SUE Palmer (TES, October 18) rightly points out that boys mature more slowly than girls. However, the 2002 aggregate IAPS key stage 2 results show that in prep schools at age 11 the gap between boys and girls is much narrower than in the maintained sector. This year prep school girls were ahead in English but only slightly ahead in science, while boys were slightly ahead in maths.
It remains to be seen whether it is simply that in prep schools it is cool for boys to do well.
John Morris
General secretary, Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools
11 Waterloo Place, Leamington Spa
