CASTERTON School is to take boys up to age 11 for the first time in response to what the school's management says is growing parental demand.

Staff at the independent fee-paying school say the success of their pre-prep department, coupled with the requirements of families, have led to the change.

But Casterton will remain a single sex girls' school for pupils aged 11 to 18, in line with the school's ethos and belief that children at secondary level perform better in a single sex environment.

The change has been made possible by the amalgamation of Casterton's pre-prep and junior departments to become Casterton Preparatory School, catering for boys and girls from age three to 11.

However, initially, new boys will only be admitted from the age of eight and younger.

This will be increased in a rolling programme over the next two years until new boys can be taken at any age up to 11.

The move will ensure that girls whose parents chose Casterton because it is a single sex school can stay in girls-only classes for the remainder of their junior years, and into their secondary education.

Boys who attended the school prior to the change have moved up with the girls in their classes, and can continue at Casterton until they are 11.

As part of the amalgamation, Gill Hoyle, who has been responsible for the pre-prep and nursery children, is now headmistress of the new preparatory school.

Mrs Hoyle said previously parents had been left in an awkward position if they sent their sons to Casterton, because they had to leave the school at age eight.

The move has already led to ten more boys joining the preparatory school, which now has 81 boys and girls.

The senior school has 294 girls.

Mrs Hoyle said parents, who pay fees ranging from £1,300 to £2,200 each term for youngsters aged five to 11, plus more for boarders, were "delighted" with the change.

"It's very definitely as a product of a good, successful pre-prep department, and that we have felt the need to listen to parents and respond to their needs in the primary age range," she said.

Explaining the decision to keep the secondary school single sex, she said: "Research proves secondary education to be better for boys and girls taught separately."