproportionately large number of girls to be the scientists, engineers and linguists of the future.